Quarantine: Our new reality

For more than 40 days now, our little family of three has been sheltering in place. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the the novel coronavirus, COVID 19, a pandemic. All of a sudden, everything changed. No more going into work every day. No more dropping Aadil off at daycare. No more trips to the local cafe. For 40 plus days, the three of us have been tucked away at our home in West Michigan, like thousands of families across the state and around the country.

My crew

Life at home with a 16-month old baby while the two of us continue to work our full time jobs Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It’s in essence working two full time jobs at the same time. There is really no explaining it until you’re in the middle of it. I quickly realized, as did so many parents with toddlers, that it was impossible to string together more than 20 minutes of time in front of my computer undisturbed. Luckily, we had my Mom here for a week and change to give us a much needed extra set of hands for a little bit. Eventually, Amar and I developed a routine that worked for all of us. I’m so thankful for this! We take turns watching Aadil when one of us has a meeting and vice versa. Aadil has finally settled into his own routine, too. He is up every morning between 7:30 and 8 a.m., has breakfast, plays for a few hours, and naps every day from 12 to 2 p.m. I have never felt more productive during a specific time than I do everyday during his afternoon nap. I am literally Superwoman during this time. I’m usually getting as much quiet work done as I can in front of my computer. We also scarf down lunch, clean up and start laundry or do whatever else needs to be done around the house. In the afternoon, on warm days, we take a family walk. I love our walks. Aadil points at every car, dog and person he sees along the way. I love the fresh air – we all do. It’s good for the soul, especially during this time of so much uncertainty. Plus, I love the satisfaction of tracking my steps and seeing the route we walked. I thank my Apple Watch for that obsession.

Blue skies during one of our afternoon walks.

Because we’re all at home, I’m cooking three meals a day for the three of us. We’ve feasted on pastas, Mexican food, eggplant parmesan and homemade falafel. In order to satisfy my addiction to caffeine, I make coffee or chai twice a day. I’ve perfected the Dalgona coffee. When I’m particularly stressed, I bake. No one here complains about that. Look up stress baking if you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s a thing.

It’s stressful being stuck in one place. All I want to do is have the freedom to go to yoga class, grab coffee at Starbucks and get together with friends and coworkers. No one can tell us for sure when we’ll be able to get back to work. And when we do, the environment will no doubt look different than it did before. But I’m choosing to focus on the good. Because of technology, I’ve been introduced to so many new digital games. I’ve played virtual Code Names with the Sood cousins, which was a blast, and caught up with the Patel cousins on Zoom chat. It was so good to see everyone. Now, more than ever, I’m grateful for people sharing a peek into their own worlds and how they are coping with stress via what they share on social media. As we continue to do our part and stay home, I’m grateful for this time with my family of three. Aadil has grown so much and is getting more independent each day. This is the most fun age. He talks all the time and repeats back what we say. He just learned how to say apple and flower, which is adorably pronounces: “flow-oo.” I can’t get enough of it. He’s also walking all over the place and so close to running, I’m sure. It helps to have people you love close by to experience the uncertainty with. More than anything, I’m grateful we both have jobs we love. I know when I start work each day I have a team and community that understands the reality of working with a toddler and is more than flexible. I can’t wait to return to work and be amongst that energy, whenever that may be.

Each day at work, my team has started a practice of sharing with one another what we’re grateful for. I’ve found it to be a wonderful exercise. Some days it’s harder than others to be positive. But every day, I know I have so much I’m grateful for. The practice of vocalizing it is therapeutic. Time will tell how this all ends. Until then, if you need me, I’ll be busy getting all the baby snuggles and cuddles I can get before my little one grows up any more.