Editor’s Note

Apple picking is one of my favorite September traditions. If you’re looking for things to make with an abundance of apples this month, turn to page 19 for a Cinnamon Apple Cookies recipe, or go to baystateparent.com for a crave-worthy Apple Squares recipe. Or, make these kid-friend ly “Apple Donuts” by coring slices of apples and spreading with nut butter, yogurt, or cream cheese and topping with sprinkles, chocolate chips, berries, coconut, etc.

The new “Time Capsule Journal,” for ages 6 to 10, allows kids to write about who they are now, and revisit in the future to see how they’ve grown. The book is filled with prompts, with half to be answered in the present and half to be answered in the future. Put the book away for a few years (three is recommended) so kids can see how they’ve grown over time.

My husband was outside mowing the lawn, but I couldn’t wait for him to finish and come inside. So there I stood, barefoot in the driveway, waving him down from across the yard.

“I have to tell you something!” I hollered over the roar of the lawnmower.

He cocked his head as if to say right now, drove over and killed the en gine. “What’s going on?” he asked, both worried and a bit annoyed.

“I’m pregnant.”

The words fell out of my mouth and hung there in the air. For a minute, we just stared at each other.

We had been playing with the idea of adding to our family for a few months, but had never settled on the idea. Our son would be turning three and we wouldn’t want to wait much longer, we’d said, but still, we weren’t sure if maybe we wanted to be a one-kid family. Another baby was still up in the air … until now.

Whether it’s unexpected or you’ve been crossing your fingers and toes for that thin blue line, pregnancy comes with a mix of emotions. Joy and anticipation, sure, but also nerves and uncertainty. As my husband and I stood in the driveway hugging, we felt it all.

And then, something else hit us: we were having a baby … in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

When COVID-19 first changed our everyday lives back in March, many joked it would lead to a baby boom. With so many folks stuck at home with nothing to do, some mused that a crop of corona-babies would come along in about nine months.

But as the pandemic wore into the summer, experts predicted COVID was actually more likely to lead to a baby bust – as many as 300,000 to 500,000 fewer births next year due to the economic and social instability.

Boom or bust, countless women, myself included, are carrying and delivering a baby in a world where the new normal is face masks and iso lation. Each day in the United States, more than 10,000 babies, on average, are born. Locally, at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, nearly 1,000 babies were born from March 1 to September 1. Babies come when they’re ready -- pandemic or not.

Delivering a child is stressful in the best of times. A global health crisis adds to the anxiety. So what’s it like to be pregnant or give birth during a global pandemic? What hopes and dreams — and fears — do the parents have when welcoming a newborn?

In this issue, we talked to local moms about their pregnancy and post partum journey as coronavirus encircled the globe and changed the world. From laboring with face coverings on to introducing new grandparents -- who live just a short drive away -- to their baby over Zoom, their experi ences tell a unique story of parenting in a post-COVID world.

There’s no guide for “What to Expect When You’re Expecting During a Pandemic” on bookshelves. But if there ever is, these families’ experiences, on page 12, could be the first chapter. And even with the threat of corona virus looming, these moms all agreed: nothing can really tarnish the joy of having a child.

Yes, these are tough and scary times. The challenges of parenting in these circumstances can’t be overstated, no matter what stage you’re in.

Still, there are pockets of joy. As stressful as pandemic parenting can be, children -- whether newborns or teenagers -- are a source of happiness, and more importantly, hope. Amanda

We got our hands on Mixy Squish, a new stretchy sensory clay. My son loves the texture and that it’s still “squishy” even after it’s dry. It’s available on Amazon.

Did you know the Sunday after Labor Day -- this year, Sept. 13 -- is Grandparents’ Day? While this “holiday” is refreshingly non-commercial, it’s still worth celebrating. There are proven benefits to a strong grandparent-grandchild relationship, for both kids and the grandparents. I’m sending a shout out and thank you to the grandparents in our life: Geen, Mema and Pep, Goose and Papa.