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Jackson’s big boy room

By • On • In Home, Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

Thankfully I started planning Jackson’s big boy room before the coronavirus shutdown and most of the big ticket items had been ordered and delivered before then. So we had the bed frame, dresser, mattress, comforter and wall decals — we just hadn’t put any of it together yet. Also, luckily my dad put up the curtains just before the stay-at-home order as well.

We spent the last few weeks putting these pieces together for his new dinosaur-themed room. The wall decals from Etsy turned out awesome — they look like a giant mural was painted across the wall. And Jackson has now learned the words brontosaurus, T-rex and pterodactyl.

The bed frame was from Etsy as well, actually a shop in Latvia. The mattress just goes straight on the floor — hopefully this will work out OK. Once it was all put together, I wasn’t quite sure if it was really cool, or just really crazy. But Jackson seems to like it!

I wish I could finish off the room completely, but that’s just not going to be possible right now. Some of the things I had already picked out are out of stock, plus shopping for dinosaur decor is not exactly essential at this moment.

Good news is we have all the main components though — so next up is getting Jackson to try sleeping in there!

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Daddy’s turn

By • On • In Pandemic • 1 min read

This time Justin took a seat in my barbershop for a quarantine cut. Apparently Jackson’s bad haircut didn’t scare him off (or he was just that desperate!)

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Happy birthday Luc!

By • On • In Pandemic, Pets • 1 min read

Luc turned 4 years old yesterday. Unfortunately we couldn’t have a party for him this year, but he did get a walk around the block for the first time in weeks. Plus Jackson and I made peanut butter cookies in his honor! (Don’t they look extra delicious in the fancy container?!)

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Still doesn’t want to leave the house

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

Justin: “Want to go outside and help me plant the tree?”

Jackson: “No, first we’re going downstairs.” 

Justin: “OK, let’s go downstairs and then we can go outside and plant the tree.”

Jackson: “Let’s pretend to plant the tree downstairs.”

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Sneak peak at baby

By • On • In Pandemic, Pregnancy • 1 min read

I ventured back out in the world for my 32-week ultrasound. There was a bit of confusion before this appointment because I had heard DuPage Medical Group was doing COVID testing at their Bloomingdale location, and my appointment was also scheduled in Bloomingdale. Eventually, though, I was told the OB office was a separate building and address. Phew!

Justin was not allowed to come with (no visitors are allowed for any appointments), but thankfully everything looked great and baby is growing well. They actually said the baby was measuring a few days ahead of schedule… does this mean he/she will come early?!? Ahh!

Masks are now being recommended (and soon required) to wear in public so I attempted to make one using a trick they were showing on TV. All you needed was a bandana and two hair ties. It did work, but it wasn’t too secure around my ears. And the material I had was larger than a typical bandana so it was very thick and, of course, hot!

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Fixing that haircut

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

After watching more YouTube videos and trying four different attempts at fixing Jackson’s bowl cut, I think I’ve done about as much as I could do without waiting for more hair to grow back!

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Lil’ homebody

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

Me: “Should we get our shoes on and go outside?”

Jackson: “Let’s pretend to go outside.”

Justin and I are starting to get concerned Jackson is a little TOO comfortable with quarantine life.

I’ve heard other parents talk about how hard it is to keep their kids inside all the time, but Jackson is totally fine being at home. I can’t even get him to go outside in our own back yard! Plus he loves staying in his pajamas all day long and he’s not really interested in talking to anyone via Zoom. Eek!

It’s going to be an interesting adjustment if we ever get back to normal!

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Forgetting how to drive

By • On • In Pandemic • 1 min read

There’s not many people out and about downtown Glen Ellyn these days. But the police are still there.

Justin went to do curbside pick-up for dinner from an Italian restaurant we love. Without all the other cars driving on the streets, he didn’t realize he accidentally went the wrong way down a one-way road — and then from there also turned the wrong way on another one-way road!

That’s when the cops immediately pulled him over. The officer though apparently did not want to get too close to him because he drove his car next to Justin’s and just rolled down the window to give him a warning.

As if driving the wrong way — twice — wasn’t bad enough, Justin also realized on his way home that his lights were never on!!!

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What have I done?!

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

My first attempt at giving Jackson a quarantine haircut did not go so well. I set up a “barbershop” in our bathroom, and while he was excited at first, he did not give me much time to work.

The end result was a total 1990s bowl cut!!! Not at all what I was intending!!

He didn’t seem too pleased with it either…

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Happy Easter!

By • On • In Kids, Pandemic • 1 min read

Easter was certainly different this year, but Jackson still had fun. As soon as he woke up in the morning, he said, “OK, I wake up. Next the Easter bunny comes.” I’m always amazed how he remembers things even after going to bed.

He raced around finding all the hidden Easter eggs — way faster than I was anticipating — but had a much tougher time searching for his Easter basket. We had to give him so many hints, and he walked right by it probably a dozen times. Eventually, though, he found it behind the curtain in the playroom.

The rest of the day he played with his new toys, colored Easter eggs (a paper version — we didn’t have any actual eggs!) and looked for the Easter bunny in the back yard (he kept spotting a blue one out there…?).

We also did another Easter cake challenge — except virtual, this year — with my family and unveiled our cake look-a-likes via a Zoom party that night.

See the gallery below.

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Coronavirus scare

By • On • In Pandemic • 1 min read

I was not feeling too well last weekend, and for a bit I was worried I may have caught COVID, especially since I was recently at the lab at the doctor’s office.

It began on Friday after I put Jackson down for a nap. I was feeling so tired — like my whole body was tired — and couldn’t get myself to do any work.

I started reading a New Yorker article about women giving birth amid COVID and while moving to the couch, I felt really faint. I wasn’t sure if it was the story getting to me, or something else.

Around the same time the next day, I started feeling yucky again and went to lay down. Some other symptoms popped up — little soar throat, some nasal drip — where I thought it may be the beginning of the coronavirus. We kept Jackson away from me, and I isolated myself in my room the rest of the night. I took notes on any symptoms and watched the incredibly boring and disappointing Mr. Rogers movie.

After sleeping and resting all weekend, I felt so much better. Pretty sure in the end it was just exhaustion. Too hard trying to work on coronavirus stories for the BGA and finish up the two classes I’m teaching this semester all while Jackson is at home and I’m dealing with the typical fatigue and other fun symptoms of the third trimester.

After what happened this weekend, I ended up taking a leave of absence from the BGA. Thankfully there is a new law that allows a partially paid leave for people who lost childcare because of the coronavirus. I am hoping I will be able to take advantage of this until my maternity leave kicks in. And then I will also be done with Loyola after final exams during the first week of May. All of this will certainly help take a huge a load off my plate right now!

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Justin discovering video conferencing

By • On • In Pandemic • 1 min read

“This Microsoft Teams thing is so cool. You just hit call. You don’t even need a phone number…. Like, I don’t have my desk phone, and I don’t need to know anyone’s phone number. But I can still call them. And then they’re there. On the computer.”

Justin

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If only I knew then…

By • On • In Pandemic, Pregnancy • 1 min read

These photos are just staring me in my face — mocking me — every time I use the bathroom now and have to ration the toilet paper.

At the time I thought it would be a cute photoshoot and worth the loss of one roll. And now you can’t find toilet paper anywhere!

I never stocked up at the beginning because I thought we had enough and I didn’t want to be a hoarder. I assumed it would be readily available again after everyone did their initial shopping sprees.

But it still hasn’t come back in stock yet, and I’m starting to get nervous as our supply has dwindled. It’s time for the one-square rule!

They should set aside rolls specifically for pregnant women — I have to go to the bathroom like every 30 minutes these days!

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Glucose test #2

By • On • In Pandemic, Pregnancy • 1 min read

Unfortunately I failed my first test and had to go back for the 3-hour follow-up test.

This one was scheduled in the morning so it was not as empty as the last time. The parking lot was full, and there was staff at the front door in gowns, gloves and masks who took your temperature and asked you screening questions before you could go inside.

In the lab, there was a steady stream of people coming in, but they gave me the same secluded spot in the corner with the curtain. They also gave me a mask to wear — it was super hot and hard to breath with that thing on!

Definitely not as comfortable this time around, but I did at least pass the test.

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April Fools!

By • On • In Pandemic • 1 min read

April Fools Day is a tricky holiday during a pandemic. I couldn’t figure out what to do and didn’t really have any plans — until my mom texted me that they were in Rockford, officially moving Emily out of her dorm.

“Oh wow. Are you gonna be back before dark? Did you hear there’s a curfew now?” I texted back.

The phone immediately rang. My mom was very concerned, and wanted to know all about this new curfew!

I said Pritzker had just announced it, and that the state police would be patrolling the highways (something that actually was happening in Italy) for anyone out after 8 p.m.

And that it takes effect beginning April 1st…. he he he

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