Being Pregnant During A Pandemic

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Let me start off by saying that this is by no means a complaint. We prayed and waited for this child and I am so excited to bring him into this world no matter how crazy it might be. This is just a life update and a testament to what life is like knowing the difference between pregnancy, "shortness of breath" and the Coronavirus. 

Sure this all started months ago on foreign soil, but I don't think any of us thought that Covid-19 would ever make its way to the Americas, and even if it did I don't think we thought we would be living in quarantine for months on end. 

Dallas and I surely didn't know that it would affect us and our travel to Barcelona Spain when we departed for our Babymoon, March 1st. When we boarded our plane in NYC there were exactly 4 cases of Corona in Spain and they were located in Madrid. We decided that Madrid was far enough away that it wouldn't affect our health or travel. Although, we did know we needed to be extra careful since we would be in a touristic city with other people from around the world. We showered and changed our clothes every single time we came back to our hotel room and I washed my hands so much that week, I had scabs on them. We also carried with us Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, and surgical masks for when we encountered extra busy locations. 

Even by the time, we left Spain to return to the states the outbreak had barely begun to grow, as far as we knew. We touched down in NYC and boarded our flight back to Charlotte when we got the news that Barcelona had developed a good amount of cases, but thankfully we felt fine. 

I returned to work the following Monday as the outbreak grew, doubling and tripling its numbers in Barcelona and around Spain. After a week of being back to work, I received a call from my boss that our company would feel more comfortable if I self quarantined for the next 12 days. Little did I know March 13th would be my last day working from the office. 

Luckily, Dallas and I made it out of Spain and NYC without contracting the virus but soon after we went into our self-quarantine, Covid-19 made it's way to the US. It was like this plague was following us.  

As I have continued to work from home in my makeshift closet studio, the effects of pregnancy are starting to creep on me. My once strong stable demeanor is now wavering from time to time and I am reaching the phase of "uncomfortable" in my 3rd trimester. My mind is starting to wander and I am becoming more indecisive, which is not helpful when trying to choose a baby name. 

Dallas and I have gone from having five names on our list to two, then back up to seven. I think I know what name I would like, but I am constantly influenced by what the people around me think, and that is NOT how I want to pick my son's name. 

This is going to sound CRAZY (and maybe it is) but I have a reoccurring dream about my late father and what he thinks I should name my baby boy. Now I am sure this is my subconscious speaking since we have already decided that our little boy's middle name will be Joseph after my dad but why am I so attached to this random first name? 

The other thing that I caught myself doing, is blaming myself over not having our nursery finished. With our first son Cashton, I had his nursery done by the time I hit my second trimester. I was so excited and I had a clear cut vision of what I wanted. This time around, I couldn't make my mind up about how I wanted to decorate the room. I kept changing my mind (just like the baby names). By the time I  settled on a giraffe/safari themed room we were so deep into social distancing and quarantine that retailers were closed and online shopping deliveries were delayed. Then, add the fact that I was looking for rattan/jute material items and you have a perfect storm. 

Most of these products are produced in other countries and shipping through customs is being held up for obvious reasons. Not to mention a lot of these factories are closed for the time being. Most of the items I was looking to purchase are on backorder until the end of July, early August, and that was the best-case scenario.

So back to the drawing board I went. I did finally decide on new pieces that are locally sourced here in the US but time is still ticking and pieces are still rolling in. I HOPE to have the room done by May 15th with a full reveal soon after. If you want to see our new plan I have another blog post complete with mood board up under our Family tab.

The last thing that keeps my mind gloomy these days, is not being able to celebrate baby #2 with our family and friends. You hear a lot of people talk about moving weddings and family gatherings but once a baby is on the way, there is no turning back! Thus, my dreams of having a baby sprinkle for this child have been derailed, and no, it's not about the registry or the gifts. It's just about commemorating a special moment with the people you love. 

Now, I know, we are better safe than sorry. My plan is to possibly celebrate baby Strager once this whole coronavirus issue has settled, with a "Sip & See" in late July but my craving for human interaction with someone outside of these walls is real NOW. 

Normally, pregnant women would at least have our doctor's appointments to look forward to but even those are being canceled or moved to telehealth calls. So I find myself digging into my blog again (which is a good thing). I have planned out monthly content and I am working on my own photography skills while developing a podcast with my girlfriend Barb. The Mommyhood 2 Menopause podcast is available at Kiss951.com or Soundcloud. We hope you give it a listen! 

I have also been reigniting my "Try On Sessions" since I am still receiving my subscription to Rent The Runway. Every week I will be sharing my favorite maternity looks that are available to rent. Pregnant mommas, this is a GREAT option for us since we only need these pieces for a short time. However, I have used RTR far before I ever became pregnant. Whether you are looking for office wear, weekend looks, or date night little black dresses, they have been my go-to! 

I loved this form-fitting LBD (above) and black and white plaid trench! Check out all they have to offer from clothing to formal wear and accessories to home goods here! 


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