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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (May 9, 2021)
The BulleTin • Sunday, May 9, 2021 A5 Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin Madeline Drescher and her two older children Hanna and Max watch as her daughter Mae attempts to take a few steps while spending time together outside of their Bend home Thursday. Leslie Neugebauer and her partner the day their daughter, Lyla, was born in 2020. Submitted photo Continued from previous page that one month than he did in his entire life,” Neugebauer said. “And I felt terrible, but it also felt like I had no other op- tion.” But the pandemic did bring some positives. Working from home meant not having to pump breast milk in the office during the day, which was a relief, she said. Neugebauer is also grateful for how working from home allowed her to get extra time to bond with Lyla. “Every time I imagined how hard it was for me, I imagined how much harder it could have been,” she said. The first time Kite took her daughter Olive to a grocery store, someone there called her “one of those pandemic ba- bies.” At first, Kite found the com- ment rude — a reminder of the negative marker her daughter will always have when some- one asks for her birth date. But it is also a reminder of something positive: Even in a year as awful as 2020, some- thing good came out of it. “It was such a tough year and so many bad things hap- “Every time I imagined how hard it was for me, I imagined how much harder it could have been.” — Leslie Neugebauer, who said raising a newborn in the pandemic felt like every decision she made had higher stakes than decisions she had previously made pened, but we ended up with this beautiful baby girl,” Kite said. With her unemployment payments delayed, Kite and her husband survived on re- ceiving government issued food assistance and financial assistance from Neighbor Im- pact to help pay their medical bills. The mortgage of their La Pine home was deferred due to COVID-19. The well that ran dry the week Olive was born was fixed thanks to an emer- gency loan from Neighbor Im- pact. Despite the challenges, her family never went without ba- sic necessities, Kite said. “All in all, I think we were re- ally fortunate,” she said. The greatest lesson of the pandemic involved perspec- tive, Kite said. Obligations that used to matter, just seem silly now after a year of quarantine. Instead, Kite remembers do- ing things like getting dressed up in overalls, turning on mu- sic and having a dance party in the living room. “It’s not ideal it took a pan- demic to force that, but it defi- nitely made us appreciate hav- ing a family,” Kite said. Nearly a year after being fired, Kite finally got her un- employment checks from the state. The pandemic slowed down life enough for Kite and her partner to do something they had wanted to do for the past 10 years, but never found the time to do: get married. The week she received her check, Kite used the money to take her family to Lincoln City, where they decided to have an impromptu beach wedding — just the four of them. “It felt like the right time,” Kite said. e e Reporter: 541-633-2160, bvisser@bendbulletin.com Blondes may have more fun, but not in the sun Trust your skin’s health to Dr. Peters of Peters Dermatology Center. • The region’s expert in Mohs surgery • Dr. Peters specializes in high-risk skin cancer treatment, early detection, and prevention Gerald Peters, MD, FAAD, FACMS Ann Reitan, MHS, PA-C • Ericka Luckel , PA-C 541-323-SKIN (7546) www.petersderm.com 2041 NE Williamson Court, Suite B (Corner of Neff Rd. and Purcell Blvd.)
