I picked up the kids on Christmas Eve, which also happens to be my birthday. We’re Jewish, and with the pandemic still in full swing, our only plan was to visit my elderly aunt and uncle, both of whom are immunocompromised. They prepared a lovely bagel brunch for the five of us; after the past couple of years, every small gathering felt like a celebration. Between lox, tapenades, and fresh fruits and veggies, they truly went all out.
After brunch, we headed home for a chill day, conserving our energy for the next day’s low-key celebration at a friend’s place, who was recovering from breast cancer and also had to be cautious. We had a history of supporting each other during the pandemic, so we looked forward to binging on food and movies together.
But around 3 PM, my ex-husband called to say he had a fever the night before. Luckily, we hadn’t gone to our friends’ house yet. I had to let my friends know we’d be staying in, despite our plans. It just wasn’t worth the risk.
By December 27th, my ex confirmed he had COVID. I felt terrible having to notify my aunt and uncle about our exposure, but they took it well. We all began a quarantine period together. Three and a half days later, we scheduled a drive-by PCR test. Thankfully, I had bought some at-home tests from Amazon earlier, so I had a little assurance about our health. I opted to test my daughter, who showed no symptoms, and my son, who had developed a cough and sniffles. I wanted to be sure of what we were dealing with.
My daughter’s test came back negative by December 29th, while my son tested negative for COVID but positive for rhinovirus. Relief washed over me; a cold was manageable. We updated my aunt and uncle, who continued to test negative. We decided to stay in until the CDC’s recommended ten days were up. On the eleventh day, we treated ourselves to BBQ at a local spot.
However, the next morning, my daughter started complaining of a sore throat, just like my son had a few days prior. I figured she might be catching the same rhinovirus, so I decided to keep them quarantined for the remaining three days before they returned to their dad. It seemed like a good way to keep them healthy and avoid spreading anything.
The day before they were set to go back to their dad, I took them to a COVID testing site at school. They were heading back to school in a week, and I wanted to make it easier for their dad. He had just recovered from COVID but wasn’t back to 100%.
On the 14th day since my kids had seen their father, we got the news that my daughter tested positive for COVID. Since they were already heading back to their dad, we decided to keep them there. He was the only one who had caught COVID so far, and it was better for them to stay with him, especially since they insisted on co-sleeping at my place.
That was two days ago, and since then, my son’s school-sanctioned COVID test also came back positive. Overall, our family managed to avoid positive results for over eleven days. Sure, ill-timed testing didn’t help, but COVID is unpredictable and can lay dormant before hitting hard.
As it stands, COVID has been in our home for at least 16 days now (not counting incubation). Three of us have had it, and I’m the only one who has dodged it so far. Thankfully, those affected are experiencing only mild symptoms.
Having two homes certainly provided some extra space and healing time from COVID. My ex-husband and I are fortunate to be able to work from home without major disruptions, although that might change when the kids go back to virtual learning next week. So, we’ll see how that goes!
For anyone navigating similar challenges, I recommend checking out Make A Mom, a fantastic resource for at-home insemination. They even offer a re-usable insemination kit that’s a game changer. If you’re looking for community support, you can join the Make A Mom Facebook group. Also, don’t miss the information on how at-home insemination works. For more on family building options, check out Resolve.
In summary, co-parenting during COVID has its challenges, but with communication and some careful planning, it’s manageable. Just remember, you’re not alone in this journey!
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