https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:44:23 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you/page/2#post-2923576 Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:38:42 +0000 hellobeeboston 2923576@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p><b>Travel again?</b><br /> We just did for the first time! My husband and I are fully vaccinated, but not our preschooler and elementary aged kids. We rented a house with a pool, it was great. I was nervous about flying, but everyone wore their masks and it felt OK.</p> <p><b>Eat in a restaurant?</b><br /> My husband and I will probably do this soon. We have eaten out with the kids, but only outdoors.</p> <p><b>Host a birthday party for your child?</b><br /> We did this this past summer with our neighborhood group who we have been hanging out with the entire time. Everyone stayed outside and we distanced as much as we could. It went really well. The kids are already asking for birthdays this year at places, but I guess we'll be sticking with outdoor parties only for one more year. I don't think I'd feel comfortable getting kids together indoors for a party even with masks. My kids birthdays are in October so outside still works. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you/page/2#post-2923551 Mon, 26 Apr 2021 08:18:26 +0000 nana87 2923551@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Traveling: I’d fly by myself and dh now that we’re both vaxxed but nervous about taking my kids. We’ve gone on a few socially distant trips this year— renting a house within 3 hours of our city so that our girls can ran around outside, and barely interacting with anyone else. We’re doing that again this summer. Dh and I are thinking about doing a more extravagant trip ourselves— our 10 year wedding anniversary was last year and obviously very anticlimactic! But we might wait until fall</p> <p>I’m not sure about eating indoors... we’ve eaten outdoors when the tables seem well spaced.</p> <p>We had an outdoor birthday for lo1 a few weeks ago and have attended another and it’s such a relief to get back to some semblance of normal! The only kids we invited were in our school pod, so the kids are all tested 2x/week and really good at wearing masks. Kids did eat with masks off near each other at times but since we were in a park and play was less structured, they didn’t sit down for a meal the same way they would at a venue-party. It was much more grab and go (with hand sanitizing before and after) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you/page/2#post-2923543 Sat, 24 Apr 2021 18:21:33 +0000 Miss Ariel 2923543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We’re planning on a beach trip this summer with my in-laws. They all went without us last summer, but we weren’t ready then.</p> <p>We did do a party for my daughter. She’s been in school in person since August and invited the girls from her class. My son’s birthday was a couple months before hers, and we didn’t do anything then since it was still too early for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923388 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 18:45:37 +0000 charm55 2923388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’ve been eating in restaurants pretty much this whole time. I live in a basically Covid zéro Zero province so that kind of stuff never really stopped. My girls were able to have their fall birthday parties last year (though they were smaller than usual). </p> <p>Travel is what we have been most impacted by. The trade off for our relatively normal Covid Zero life is very strict quarantine rules. My inlaws live just a few hours away in the next province over and we haven’t been able to see them since October. Doing so would require a 2 week quarantine when we got there, and a 2 week quarantine when we got back - no exceptions. Sigh. I miss travel so much. Dh and I are hoping to do a 10 year anniversary trip to the Caribbean in January and then take the kids to Disney World next March. But who knows. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923384 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 12:14:30 +0000 Chuckles 2923384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Travel again? We are finally visiting my in-laws over Memorial Day. All the adults will be vaccinated. We haven't seen them since January 2020 when DD was a few months old. It's a 6 hour drive and we're staying at a hotel. We'll just be really careful to avoid common areas at the hotel and not ride in the elevator with other people. </p> <p>Eat in a restaurant? I think we'll stick to outdoor dining for awhile. Cases are going back up in our area, and I'm nervous about the new variants in relation to kids. </p> <p>Host a birthday party for your child? DS's birthday is in July. We'll do something outdoors for a small group. What it is and how many kids will depend on what cases look like around here closer to that time. At this point, I'm still not comfortable with indoor activities even if kids are masked, if there's more than a couple of other kids really spaced out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923383 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 09:38:32 +0000 periwinklebee 2923383@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@codeitall: I just bought our outdoor pool membership this morning and personally am way less worried about an outdoor pool (even a crowded one) than an airplane - or also than daycare/school - because being outdoors massively lowers the risk of transmission (you're still safer outdoors unmasked at a similar distance than indoors masked). Right now our state rules only allow pools to be at 50% capacity, but if case counts fall this summer, I assume they'll allow more people in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923381 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 08:10:23 +0000 wrkbrk 2923381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: How sweet of you! We did! It was SO weird - but good weird :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923379 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 08:01:10 +0000 LadyDi 2923379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: I hope you enjoyed your date night! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923283 Thu, 08 Apr 2021 20:49:36 +0000 wrkbrk 2923283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: First date tonight in 13 months!! We are both, thankfully, vaccinated now. Assume we will travel (fly) for thanksgiving. My office is going back in person in august. That’s also when our son (5) who has been home since March 2020 starts school again. All in all, things are looking up!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923242 Wed, 07 Apr 2021 13:13:15 +0000 codeitall 2923242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I have two weeks until we get our second shots. We're planning on flying to a family get together at a beach house in August with all fully vaccinated adults and 5 kids under 6. Honestly, the risks are so low for little kids that we'll keep masking, but we'll start to do indoor activities again. The kids are already in daycare/school. The one exception I haven't figured out is a pool. Can't mask at a pool and the outdoor ones can get pretty crowded during summer typically.</p> <p>We're apparently insane trying to buy a house in this market, so I estimate no other big vacations for us this year, but we'd stick to road trips just for budget anyway.</p> <p>My BIL is a bit conspiracy theorist and doesn't want to get a vaccine, so we'll probably stick to outdoor gatherings with them until our case count is super low. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923209 Mon, 05 Apr 2021 20:20:47 +0000 Beehive 2923209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: I'm really surprised about Canada's slow rollout! I was expecting everything to go smoothly, especially since it seemed in the beginning like you guys had really good supply. The 4-month gap must be frustrating too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923208 Mon, 05 Apr 2021 20:18:00 +0000 Beehive 2923208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Good questions. We're almost there - I'm getting my second dose tomorrow and DH is one week out. I also had covid (nanny exposure) in December, and our kids had it too (asymptomatic), so they have antibodies - that colors my comfort level a bit. </p> <p>I'll be comfortable with indoor dining (we have been doing outdoor dining, though picky about spacing of tables) once we're fully vaccinated, especially since restaurant workers have had priority for vaccines for a while now. </p> <p>I'll also be willing to travel, but I kind of want the restrictions to loosen (masks, etc) before we go anywhere exciting. Domestic travel (on planes) to visit family, we'll do. Maybe even visiting places like San Francisco, which we've been meaning to go to for a while but haven't been able to fit in. </p> <p>For birthdays, we have a fall and a winter birthday so outdoor parties aren't really feasible, and I don't want to put people in an uncomfortable spot for indoor birthday parties until people are vaccinated, so we may skip another year of parties. We've been able to do cool things for the kids anyway (apple picking for my son, a fancy dinner out for my daughter) so they aren't missing parties.</p> <p>I'm looking forward to having vaccinated friends over, indoor playdates and things like that too. I think it will be a mix of who is comfortable and who isn't for a while, but I get the feeling that several of our friends are ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923203 Mon, 05 Apr 2021 15:46:29 +0000 foodiebee 2923203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are fully vaccinated (feeling very grateful!) and I am hopeful we can have a small party for DS's birthday this summer at our home. We had to cancel his first birthday part last year, which was crushing to me. I'm hoping to invite a small group, all vaccinated for the adults, for an outdoor party. As for other travel, we have some road trip plans made, but all are with other vaccinated people to socially distant outdoor places, no flights or indoor activities for us yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923194 Mon, 05 Apr 2021 09:29:13 +0000 hilary 2923194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're all in on all of the things. We were exposed at a super small family gathering where no one had symptoms or known exposures back at Thanksgiving and 3 out of the 5 of us have confirmed through antibody testing that we had it at one point (only symptoms ever where taste/smell changes and we quarantined). We mask but are willing to do a lot more. I started to see increased clinginess and anxiety in my kids as well so we started doing more to prioritize mental health for them. We've mostly done road trips to family, outdoor dining and hanging out with friends that they already go to school with. We're lucky in that here vaccines are available so we're getting first doses this week without feeling like we're taking it away from others with no immunity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923171 Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:27:39 +0000 Mama Bird 2923171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We might travel in the summer. Probably no plane. I'd be fine getting on a plane with the kids as far as Covid goes, but I've had a fear of flying in general for a few years now. Will have to deal with it eventually, but if we only have to drive six hours away, I'm driving :happy: </p> <p>I don't feel like eating in a restaurant till I'm vaccinated. We only did it once a year anyway... but really I should get off my behind and get a blood test to see if that thing I had last spring was Covid or not. That would really help me decide if I'm comfortable eating indoors with strangers.</p> <p>DD1 wants to have a birthday party this summer. She's been in school the whole time, and the kids eat together and stuff, so a small party is probably safe. Will see how things go in the summer though, it's all months away! </p> <p>@LemonJack: my dad doesn't want the vaccine. Not sure what his reasoning is, but he barely leaves the house, so there's that. If he ever plans to go places again, I'll get on his case about getting vaccinated first. For now, we come over when everyone is healthy and no one in the kids' class is sick, and stay away if there's any doubt. For what it's worth though, both my mom and I were really sick last spring and he was exposed to whatever it was, so maybe he already had it asymptomatically and has less to worry about. No idea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923165 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 23:03:23 +0000 ChitownRo 2923165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LadyDi: yes, so draining. I had hoped that after 2 weeks with my MIL he would stay with her for short periods of time, was a no go. 😭 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923163 Sat, 03 Apr 2021 20:47:24 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2923163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just got my 2nd shot this week and DH has been fully done since mid-February. My daughter's birthday is in June and we're going to have a surprise party for her by having my parents, my brother and his fiancee and my BIL/SIL/their soon coming baby visit. My in-laws might come as well, but that's TBD, but we decided to invite everyone because everyone is now vaccinated except my SIL (her doctor won't vaccinate her until after she delivers her baby in late April) and my brother (who refuses to get vaccinated). He had Covid in January, which I guess is close, but he's not allowed to stay with us because he won't vaccinate but we'll let him visit. We only decided not to have a kid party because kiddo has been virtual all school year and we haven't connected with parents and kids the same way we typically do and she's going to want to see family more than anyone else anyway, so that's the plan and we're going to try and step up the play dates some more. </p> <p>Flying we probably won't do until kiddo is vaccinated (she's almost 8) and eating indoors I honestly probably never will do, unless it's fancy dinners that my husband and I tend to do when kiddo is away with my mom. I've never been big on eating at restaurants and don't feel a strong pull to go back since takeout works just fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923160 Fri, 02 Apr 2021 13:29:05 +0000 PurplePumps 2923160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably next year or when my work place opens up again. (Work place has very strict requirements and will not open up until there is only isolated cases of less than 1 per 100k for at least a month, so basically covid is a thing of the past). Well have to see how things go. We'll have a newborn within a week or two so I don't plan on any possible exposure to her for at least a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923159 Fri, 02 Apr 2021 11:05:41 +0000 LadyDi 2923159@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ChitownRo: my 21 month old has major separation anxiety also. If I try to leave the room he just holds onto my shirt and cries. It’s really draining. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923155 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 19:56:56 +0000 ChitownRo 2923155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’ll add that we’ve travelled by car multiple times over this last year - renting cabins in northern Mi twice and then driving to Florida to stay w vaccinated in laws. But we kept our rules of not going inside anywhere (ordering curbside groceries, takeout only, drive throughs etc). We even had a portable toilet in the car 😂. </p> <p>It was nice to have a change of scenery. And we thought we should take advantage of DH’s remote work flexibility with these trips while the kids are young and we are not worried about academics. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923148 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 13:04:17 +0000 Mommy Finger 2923148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just got back from a little mini vacation. Went to Indy via car and stayed in a hotel. Went to the zoo and children's museum. Both were done while wearing masks the whole time. We ordered in dinner at the hotel both nights.</p> <p>I think I'll feel comfortable eating in a restaurant when DH and I are both fully vaxed. I'll get my 2nd shot in a few weeks and DH gets his first one next week. Otherwise I'm happy that the weather is getting warmer as outdoor dining is coming back.</p> <p>We've been to a birthday party where our friends rented a movie theater for our 4 family group. We're all mostly bubbled together so I was fine with it and the kids loved it. Also, I think about 3/4 of us had at least 1 shot at the time. DS2's birthday is in June so I was thinking of doing a small backyard party for him with the same friends plus our neighbors. I don't think he's gotten close enough with kids in his kindergarten class to invite them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923147 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 12:13:38 +0000 MrsSCB 2923147@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Traveling by plane or eating inside I would be willing to do once fully vaccinated (I have one shot so far). Especially given the comments by the CDC head this week re: low risk of transmission once vaccinated. In reality, I think the earliest we're likely to fly anywhere would be Thanksgiving. We didn't fly that often before Covid either! We're already driving to stay at a beach house with my ILs in June and then with my family in the fall. All adults will be fully vaccinated.</p> <p>Regarding a bday party, right now I'd do one outside, but not sure when I would inside while kids aren't able to be vaccinated. I already eat at restaurants outside -- I'd do most things outdoors, the risk of transmission is extremely low. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923144 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 10:18:43 +0000 LadyDi 2923144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ElbieKay: that is such a fun party idea! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923143 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 10:09:34 +0000 ElbieKay 2923143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son's birthday was in early March when the weather was too uncertain for an outdoor event. So, we scheduled a belated party for mid April. It will be outdoors and masked / socially distanced. I hired a skateboard instructor who will bring gear and ramps to set up in our driveway. Then we will have pizza and cupcakes. Need to figure out how to spread the kids out for eating. When we host events like this, we use our basement Bilco doors for bathroom access. We only use our basement for limited purposes, and none of the guests enter the main part of our home.</p> <p>This is the third event we have hosted for my son's class. The other two were a Halloween egg hunt and a Valentine Exchange. They have been fully remote all year and have only had school via Zoom. Other than our events and a few park playdates, they never see each other in person.</p> <p>My second vaccine is next week, and my birthday is at the end of the month. I'm planning to book a massage for my birthday!!</p> <p>I am pretty paranoid about indoor dining, and it's now spring here. I will probably stick to outdoor dining for awhile longer.</p> <p>Travel... not sure what to think with my unvaccinated kids. I would LOVE to plan a vacation for this summer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923142 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 10:03:50 +0000 Bluemasonjar 2923142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have traveled via car to see my parents and stayed in a rented cabin one weekend. I did fly alone last fall to be with my Mom when her youngest brother died unexpectedly. But I won't fly again until the vaccines are more widespread and we are closer to herd immunity. </p> <p>I am comfortable with eating outdoors and have had a few patio meals. </p> <p>DS turns 6 at the end of July and is already talking about inviting his whole class to his party. Some classmates have already done outdoor parties and we have attended a few. I booked a pavilion at a nearby park for his party. I was only comfortable doing something outdoors. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923137 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 08:44:39 +0000 Corduroy 2923137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll get my 2nd vaccine in two weeks. DH will probably get his first in a month or two. </p> <p>I'm surprised I have almost no desire to eat inside a restaurant. I'm sure I will once things open up but right now the idea of it feels so foreign. </p> <p>As a family all of our summer plans are camping within 120 miles. DH and I are hoping to attend a wedding at a camping/woodsy resort in Europe in August. It's a longshot and we don't anticipate any sightseeing or restauranting ( :crying: ). My in-laws just invited the family for a beach vacation in Mexico in Spring 2022 that's nice to think about. I hope the kids are vaccinated by then so we can go.</p> <p>I haven't missed kids' birthday parties. I look forward to having more options to celebrate the birthday kid but I don't need a ton of other kids around. </p> <p>I'm most looking forward to seeing family and friends. My vaccinated parents drove up for Spring Break last night. We're seeing my nephews for the first time in over a year for Easter, masked, distanced and outside. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923136 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 08:42:49 +0000 erinbaderin 2923136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: We had a "birthday party" for my son for his birthday in March, by which I mean he met a single friend at a park (times are tough when he was excited about this!) and we ordered cupcakes in individual boxes that we included in the treat bag. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923133 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 08:07:18 +0000 periwinklebee 2923133@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>RE non-vaccinated people: I feel like the reality is covid will be around for the rest of our lives, and lots of people are not going to get vaccinated. It will be really hard to avoid them, so I'm just going to lean on the data that the vaccines are really, really effective. </p> <p>Of course that relies on all of us being vaccinated, which won't happen for awhile. If I'm not sure if someone has been vaccinated, we will only socialize in an outdoor setting (if at all) until our whole family has been vaccinated. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923132 Thu, 01 Apr 2021 06:23:38 +0000 JennyPenny 2923132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I will get our 2nd shots in April, as will all of our close friends and family (who aren’t already fully vaccinated) so I feel like we’ll open up a lot come May. For now we have several road trip/airbnb style vacations planned for the summer to the mountains and beach where the main activity is outside in nature. DHs family had planned a big international trip in July (booked Feb 2020 😞) that some family members are holding onto hope it can go forward. I don’t see myself putting my kids on a plane until they’re vaccinated but I also don’t really want to travel for 12hrs to a destination and then not be able to enjoy it fully.</p> <p>Like @periwinklebee, I’ve been really enjoying takeout dates with DH and definitely don’t miss the stress my kids caused in restaurants. But our wedding anniversary is in June and I could see us doing a proper date night and maybe a stay in a hotel just the 2 of us to celebrate. Our 10th anniversary was last year and we didn’t really do anything because of COVID and newborn.</p> <p>For birthdays, we’ve actually started to get classmate invites again and boy are they coming in fast. We’ve had 4 invites in the last few weeks. I’m declining most of them not out of safety concerns but because I’ve also started to enjoy my free weekends. So we’ll only go to the ones my kiddos are excited about. My DD and DS2 have birthdays in April and we plan to invite family and one friend’s family to an outdoor gathering. The adults there will all be partially or fully vaccinated and we’ve been allowing our kids to play together unmasked outside since the cases went way down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-will-you#post-2923131 Wed, 31 Mar 2021 22:29:32 +0000 bhbee 2923131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got my second vaccine mid Feb and dh will get his second mid April. But I don’t know how much it changes things! The one thing I did do a few weeks after my second shot was get a pedicure. I soooo needed it and the place had a lot of precautions, but we have avoided all indoor things we could prior to shots. This past week we ate on a chipotle patio and I think it was the first time we have even come close to a restaurant! </p> <p>Inside in a restaurant, I don’t know. I guess when kids are vaccinated which looks like 2022? Indoors without masks is tough. We don’t have family to babysit and I feel less good about a random babysitter for now so not sure about date nights. </p> <p>Travel - we have done 3 long road trips to bunker with family since covid (thanks to virtual work and school). We felt ok running inside for bathroom breaks and it was kind of fun to find places to eat outside on the way. We have another big road trip planned for the summer. But flying, I don’t know. We’re tentatively planning to fly to see family at Christmas because weather is too dicey to drive that far and hopefully cases will be really low. But it is going to totally weird me out if we do it!</p> <p>I’m hoping for our January kid bdays things will feel normal-ish. With all these things, I’m hoping case numbers basically disappear once vaccines have been out a long time but where we live, I don’t know how many holdouts there will be ... here’s hoping little kid vaccines stay on target too. Even then I think I’ve kind of forgotten how to be normal!! </p>