Back in January (or maybe it was December… 2020 has been a blur so far), my news-addicted husband, Michael, told me “baby, there’s a virus in China and I think it’s going to be a big deal.” Cue eye-rolling and me mostly ignoring him as he followed this virus for a few weeks. I was in my second trimester and thinking about a baby “sprinkle,” trying to teach my speech-delayed one year old her first words, working ten to twelve hour days as a veterinarian, and generally trying to keep our house of seven running smoothly. I didn’t think much about a virus in China.
Then it hit Italy. I started seeing videos on Facebook of overrun ICUs and emergency rooms and got a little nervous. Michael, still following the news, started slowly stocking up on things like rice, flour, beans, applesauce, and ironically, NOT toilet paper. COVID-19, as they were calling it, was actually scary. I understand a thing or two about immunology, virology, epidemiology, and general disease spread and prevention. I even work with a few coronaviruses in cats and dogs. But this particular coronavirus was killing lots of people overseas. It was, at the very least, terribly sad.
Then the first few cases struck the US, then a few more, and then the numbers were in the hundreds, then thousands, and my pregnant self started really panicking. I’m a worrier — you should know that — so preparing to deliver a baby in what was now being called a global pandemic was terrifying. I bought hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes and talked to the kids about hand-washing, how to sneeze and cough into your arm (the “vampire cough” we called it), and not sharing food and drinks. I’m sure the rest of America talked to their kids about these things too, but the virus still spread and spread. I eventually decided to take early leave from work in March, at the same time the schools announced they would not be bringing kids back from spring break. No one knew if or how this virus could affect pregnancy, pregnant women, an unborn or newborn baby, and I just couldn’t take that chance.
Thank God I was able to stay home. I don’t know how my children would have survived “online school” and “learning at home” without someone managing their days. It was as if they never learned how to use a planner, or submit assignments, or stay on top of their work before. Did the pandemic talk wipe their brains of all organizational skills they’ve learned in their ten to eighteen years of life? I became a stay-at-home mom turned school teacher in my third trimester of pregnancy… It. Was. Exhausting. Wake up, get kids up, feed toddler, organize who can use which computer at what time and for how long and oversee what assignments were and were not getting done. Remember to feed myself. Pee every 20 minutes (because again, third trimester). All. Day. Long.
Y’all, teachers have it rough. My sister is a teacher. I knew she had a hard job. I couldn’t keep up with the work of three kids (the oldest of my stepkids was a senior in high school and pretty much had it on her own), let alone a class of twenty to thirty students you can’t even threaten with no screen-time!! Teachers should get paid more — a LOT more.
But somehow, we survived until June first, the last day of school. They didn’t hate me when it was over (though I feel certain there were a few days in there that they most definitely did). They will move on to the next year, and Estrella graduated (suma cum laude!).
Cue me, on my knees at night, yelling to the ceiling: “Lord in Heaven, please let us be able to safely return to school next year!”
And if you’re wondering, I did deliver our baby girl safely during all of this. My deliveries are never easy. It was another 40 plus hour induction full of failed epidurals and lots of tears — but I can’t blame that on the pandemic, just my body that apparently loves to be pregnant and hates to give birth. My husband was with me the whole time. We were all healthy. Adeline was more beautiful and sweet than I could have imagined. Our family got to meet her in the safety of our home soon after (some with face masks on, made for some interesting baby book photos).
For now, we are just trying to stay in, not kill each other, avoid others when possible. We pick up our groceries curb-side or have them delivered. We watch movies (the entire collection of Marvel movies on Disney+ to be more specific), swim, ride bikes, go for walks, play video games, play more video games, watch more movies, and wait for it to be “safe” to return to the world. And try not to kill each other — did I say that already?
Mackenzie Parker
Love this! I knew you would make it through “homeschooling” and that sweet peanut would be safe.
Hayley
Now just praying we’re not doing school at home next year! 🙏🙏🙏