4 Months and Quarantined

Eli is 4 months old today and is starting to fill out the onesies for his monthly photo shoot! We are still exclusively breastfeeding, so although his weight gain has been slow, he is a healthy size, weighing in just under 12 pounds. For what he may lack in weight, he makes up for in length! He is all limbs and skinny arms and long legs. He is still wearing size 1 diapers and is in 3-6 month clothes. We are starting to get more smiles from him, and he is so very close to giving us that full belly laugh. Right now, he likes screeching and cooing and chuckling, especially at Daddy's funny faces and Emmy's songs. 

Eli's favorite things right now are watching his sister, talking with Daddy, and playing under the rainforest.  

Eli will take cat naps in his monkey chair...

...but he sleeps the best when he is swaddled in his crib. He is becoming quite skilled at wiggling out of his swaddle or at least getting his hands up to his mouth. I wrote before about how he had discovered his fingers and particularly likes to suck his middle and ring finger. It has become even more of a habit over the last few weeks. Even though I try to discourage him from doing so, he has found a way to soothe himself, which is helpful if Mommy is otherwise occupied. Being the second child is tough!

We have had quite an unexpected week. On any other Wednesday, I would have put in an 8-hour workday, pumped a minimum of 4 times, picked up both kids, and attempted to cook dinner. Instead, I was home all day today with both kids. Governor Cooper's mandate to close all public schools has meant that I am working from home for the foreseeable future. Yesterday I made a trip to school to grab all of my things, and it was a bit strange knowing that I would not be back in the building for awhile. While I was at school, my parents watched both kids, in addition to my nephews. It was a full house! (It was also St. Patrick's Day, hence all the green!)

Today was officially the first day of "Quarantine" at home. Boomer is continuing to go to his school, so it is just Emmy, Eli, and me from about 7AM to 5PM. As a 12-month employee, Boomer will likely still be required to report to work all throughout this time. I wish he could be home with us, too, but it has felt somewhat like an extension of my maternity leave. I am hoping that we can find a daily routine that is best for everyone. The schedule today was pretty good, and I am feeling optimistic about balancing work and mom duties. I most likely won't attempt to do any work during the morning, since both kids are awake and active during this time. I'm proud to say that we didn't turn on the TV even once today. Emmy was easily entertained with her flash cards and books; she also enjoyed coloring and playing make believe with her babies and kitchen set. She loves baking cookies (in the real oven and in her play oven) and making chocolate and "camilla" ice cream. I hope that these things continue to hold her interest in the days ahead! Shortly after lunch time around 12:30PM, I put Eli down first and then Emmy, giving me a window of time from about 1PM - 4PM to work. Emmy didn't really nap, but she was content to "rest" in her room so that I could work uninterrupted. I have set up a makeshift office space in our dining room. Since my top work priority right now is completing registration for next school year, I have been calling students and talking to them over the phone about their course selection. These conversations can be quite lengthy, and on this first day, I talked to three students. I also responded to emails and queued up Remind messages and Twitter posts. I hope to call more students each day, hopefully between 5 and 8. This number is similar to the number I would meet with if we were in school. There was soon movement on the video monitor from Eli's room, so I wrapped things up and put back on my "Mom" hat. Boomer arrived home with pizza a little after 5PM, and we were all excited to see him. As soon as Emmy hears the garage door, she will rush to the garage and wait on the door mat just outside. I plan to cook most nights, but pizza was a nice treat. It was from Blue Naples, a local Italian restaurant that, like all other restaurants right now, is only offering take-out. (All restaurants have been forced to close their dining rooms.) After dinner, we took a walk around the neighborhood. It was our first time going outside today, and the fresh air was wonderful. Temperatures were in the 60s, and it is staying light until around 7:30PM. The plan is to follow a similar schedule tomorrow and for the foreseeable future until schools reopen. I hope that we make good use of these days, accomplishing what needs to be done for work while also cherishing this extra time to spend with family. 

Mommy cooked!