Pregnancy Month 5 / Sheltering at Home Month 9
As we close out November, I’m in month 5 of my pregnancy, and we’re nearly at month 9 of sheltering at home.
We’ve embraced the earlier nights, filling them with glittering lights and fragrant garlands and greenery throughout the Cottage.
Above: A curtain of twinkling lights. (Click here to shop the strands.)
We’ve slowly started decorating for the season. This year, it’s more for something joyful and different to do than anything else, I think…
Above: West wearing his new “Grow With Me” clothes (which last for years and through growth spurts) from Caribou Kids Clothing.
West has picked some of his own ornaments, like a little bird’s nest made of vines, and a bundle of acorns he keeps in an repurposed box on the vintage coffee table.
Our neighbors are still sharing their amazing food with us, while Adam bakes us all sourdough bread to share a few times per month.
This miraculous bump is growing, which is heartening and helps calm my nerves about my “high-risk” pregnancy.
Above: Much-appreciated maternity leggings from Boob Design.
I’m living almost entirely in leggings (pictured above), a loungewear set (pictured below), and a stretchy “Nap Dress” that I suspect will be particularly helpful when nursing in the months to come.
The baby’s first present arrived via a socially-distanced drop-off: a vintage set of handmade crochet booties. Holding them made me process the pregnancy in a way I realized I’d not yet permitted myself to experience.
Our son has grown substantially in recent months, so we ordered him a batch of long-lasting, “grow with me” bamboo clothes, including a holiday set that he’ll undoubtedly wear year-round. (His current grow with me clothes still fit, as they have for years. It’s everything else that he’s outgrown.)
Above: West’s height progression since COVID.
We’ve been attempting our first gingerbread man (borderline inedible) and gingerbread houses (which collapsed within minutes) with West. The excitement of the activity itself is what our four year old clearly relishes the most.
We’re still attempting to be as low waste as possible, using items such as our water carbonator 5-6 times per day, and relying exclusively on things like our bidet attachment. (We’ve bought just one 4-pack of toilet paper in 2020.) I
It’s admittedly more challenging to stay low waste at the grocery store since reusables aren’t permitted in Los Angeles during the pandemic. But we’re still sticking to all the reusables we can, such as our washable face masks and washable un-paper towels, cotton wipes, and so forth.
Above: A face mask made with deadstock fabric from SUAY. This mask is a buy-1-donate-1, with the donations going directly from the maker to Indigenous youth, and the leftover dollars going Seeding Sovereignty.
It’s still a rocky season of life for us, as it is for most. But I’m filled with gratitude for our health and home, and for all the medical and essential workers out there who’ve been working relentlessly in order to keep us all safer.
Activities for Sheltering at Home in a Small Space (Week 6)
Sheltering at home looks different for every household. Here at the cottage, we haven’t deep cleaned the house, nor have we started taking new classes, learning new skills, or watching new shows.
Our home is a daycare from 7am - 9pm.
And it’s a small business office from 6am - 11pm.
7 days a week.
I’m not complaining. Being able to shelter from home with my family is a privilege.
And thankfully, to my surprise, West still hasn’t asked to go anywhere the entire time. I was expecting daily questions and requests, but they never really manifested. I find myself holding my breath for a breakdown that has yet to come.
Above: West speaking to our neighbor from across the 8’ porch that separates our homes.
The days go by quickly, some smoother than others.
West sweetly requests more undivided attention than I can necessarily give, I fall behind on work, I’m out of shape, I’m distracted during most calls and meetings, I’m making more typos in my writing, and days go by without being able to touch base with my parents.
But this is a time for heightened flexibility, compassion and patience— with others, and with ourselves.
WORK
As a far as conducting business is concerned, I stick to many of my Tips for Working Effectively from a Small Home / Apt During the Outbreak. Even though I can’t work uninterrupted for more than a 30-60 minutes at a time, I do try to practice helpful habits like separating myself from the rest of the family, clocking-in for the task and clocking-out when it’s completed, and having necessities and comforts within arm’s reach (and notifications off) so I’m not sidetracked.
PLAY
We are turning nearly everything into an activity to do with West. Our days usually consist of the following:
Reading (about 2 hours each day)
Listening to Pinna audiobooks / stories while playing with trucks, building blocks/tiles, train tracks, etc.
Watching episodes of Sarah & Duck or Puffin Rock with our mini projector
“Painting” the fence with water
Bubbles
Cooking, baking, cleaning and laundry as family games
Dance parties
Playdough (I refer to Erin Boyle’s DIY instructions here)
Building forts (on the couch, with a tablecloth tent, and with play silks / scarves)
Window darts (these are plastic, but I’m glad we have them—- they’re fun for the whole family and we use them constantly)
Running around the house and yard with the pups
Art class (stickers, simple crafts, color pencils and crayons, paper planes, etc)
1 hour of French zoom class with friends, 4x / week
Gardening, Farmstand harvesting and monitoring, and careful watering of the indoor/outdoor plants
Puzzles (we only have 4-5 small ones, but they’re enough at this point)
Basketball
Video / Portal calls with family and friends
Chatting over fences and through windows with our neighbors
“Fishing” in the main room or garden
Switching up meal and snack formats in the PlanetBox for in-home picnics
