Blissful. That’s pretty much how it felt to hold my baby son in my arms after such a stressful 37 weeks of a pandemic pregnancy. He is here, healthy and strong, and my wife, Stef, is doing well after having a beautiful labor experience in the comfort of our own home. His birth was a sigh of relief from so much anguish and worry that kept me from exhaling for so long. We went through so many challenges during this pandemic pregnancy. First, we thought our baby wasn’t going to make it full-term. What started as weird pregnancy symptoms eventually became a medical concern for pre-term … [Read more...]
Struggling to Make Sense of a World in Continuing Crisis
I'm finding it difficult deciding what to write about, my friends. It’s not that I don’t have ideas; it’s just that I don’t know what might be best. I have written here about baseball a few times. I guess I could again, even without games being played, big or little league. Baseball memories linger long, as you know. In fact, I just came across an image from a Little League game some years back. It was taken from behind the backstop showing one of my twin sons crouching in too-big catcher’s gear and the other twin on the mound, his left arm just coming down after the pitch, a slider it … [Read more...]
Family Routines Essential During Lockdown’s ‘Unscheduled’ Time
COVID-19 has done a number on time. For parents lucky enough to be healthy and employed, a key challenge has become spending so many hours at home with children. Some time flies, some crawls. Either way, we’re faced with more "underscheduled" family time than ever. For inspiration, I like to revel in a memory made several years ago. There I was, lost in a vintage clothing store in search of an all-star-husband gift for my wife. But I quickly realized I would probably make another rookie mistake, so I just started chuckling at the platform shoes and feathered hats. Soon a salesperson … [Read more...]
Pandemic Mother’s Day Can Still Be Special. Here’s How.
As the first-ever Pandemic Mother's Day of our lifetimes approaches, you may be wondering just how the heck you can celebrate the mothers in your life when you shouldn’t really be leaving the house or interacting with others right now due to COVID-19. I’m a mother of four, social distancing in our home with my husband, kids and two smelly dogs. And I’m here to offer some ideas and tips for making sure this Mother's Day still feels special. Ask her what she wants If you’ve never straight-up asked the mothers in your life what would make them happiest on Mother's Day, this is a FANTASTIC … [Read more...]
Navigating Joy, Worry When Your Spouse is a Healthcare Worker
It’s such a strange disconnect. It feels like the world is falling down around me, yet, on my little island, everything seems sunny and bright. Quite literally as well as figuratively. Every day for the past several weeks, the Florida weather has been relentlessly bright, clear, dry and hot. Completely inappropriate for an apocalypse. And inside the walls of our suburban home, with an air conditioner that whirs and rumbles most hours of the day and night, things are cheery and comfortable. The halls are filled with squeals of joy and laughter that bounce off the wood floors and invade every … [Read more...]