Where hindsight is [hopefully] 2020.

Kristen here. It is hard to believe it has been an entire year since we last posted on our website. Let’s face it, 2020 got the best of all of us. It started off great for our family. Austen and I took a much needed trip with friends to California in January, a family road trip to Austin in February, and then bam! we were hit with a global pandemic and nationwide quarantine orders. The same week we were given “work from home” orders from our company, we were set to announce the pending arrival of our second daughter in September. What was meant to be an extremely happy time shared with friends and family ended up turning into angst from all of the unknowns. We were excited to watch our oldest daughter become a big sister…

…but at the same time, what would this virus do to an unborn child? The little information we did know about the virus at the time pointed to severe complications for individuals with asthma like myself. If I caught the virus and had respiratory complications due to my asthma, what would that mean for the child growing inside of me? If our oldest daughter caught the virus, what complications might she face? Would there be any long-term effects? At the time, there seemed to be countless questions and not enough answers.

So, what have we done? We have stayed home and have the occasional, socially-distanced outing with family. That 2-week trip we had scheduled to London and Lisbon in May? Canceled. That week-long trip we had scheduled to California to coach water polo? Canceled. Those week-long trips we had scheduled to Canada and Mexico to watch our good friends get married? Canceled. Due to all of the unknowns for our children, we made the conscious decision to do the best we could to protect them.

What have our days consisted of? Working from home when not on leave or taking vacation days, daily walks, park visits, baking, curbside grocery runs, the occasional corner store run for essentials (especially during hurricane season), and lots and lots of playing.

Gratitude took place in my heart where deep-seeded anxiety once was at the beginning of the pandemic. Trip cancelations and work-from-home orders have given us the opportunity to take a step back, appreciate everything we have around us, and really focus on spending less time on our phones and more time in the moment. Where we were once consumed with the hustle and bustle of work (2 hour daily commute, time away from home, etc.) and errands around town, we are now consumed with family time.

We were able to spend real quality time with our oldest daughter before the arrival of her sister; something we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do if it weren’t for the pandemic. We have made a point to frequent the neighborhood parks, play with all of the toys in our household and read all the books we own as often as we can, while also teaching the value of cleaning up after we play and helping out mommy and daddy when needed. We have also bravely taken on the task of potty training while taking care of a newborn. We’ll let you know how that goes a few months from now…

How have we managed working from home with a toddler and now, a 3-month old? It has been far from easy. We have been extremely fortunate that Austen’s mother has been able to come over to our house in the mornings 2 times per week. At the beginning of the pandemic and through August, we were also fortunate our oldest daughter was still taking two naps per day. Austen and I schedule the bulk of our meetings during her nap times. If we have a meeting outside of those nap time windows, we try to schedule around each other’s meetings. However, that has not always worked out so at times, one or both of our daughters join me on the call (muted 90% of the time if I’m not speaking) or I plop our oldest daughter in front of my second computer monitor or the television and turn on Disney Junior. Even with the pandemic, we have really tried to limit her screen time to an hour or less per day. Although some days are much easier than others.

We would be lying if we said we weren’t eager for this pandemic to be over and for our adventures around the globe to resume. Until then, we are going to continue to soak up every little ounce of toddler snuggles, baby cuddles, and good, quality family time we have with each other.

Be well. Stay safe.