Quick, before his tired parents bring him home from the hospital, say hello to Pandemic Patrick! Yes, he is a bit early and the last 2 days were extremely rough for his mama Melody. But, he is, 7 lbs, 22 inches, safe and healthy, and his whole family feels joyous!
This crazy pandemic means his own papa is wearing a mask while he holds him. We can’t see Patrick until he comes home, and will have a Covid test before we hold him. What a crazy world. We were extremely careful before and have even more incentive now to continue wearing masks, social distancing and not seeing anyone but immediate family with their masks on.
If you think we are being a little crazy, read this. With the holidays coming, it is advisable to discuss your plans with the people you would normally see. Perhaps your family is younger and you live in an area with low Covid rates. Living in the L.A. area, my siblings and I have all decided that it will be a zoom Thanksgiving, Passover and Christmas.We may get a break and be able to have an outdoor brunch for one of these holidays, but we aren’t planning on it. You may not think it means much to us but we frequently have 25 family members at these parties. Plus one more with Patrick. Just between us, not cooking Thanksgiving this year may be a welcome break. But, I miss seeing people IRL!!!
And, what is the bright side? That we all stay healthy, that we continue to reach out to loved ones more often via zoom, that we learn to live with grace despite hardship, fear and loneliness. And, that we celebrate the joyous events that truly matter in any time period.
Welcome, Patrick, our first grand-baby. We will never ever forget the year you were born!