My parents are so excited to meet the new baby that to be safe, they came two weeks ahead of time to undergo a Covid-19 quarantine before she is born. Most of the time, I lock them in the basement but I let them out for dinner on the patio and walks around the neighborhood with the dogs. They are halfway through their quarantine time now and mostly maintaining their sanity.
Our household photographer, Nancy, set up her camera and tripod and used the timer to take some maternity photos of us.
I think she did a great job. The lighting was perfect right around 8pm, though it illustrated how fast the day length is changing right now.
-Hendrik
Leave it to 2020 to make a short jaunt along the Columbia River feel like a big, international travel adventure. We finally got stir-crazy enough to see if we could find a place to go for a “hike” and still maintain safe physical distancing from other people so we drove with Orion to Broughton Beach Park this morning. Up until now, our weekend routine has more-or-less consisted of walking in the neighborhood, preparing the house for a new baby, and sitting in the yard. It was high-time we did something more interesting, at least according to Orion.
The parking lot at the river was more crowded than we had ever seen it before and most people weren’t wearing masks but the park is big and open enough that we were able to maintain good physical distance from other people. We went for a nice 1.75 mile walk and Orion even went wading in the river!
Nancy and Orion contemplating the water.
Hendrik and Orion after the brave little poodle went wading!
By the time we got back to the car, the parking lot was completely full and there was a line of cars waiting to turn in. It looks like Broughton Beach is a popular summer quarantine destination, especially on a hot weekend afternoon.
Orion has added a new piece to our morning routine, entirely of his own creation. We sip coffee in the back yard each morning, and Orion’s new favorite thing is to sit in Nancy’s lap for a few minutes.
He doesn’t want to run around in the yard. He doesn’t want breakfast. He only wants to relax in the position shown for as long as possible. He created this activity by barking at a chair until Nancy sat down, then instantly flinging himself up. -Hendrik
Some of our friends recently hosted a physically distanced Baby Shower for us! They made a sign-up sheet for friends to visit us in our yard in shifts. Then they brought over decorations, cupcakes and beverages for us. We set up two seating areas, far apart, wore masks, and chatted with each group of visitors for 10 minutes while they dropped off presents and picked up cupcakes. Then everyone went home and we played games and chatted on a Zoom call. It was the best possible Baby Shower under the circumstances! Honestly, it might be the best way for introverts to have a party, regardless.
Hendrik with his cupcakes and Dad Beer from Baerlic Brewing.
Cam and Bethany lounging in the shade at the Baby Shower!
35 weeks? Is that how long we’ve been under quarantine? It seems like it but not quite. Actually it is how many weeks pregnant we are, which is about 3 months longer than we’ve been under lock down!
Nancy, Orion, and baby on the Portland Waterfront.
It has become abundantly clear that my blogging was almost exclusively done while commuting by MAX. Since working from home stared almost precisely when we started announcing the pregnancy, it seems that we have forgotten to mention it here. Surprise!
Expect more posts coming soon about baby showers and the “excitement” of working from home, at least until the baby is born and we don’t have time for writing anymore.
EisenOrem Adventures 