2020 started in Manila, then we flew back to NYC in time for school to start. J and I were both sick. It was post travel fatigue plus multiple kids in my classroom had runny noses for weeks too. That’s when I experienced how quickly germs spread in classrooms. In March covid shut schools down. Montessori training went virtual.
Online toddler classes. It was so tiring, and I have some experience being on camera. It’s tough for everyone. Our school permanently closed after the school year ended. Zoom Montessori training in July. So much zoom. In current events, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so on, BLM protests. The Stop Funding Hate campaign. I was away from Facebook and Instagram for a month.
Setting up a homeschool classroom. Bought more cabinets to accommodate stuff. Looking to form a pod. Too risky. Safe playdate once a week instead.
No playgrounds, just open parks. No outdoor dining for us either. We only leave the apartment to do groceries.
P and I turned 34, and we decided to grow our family. J is turning 4 in July and the window of time before maternal risks increase is narrowing. Luckily I was pregnant before the November elections.
Election anxiety. Can we endure four more years of this administration? Covid mismanagement on the federal, state and city level is depressing.
Halloween was spent outdoors in Central Park, Thanksgiving and Christmas out of town. No Manila trip this time. Biden wins. Still stressful up until inauguration. I’m still in disbelief at the insurrection.
My first trimester was lousy. I had horrible nausea, I couldn’t eat, I was so tired, but I chose to quit drinking coffee (I drank two cups a day) so I had barely any energy.
Second trimester is colliding with SAD. I don’t love winter. J asks for a goldfish. Thank God. I wasn’t too keen on taking on additional responsibilities but it’s great for homeschool. I think it’s good preparation for J to be responsible for baby sister?
I postponed Montessori practicum this schoolyear. I should have been in a classroom this year but covid happened. The bright side is we had time to think about having second child.
Homeschooling has its obvious advantages when I’m trying to avoid Covid-19 exposure. J and I both miss peers and I find that I have to do a lot of work side by side with her since she craves to have classmates around, I’m her only classmate, guide and mom, so those roles can get blurred and I’m wiped out at the end of the day.
Overall I made it through 2020 with my mental, physical, and emotional health in good enough shape to decide to take on the challenge of having another baby, which is something I don’t take lightly. If there’s anything I learned in 2020 it’s that parenting during a global pandemic is relentless but it’s only as complicated as I make it. I’m fortunate to have in-laws nearby who have been amazing at giving P and I a couple of child free nights every once in a while so we can decompress or tackle big projects. I’m lucky that my husband’s job wasn’t negatively affected by the pandemic and I can choose to step away from working outside the home for this time.