The coming of a baby is momentous for the whole family, especially the parents. A life event that marks calendars for the rest of everyone's lifetime in the family.
This year, though, the happenings in the spring of 2020 were unprecedented all on their own too. Early 2020 saw the rise of a pandemic of Covid-19 virus, starting from China but quickly spreading all across the globe to every country. With the virus spreading through droplets in the air, like the flu and influenza; surviving on surfaces for several hours to days; and with humans having no resistance to the virus; the number of affected individuals rose across the world at alarming speed. This prompted countries across the world to shut down most businesses, calling for people to stay home to avoid interaction and spread of the virus. The new term "social distancing", maintaining at least 6 feet distance with other individuals not living together, became a household mantra. The world economy came to a grinding halt with scores of businesses shutting down during the pandemic and others requiring their employees to work from home, in order to avoid increasing risk of exposure. Daily wage earners are severely affected, also hurt are service sector businesses and travel industry with significant travel restrictions to stymie the spread of the virus.
Across the world, people are affected, and what was an obscure disease in one corner of the world has, with a few weeks, taken over the lifestyle, economy, news, politics and administrations across the world.
For me, the timing was momentous. Little Bobby boy was due to arrive right as the news of the pandemic was intensifying in the US in March 2020, and things were changing on a daily basis. And with that, so were our plans.
Grand parents had planned to visit us for little Bobby boy's arrival; but with the evolving situation of the pandemic getting worse across the world we thought it was very risky for them to make the journey. We asked them to stay put and not travel at such a time. Turns out, it was a good idea. In days most travel between countries like India and the US was suspended anyway.
I had looked for a nanny to help with the new baby at home especially since we realized we will not have help from family. But turned out, once we returned from the hospital with little Bobby boy, the nanny lady was sick with flu like symptoms. Given the pandemic, mutually we decided it's best for her not to start on the nanny job till she recovers and the pandemic clears off.
The visitation policy in the hospital had been updated due to the pandemic, and we learnt that little miss Haana cannot visit the hospital at all during my stay. We decided she was to stay with her best pal Rushil, taken care of by her doting aunt Ranjeeta and uncle Sai. She was bummed about not being able to see her baby brother till 4 days later when we get home, but, also, was stoked about spending several days with Rushil. I missed her during the hospital stay to the point that I had been dreaming of her!
During our stay at the hospital, we were barely able to leave the room to limit interaction and possibility of infection spread. Although these measures were no doubt needed, it felt like a room arrest!
Rajesh's sister helped tremendously delivering delicious home cooked food, a huge thing, and something I looked forward to eagerly twice a day! She did this for the first week or more, an enormous help when we would have otherwise have been too overwhelmed to look into it ourselves.
Schools were closed in most states due to the pandemic. And all offices issued work from home directives. This meant both Rajesh and little Miss Haana were at home. I am on my maternity leave. And so it was the 3 of us taking care of the new little Bobby boy. In some ways it's been a boon, spending extended time together, with the new little Bobby boy; something that would otherwise not be possible. Last time when little miss Haana was just born, I remember being frustrated with the continuous cycles of feeding every 2 hrs, cause it meant I cannot even step out of the house without careful timing and planning. This time, due to the pandemic, there's nowhere to go, nowhere to step out to! With social distancing all visits with friends and family are replaced with virtual interaction with video or voice calls instead.
Today about 1/3rd of my maternity leave is over. And while no one would wish for a pandemic, I am thankful to have little miss Haana be at home and bond with her little brother. Thankful to have Rajesh at home which is an immense help with pretty much every thing. Thankful to spend time as a family together under one roof.
It is scary having a newborn baby in the backdrop of this virus. But as the pandemic continues, I am thankful for a lot so far. Most of all, thankful for the health of all my loved ones.
Perhaps months, years or decades later we will look back and marvel at how strange things were that spring of 2020!
