Christmas 2020: The One When We Stayed Home (Alone)

This is quite the year to remember (don't we all want it to be over?).  While many people may have orchestrated "socially distanced" Christmases, or, having recovered from COVID, felt safe to visit with friends and/or out-of-town family, it was a quiet day of us four alone in these parts, after the Silent, Holy Night.

We worked yesterday, and Kelvin got his first COVID-19 Moderna vaccine as a Christmas Eve gift! Whoop whoop (but his arm is very sore, like mine was).

The kids put out a note, cookies, and "reindeer food" for Santa and his crew before retiring on Christmas Eve.  Iver didn't sleep well as he was too excited!

Santa ate it all up...

... and delivered.

Thanks to extremely generous family members, the kids spent all morning opening and playing with various gifts (with some boxes still untouched because it was just so overwhelming!).  The Speedster remote-controlled cars from my sister/Marco and a kids' digital camera from Katherine were some of the favorites. 

Inside the AirFort

I listened to the taped Christmas service of Redeemer Lutheran (my old church in McLean).

We FaceTimed with my parents and, later, sister Vanessa with Marco.

It was a pretty rainy day but went on a couple of walks, and Iver and I watched Home Alone during Niall's nap.

"Christmas Dinner" for us four included Hot and Sour soup I made from a NYT cooking recipe, and take-out Chinese food Kelvin bought.  MMM. 

We then drove around on another one of the holiday light routes recommended in our town.  

Friends fans will appreciate this (and the blog title)!

This house impressively had its light synced to 99.5 and we witnessed Trans Siberian Orchestra's Carol of the Bells!

Niall was a cranky Scrooge today, and refused to smile for a photo with me, nor eat dinner, but we finally tricked him into one shot by the tree.

In other, "Christmas pics," here are some more of Iver's recently drawn cartoons (Christmas-themed).

Mistletoe

The Grinch

Nutcracker

Buddy the Elf!

School gingerbread house

 Very Hygge at home

We sincerely hope that next year and next year's holiday season may include connecting with our dear families, but we made the best of our low-key "quarantine" Christmas. It was actually quite a gift to wake up in our own home and to not have any of the stresses of holiday travel. Joy, peace, hope, and love to you! Merry COVID Christmas! 

Iver is Six!

Iver weighs around 40 pounds (if our home scale is accurate) and is three feet, eight inches tall, still pretty petite and slim.

He is in 5T-6T clothes, and size 11 shoes (wearing almost 100% crocs. He's partial to slip-ons, flip-flops, and the like).

He is particular about his clothes, which he chooses, and loves to wear leggings, shorts, and tank tops (even in winter). His favorite colors are "rainbow,"  pink (note the pants!), purple, blue, silver, and gold. He is sensitive to tags and textures.

He is still quite the spunky, spirited, and opinionated child. There are a lot of negotiations in this house but they're more sophisticated these days, and he argues some good points.

He is very passionate and has big emotions.

He is sensitive, kind, and very attentive, and has some perfectionistic tendencies (not surprising based on how his parents are). 

He loves to play with his little brother (he definitely likes to be the one in charge, though, and sometimes is a bit rougher than we'd like).

His memory is impeccable. He will never let you forget if you tell him you'll do something.

His favorite people in the world include his aunt Kat, preschool teacher Angela, and us. 

He has yet to set foot in public school, attending "Zoom" kindergarten at a K-5 charter Spanish immersion school while going to LL childcare. He loves learning and likes school, but can't stand Zoom (and his happy that there's no "school" for two weeks for the holidays).

He is reading many words and short books, and loves writing cards, letters, and notes to friends, family, and teachers (especially in cursive).

He is really good at math, can tell time, and do basic multiplication and some fractions.

He is learning some palabras en español through "school." He knows many animals, colors, can say a few short phrases as well as count to one hundred (cien) in Spanish.

He has mastered how to use the computer, mouse, "mute button," and perform web searches.

He loves science and is very into learning about reptiles, particularly snakes and komodo dragons, and doing projects.

He enjoys drawing (including cartoons from YouTube tutorials), making greeting cards, pop-up art, and more. 

He loves to construct forts and "traps" around the house (à la Home Alone), and loves jumping on/off couches and doing cartwheels.

He is passionate about singing along to soundtracks (recent favorites include Hamilton and Alvin and the Chipmunks as well as the One Voice Children's Choir) and dancing. 

When he’s allowed screen time (during Niall’s weekend naptime), he enjoys Disney princess videos on YouTube, nature shows, and his favorite movies currently are Home Alone, Incredibles, and Descendants.

His favorite animal is the unicorn (and he requested a unicorn cake for his birthday...see pictures below).

He excels at riding his bike around the neighborhood and our town, and loves climbing rocks and playing at the beach.

He now has a good appetite is a pretty good eater, including vegetables, although he tends to be picky about textures and a bit hesitant to try new/unfamiliar things. His favorite foods include sausage, breakfast foods, chicken, pizza, noodle dishes, and fruit. He does have a sweet tooth (we allow dessert on two nights of the week, which he gets to pick). He does not like: seafood, rice, and tofu (unlike his brother, who seems to be his opposite in many ways).

We haven't challenged him in a while, but may still be allergic to peanuts. 

He (terrible for 1-2 years) has actually turned into a good sleeper, rarely fighting at bedtime, and sleeps from about 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in a room (and sometimes a bed) he shares with his brother.

He can brush his teeth (all of which he still has), wipe his own butt (although at home he likes to use our quarantine bidet), and shower independently.

Then (his first Christmas as a four-day-old)...

... and now

We "celebrated" his birthday some on Sunday because I take Monday OB call, which can be unpredictable in whether or not/how much I can be home in the evenings. 

We had a lovely sunny (and warm!) December day, where we hung out at Baker Beach. 

 "feeding" me a crab leg

Iver helped me with Unicorn baking

Here's my very "nailed it" two-layer Unicorn cake, which Iver thought was so funny (I did, too!). I'm not a big fan of nor proficient at baking, but for some reason I thought I'd take a crack at his request this year!  The frosting job is ALL mine! 

 

He loved wearing this new shirt, from Kellie.

We walked around Woodley Island Marina in the evening, which was Iver's birthday request (totally understanding about a "party" not being an option this year), and then drove around to see some Christmas lights. 

Pile o' gifts from his oh-so-generous aunts, uncles, grandparents, and more!

On his actual birthday, he enjoyed opening gifts (some in the morning, and some later), wearing the "birthday" crown at childcare, and sharing homemade cupcakes with his friends (and cutting the cake later at home-- even though we realized we forgot to put his "6" candle on!).  I caught one baby this morning on my call day, who shares his big day (but was happy to have not been the one in labor!), and was home a bit later than I'd planned due to another admission, but got to see him at the end of the day, too!

 

We had mixed the batter to make a "rainbow" inside! Fancy!!!

There were lots of unicorn-themed gifts, including some toys from Theresa, a paint-your-own light from Kat, book from my parents, and some science gifts, as well as some workbooks and clothes. 

 

He had many cards, calls, and messages from friends and relatives.  He really felt loved. Thank you to everyone who reached out to make his "COVID birthday" a great one!

Iver has been incredibly resilient and happy despite this year of loss and grief, and I'm confident that SIX will be a great year!

 

 

Got the Shot!

This week, I saw many of my medical friends, colleagues, and other frontline health workers posting photos on social media of "Got the [COVID-19] Shot." It brought so much joy to my heart to see this miracle in action, and I was eager to get my own vaccine, whenever it was offered to me. I definitely didn't want to "jump any lines," as there are many people who likely are closer to more potential COVID patients than I am, but I also have been increasingly uncomfortable and paranoid in labor rooms especially during patients' second stages (the pushing part) with all the exertion and aerosolization of breath, saliva, etc., and when patients are generally unmasked (women pushing on hands and knees make me sigh with relief, as they're faced away and it's a great birthing position!). We've still had pretty low local case numbers in our rural county (daily case numbers in the teens-30s), compared to the rest of the country; however, cases have been rising in the last month (I've had co-workers and friends, as well as several patients, test positive), and we're all nervous and bracing for a higher surge with low human and facility resources. 

Like many healthcare workers this year, my biggest concern (more so than getting "ill" with COVID, as I'm a young and healthy person without any underlying health conditions) has been my overwhelming anxiety about the "what-ifs" about bringing it home to my family and kids, who attend group childcare, and all of the implications if one of us tested positive. Who would take the extra OB call when we're already all exhausted and stretched too thin?  Who would step up in clinic while we watched isolated or quarantined kids at home, not being able to rely on any other childcare due to the infectiousness of this virus but still feeling a commitment to our patients and trying to not leave our colleagues out on a limb? How many other teachers, kids, and families would be affected if one of my children "got it"? When could we ever feel safe or comfortable enough to take the risk to have family visit?  I basically felt that I could not be the one to suggest a physically distant social walk or chat, because my risk allocation was “all used up” by my profession and kids, I was the most likely vector of disease for transmission, and I didn't want anyone to be uncomfortable nor feel unsafe (and definitely didn't want to have the responsibility of making "I'm sorry"/ contact-tracing phone calls). We had two scares and COVID rule-outs when each of the kids had a cough/fever but they were regular old URIs to which we understandably overreacted. The burden felt very weighty for me/us, which is why the possibility of a vaccine on the horizon felt so incredibly hopeful (I told many people that "all I want for Christmas is my COVID vaccine!").  

I know the vaccine rollout feels fast, and it is (that's what the urgency, will, and science, with some money, can do!). But that doesn't mean it's unsafe, and if the vaccine skeptics out there want to wait for a bit, I hope they're convinced by us healthcare workers/guinea pigs volunteering to get one first (after those who already self-enrolled in the clinical trials), and that they realize the risks of not getting this vaccine (and living like this) far outweigh any *theoretical* long-term risks of the vaccine, as is my medical opinion. I’m about as pro-vax as they come, and I don't know any doctors that aren't planning to get a vaccine when given the chance.  Like many drugs and vaccines, these mRNA vaccines have not been studied in pregnant or lactating women and many may opt out at this time for that reason, but if I were pregnant based on my understanding of the science (and because COVID-19 can be so serious in this population), I would definitely get it, too, which is what I've shared with my patients (ACOG, CDC, and MFM organizations agree that it's not unreasonable for this group to get the vaccine after shared decision-making despite the lack of data).

Kelvin has led our organization's COVID-19 response and has been involved in the discussions about local vaccine distribution. The hospitals (actually quite surprising, as we're a rural area without a lot of COVID) got a shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this week, and started vaccinating hospital frontline staff, including RTs, nurses, emergency department personnel and hospital-based physicians including those in the ICU, surgery, and medicine units. While I work in the labor and delivery unit about every fourth day managing laboring patients and catching babies, in the OR performing cesareans, and consult on emergency department patients for gynecologic and OB concerns, I am not considered a "hospital employee" but rather employed by our FQHC and mostly clinic-based in my direct patient care duties. I knew I'd be one of the first in our organization to be offered the vaccine due to the inpatient work, but I didn't know how long it would be in terms of weeks or months. 

After I saw some of my nursing friends getting inoculated, I had reached out to the hospital chief nursing officer on Thursday afternoon to inquire if clinicians like us OB providers could also be offered the vaccine if the hospital had enough for all of those first responders, and was told "not now, but maybe later."  Nevertheless (after undoubtedly some advocacy by my nurse friend, Patricia), I got a call on Friday (the very next morning) from him that "they had a few extra thawed and if I could pop over, I could get one." Unfortunately, I was working in my primary care clinic about a ten-minute drive away and didn't see how, with patients scheduled every fifteen minutes, I was going to be able to make this work (as desperately as I wanted to). However, the stars aligned and I miraculously had a no-show, which allowed me to race to the hospital, fill out a brief form, get poked, get my vaccine card, and be observed for about 15 minutes, before I had to dash back to clinic to continue with my office visits, which ran mostly on time for the rest of the morning (Hamilton’s “I’m not throwing away my shot” lyrics were running through my head!).  It truly felt like I'd won the lottery, and I was like a child on Christmas morning, in awe of a miracle (and a huge gift).

In all this last-minute rush and haste, I didn't get a masked "action shot" of getting the vaccine like I saw many friends take, but it's not the picture, but the act, which was the milestone here. It truly felt historic. Kelvin took this photo at home in the evening, where I think the joy on my face is evident (and while my arm is still pretty sore a day later, and I had mild aches and fatigue last night, I observed no serious ill effects). I go back on January 8th for my booster.

I know there are so many people out there who desperately want and need this shot (I've had soooo many of my patients ask me anxiously when they'll be able to get the vaccine!), and I am sensitive that as an American healthcare worker, I was so fortunate to get one so early, this week, while others in the general public (and across the world) may have to wait months or more.  I am so relieved that, to date, my family has dodged COVID and us adults are eligible for the shot (my kids also want theirs, as soon as a pediatric one may be available!). And while I know that relative and temporary "vaccine scarcity" due to high demand is not the worst problem in the world for this country to have, every person that gets the shot now is less likely to spread this virus to those most vulnerable and still-unvaccinated, and everyone will ultimately benefit from the people who are in this first wave of recipients. When I felt that needle in my arm, the tears that came out were not from the pain of the stick, but mostly of relief and joy (while mixed with some guilt and the sorrow for those who suffered through or succumbed to this disease before this vaccine was available). For me, it truly felt like an injection of hope. All these long months of sacrifice, being stuck at home with spirited little kids, missing travel, not seeing family and not having outings with friends, not having in-person kindergarten for Iver or playdates for either of my children, not going in a library or anywhere besides work (and the occasional grocery store) and all of the grief, just seemed to recede in their consequence, because V-day was here (for me, at least).  

It takes several weeks (probably two weeks after the second shot) for me to be near-fully protected from COVID-19. Kelvin hopes to get his in the coming weeks or month. We don't know if vaccinated/immune people are still capable of asymptomatic spread, nor how long immunity will last, so masking and distancing are still important and our lives won't change much for the near or intermediate-term future, but this vaccination felt like such a blessing and validates our strong efforts this year at staying safe (and makes them far easier to keep doing). This is the beginning of the end. We have turned a corner. There is light at the end of this long COVID tunnel. Thank God for science.  Joy comes in the morning. 

BEST. CHRISTMAS. GIFT. EVER.

I can't wait for all of you to get your shot at the shot(s), too! Let’s move forward (and look forward to herd immunity) and say goodbye to horrible 2020.