Law Students
Lag Liv 
About being a new mom, wife and law student who lost her son and the ensuing legal and child protective services battle to get him back. (Lag liv, Swedish for "law life".)
Post Frequency: 1.1/day Last Entry: November 19, 2009 at 12:03:00 Recent Entries: 368
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I'm a lawyer, but I play a doctor on TV
Posted on November 19, 2009As most of my blog readers know, from the age of 10(ish) to 21, my life's dream was to be a doctor. I was pre-med in college and took all the required classes, including the dreaded organic chemistry which forever ruined my 4.0 GPA (and for which I will forever be bitter)...
Baby Bean
Posted on November 17, 2009At the last appointment we had a little bean- just a blob on an ultrasound with a wonderfully flickering heart. Yesterday we got to see a little bean that actually looks like a baby.We saw his face and arm.Her foot and all five little toes.And even his little nose...
Things, cont.
Posted on November 16, 2009Once again, a long delay between posts. This situation has devolved from bad to worse and even though I desperately wanted to talk about it, I try to keep this blog about me and not others, a rule I adhere to even more strictly when the person is identifiable...
Things
Posted on November 11, 2009Sorry for the absence. I always wonder if in the blogging world absence makes the heart go fonder- or does it just make people lose interest? To catch you up, I caught an early flight home from Houston on Friday and spent a delightful afternoon with Landon...
Home Sweet Hotel Room
Posted on November 05, 2009I'm in Houston on business and I'm learning once again that marriage and motherhood have ruined Fancy Hotel rooms with king-sized beds for me. You'd think it would make me soak up the night of solitude all the more, but I miss my boys terribly. I miss the craziness and the dogs and the cuddling with JP and hugs and blown kisses from Landon...
Happy Tuesday
Posted on November 03, 2009I was going to write this post yesterday, but ran out of time during the day and then fell asleep very early last night. So now it's titled Happy Tuesday, but most of the happiness is carry-over from Monday. Monday was happy because:(1.) I have a pretty new set of Pilot G2 pens from Costco...
He's Napping With It Right Now
Posted on October 31, 2009This year is the first Halloween Landon was verbal enough to get to choose his own costume. I was curious to see what he'd pick. He loves trucks, but hasn't quire grasped the human equivalents- I'm sure he'd love to be an actual fire truck, but a fireman wouldn't do anything for him...
Briefs (the legal kind) and Balance
Posted on October 29, 2009It is such a good feeling to finish a brief you've been working on for weeks. It is a freaking awesome feeling to sit down to read it from start to finish and know that your group has done a good job for the client. In law school I loathed our 1L research and writing class...
Thoughts on a Monday Night
Posted on October 26, 2009I want rice krispie treats. Really, really bad. The homemade kind, not the ones wrapped in blue wrappers that have a strong plastic taste.I really, really want to go to bed. Almost as badly as I want homemade rice krispie treats.The amount of work I have to do tonight means that I can't do #1 or #2 on this list...
Big Day
Posted on October 23, 2009Tomorrow is my first pregnancy doctor appointment. I'm both more and less anxious than I thought I'd be. On the one hand, now that I feel wretched for most of the day, I finally believe I am pregnant and don't need the ultrasound to prove it to me. On the other hand, both JP and my families have a history of miscarriage (our mothers had a combined total of five) and this first check into the health of the baby makes me nervous...
Hello Little Bean
Posted on October 23, 2009The appointment went great! There is ONE baby bean with a very strong, beautifully flickering heartbeat. I'm so glad JP was able to be there with me, even if he did have to miss an important seminar and write a paper to make up for it. I really like my doctor and her nurse...
Happy Birthday JP and Other News
Posted on October 21, 2009I apologize for the absence. I've been very busy feeling like I'm going to throw up and wanting to curl up under my desk and be unconscious for the next month or so. So there's been no time to share the adorable things Landon is doing or to complain about how JP is still sick and had the flu after all, or even to tell the story about how I was supposed to finish up a section of Motion to Dismiss last night so it could be sent to the client this morning but I fell asleep at 8:45 and then woke up at 8 a...
Nausea, Playgrounds, and Pregnancy
Posted on October 18, 2009Thank you everyone for your kind comments on my announcement. It made me feel very happy at work on Friday as I fought through nausea and exhaustion while trying to write a brief on a complicated securities law issues. Each gmail "new message" alert gave me a reason to smile, and watching for them probably kept me from closing my door, curling up in a ball under my desk, and simply wishing my brief away...
An Announcement
Posted on October 16, 2009I wasn't going to post this. Not yet. I was going to save all my drafts on the topic and then publish them at a "safe" time, but I hate the duplicitous feel of it. You all have been through so much with me, and should anything bad happen I would need to write about it and I would want you to there with me...
Productivity Has Plummeted
Posted on October 15, 2009I woke up feeling very queasy this morning and the feeling stuck around for most of the day. I'm remembering everything I didn't like about being pregnant. This is why men and women can never have perfect equality in the workplace - even if there are sufficient maternity leave policies, pumping rooms, and a genuine commitment to family-friendly flexible work arrangements, men will never be pregnant...
One More Thing
Posted on October 14, 2009In addition to what I just wrote, I'm also pregnant and apparently "Pregnant women are six times more likely to have severe flu disease than women who are not pregnant." JP or Landon better not have the flu and I really better not get it. Also, I had some spotting last night and it scared the shit out of me...
The Balance is Tipping
Posted on October 14, 2009JP has been sick for the past few days and on Monday he spiked up to a 102 fever and sat shaking and shivering on the couch all night while I made him tea and took care of everything else. Yesterday he was still sick, hovering around a 101 fever with terrible heartburn and sat curled up on the couch moaning occasionally...
Guilty but Not Guilty
Posted on October 12, 2009I never know what I think about something until I read what I've written on it. - William Faulkner.About a week ago I read a blog post by a stay-at-home mom regarding why she thinks staying home is best for her and her family, and why she does not believe working and daycare could be as good for her children or her...
New Clothes! and other distracting things
Posted on October 12, 2009New clothes are always exciting, even if they're of maternity variety. My mom visited Austin this weekend and took me out shopping Sunday for some stylish pregnancy work clothes. We actually found some, and I now have 3 maternity dresses, 2 pairs of stretch panel pants, and 4 maternity tops hanging in my closet...
Saturday Productivity
Posted on October 11, 2009I just spent a delightfully suburban day with my little man. We went to Target and the mall to buy his Halloween costume and a few fall clothes. The temperature dropped very suddenly here in Austin Thursday night and I sent him to daycare on Friday in shorts and a t-shirt, not knowing the temperature wasn't going to go above 65...
Early Symptoms
Posted on October 10, 2009For the first few days after I took the pregnancy test, I didn't really believe that I was actually pregnant. I felt no different. I had to remind myself every hour or so that there was apparently life growing inside of me. I felt fine, felt the same...
Bursting
Posted on October 07, 2009I am suddenly dying to tell people that I am pregnant. I swear babies and pregnancy seem to come up in every conversation I'm in this week and I have to just sit there silently when HEY, HEY! I'M PREGNANT TOO! THIS CONVERSATION TOTALLY APPLIES TO ME! I have a count down until our first doctor appointment on October 23...
Chicken Barley Chili Deliciousness
Posted on October 06, 2009This doesn't have much to do with anything, but I have don't have time to say the deep and meaningful things I might if I wasn't still editing the motion that not only spent days refusing to write itself, but now refuses to go away. Very rude, those motions...
First Pregnancy Dream
Posted on October 06, 2009I had my first pregnancy dream last night. With Landon I only dreamed about being pregnant or having a baby twice. Both times I had twins and both times I cried and woke up terrified. This time I was in labor. I never felt "labor" last time- my water just broke and next thing I knew I was in a hospital hooked up to a monitor that confirmed I wasn't having any contractions...
One Toe Out of the Closet
Posted on October 05, 2009I came out to someone at work today. She's a good friend in my section, a senior associate I love working for and admire greatly. We ate lunch together Friday and were talking about our kids (she has two). I said that I was finally coming around to the idea of #2 and joked that maybe one was on his way now since I was a few days late...
Scholastic Book Orders
Posted on October 05, 2009I just found out today that I'm supposed to be checking Landon's file at daycare. Apparently I'm the only parent who didn't know that as I found his folder stuffed to burst while every other kid only had the new October newsletter tucked inside. One of the items in the stack was the Scholastic Books pamphlet...
NOT how this moment will be described in the baby book.
Posted on October 03, 2009I took a pregnancy test this morning. We are not trying to get pregnant, so even though I was five days late, it hadn't occurred to me until last night that "holy shit I might be pregnant." (It occurred to me just like that.) Unlike some of the other months where I thought there was a possibility, this was not a happy or hopeful "holy shit I might be pregnant" moment...
Landon - in Action!
Posted on October 02, 2009Two months ago I solicited recommendations for a compact digital video camcorder. After reading your comments and dozens of online reviews (what did we do before online reviews? I feel paralyzed when at the store making any purchase greater than $10...
Utter Contentment
Posted on September 30, 2009I realized something as I was driving back from a hearing in Fort Worth yesterday- I love my job. Love it. I'm not sure I've ever felt this happy or satisfied with everything in my life. It's a marvelous feeling and one I barely know what to do with. I love the two main cases I'm staffed on - they are interested and complex corporate and securities matters and I find the facts, law and strategy involved in each to be fascinating...
Off the Wagon
Posted on September 28, 2009Reading is my greatest guilty pleasure. I have no self-control, so I generally read in phases- a few weeks on, a few weeks off. I have to let my body recover from the nights spend hunched over on the cold tile floor of my bathroom while I read "just one more page" of a book I started with a promise "just to read the first few chapters...
Sleeping Solo
Posted on September 25, 2009I'm on a business trip in Houston, staying at a very fancy hotel, with a very big, very comfortable king-sized bed at my exclusive disposal. I've had over-priced drinks at the bar, enjoyed a nice shower, wrapped myself in a fluffy robe, read a few pages of my current Sharon Kay Penman novel, and turned off the light with a relaxed and happy heart...
It Goes On
Posted on September 22, 2009I've almost written this post so many times. If I slept with my laptop by the bed, it would have been published around 3 a.m. after awaking from a nightmare many months ago. But in the daylight, when my life is full and busy and almost impossibly wonderful, I can't find the words or the will to go back to a darker place...
My Favorites
Posted on September 21, 2009There's a lot that I love about being a mom, and a lot that I love about being a working mom, but my very favorite thing has to be picking up Landon from daycare at the end of the day. Even if he's in a terrible mood and fussy for the rest of the evening, those moments after I walk in the classroom are always happy...
Vacation Hangover
Posted on September 16, 2009With our recent return from a 6-day vacation, I should be all kinds of busy, but so far each night has found me curled up on the couch with a book. I've read five in the last week in a half, it's like a drug for me. I haven't even caught up on my DVR'd shows...
From the Northeast
Posted on September 11, 2009This is the longest I've ever gone between posts. Part of the reason is that I wanted to write about something besides my relationship, but that was all that was dominated my mind over the course of last week. I have one more post on that, but not now...
A Week of Anniversaries
Posted on September 03, 2009Yesterday was my one-year anniversary at the firm. I've promised a post on litigation v. corporate work, but I'll just say for now that I really, really like what I am doing. I even frequently love what I am doing. I am so much of a litigator I can't believe I spent five months as a misguided transactional attorney...
8 years
Posted on September 02, 2009I met JP eight years ago, yesterday. He was on his 8th or 9th Jack & Coke when he bumped in to me near the bar and asked if I wanted one too. I didn't- I was eighteen, underage with no fake ID, and was still feeling queasy from my introduction to Long Island Iced Teas the night before...
I hate everything.
Posted on August 31, 2009The title pretty much says it all. It's been a crappy day. I'm tired of my husband cheating on me with a swim school. My two year old spent an entire day doing his best to prove the "terrible two" stereotype. I didn't get out to any stores so I'll be packing the same five casual shirts I wear every weekend for our trip to D...
Two Happies
Posted on August 28, 20091. Landon is doing great with his new daycare. He was a little clingy Tuesday morning, and then cried on Wednesday morning, and that is SO hard. I knew he liked it because on that same morning he was being fussy and irritable while I was getting dressed, and I asked if he was ready to go to daycare...
So I Married an Entrepreneur
Posted on August 26, 2009I can't say I wasn't warned. Within an hour of meeting my very drunk yet still very charming future husband, I heard all about his plans to start his own business one day. He was rambling and had just attempted to walk into oncoming traffic, but he spoke with such conviction about his entrepreneurial dreams that I knew he was serious...
First Day
Posted on August 25, 2009I had dreams for this morning. I would be up early, in plenty of time to blow dry and style my hair. After a few minutes spent cuddling in bed, JP would go cook pancakes while we waited for Landon to wake up, which he would do around 7:45. He'd be dressed in the clothes I already laid out and we'd eat a nice breakfast together before taking pictures and heading to New Center at 8:15 for his big first day...
The Big Switch
Posted on August 23, 2009Landon starts at his new daycare on Monday. I spent about a week of last month panicking at the thought of the switch and the making of the lunches and the closing 15 minutes earlier and wondered WHY we thought this change was a good idea. I very nearly called new place to see if we could get back our deposit (all one-freaking-thousand dollars of it) and old place to see if Landon could keep his spot, but then I got too busy to do either one and inaction made me re-convince myself we'd made the right decision...
Toddlers and Babies
Posted on August 21, 2009I feel like most people get pressured to have another child by friends or grandparents, but for us, the pressure comes in toddler form. Landon loves babies. When we're out and about he's always pointing out the babies ("BeeBees") and telling them night night (if they're sleeping) or hi or bye, depending on which direction they're going...
Disjointed
Posted on August 19, 2009I haven't slept well the last two nights. On Monday I stayed up too late reading The Time Traveler's Wife and couldn't turn my brain off when I crawled into bed. The book mostly takes place in Chicago and just reading the familiar names of the streets, neighborhoods and museums left me missing Chicago so acutely I woke up JP, crawled into his arms and started to cry...
Lazy Day
Posted on August 16, 2009Yesterday we attended our neighborhood's BBQ cook-off. Sometimes I can't really believe things like this are on my calendar. Five years ago I was living in a bug-infested college apartment in a questionable part of town (my friend's car was stolen from our parking lot- twice), three years ago I was in a tiny downtown Chicago loft, and now I'm in a house in the suburbs...
Healthy on the Inside
Posted on August 14, 2009I was going to write up a little report card for the mid-year resolutions I wrote so optimistically only three months ago:Work out twice a week. FBuy more fresh fruits and vegetables and eat them. BMake more simple, healthy meals B-Limit diet cokes to one a day A+Go to bed before 11:30 if I'm working and 11 if I'm not...
Mommy and Daddy's Little Helper
Posted on August 12, 2009Alternate, More Accurate Title: "Lover of Muffins" because I think here he was motivated more by his passion for blueberry muffins than any desire to help, though he likes to do that too. He always runs to the dryer when it beeps (actually, our dryer sings a little song when it's done, the crush continues) and stands ready to hand me each individual item to fold...
Why There's No "In-Law" Tag
Posted on August 09, 2009I only use about 1% of the blogging fodder and frustration my mother-in-law provides. Part of this is out of respect for JP, though he doesn't actually care. A bigger reason is because it seems unsportsmanlike to talk about them when this blog isn't really anonymous and members of my family read it, while JP's family doesn't know it exists...
Friday Free Flow
Posted on August 07, 2009Random thoughts/potential blog posts floating around in my head:- JP is going out of town for business and is supposed to leave today at noon and get home Sunday around 4. My first thought about my solo Friday night was, "ooooh, I'm going to go to bed SO early!" And then I realized I am old and kind of pathetic...
For the Baby Book
Posted on August 04, 2009Two Saturdays ago I had a free two hours, a napping toddler, and a to-do list all checked off. I decided it was time to face the baby book so I got it off the shelf and filled in the last 12 months of Landon's life with pictures, cards, and stars pulled directly from the blog...
Clapping for the Choir
Posted on August 03, 2009On Sundays when we go to church, Landon spends the first 90% of the service in the nursery. He loves their collection of blocks and trucks and seems to enjoy having new baby and toddler friends to play with. After communion, when all that's left of the service is the post-communion song and prayer, the blessing and benediction, and the closing hymn, JP goes to pick up Landon and bring him back to the pew to sit with us...
Video Clips and Recs
Posted on August 01, 2009Before I bought my DSLR I assumed I would continue using my little digital camera for the every day stuff and use the new fancy one for holidays or more purposeful photo taking. As it turns out, I haven't used my old Casio since my Nikon D40 arrived in the mail...
Terrific Two
Posted on July 30, 2009Dear Landon,You turned 2 two weeks ago and I just can't let the milestone go by without a note for the baby book. I've written this letter in my head so many times and in so many ways- there's just so much to say! You've changed an unbelievable amount in the past year- you do so much, say so much, know so much...
Love Thy Neighbor
Posted on July 28, 2009It normally takes me 12 minutes to get from my office chair to Landon's daycare lobby. Today it took me 2 hours and 2 minutes. There was a man + gun + SWAT team situation on the highway I take home and even though I left work an hour early I quickly realized there was no possible way I could make it to daycare before close...
Job Satisfaction
Posted on July 25, 2009My associate mentor in the corporate department once told me that when her hours drop, so does her job satisfaction. I found this hard to believe since I'd only been working for a week and my biggest fear was being too busy to retain control over my free time...
The End of a Blog
Posted on July 22, 2009Every now and I then I think about when I will stop this blog. I never thought about stopping after graduating law school because I never thought law school defined the story I was telling. But I wonder- will I still be writing in 5 years? 10? What will I have to say that I haven't said before? With a job I can only talk about in an oblique manner and children who are older and deserving of increased privacy, will I have anything to write that people want to read? Do I have some obligation to continue updating? It seems odd to feel a duty to those you've never met, but I know that I wonder and worry about bloggers who have fallen away...
Resurfacing
Posted on July 19, 2009Tonight ends my 9-day, only semi-interrupted staycation, and I feel happy and rested and delightfully close to bored. I did some work at home on Monday, worked a very long day Tuesday, and have sent only a single work-related email since then. I spent Wednesday with our birthday boy, who danced this very special birthday dance upon awaking from his nap: Together we spent several hours watching daddy coach and manage his swim school at their temporary outdoor location; we baked brownies for a few of our friends taking the Bar next week; we read books and made up animal noises neither of us had ever heard before; we laughed and chased and and danced and giggled...
A Present for Mama
Posted on July 13, 2009I'm taking a staycation this week. I knew we couldn't afford to travel anywhere and I decided that with a house and a Landon, it would be just as fun, and probably much more relaxing, to use my vacation days to stay in. I'm working from home today and tomorrow and then Wednesday through Friday I am offline...
Sugary Goodness
Posted on July 13, 2009Yesterday evening we hosted Landon's birthday party at the house. There was lots of food, drinks, toys, games, guests, new baby friends, and most importantly, cupcakes. Last year Landon refused to touch his cake and we had to stage his frosting-covered face...
Working with the Menu
Posted on July 09, 2009So, interesting comments from Monday's post- and I mean that sincerely. It's one of the reasons I published that particular diary blog entry - because even though I love my life and generally fail to publish posts not because I'm hiding unhappiness but because finding new ways to describe the urge to pinch myself would be boring and borderline obnoxious, I have doubts...
The "Two" Game
Posted on July 09, 2009A How-To Guide from Landon(1) Yell "twooooooo!" as you run with arms stretched behind you towards your dad. Mom will also do, but dad seems to enjoy it more. Ignore your parents when they try to explain that the counting process that begins with one (or that a proper countdown starts with three), the number two is all you need to warn your victim that an attack is imminent...
Career à la Carte
Posted on July 06, 2009Mondays are so much harder after a 3-day weekend. Last night I lay awake thinking about how wonderful it was to spend three full days with just Landon and JP and how much time I miss with them during the week. I let my mind roam over the idea of what it would be like to not work, to have this free family time...
Suburban Bliss
Posted on July 04, 2009Yesterday at work one of my colleagues asked about our Fourth of July plans. "Oh, nothing too big" I said, "we're just going to the country club party on Friday night and then walking in the neighborhood kids parade Saturday morning." And then it hit me...
My Little Man
Posted on June 30, 2009I don't do much post-processing on my pictures. I'll remove some red eye and do the occasional bit of cropping and brightening, but my lack of photoshop and free time gets in the way making the digital works of art I see on other people's websites. And in general I like that...
Coach of the Year
Posted on June 29, 2009On Saturday JP's career as head coach of our local summer league swim team came to an end. His team won the championship for the first time ever and did it by 150 points. Landon and I attended the banquet at the pool that night and it was so wonderful to see how much the kids and parents adore him...
Untitled
Posted on June 26, 2009I just typed out a whole post about how absolutely terrible my evening was. It was 105 degrees, Landon screamed almost non-stop from the moment we got home, my cul-de-sac was taken over by emergency vehicles and my neighbor tried to kill herself and may have succeeded...
Dear Google, the light-hearted Friday edition
Posted on June 26, 2009I did one of these not too long ago, but I have a few google searches that are too good not to share. What I always have to keep in mind is that someone opened up the google webpage and typed in this exact phrase looking for answers. Cracks me up.~ dear google, please give me a random food to eat for lunch: Quite possibly my most favorite search that ever brought someone to my website...
Highlights and Lowlights
Posted on June 24, 2009I couldn't decide on a tone for my post this morning. On the one hand I had a wonderful evening yesterday and still feel a pleasant afterglow from the fun and giggles. On the other hand my body is fighting sleep like it's the Norman invasion and I need an IV of caffeine...
The Big Boy Room
Posted on June 23, 2009I have so many things I want to write about but I've been so busy -- busy keeping up with my work, busy chasing Landon around the yard and playgrounds, busy cuddling and talking with JP until the wee hours of the morning, busy marveling at my nearly 2-year-old and planning his birthday fiesta...
Summer Froggy Fun
Posted on June 18, 2009This is our 10-day weather report:As you can see, it is bloody freaking hot here. And it's only June. The really bad heat won't hit us until mid-July and then it will wear out its welcome through September. This used to be okay. As a kid I spent hours in the pool or playing in the shady greenbelt behind my house...
Doctor's Orders
Posted on June 16, 2009I just got home from the most emotionally and physically painful shoe shopping experience of my life. A pair of pewter not-quite-cute flat shoes now sits on the table in front of me, between my muscle relaxers and heating pad, and I'm eyeing them all with no small amount of bitterness...
The Other Woman
Posted on June 14, 2009I used to joke with JP that I'll never be jealous of another woman, I know full well how devoted he is to me, but my goodness am I sometimes jealous of that chlorinated hole in the ground he can't go three days without. Now, eight years into our chlorine-filled love triangle, I've realized that I don't resent the time JP gives to swimming or even the sport's importance to him, I resent the fact that he takes the time to do something I don't...
Suzy Breadwinner
Posted on June 11, 2009Every day this week I've come home from work to a spoiled, happy Landon who launches himself into my arms with a cry of Mama! Mama! He lets me snuggle him and is then walks me all around the house, never wanting to be more than a few feet away from me, but not willing to be held when he is so busy...
The Tempest
Posted on June 09, 2009Well, my tongue is not bleeding. Things are actually going quite well- I've been working, JP has been coaching and attending investor and company meetings, and Landon has been followed and adored as though he is the sun and my in-laws must orbit (very, very closely) around him...
Calm Before the Storm
Posted on June 07, 2009My in-laws (plus grandma-in-law) arrive any minute for an eight day stay. I don't have a whole lot to add to that statement. My house is spotless, yet waiting for my mother-in-law to take a sponge to my microwave or other random item she thinks is unclean (it's not) and I'm waiting for her to comment on my weight because she has never failed to do that either...
I Need a Pause Button
Posted on June 04, 2009I attended my first evening recruiting event last night and although I had fun and it was good to laugh and talk with co-workers and summer associates, I missed Landon like crazy. Once again it just amazes me how sharp the drop-off is between me being okay with my schedule and separation from Landon to desperately wanting to stay home this morning just to play with him and soak up his funny, frustrating, snuggly self...
Graduation Gifts
Posted on June 02, 2009In the comments to my post yesterday, Melissa asked, "What would you recommend as a graduation gift (on a budget) for a fabulous girl just out of law school?"And I really didn't know. I just got money for my law school graduation and given that we were facing a summer with no income, that was exactly what I wanted...
My City
Posted on June 01, 2009I live in a beautiful city. I loved Chicago and still miss it dearly, but that doesn't change what I feel for Austin. I have to keep reminding myself that part of what I miss about Chicago is a life and lifestyle that is no longer my own. I miss meeting friends for drinks and then walking home along the Chicago River watching the lights from the buildings dance on the water...
Left Behind at BigLaw
Posted on May 30, 2009Two of my friends are here and we had an amazing time last night, but my friend L was stopped from making her flight. She was supposed to fly out early this morning and yesterday the evil female partner she works for told her no, there was too much to do, and she'd just have to stay at work to get it done...
Recharged and Refreshed and Red-Headed
Posted on May 28, 2009Since our latest big deadline passed on Tuesday, I've been able to use the past two days to catch up on life. Yesterday was all about errands and cleaning and continuing to work on Landon's big boy room and today I focused on cleaning my overflowing desk and inbox and organizing things around the house (with a lunch date with JP and a trip to a new playground with Landon somewhere in between)...
Pointing out the Obvious
Posted on May 27, 2009Hello there. A lot more has happened since last Friday when I wrote about how there was no time to write about all the things that were happening, and this time I have a surprise day off, so you get a blog post about some of them! On Saturday Landon and I flew to Houston...
Full
Posted on May 22, 2009I just put Landon to bed. We read our current favorite books, he snuggled into my neck as I hummed "You Are My Sunshine" and he whispered "nigh nigh" repeatedly in my ear. He curled up in his crib, puppy under one arm, and as I covered him in a blanket knit by my grandmother he made loud kissing sounds...
Honey Do
Posted on May 18, 2009I love weekends with my little family- even weekends filled with house work and home improvement projects. Our home to-do list has been growing during these busy past few months and JP promised he would start helping me with it as soon as his finals were over...
Beginnings, Endings, and In-Betweens
Posted on May 15, 2009Wednesday night was the final push after two very busy weeks for JP and me. I was up until midnight along with every other member of our review team to meet our next production deadline- our goal had been to finish on Wednesday and at 11:58 p.m. we were done...
More Papa
Posted on May 14, 2009This is my dad. When I forwarded him the post I wrote on Sunday he replied with, "Made my eyes leak. I love you [LL]. Always have and always will." Landon loves my dad too. He's been obsessed with pictures for a while and loves pointing out JP and I in our wedding photo in the hallway- every time we pass by he throws out his arm to point at the picture and exclaims, "MAMA! DADA!" and then gives a firm head nod as we continue on our way...
Mid-Year Resolutions
Posted on May 12, 2009I went back to the gym this morning. I packed my bag at midnight last night and put it by the back door. I woke up at 6:50 and spent ten minutes locked in a vigorous, internal debate over whether or not I should stay in bed. The bed almost won, but I knew I'd be disappointed in myself if I gave up this quickly...
Feeling the Burn
Posted on May 10, 2009I worked out this morning. The last time I went to a gym was some time in 2006. Maybe early 2007, but by then I was pregnant and doubt I was doing much. I'm embarrassed to say that there's even a gym in my office building, it's free, well-equipped, and has a beautiful view of downtown Austin, but until now I'd never used it...
My Parents
Posted on May 10, 2009A while I ago I did a post asking if people had questions they wanted me to answer; one of those was PT-LawMom who asked: "Seems like you are very close to your parents. What is the best thing about them/their parenting style that you'd like to emulate to Landon? What parenting mistake would you like to avoid?" I've thought a lot about this question since she wrote it but it seems I never have time to sit down and draft the kind of answer it deserves...
My Week
Posted on May 07, 20097:30 a.m.: drag self out of bed, dress toddler and bring him downstairs, give toddler milk and dry cereal in a cup to carry around while I jump in shower, get dressed, do hair and makeup and add shoes and other accessories8:15 a.m.: grab toddler, work laptop, purse, and maybe a yogurt and get in the car8:45 a...
Puppy Love
Posted on May 04, 2009Landon loves his puppies. His pretend one (creatively named "Puppy"):And his real ones.Given the large, furry role they play in our lives, I'm surprised I haven't written more about Rosie and Tex. And I can't talk about them without putting in a huge plug for SNIPSA, the organization that saved them from being euthanized in a San Antonio pound...
Dear Ms. Google, Part II
Posted on May 03, 2009I love reading the Google searches that somehow bring people to my humble website. I hope a few find what they're looking for (with "pregnant in law school," "baby and working," "baby teething killing me" it's at least possible), but I don't think I was much help to the searchers below...
Why Hello There
Posted on May 01, 2009So... the blog. I feel that I should write something, I'm certainly thinking lots of things. But there is no time- I've been working until nearly midnight every night (with a 3-4 hour break for Landon time, dinner time, and JP time) and have been absolutely swamped during the day...
Happy Dance
Posted on May 01, 2009Meeting summary: no salary cut; altered but still existing bonus structure; past two months have been surprisingly good firm-wide; no lay-offs. After a night spent tossing and turning and thinking of more ways to cut back expenses, I feel like this:I have an absurd amount of work to do, I am not going to have a day off until May 26...
Tantrum Troubles
Posted on April 28, 2009Landon has suddenly become a two year old. Not quite yet in age (his birthday is July 15th), but definitely in temperment. He's still usually the adorable, funny, cuddly little boy of the past several months, but he's spending an increasing amount of time as a frustrated, angry, screaming toddler...
Decorating Bug
Posted on April 25, 2009So, it's been a few days. I've mostly recovered from my strep throat bug, though after a long day of work on Friday I was afraid I'd reverted back to my Tuesday state of health, but a morning of sleeping in revived me and now I've come down with a decorating bug...
A Waste of a Good Narcotic
Posted on April 22, 2009So it turns out that codeine keeps me awake- loopy, but very much AWAKE. And it kept me that way, consumed with half-lucid dreams of choking on my own throat, until about 2 a.m. when I decided the medicine had sufficiently worked its way through my system to allow me to swallow a handful of Ibuprofen for the throat swelling and a swig of nighttime cold medicine to knock me out...
Strep, Work, Codeine, and Cuteness
Posted on April 21, 2009I woke up this morning coughing blood because my throat was so raw. At JP's horror and insistence I dragged myself to the doctor to receive a diagnosis of strep throat, some antibiotics, and Tylenol with codeine (so I can sleep, my throat hurts so badly that every time I swallow I get jolted awake)...
Please Allow Me a Moment of Self-Pity
Posted on April 20, 2009Currently sitting on my desk at work:~ Tylenol Sore Throat/Fever/BodyAches/Headache Daytime medicine with Instant Cool Burst Sensation~ Giant 2 Tbl medicine cup from my 11:00 a.m. dosing that I haven't had time to wash~ Big cup of chamomile tea with honey~ Costco size container of honey because it's the only one we had in my house...
Weekend Blues
Posted on April 19, 2009Ever since I had a bad case of mono my freshman year of college that ruined my New Year's Eve and landed me in the hospital for five days with a throat that tried to swell shut- (wait, that's a story: I was at JP's apartment getting ready because my dorm was still closed for the holidays and I passed out on the hallway between his room and the bathroom...
JP and Me
Posted on April 16, 2009So we've decided on the neighborhood center ("NC"). It's where Landon would have gone from the beginning if we'd gotten in and I think it will be a wonderful place for him over the next few years. I'll have more to say about this later, but right now I want to share this snippet from an earlier conversation with JP: JP: So we'll go with NC...
Daycare Dilemma
Posted on April 15, 2009I toured a new daycare this morning. I loved it. I'm thinking of switching Landon at the start of the new school year. The biggest drawback is that they don't provide lunch. His current daycare provides all meals and given that I've managed to bring my own lunch to work all of ONE time, I'm really not sure I could handle making one for Landon each day...
University of Chicago, The Law School
Posted on April 14, 2009I'm having lunch with an admitted University of Chicago law student today. I volunteered to be on the Alumni Admissions Committee a few months ago and since then have been matched up with several local UChicago admits; so far I've mostly answered questions by email, today is my first in-person serious discussion about the merits of the school...
Bunny Time!
Posted on April 13, 2009So, the weekend. It is over and it was wonderful.I got all my lawyer work done Friday afternoon just in time for my grandparents to arrive and see my office. We picked up the Landon from daycare and went to eat at our favorite Austin BBQ place (County Line, for those interested- get the ribs)...
An Explosion of To-Do Lists
Posted on April 10, 2009I have two guests arriving in a few hours, six more guests arriving tomorrow, an Easter dinner for 10 tomorrow afternoon, a house of nine overnight, and Easter brunch for 15 on Sunday. I am also slammed with work, and was in fact working until midnight last night (with a 4-hour break for Landon's daycare Easter egg hunt and evening family time)...
Back to School
Posted on April 09, 2009For three hours each Wednesday night in April I get to be a student again. I am enough of a nerd that I actually got a few tears in my eyes when I walked onto the U.T. campus for the first time in years last Wednesday. I adored my time in undergrad. I met JP my first night there and walking around campus brings back so many wonderful memories or falling in love, finding myself, and having a ridiculous amount of fun in the process...
Landon's Busy Weekend
Posted on April 06, 2009In the 7 months that I've been a full-time working attorney I've learned that weekends are magical. When I was a student, weekends were an opportunity catch up (or at least pretend like I was going to, oh the things I'd tell myself on Friday I'd have done when I returned to class on Monday)...
The Happiness
Posted on April 04, 2009Thank you so much for your comments yesterday, they were so nice to read throughout a difficult morning. I call these posts "The Balancing Act" because that's really what it is. Juggling sounds too haphazard and doesn't feel right for this life that works so well most of the time...
The Hard
Posted on April 02, 2009Landon ran into a corner and dissolved into tears when I dropped him off at daycare this morning. I left the building with tiny pins of tears pricking my eyes and a stern, steady inner monologue reminding me that I Cannot quit my job, I do not Want to quit my job, my family Lives off the money I make, I have worked Very hard to do what I do, I am Very Lucky to have such a wonderful job when thousands of lawyers are being fired, I Like what I do, Landon Likes daycare, we would have No money if I did not work, providing things like Shelter and Food makes me a good mom, even if I have to do things that make him cry, quitting work and living off credit cards would Not make me a better parent, etc...
A Little Bit of Me
Posted on March 31, 2009Landon seems to have received 95% of his physical genetic makeup from his dad. The eyes, the mouth, the ears (and their adorable little infection causing malfunctioning Eustachian tubes), the face in general- it's all JP. His hair is kind of from me, the curls and the light blonde color (my hair spontaneously turned red in high school, prior to that I was golden blonde), but if you see Landon standing next to a picture of JP as a toddler, you have to wonder if I had any role in his conception...
Lingering on the Weekend
Posted on March 29, 2009This was a wonderful weekend.I had my first-ever meet up with bloggers, one current and one former, and both utterly lovely. They came over to the house Saturday morning to meet the Landon and then we met up that night for queso and margaritas (and entrees, but for me it was all about the queso and margaritas)...
Legal Humor
Posted on March 27, 2009Legally Certifiable led me to this marvelous little site called Courtoons by David Mills. He posts a new one every day, and while they don't make me laugh out loud quite as often as lolcats (and I'm not ashamed to admit it), I almost always giggle. Here are a few of my favorites:I'm drafting an initial complaint right now and am especially fond of the Bluebook and honest briefing cartoons...
Things I Don't Like
Posted on March 25, 2009I woke up with a splitting headache and an inability to focus on my work (due in no small part to listening to clips of children's songs on Amazon while investigating all of your wonderful suggestions). And because of this throbbing, pulsing, all consuming pain in my head, I can't write anything positive or thoughtful, so here's a brief list of things I don't like:black ink pensgel pens, all colors cliquey peoplemushrooms, shrimp, all peppers, and anything remotely spicythe fact that I dislike everything in #4people who drive slow in a fast car (really, all slow drivers, but nothing irritates me quicker than someone in an M3 driving 10 miles under the speed limit) the squishy part of my stomachFox News, Rush Limbaugh, "Dr...
Parent-Teacher Conference and the Easter Bunny
Posted on March 24, 2009I had an 8:15 parent-teacher conference at Landon's daycare this morning. They schedule them every 6 months so the teacher can meet with the parents and fill them in on how their little darling is doing in class. I got to hear all about Landon's social, physical, and emotional development and, even more fun, look at artwork and pictures taken of him over the past 6 months...
Work Hard, Play As Much As Possible
Posted on March 22, 2009I worked a lot this week- never a late night, but insanely busy days. And I liked it, I was good at it, and on Friday around 2 p.m. the partner on the case turned to me and said, "you know, you're setting the bar very high for yourself." One of the things I miss most from school are the finals- not the tests themselves, but the regular, impersonal notification of how you're doing...
Limits
Posted on March 19, 2009As I was leaving work at 7:15 pm Tuesday night, the latest I've ever left, after just spending a full and wonderful Monday at home with Landon, I realized that although I feel no guilt or inner turmoil over the fact that I work (aka "abandon my child to be raised by wolves" or strangers or something), that emotional ease has very sharp limits...
3-Day Weekend, kind of
Posted on March 17, 2009I am back at work slogging through a burgeoning inbox after a Monday spent cavorting around Austin with Landon and my mom. My mom is a high school biology teacher also pursuing her master's degree in the spare 5 minutes she's not grading AP labs. She makes me look like I have loads of free time so we don't see her much, but it's her Spring Break and my dad is in Europe for work so she drove over for a 20-hour visit (she's now off to San Antonio to visit her parents and then back home to catch up in graduate work)...
Things You'd Have Read if Twittered
Posted on March 14, 2009I don't do Twitter because I figure with facebook, gchat away messages, and the blog, I should really try to allow some thoughts to pass through my head without sharing them with all of mankind. However, it's now Saturday and I haven't written since Tuesday (I actually just had to open up my blog to check that, it seems much longer ago than Tuesday), but I have no overarching theme or long story, so I'm going to resort to a series of mini posts because I really did want to write about some of this stuff when it happened...
Swimming Along
Posted on March 10, 2009I was going to title this "Getting By" or "Moving Along" but that didn't seem positive enough, so I thought of something with "Swimmingly" but thought that would make it seem like things were too easy, so I finally settled on "Swimming Along" to describe the rhythm of our lives...
Vacation Destination
Posted on March 08, 2009One of my best friends from law school flew in from Chicago for a weekend of fun in my new hometown. She had never been to Austin, so we had to give her a good sampling of its shopping, food, and general quirkiness. Friday involved a stroll around the boutiques of South Congress, Amy's ice cream for lunch, El Arroyo for dinner, a mix of 4th, 5th, and 6th street for some night life, all capped off with a stop at HEB for a nice bottle of wine to sip out on my back deck while talking until 2 a...
26
Posted on February 25, 2009Last night I read half a fluffy novel of the historical romance persuasion and then fell asleep for a full eight hours. I woke up to JP and Landon serenading me with "The Wheels on the Bus." Apparently they were going to open with the more traditional "Happy Birthday" but when JP practiced it Landon just sat and stared at him like he had never heard singing before, but when you sing "Wheels on the Bus" he immediately starts dancing in circles with a euphoric smile on his face, so Wheels on the Bus it was...
You know you're busy when:
Posted on February 24, 2009- you make tea right when you get to work and two hours later rediscover it sitting next to your mouse, freezing cold, sugarless, and with the bag still in the cup- it's the morning after the Oscars and you don't read a single recap, rundown, or Go Fug Yourself blog post- you realize you haven't visited the firm's candy jar since you switched sections (seven days ago) and you don't immediately head downstairs to rectify the situation- you get an email that there is an authentic king cake, shipped straight from New Orleans, in your floor's kitchen and you forget to take a piece- your husband calls you to tell you he's picked your child up from daycare and you worry he interrupted nap time- and then realize it's nearly 6 p...
Doc Review, a Family Affair
Posted on February 22, 2009On Friday late afternoon two big boxes of documents arrived from one of the many parties involved in this case, and guess who got the honor of reviewing them over the weekend? Landon! Lilly volunteered to keep the box warm while the documents were being reviewed...
I Laughed So Hard My Face Still Hurts
Posted on February 20, 2009The Robin William's "Live on Broadway" DVD is one of my favorite pick-me-ups. It never fails to make me laugh and I think this is one of the funniest clips I've ever seen- the fact that I'm a daughter of an avid golfer only makes it better (Warning: lots of cursing, and it's really only the first 2...
U.F.O.
Posted on February 18, 2009Of course when I had to return to work yesterday morning Landon woke up all smiley and happy and non-screamy. You can see the tops of four big molars sticking out of his gums and I'm very glad he has a pause in his marathon of mouth pain, the poor kid really does not handle teething well...
My Day Off
Posted on February 16, 2009Landon's daycare was closed today for teacher training, so I took the day off to pretend to be a stay-at-home mom. All I can say is it's a darn good thing I work.I had some warning that the day might not go so well. Landon is getting six teeth- four molars and two incisors, and spent at least 50% of his awake time on Saturday and Sunday screaming and writhing on the floor...
Celebrating Valentine's Day, BigLaw style
Posted on February 15, 2009Friday was a very busy day. I was at my desk at 6:15 a.m. to finish redactions on a huge batch of documents with a production deadline of 1 p.m. It was early, but perfect because Landon had a Valentine's party at daycare at 3 and JP and I had a big date planned for 7...
Being a Grown-Up
Posted on February 12, 2009Tomorrow morning a nurse is coming to our house to draw blood, take our blood pressure, get a urine sample, and ask a lot of very invasive questions all in the name of life insurance. Yes, we are finally acting like responsible parents and insuring ourselves against future tragedy...
Movin On Up
Posted on February 11, 2009So, the news I alluded to, it is official. I'm now a litigator and by Monday my office will be recreated one floor up.I'm very excited- excited in a way I haven't been excited in quite some time. I am also extremely busy. I billed 14 hours yesterday and got close to that number today...
Sunday Stories
Posted on February 09, 2009Landon and I used to run a lot of errands together, back when he was little and immobile and easily entertained. Now that he is none of those things, I find that I shop a lot less. I refuse to be That Parent, blithely ignoring their screaming child while leisurely pushing a cart around the store...
Blogging and Other Hobbies
Posted on February 06, 2009I realize there hasn't been much content on this blog lately. There are two reasons for this: One, our lives, while incredibly full, have settled into a sort of groove where one day isn't that much different from the next. JP goes to school and spends every spare non-family time minute trying to get his company up and running...
Blank Slate
Posted on February 02, 2009[last night, in bed, just before midnight]Me: What are you thinking?JP: Nothing.Me: Nothing? You can't think nothing, there has to be something in your head.JP: Nope. Nothing.Me: I don't understand. Do you just not want to tell me?JP: What? No, I really wasn't thinking anything...
25 Things
Posted on January 31, 2009I, along with most of the rest of those on facebook, did the 25 Things meme last night. And because I don't have time to write all of the posts floating around in my head, I'm going to cheat and repost my list here. Plus, I figure it'll make up for all the past memes I've been tagged for and never did...
Oohs and Ows
Posted on January 28, 2009This morning I was delighted to rediscover one of my favorite pairs of shoes. Most of my heels are displayed in over-the-door racks I've nailed to the closet wall, but those I wear less often (i.e. anything with satin, rhinestones, or heels higher than 3...
Marriage Advice from the Stars
Posted on January 27, 2009That should be ironic, right? But no- I've had a quote on marriage from Kyra Sedgwick saved in my drafts for months. I read it in some magazine interview and thought, wow, I really like that, I should write about it! But little topics like the Bar Exam and Starting My Job and Landon Dancing got in the way and I totally forgot about it...
By Popular Demand
Posted on January 25, 2009Here are two pictures of the new 'do. They were taken this morning before church. I decided to see how little I could do to look presentable: I took my half-straight, half-curly just rolled out of bed hair, brushed it, and stuck hot rollers in it while I put on my makeup- this was the result:It looks a lot better when it's blown out straight and then curled at the ends (especially in the back), but this took less than 10 minutes from start to finish, including makeup application, and I think it's good enough to wear out in public...
French Fries and the Big Boss
Posted on January 24, 2009The head of our section ("HP" for head partner) stopped by my office yesterday and announced that we should go to lunch. We just had our annual office performance meeting and had all been reassured that the firm's financials were strong, the Austin office was a top performer, and there were no plans of salary freezes or layoffs in the foreseeable future, so despite the unusual nature of the offer, I was fairly certain I wasn't about to be fired...
Vignettes
Posted on January 21, 2009In lieu of a post with any deep meaning or insights, I offer you three short stories from the past two days, all of which I for some reason feel a need to share.1. $7 of Happiness. Despite having a well paying job and no credit card debt or impending foreclosures, this economic downtown has me feeling a bit introspective about just how much STUFF I have and how little I need it, which has then led me to a moratorium on shopping...
Can't Sum It Up
Posted on January 20, 2009I have a feeling I'm not going to get much work done today. I have msnbc streaming live on my computer and keep tearing up during the Inauguration coverage. It's not just that I'm excited and hopeful about Obama's presidency, or that I'm relieved to be at the end of Busy's abysmal one, it's a deeper feeling of awe and gratitude that we live in a country that allows this peaceful transfer of power at all...
18 Months
Posted on January 19, 2009Landon turned 1.5 years old on Thursday. JP took him to his doctor's appointment and gave me a detailed report:Landon said "doc-TOR" several times on the drive over, as coached by JP, but then completely forgot how to say it when the doctor actually came in the room...
In-Home Getaway
Posted on January 19, 2009JP and I have had a few opportunities to get away since Landon has been born, but somehow they're never the restful experience I hope they'll be- probably because they always involve a big event, a friend's couch, and/or a very early flight home. But this morning three things came together to create the perfect mini vacation: my office was closed for MLK, JP's classes hadn't started yet, and daycare was open...
Dear Ms. Google,
Posted on January 16, 2009As I've done before, I thought it would be fun to share a few of the google searches that have brought lost souls to my blog. Most searches involve the bar exam, pregnancy, law school (especially law school and pregnancy), and baby/toddler issues. And because I think several people were looking for answers my blog did not provide, I thought I'd provide a little commentary to help them on their journey for truth:anyone know when they release texas bar exam scores: I get about ten searches a day regarding the bar exam, "easiest bar exam?" "texas bar exam" and the like, but I chose this one because of the phrasing...
Coffee For Dummies
Posted on January 14, 2009JP is out of town on business. It's funny to say that since his business barely exists yet, but it's a trip taken with his two partners on behalf of their fledgling company, so I suppose it counts.. Things are progressing in that area and he's excited about all they're learning (they're visiting someone who's been successfully doing what they're planning to do), so I'm really happy for him, but dammit I sleep terribly when he's gone...
LSAT prep
Posted on January 12, 2009I just got an email from a reader asking what I did for LSAT prep, and I figured that since this blog is occasionally about law, others might be interested as well. As always, take this with a grain of salt and feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments to make this post more useful to those who stumble upon it...
Too old for this
Posted on January 10, 2009I went out last night. Against my better judgment, my deep longing for sleep, and my need to work until at least midnight, I met up with lots of young childless co-workers at a fellow first year's (absolutely incredible) house for drinks and food before heading downtown around midnight...
The Marriage v. The Baby Carriage
Posted on January 09, 2009Dooce wrote an interesting post Wednesday asking what her readers found more difficult, marriage or parenthood.Like her, my answer was immediately parenthood, and I was shocked to read the comments and see that was the minority position. I found myself nodding pretty forcefully along with this paragraph of her post: "And while motherhood has become so much more natural to me there is still so much uncharted territory ahead, and I find that each age is so different than the one that preceded it that sometimes, although infrequently, it feels like we're starting from the beginning all over again...
Baby Cravings
Posted on January 06, 2009No, I don't actually want to eat a baby, a la Jonathan Swift's Modest Proposal, but I am definitely craving the having and holding of one.I've said before that motherhood is irrational. I suppose it has to be to ensure the perpetuation of the species...
Redecorating, more fun that doc review
Posted on January 04, 2009Yesterday I reviewed documents while drinking lemonade under the hot sun in shorts and a tank top. Today I review documents indoors while sipping hot tea wearing sweat pants and fluffy sweat shirt. Our winter weather has commitment issues.On the home decorating front things are coming along quite well...
Doc Review with a View (and Lemonade)
Posted on January 03, 2009It's nice when a Saturday is so beautiful that doing doc review all afternoon doesn't even ruin it. Of course it helps that things like document scanners, laptops, and wireless internet all exist- I can sit outside on our back deck, sipping lemonade and diligently labeling documents, while Landon runs with a tennis ball in each hand intermittently exclaiming "A BALL!"There's something wrong about being able to wear shorts and a tank top outside in early January, but as I soak up the 85 degree sunny weather, I've got to admit that I'm not missing Chicago too much right now.
Ringing in the Year with Renovations
Posted on January 02, 2009Happy 2009! Our party turned out wonderfully- JP's to do list was not (near) complete when I got home, so I had about 90 minutes to clean up, prepare and arrange all the food, welcome my childhood friend into my home (haven't seen her since my baby shower in early 2007!), make myself beautiful, and get Landon in bed, but everything got done and I was just finishing my mascara as the doorbell rang with our first guests...
What a Year, What a Night
Posted on December 31, 20082008 has been quite a year- and a good one at that! I saw this on another blog and copied the idea, it's the first sentence of the first post for each month - amazing to think when the year began I was a law student with a little baby who didn't sleep and got ear infections all the time...
Work: a four month reflection
Posted on December 29, 2008I wrote most of this post about a week ago- almost all of it is still relevant, so I'm going to publish it in full and then add a bit more from today's perspective. As you'll see, my thoughts on work are quickly evolving. I think overall I've been on a steady progression of figuring out what it means to be a full-time working BigLaw attorney and mom, but the lessons are learned quickly and frustrations that feel overwhelming in one minute barely seem worth mentioning in another...
Home and Home Again
Posted on December 28, 2008We are home again, in tact and in possession of a plastic shopping cart, set of play dishes, book about lost ladybugs, and many other new toys for all ages. It was wonderful to spend Christmas with my family and so funny to think that the last time I spent Christmas up at our lake house I was 7 weeks pregnant with the little guy now seen drag racing his shopping cart...
Present Progression
Posted on December 23, 2008Last night we opened a few presents that had arrived in the mail from my aunt and uncle in Philadelphia. We're struggling with the logistics of getting JP, me, a Landon and his giant car seat, two big dogs that take up the entire back of the SUV, our suitcases, many accessories, and presents (to both give and receive) into my Explorer and on the road to Houston, so I think this year is going to be a series of mini Christmases...
Holiday Happiness
Posted on December 20, 2008p align="left"I just experienced a Christmas miracle! I was watching TV with JP and a bowl full of Snickerdoodles and announced that I had a craving to see Love Actually. JP groaned and was very thankful for the fact I never spend money on DVD's. He then started flipping through the channels (apparently he was not as immersed in Rachael Ray's Chefography as I was) and what did we come across on the Oxygen Network but bLove Actually!/b I may or may not have squealed...
Saturday Night
Posted on December 19, 2008I have tequila, a funny movie that requires almost no thought (Tropic Thunder), my JP at my side, my dogs under my feet, and my baby sleeping soundly upstairs. br /br /There are things in my life that are not perfect, all of them blog-worthy (someday, soon maybe, I need more hours in the day!), but right now at this very moment, things are oh so very good.
17 months
Posted on December 16, 2008p align="left"Dear Landon (aka Buddy, Little Man, Handsome, Little Guy, LanMan, and Sweetie),br /br /This is probably going to be long. I've been meaning to write you a letter for a while, but after working all day and playing with you all evening, it's hard to motivate myself to do much more than sit on the couch and snuggle with your daddy at night...
Mexican Cheesecake
Posted on December 14, 2008I'm finally getting around to answering more of your questions and I realized I never posted the recipe for the delicious Mexican Cheesecake dip I made for our housewarming party (and almost every other party we throw). So while I work on the more involved answers, here's a tasty appetizer:Ingredients:2 tsp...
First Haircut
Posted on December 13, 2008This morning we took Landon to get his first haircut. I loved his little duck curls in the back, but JP decided they were starting to look mullet-like and even I agreed we just couldn't have that. There's a Great Clips nearby and since Landon didn't have a particular 'do in mind, spending $11 seemed about right...
Taste of Chicago
Posted on December 11, 2008Yesterday during a conversation with JP it finally hit me that we'll never live in Chicago again. I know you can never say never, but short of a divorce or living apart from my husband, the odds are pretty darn small that I'll live back in the downtown of my favorite city, and while I must have known this on some level, it had avoided sinking in...
A Reason to Love Law School
Posted on December 09, 2008I'm not sure if anyone's told you, but law firms don't have Christmas Break. I've heard horrible rumors that there's no Spring Break either. I'm wondering why I counted down the days until graduation... a few weeks off with no strings attached sounds pretty fantastic...
Law School Advice
Posted on December 07, 2008In the past month I've had two friends (really, younger siblings of friends, but I like to think we're old enough to all be friends now) ask me for advice on law school. And since I was already sharing my wisdom, I thought I'd write it here for other people to add their own...
In Lieu of Words
Posted on December 04, 2008I am in a funk. I'm not sure why, I suppose it could be exhaustion, Landon's evil molars, JP's finals, a persistent and unusual feeling of inadequacy or insecurity at work, or a wee bit of stress brought by our property tax bill and value of the stocks we were going to sell to pay it...
Second Shift
Posted on December 02, 2008It's 8:45. I'm at home, but on my firm laptop working on a Series A Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement. The big deal that had me working late last monday is still big string of snafus (at the fault of the other side, their client, and the general suckiness of the economy) but I have hope that someday it will be over and I can get rid of the thousands of pieces of paper lining the walls of my office in neat little stacks (the stacks aren't actually organized, they just look much better than the precarious piles that used to be in on top of my desk)...
Halls, Decked
Posted on November 30, 2008Around 10 p.m. on Friday night, I decided to decorate our house for Christmas. My in-laws were all asleep upstairs, JP was studying, and I had a lot of tension to work off, so I figured I might as well do it productively.Decorating the house for Christmas was a big deal growing up...
A Thanksgiving Story
Posted on November 27, 2008The day really began last night when JP and I dragged ourselves to the grocery store at 8:30. It was painful, I have never wanted to shop less, but a large dinner requires ingredients so off we went. I didn't have any particular recipes in mind, but I had a few printed out and your blog comments to keep in mind, and for reasons I can't explain, I wasn't particularly concerned about the tasks ahead of me...
Thanksgiving Due Diligence
Posted on November 26, 2008I worked until 11:30 last night, I'm working from home right now. My in-laws arrive tomorrow, I'm cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner, for the first time ever, for 9 people on Thursday at 1. I had to say no to a partner this morning when a deal that I thought had died popped back up in the form of a box of diligence materials FedExed to my office...
Burning Through the Midnight M&Ms
Posted on November 24, 2008It's 10:30 pm, I'm at work, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to go home. I'd complain about this fact except that it makes me feel like a real lawyer and I'm dorky enough to get a kick out of that. I also have a caffeine free diet coke and pile of m&ms on my desk, so really, it could be worse...
Back to a Pumpkin
Posted on November 23, 2008I'm back from my whirlwind trip to Houston for my firm's annual meeting and prom, and now that I've unpacked everything and eaten a delicious peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich, possibly topped with powdered sugar and followed by a peanut butter cookie, I feel ready to tell the tale...
Duly Sworn
Posted on November 19, 2008Today I, along with what seemed like way too many new attorneys, was sworn in to the Texas Bar. The firm still needs to mail in my licensing fees and attorney taxes to make everything official, but I am in the possession of business cards and that makes me happy...
Pants and Presents
Posted on November 19, 2008Yesterday after my swearing-in I finally picked up my clothes from the woman I found to alter them. I had dropped off 6 pairs of pants, 1 skirt, and 1 jacket- all the bottoms needed to be taken in at the hips and waist and the jacket had to be taken apart and reconstructed to fit my narrow waist and not-so-narrow swimmer's shoulders...
Oh Man
Posted on November 16, 2008It's going to be a hell of a week. I was already swamped with a capital markets offering that is closing in two weeks and I just got an email saying that the M&A deal I spent a billion hours on the first drafts of the charter documents just completely renegotiated its terms and everything needs to be redone "quickly"...
The Drive Home
Posted on November 15, 2008Landon and I are in Houston. It was an impromptu trip- a decision made on Thursday, finalized Friday morning, and acted upon late Friday night. I found out that one of my closest friends who I haven't seen in over a year was going to be in town visiting her parents, and I figured that if we were going to be with 200 miles from each other, I could make the effort to close that gap...
Night and Day
Posted on November 13, 2008Today at work I wore a black and white patterned pencil skirt with a black tucked in button down. I paired that with red peep-toe heels, a wide red bracelet, and a short black, white, and silver double-strand pearl necklace. I clicked my high heels up and down the hall, busy, borderline competent, and generally having a good day...
A Toddler's Tragedies and Triumphs
Posted on November 10, 2008Landon had a rocky day on Sunday. It started out well with church. He adores other kids and I left him in the nursery happily shaking a maraca in a baby praise band. He gave me enthusiastic waves bye-bye as I walked away to the sanctuary and big hugs and smiles when I returned after service...
Toddler-Induced Hangover
Posted on November 08, 2008Ah yes, so I passed the Bar. I was surprised by my general lack of reaction. I think it's because I'd already been working for 10 weeks and despite my efforts to the contrary, I'd kind of already assumed I passed. It was basically a neutral-lose situation; passing allowed me to keep doing what I'd already been doing for two months (but with business cards and without asterisks!) and failing would have been really bad...
Happy, Hopeful, Addicted
Posted on November 06, 2008Last night, after spending nearly two hours pacing and cleaning my office because I couldn't sit still, watching msnbc stream live on my computer (expanded to Full Screen mode because who was I kidding, I wasn't doing work), but not leaving work because I really did have SO MUCH to do, I finally gave up pretending to be a productive lawyer and headed out to an election party...
Time for a New Signature Block
Posted on November 06, 2008I am no longer a lawyer-with-an-asterisk. I am a lawyer who passed the Bar!
Yay America
Posted on November 04, 2008I am drowning in work. There are incorporation documents all over my desk, unnecessarily complicated stock redemption and conversion provisions have given me a splitting headache, and sometime yesterday I reached the unfortunate conclusion that I have NO IDEA what I'm doing...
On Marriage, Giraffes, and Proposition 8
Posted on November 03, 2008I have little respect for people who see the world in black and white- especially in politics, where you can find intelligent, thoughtful people on both sides of almost any issue. However, there is one issue on which I cannot understand the other side, and that is gay marriage...
Economic Stimulus
Posted on November 02, 2008This weekend the Lag Liv house did its part to boost the Austin economy- not that the Austin economy seems to need much of a boost. On Saturday morning JP and Landon had some big man/little man bonding time while I headed to a seamstress to finally get all my pants altered (I brought her ten pairs, turns out I actually do have a lot of pants in my closet, it was just that none of them fit) and did a little winter work clothes shopping at my favorite discount stores...
Dragon Tales
Posted on October 31, 2008Last year Landon the Lobster charmed the Chicago law students and this year a Landondragon roamed the halls of a BigLaw firm. The firm hosted its Halloween Party yesterday. We were given pumpkins filled with candy and toys, and children of attorneys and staff bedecked in a variety of adorable costumes trick-or-treated along the offices...
Babies and Career Ambition
Posted on October 30, 2008I wrote 90% of a post answering a question from Anonymous about her "having a baby in law school" panel and whether or not I'm being naive in thinking that having a baby this early won't affect my career. I still want to do that, but this afternoon I became distracted by this comment to my last post: (The first two sentences about breastfeeding have been omitted because it really is impossible to have a rational internet-based discussion on the topic, as she proves...
Quick Answers
Posted on October 28, 2008I have an almost finished post addressing Anonymous's excellent questions about babies, law school, and potential career effects, but I can't give it the attention it deserves at the moment- hopefully tonight. For now I want to answer some of the "quick" questions; I'm going to fight the (very strong and almost overwhelming) urge to turn each answer into a long-winded essay, but it's going to be hard and I'm probably going to have to steal candy from the employment office as a reward when I'm done...
Smiles, Giggles, and a Big Belly
Posted on October 25, 2008It's a beautiful, lazy weekend here at Casa Lag Liv. We're waiting for the Landon to awaken so we can head over to a friend's Oktoberfest party, so I thought I'd use the time to share a few recent pictures of the little man. These are all from Thursday morning before we headed to work, school, and daycare...
A Right, A Duty, An Honor
Posted on October 24, 2008I voted this morning. And I teared up twice while doing it. I may be a dork, but I'm a patriotic one.I had planned to vote early since I drive right by a voting site on the way to work from Landon's daycare, but I hadn't had time so far this week. This morning I knew I had nothing waiting on my desk, so I pulled into the Randalls parking lot at 8:15 hoping there wasn't much of a line...
A Bit of Q&A to Spice Things Up
Posted on October 22, 2008I fear that this blog has become dull. I've just been reporting what we've been up to, and while we're generally busy, it can't be all that interesting to read. There are a few topics I'd like to address, each of which have a half-written post swimming around in my head (examples: why California's Proposition 8 makes me sad and angry; the irritating fact that I have never once been asked what I do at JP's MBA events but the male spouse standing next to me is always asked that question during the introductory cocktail chatter), but I haven't had time to write them out...
Weekend Rundown
Posted on October 20, 2008So the weekend, it was good.JP and I stayed up way too late Friday night and Landon woke up way too early Saturday morning, so that was an unfortunate combination, but it didn't dampen our spirits - the weather was spectacular, extended family members were on their way, and brownies were baking by 7 AM...
Surviving and Thriving
Posted on October 17, 2008So the the week of nightly midterms is drawing to a close; at 8:30 PM I'm still in my work clothes and drinking a cheap but tasty cabernet. Landon is asleep, JP is on campus writing something about marketing, and I'm trying to summarize a very busy past few days...
Now On the Cusp of Crazy Busy
Posted on October 14, 2008This morning I attended my first parent-teacher conference. I heard glowing things about my "smiley boy" - his teacher said he's always happy and doing just wonderfully in daycare. She said he LOVES art time and when he sees them getting out the supplies he runs over to his easel...
Happy Busy
Posted on October 13, 2008JP has five midterms this week, one every night from 6-9 PM. A few weeks ago this would have made me a bit anxious (read: bitchy) about five days of solo parenting because a few weeks ago I couldn't have imagined handling a full-time job and a full-time Landon at the same time...
Putting My J.D. to Good Use
Posted on October 10, 2008Today my firm participated in a Service Day at a local, underprivileged elementary school. Our group of 8 corporate lawyers (7 associates and 1 axe-swinging partner) was assigned to "landscaping and light demolition." I wasn't sure what this would entail, but I was excited to spend the day outside helping others- and the fact that I would burn a few of the 10 billion calories I ingested at Fogo de Chao at an offer dinner last night was only a side benefit...
Tables Turned
Posted on October 08, 2008It's interview season- OCI, callbacks, offers, and job fairs abound in campuses and law firms all over the country. Admittedly it's not the best time to be emerging from the Ivory Tower and thrust into the real world, but companies are hiring. I feel lucky to be part of a firm that actually added schools to their OCI list and is planning to grant more offers this year than last year...
Playtime
Posted on October 05, 2008Landon and I have taken five trips to two different playgrounds in the past three days. He's currently obsessed with being outdoors; any time we pass a window he points outside with great emphasis and makes all kinds of noises that aren't exactly English but still make quite clear that he wants to OUT...
October 4th
Posted on October 04, 2008Today is an anniversary of sorts. It's not one I ever wanted, or ever dreamed I would have in my memory bank of important dates, and it's certainly not one I will ever celebrate. But "October 4th" will forever give me pause because this began on that Thursday one year ago...
Artistic Genius
Posted on October 02, 2008One of the many activities Landon partakes in at daycare is "art time". The teachers always post their kid's creations on the wall and so far all of Landon's pages have been blank except for his name. Last week they used water colors and I was told Landon had lots of fun with that medium, but unfortunately none of his enthusiastic brush strokes landed on the paper...
Who Is That Little Boy?
Posted on October 01, 2008This is a video from last Sunday night when we shared some quality family time in our backyard. Highlights include Landon climbing like a little monkey up the side of the playscape and my dogs chasing after an invisible ball.Watching the clip really brought home how "little boy" Landon has become - where's that snuggly, lumpy little baby I rocked to sleep at night? I know he's still in there somewhere, but wow, he's grown up so much already! And you know what, I kind of prefer this fun, active, personality-filled version.
My First Business Trip
Posted on September 30, 2008Tomorrow morning I fly to my homeland of Houston, Texas for 2.5 days of "New Associate Orientation". There will be lots of meetings and seminars on things like "working with associates who look different from you" and "how to dress like a lawyer*" but the evening activities are pure fun...
A Story for the Soul
Posted on September 29, 2008Dooce linked to this story by Kent Nerburn today and I've just now staunched the flow of tears such that I can write about it. It's called "The Cab Ride I?ll Never Forget" and here it is in full:Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living.It was a cowboy?s life, a life for someone who wanted no boss...
Quality Time
Posted on September 28, 2008This was the view from our back porch this weekend - absolute perfection. While JP studied on Saturday, Landon and I drove over to New Braunfels to meet my brother, sister, and grandparents for lunch at the historic (and gorgeous) Gristmill restaurant...
Bits of Balance
Posted on September 25, 2008Back in law school I read blogs of other working moms and always wondered why they didn't write about the details of balancing this life I would soon be living. I wanted to know more about how it worked and how they felt about it; I really wanted someone to tell me that I could do it and that everything would be okay...
No Vacancy
Posted on September 22, 2008We had another wonderful weekend here at Hotel Lag Liv. One of my best friends from law school took a surprise trip down from Chicago, landing in Austin at 12:30 am Saturday morning and leaving at 6 am today. We had a blast flitting about my new city with Sir Landon (her name for him since he was a little bitty guy)...
Evening Perfection
Posted on September 18, 2008Tonight I got the dreaded "can you come to my office" phone call just as I was about to walk out the door at 5. I said of course because the caller was the head of the corporate department and I knew JP had already picked up the Landon (and because 5 is too early to admit to leaving the office, but I had nothing to do - the capital markets deal I was working on is on hold thanks to the recent meltdown of Wall Street)...
A Lot of a Little is a Lot
Posted on September 17, 2008My firm is doing a food drive for those affected by Hurricane Ike, so after dinner I went for a relaxing stroll through the aisles of our nearby grocery store. I enjoy picking out items for charity drives. Last summer the firm did one for Austin's animal shelter and I spent thirty minutes in Target picking out special dog toys and treats...
Look, a Toddler!
Posted on September 16, 2008I almost typed, "Look, a Baby!" and then I realized, Landon really isn't a baby anymore. He's a walking, talking, rebelling, charming, frustrating, and utterly adorable toddler. He loves all food, and is seen here enjoying one of his favorites- blueberry pancakes...
Can't Hold It In Any Longer
Posted on September 15, 2008I promised that when I talked about politics it would be in a restrained, well-reasoned, thought-out post. Well, it turns out I don't have time for that and if I hold back any longer from talking about Sarah Palin I fear that I may explode.First let's start with one of the best SNL openers in a long time, featuring Tina Fey as an eerily perfect Sarah Palin:Okay, laughing over...
Is there a Client/Matter Number for Hurricane Research?
Posted on September 12, 2008As an attorney (even one with an asterisk), I have to keep track of everything I do all day and enter in my time spent on each client. Today I think I did 4 hours of actual corporate m&a or capital markets work. I spent 1.5 at lunch with a flyback interviewee (so weird to be on the other side of that table and filling in the evaluation form afterward)...
My Space
Posted on September 11, 2008I want to write about how this week of adjustments is going for the three of us, but first I feel a need to talk about my goals and guidelines for this blog. I started Lag Liv in November of 2006 to chronicle my journey as a hopefully pregnant law student...
School Days (and Shoes!)
Posted on September 09, 2008Yesterday Landon had his first day of school- well, really just daycare, but calling it school meant I could force JP to smile through the obligatory "first day of school" pictures taken outside our front door in the morning. Landon looked snazzy in colorful shorts, red shirt, and black and yellow crocs...
Walking: Finally Captured on Film
Posted on September 07, 2008Landon has been standing up on his legs since he was four months old. He's been pulling up, walking around the furniture, and pushing anything with wheels for what feels like forever. And then finally, about a month ago, he took a few tentative steps on his own...
So... I'm a Lawyer*
Posted on September 06, 2008I've been a lawyer-with-an-asterisk for 4 whole days now. I have yet to ruin any major deals or accidentally tell a client to break the law, so I'd say things are going pretty well. I actually have yet to do much of anything. We were in training all day Tuesday and Wednesday, but towards the end of the second day my pretty new laptop decided it didn't feel like being in training anymore and acted like Landon when he needs a nap...
Happiest Day of My Life
Posted on September 03, 2008Three years ago today I married my soul mate. I have never been so happy or had so much fun and I'd do it all again in a second if I could.We got engaged unofficially sometime in March - unofficially as in, I decided we were getting married (we'd been talking about it since our second date on Sept 7, 2001) and I wanted to do it before law school started, so I called our church and country club to check on room availability over Labor Day weekend...
Day 1: Mastering the Document System
Posted on September 02, 2008So, my first day. It was good, though rather anticlimactic and full of computer training. The morning went well. JP left for school at 7, so it was a little crazy getting myself and my stuff together while stopping Landon from treating the dog bowl and/or toilet as his own personal bird bath, but luckily he was happy to bang my hair products on the floor while I got ready...
Labor Day and a New Career
Posted on September 01, 2008We had a lovely cookout with JP's business school friends - a married couple and another male student, all three from India. The menu consisted of grilled veggie burgers and chicken breasts, fresh cut veggies and dip, chips, vegetarian baked beans, and brownies with chocolate icing and vanilla ice cream...
Hotel Lag Liv
Posted on August 31, 2008I love entertaining; my favorite thing about our new house is that we can have more people stay over at a time and I can have big dinner parties without making my guests eat on trays. This weekend one of my favorite sets of relatives - an aunt, uncle, and two teenage cousins, flew over from Atlanta to spend two days in "the greatest city in the greatest country in the world" (as JP calls it- often)...
Waving the White Flag
Posted on August 28, 2008Battle lines were drawn today, and it wasn't between JP and I while watching the Democratic National Convention- though last night I did inform him that if he did not STOP TALKING and let me LISTEN TO BIDEN'S SPEECH I was going to leave him, immediately...
First Day of School
Posted on August 27, 2008Today, after spending what seems like months in orientation, JP started his business school classes. I was a teeny bit sad not to be the one packing up my backpack and heading off to the first day, taking notes in fresh spirals (or word documents), and making soon-to-be broken promises that this would be the semester I would stay on top of my reading...
Showcase of Home
Posted on August 25, 2008A long time ago I promised to post pictures of our house. At the time I was in the middle of trying to avoid studying for the Bar Exam by talking a lot about how I needed to go study for the Bar Exam, so as you can see there was really no time to do anything productive like upload pictures...
First Free Weekend
Posted on August 24, 2008This was our first totally free weekend in Austin. No Bar Exam to study for, no boxes to unpack, and no traveling anywhere for weddings or other gatherings - we barely knew what to do with ourselves Saturday morning.So we drove to New Braunfels. My parents (well, really my mother) decided to adopt another puppy from the same rescue organization where we got our two dogs and they got their first puppy, and they were going to meet the puppy's foster mom in New Braunfels at 11:00...
Flying Solo
Posted on August 22, 2008Well, not so much flying solo as sitting solo. I'm on my own tonight, and I can't remember the last time that happened. In Chicago I had a far more active social life than JP. I had so many friends through school and while he was happy to stay home every night (after a long day at work), I was decidedly not...
Leaps and Bounds
Posted on August 21, 2008Dear Landon,I have no rhyme or reason to the writing of these letters. I suppose we could call this a belated 13-month missive, but really I just wanted to write down all the little adorable things you're doing right now. It'll be good for me to look back on when you're throwing tantrums across the living room in a year or when you break into our liquor cabinet in another fifteen (at least, right?)...
Ice Cream and Having it All
Posted on August 19, 2008I never eat ice cream at home. I'll buy some at the store every now and then but always end up throwing it away a few months later when it's covered in ice crystals. I do love the stuff and frequently buy it when I'm out, enjoying every bite of my overpriced scoop, even as the cheap part of me screams that I could get a whole gallon for what I just payed...
A Dance Down Memory Lane
Posted on August 17, 2008Last night JP and I drove to Houston to attend a wedding of a friend of mine from high school. I saw several people I hadn't seen since our graduation 7 years ago. Some didn't even recognize me at first - I'm several sizes smaller, much leaner, and my hair is redder, longer, and usually straightened instead of left curly...
So Many Things
Posted on August 15, 2008So much blogging fodder, so very little time with the laptop. Here are some random points, all of which had their own blog posts written out in my head at some point this week:I've started reading again. I get addicted to books and don't stop reading until I'm done...
Olympic Hangover
Posted on August 12, 2008I woke up this morning with bleary eyes and an aching head, neither of which had anything to do with alcohol and everything to do with staying up way to late watching the Olympics. The swimming has been incredible, although we missed the most amazing relay swim in the history of the sport when our plane was delayed two hours on Sunday night...
A Lot of Happy
Posted on August 10, 2008One of the many side effects of parenthood is an inability to sleep in. Well, that probably isn't true, I can certainly sleep in longer than the 6:37 which Landon has carefully selected as his wake up time, but I can't sleep in much past 8:30. 8:30 is luxurious - it's 2 hours later than normal, but when you went to bed around 2 AM and everyone else in the apartment is asleep, 8:30 is a highly irritating time to be awake...
Sweet Surrender
Posted on August 08, 2008There's something about writing honestly- about admitting near defeat or uncertainty or inadequacy, that makes things turn around for me. When I wrote this post about "oh my god I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, I'm completely faking this whole competent parent thing", Landon started falling asleep on his own that very night...
I've Looked Forward to This for 3 Years
Posted on June 12, 2008Tomorrow morning we fly to Chicago for my graduation. I am really not looking forward to the traveling as it is going to screw up Landon's tenuous nap schedule and he is NOT going to appreciate the restrictions that will be placed on his crawling and cruising...
Oh Internets, I Have Missed You
Posted on June 10, 2008The past few days have been pretty crazy and I've been nearly without internet which has been more painful than I should admit. I apologize for my lack of email replies or blog comments, but I promise that I have read everything while mooching wireless off a neighbor, I just haven't had the time or signal strength to respond...
Mental Snapshots
Posted on June 09, 2008I read a book many years ago with a main character who talked about freezing certain perfect moments in his mind forever. I've taken a few of those mental snapshots over the past few days. Like Saturday when we took Landon to our community pool and he got so excited about the water and the babies everywhere that he just flapped both his hands in the air and made squeaking sounds for thirty minutes...
Home
Posted on June 07, 2008Well, it's been a crazy past 2 days. After being told over and over that our stuff wouldn't be arriving until Wednesday the 11th, we got a call Thursday afternoon with news that the moving van would be in front of our house at 8 AM the next day. Ahh! This was very good - it meant we could get the bulk of the unpacking down before we fly back to Chicago for graduation, which was the whole point of moving down here right after finals, but we were still in Houston at my parent's house and not expecting to drive over to Austin until this morning...
My Kind of Mommying
Posted on June 05, 2008I've been thinking the past few days about what kind of mom I am. Probably because I'm usually the only mom around, but now I'm home with my own and surrounded by others. After some thought, I've decided that I'm a practical one.I've always been a practical person...
Godmama Daycare
Posted on June 03, 2008Landon is hanging out with his Godmom for the day. She's got a pool and toys and a portable crib and a big house for him to crawl all around in- there's even a miniature dachshund that is just his size! I know he's having a blast and she is too. I'm a big believer in the "it takes a village to raise a child" and I'm quite happy to pass off my baby to a member of my blessedly large village while I listen to back-to-back bar exam lectures...
Melting, but Accounted For
Posted on June 02, 2008We are safe and nearly sound here in Houston. We're staying at my parent's house until our stuff arrives in Austin. We arrived at their lake house in Livingston around 5 PM on Saturday and Landon got to take his first swim in something bigger than a bathtub...
Things I Did During My Last Exam
Posted on May 31, 2008I can't decide if this is a How To or a How Not To, but this is how I took my 2-hour legal profession exam, for which I studied approximately 1.5 hours: 1. Read the first fact pattern, read it again, read it a third time. Wonder if there's really on two issues in it...
Last Supper
Posted on May 30, 2008Yesterday was my last day in Chicago. I spent it organizing the nearly empty apartment, sitting in a hotel room with Landon trying to study, searching online for a new fridge because the one we ordered is out of stock (I found one, but it was $200 more and will be delivered 6 days later than we needed - argh), and trying not to let it sink in that we were moving the next day...
Wishing For Tea
Posted on May 29, 2008I have now switched to ice water in a big plastic cup, but I'm really wishing there was a way to make hot tea without tea bags, a kettle or microwave proof cup, or sugar. I have yet to come up with a solution. Last night was interesting... and something of a blur...
Big Plastic Cup of Wine
Posted on May 28, 2008I'm not even sure where to begin to describe the past two days. I suppose it can be summed up by telling you that I'm sitting cross-legged on an air mattress, drinking red wine out of a huge plastic cup while JP is in a nearby hospital hooked up to an IV...
My Kentucky Dandy
Posted on May 27, 2008While I'm being raked over the coals in my M&A exam (I only made it halfway through the class slides and read a 12-page outline once through), I thought I'd share these pics of my dapper little man from my cousin's wedding in Louisville this past weekend...
A Lag Liv Family Miracle
Posted on May 26, 2008After another scare last night when JP's temperature jumped up to 104.4 and took its time coming back down (I have never felt someone so burning hot), we have experienced a Memorial Day/Exam Week/Big Move miracle. I gave him a dose of tylenol at 3:30 AM and when I woke up at 7:30 his temperature was a perfect 98...
Switching to Intravenous Diet Coke
Posted on May 25, 2008I have a half-written post from Thursday about the graduating student's dinner and how much I don't want to leave Chicago, but the events of the past few days require me to write (whine) about something else first. It all began Friday morning when my baby morphed from sometime demon-baby to full-time demon-baby just as I started packing for our 2-day trip to Louisville...
Spinning Wheels
Posted on May 21, 2008I'm at something of a loss for how to begin my exam preparation. I always start my outlines late (usually no sooner than the week before exams) and spend the days leading up to finals in a frenzied state. This has actually worked well for me- I get to enjoy most of the quarter and I figure that the week before exams sucks for everyone, so making it suck a little more is worth the tradeoff for not worrying about finals until those 7 days out...
Done, but not
Posted on May 20, 2008I finished the paper at 2:05 AM. I battled a gut twisting stomach ache that made my legs shake and left me tucked in a ball under my table (twice), a frozen computer, and jittery caffeinated hands which taunted me in the final hour by hitting the wrong keys any time I typed faster than 20 wpm, but I emerged victorious...
Fading Fast
Posted on May 19, 2008I'm at 23 pages for my corporate law substantial paper and fading fast. It's technically due before the end of the day, but I think that as long as my professor finds it in his inbox tomorrow morning, I'm fine. I've left the library well after midnight the past 3 days...
Not What I Expected As a 3L
Posted on May 18, 2008It's 1:58 AM. I'm about to pack up my stuff and head home. I have a terrible headache, heavy eyes, and no accompanying feeling of accomplishment. I am seven pages into what is going to be a very long paper. And it's due on Monday. And I have a workshop paper due on Tuesday...
The Day That Fun Lived (for a few hours, anyway)
Posted on May 18, 2008One of UChicago's many mottos is "Where Fun Comes To Die." I have to say that's true much of the time (another depressingly accurate one is "Hell Does Freeze Over" - maybe they need a new marketing department...), but yesterday I took a break from my paper and spent two very fun hours with JP and Landon at the Summerbreeze Carnival in the main quads on campus...
The Sartorial Equivalent of a Smile*
Posted on May 16, 2008On the way back from the appeal hearing we stopped at a boutique in Wicker Park and I fell I love with this dress for graduation. It's a little more... girly? ruffly? than I usually wear, but it was comfortable, hung well on my body, and seemed so bright and joyous- and "joyous" is exactly how I will feel on that Friday morning...
Googletopia
Posted on May 15, 2008In lieu of another post about Landon's teeth trying to kill us all and me starting to really freak out about my papers and finals and moving across the country in TWO WEEKS, here's a few google searches that brought people to my little blog:"my wife is pregnant and the mood swings arent good" - I'm not sure where in my blog google brought this frightened husband, but I love the way this search is worded...
Hopeful, but Wary
Posted on May 14, 2008Short version: We're home. I think it went well. I know it didn't go badly. We'll have a decision in 30 days.Long version: JP took Landon to Maya's this morning (one more bonus day with the babies for him!) while I got ready. He returned home an hour later and I was still not dressed - absolutely nothing in my closet fits...
While We're Out
Posted on May 14, 2008I had a dental appointment a couple weeks ago and my friend, her sister, and parents all watched Landon for an hour (they were visiting and had heard so much about the little man they all wanted to meet him). Her sister is a budding photographer and took these pictures...
Paper Writing Crime Scene
Posted on May 13, 2008Last night at 11:58 PM, I finished paper #1. It was the shorter, 12-15 pager, and while it needs some serious editing and footnote/citation work, the bulk of the writing is done. Completing the task involved many cookies, much hot tea, and of course, Mike & Ike's; it takes a lot of energy to force such poor wording and sentence structure out of my reluctant brain and onto the paper...
The Appeal
Posted on May 13, 2008Tomorrow morning at 10 AM, JP and I will be in court for his DCFS appeal. We will both testify on his behalf, listen to any testimony against us, and then wait for the decision that is supposed to arrive within 90 days. I haven't written much about it, even though it's been on my calendar and my mind for weeks...
Mother's Day Present
Posted on May 12, 2008Yesterday was a very nice, very simple day. Landon made me waffles with fresh strawberries and bananas, which were carefully selected for me at the store (he had a little help from daddy with the waffles, but apparently the bright yellow bananas were all Landon)...
Babies and Dinosaurs
Posted on May 11, 2008or: Parenting Advice from Jurassic ParkLast night I got home from the library around 11 having written FIVE whole pages for my cyber law paper. The writing of those five pages required a king sized box of Mike and Ike's, three chocolate stars, a Jimmy John's sandwich, chips, and chocolate chunk cookie, two diet cokes, and take-out pad thai...
Prom Redux, reporting from the library
Posted on May 10, 2008I woke up this morning to a splitting headache that had nothing to do with alcohol and everything to do with the papers hanging over my head (although my severe lack of sleep and teeny tiny prom food may have contributed). Last night was a blast. We were a little late as Landon had a meltdown right as we were leaving (which I think had much more to do with regular nighttime fussiness and teething than the fact we were walking out the door), so we stayed to calm him down and stand him up by the coffee table so he could hit it with his hand- that always keeps him busy and happy for a good 20 minutes...
Not So Fast
Posted on May 09, 2008Because every other school in the country finishes up before we do, random people keep congratulating me on earning my law degree. I don't want to tell them I don't graduate until June 13, and that in fact several graduation requirements are not near completed, but it feels funny to just say "thanks"...
Day in Snippets
Posted on May 08, 2008I'm still very behind, I'm still very stressed about being very behind, and the papers still aren't done. I stayed at the library until 11 PM on Monday and Tuesday, but came home on Wednesday at 7 PM to find a little boy sitting in the tub where my little baby was supposed to be...
A Gift for Maya
Posted on May 06, 2008Friday is Landon's last day in Maya's daycare. Despite predictions to the contrary, I didn't cry when I dropped him off on his first day, but I'm certain I'm going to cry on his last. Maya has truly become part of our family and we are all going to miss her very much...
SNAFU
Posted on May 05, 2008This weekend was one big mess. Saturday was one of the worst days I've had in parenting (and I've had a few). Landon cried 95% of the time he was awake and only slept for one hour all day. After exhausting all his toys, I took a picture to see if the flash would distract him and make the tears stop for 5 seconds...
1 Day, 3 Eras
Posted on May 03, 2008This post was supposed to be up on Friday, but Landon has not been cooperative. Now the congested little man is finally sleeping and I'm about to follow him as soon as I digest the giant bowl of pasta I finally got to eat (it had been mocking me from the counter for the last two hours I spent trying to put Landon down)...
In Need of Baby Ambien
Posted on May 03, 2008JP is in Austin for a boy's weekend. His best friend, who's originally from Israel, swam with JP at Texas, and now makes absurd amounts of money as a banker in Manhattan, is moving to China on Monday for some new business venture. This friend decided on Thursday that he wanted to see JP and his first American city before he left the U...
Free Man, kind of
Posted on May 01, 2008Yesterday was JP's last day of work as an investment banking analyst. He is now just a student waiting for school to start in August- well, that and a dad, husband, and to-do list task master. This morning I left a long list of phone calls and other things that needed to be done for the move and he called me at 11:30 with the list completed...
Soliciting Opinions
Posted on April 30, 2008Everything going on in my life right now has already been blogged about ad nauseum (like the fact that Landon reverted in his poor sleep habits last night, and JP and I didn't go to bed at a reasonable hour because The Daily Show spurred yet another Obama debate, so I'm really tired, and how I'm freaking out about my unstarted papers and how behind I am in my classes, and that the list of things to be done before our move in 30 days is a mile long, and yeah...
Day 289
Posted on April 29, 2008When Landon was in the NICU I organized my pictures in folders by day: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc. It seemed like each day was so different and so full of milestones (first day off CPAP! first time we saw his eyes! first day without a feeding tube! first day without nasal cannula!) that I wanted to keep each one separate...
A House Divided... Stands Just Fine
Posted on April 28, 2008I got a comment the other day asking me, "How can you and JP have such a good relationship with such differing political views?" and since I'd imagine most of you are tired of reading about my tiredness, I figured I'd respond. Yes, JP and I have different political views- on some issues, very different political views- but living together in peace, love, and general harmony is really not that hard...
And the Landon Taketh Away
Posted on April 26, 2008We thought the crying it out was working. On Wednesday morning he was up at 4:00 and cried until 5:30 when he finally fell back asleep. On Thursday he woke up at 5:12 and cried until almost 6 when I rescued him. On Friday he woke up at 6 - victory! He's been going down between 7:45 and 8, so that was the 10 hours we were told by the pediatrician we all needed to be getting...
Follow-Ups and Non Sequiturs
Posted on April 25, 2008I don't have anything comprehensive to write about today, so here's a few comments I wanted to add to past posts.One thing I meant to say in "Never Ready", is that the reason I started crying wasn't because of the horrible memories (they're bad, but they don't make me cry anymore), but rather because of all the warm, supportive comments from readers, most of whom I don't know...
Day in the Life of a Law School Mama
Posted on April 24, 2008Several people have done posts like this, and my schedule isn?t as crazy as some of them, but it?s busy and someday when I?m retired and bored I can look back on it and think that a little boredom can be a lovely thing.The random day chosen is yesterday, Wednesday, April 23, 2008...
Never Ready
Posted on April 22, 2008I really was about to go to bed after the post about Landon's clean bill of health, but for some reason I clicked on my stat counter and saw that several people had read through "The Nightmare" label today. I realized that I have never gone back and read any of them...
In the Clear
Posted on April 22, 2008I wrote this draft earlier, but then the day got insane and I had to write a paper by 4pm reacting to a 67-page article I hadn't read as of 1pm. And then I had to attend a workshop about that article, which "explained" the various scientific climate change models in a very confusing fashion, and found out that I didn't understand the article at all and my reaction paper probably makes no sense...
How did I end up in this mess?
Posted on April 21, 2008As I sat here at my library table, reading last week's assignments for environmental law, falling further behind in M&A and Legal Profession, and having still not started my two papers, I started thinking about how I ended up in law school at all...
Putting the Fun Back in My Weekend
Posted on April 20, 2008I realized a few weeks ago that I no longer look forward to weekends. They bring less sleep because JP and I stay up later and still wake up at whatever ungodly hour Landon chooses; they bring more work because I use them to try to play catch up; and they bring stress because each weekend that comes is one less I have left to work on my papers and enjoy Chicago (which cannot be done at the same time)...
Sleeping Through an Earthquake
Posted on April 18, 2008You know how when you're really tired you say things like, "I could sleep through a [insert natural disaster here]."? Well, apparently at 4:40 AM this morning, JP and I slept through an earthquake. The article says it was a moderate one at 5.2, but given what a light sleeper I am, I think I would have woken up had I been sleeping like a regular person instead of an unconscious, exhausted parent...
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Posted on April 17, 2008Last night I hostessed an Evita party with my friends. They came over right before Landon went to bed so they could applaud his new rolling skills, and then after he went down, we watched Evita, drank wine, ordered Chinese, and ate cookies. It was fabulous...
Affronted by 1Ls
Posted on April 16, 2008I was sitting on the fifth floor of the library, trying to decipher a particularly long winded environmental law opinion, when a guy and girl started carrying on a long conversation, in loud voices, a few tables over. Because I am a wimp, I merely glared at them, willing daggers to shoot from my eyes and maim them enough to have to leave the library for medical attention...
9 Months
Posted on April 15, 2008Dear big man (a.k.a. little man, handsome, cutie, and so many other names),Congratulations, you're 3/4 of a year old! I look at pictures of you like this: and it seems like so long ago that we took you home from the NICU. I think back on the days when you spent most of your time asleep and how your dad and I would get so excited every time you opened your eyes or moved your hands, and I can't believe how much you've changed...
Skeptical
Posted on April 14, 2008I went to a lunch talk today featuring an alum who's in the Dept of Homeland Security. He spoke about the positives and perils of personal data collection and the Automated Targeting System at airports. Well, he spoke a lot more about the positives than the perils...
Calgon Take Me Away
Posted on April 13, 2008I have just emerged from a very hot, very frothy bubble bath - the first bath I have taken without a splashing Landon since he came home from the NICU. While I was pregnant I reveled in my baths, I took one almost every day before bed. They were a time to relax, to reflect on my day, to dream about our beautiful baby who would sleep through the night at two months...
The World from 2'5"
Posted on April 11, 2008Hi! It's the Landon. I'm writing in today because my mom is really tired and keeps muttering something about a paper -- ooh, PAPER! I love paper. It's so crinkly and noisy and delicious. Actually, I haven't gotten to eat very much of it because my mom always takes it out of my hand just before I chew it, but I'm sure it's very tasty...
Saved by Belugas
Posted on April 10, 2008Last night was a bad one for the Lag Liv household (er, small apartment-hold). Landon was up for almost every single minute of it. Things started out well; he went down easily at 7:15. JP came home unusually early, and we classed it up a little with the previously mentioned meal of bread, cheese, meat, a delicious Argentinean Malbec, and sparkling conversation...
All I Need is Bread and Cheese
Posted on April 09, 2008Just before bed at 10:30, I reflected back on what I ate today:Breakfast: plain bagel, plain cream cheeseLunch: 2 pieces cheese pizzaAfternoon snack: cottage cheese, cherry tomatoesDinner: French bread, some variety of semi-soft cheese, prosciutto, red wineDessert: apple pie, vanilla ice creamand I was horrified to realize that 3 cherry tomatoes constituted my entire fruit and veggie intake for the day...
No Regrets
Posted on April 07, 2008Last night while JP and I were lying in bed, I started thinking about how tired we are, how hard this is, and what life was like pre-Landon. I thought about the friends we visited yesterday- how quiet and uncluttered their apartment was and how she was studying on the couch while her husband worked on the computer...
Cause for Optimism
Posted on April 04, 2008I wrote the post below last night, but for some reason (probably exhaustion) forgot to publish it until right now. I was really freaked out after yesterday's phone call with the nurse urging us to come in as soon as possible to get the blood drawn for all of the endocrinologist's requested labs, so that we could get in as soon as possible to see the doctors (which now included a geneticist as well as the endocrinologist)...
The Posts That Aren't Being Written
Posted on April 03, 2008Every day I think of things I would be writing about if my life and my blog weren't dominated by Landon and his medical and sleep adventures. Here are a few of the topics that would be, but aren't:~ Cottage Cheese. I discovered cottage cheese on Monday...
On the Verge
Posted on April 03, 2008This morning, when I got up to get a cruelly cheerful Landon from his crib at 5:30, I had a single clear thought: I am about to have a breakdown- physical, emotional, both- I'm not sure. But I don't think my body is going to make it through Landon's first year of life unscathed...
Saying A Lot and Nothing At All
Posted on April 01, 2008Like back in the NICU days, below is a reprinted email I just sent out to my family updating them on Landon. It says a lot and very little- basically we still have no idea what we are reacting to, so we have very little reaction at all.In other news my first day of class went well and I wish that my life was uneventful enough to write a post solely about how proud I was that I raised my hand and correctly answered several question in M&A...
Ear Tubes and the Promise of Sleep
Posted on April 01, 2008Landon is now the proud owner of teeny tiny ear tubes and we have been promised that this will substantially improve, if not end, the ear infections and sleepless nights for all of us. The surgeon said she drained out quite a bit of fluid which definitely would have been hurting him, so we should see some improvement right away...
Reeling
Posted on March 31, 2008Landon had his glucose fasting test this morning and his result was high. The nurse said the number should be between 60 and 110 and his result was 124. I also got the results from his random glucose test on Friday- a result of over 200 is indicative of diabetes and his was 230...
Doing Anything But
Posted on March 30, 2008Spring quarter begins tomorrow. I haven't done any reading for the first day- I haven't even chosen my classes for the first day. I haven't started that substantial paper- the one I was hoping to finish (ha!) or at least get well underway during the break...
Reflection Distortion
Posted on March 30, 2008I bought a bikini today. I'm still trying to decide if I will keep it. It survived my harsh personal appraisal in the dressing room mirror, so it must not look too bad. But based on past experience, I know that when I try it on again I will suddenly think it looks terrible and wonder why I bought it in the first place...
One More Thing
Posted on March 28, 2008Landon had his "9 month" check-up this morning. He's really only 8.5 months, but his pediatrician is starting up a new clinic far away and we wanted him to be able to see her. His weight (20 lb. 12 oz.), height (29.5"), and head circumference (45 cm) are all good, and the needle pricking went well...
The Specialist
Posted on March 27, 2008Landon and I met his most recent pediatric specialist this morning, a very personable otolaryngologist (ENT). I briefly explained Landon's recurrent (really, persistent) ear infections for the past 2 months- how he'll be on a 10-day course of antibiotics and on Day 11 or 12 start screaming at night, only to be diagnosed with yet another infection and put on yet another antibiotic...
Childcare, more complicated than you'd think
Posted on March 26, 2008As you all know I recently spent 2.5 days in Austin buying a house, choosing a daycare, and wishing someone would cut a hole in my head and drain out whatever was threatening to explode in there. The house buying was accomplished in a quick and nearly painless manner...
An Eerie Silence
Posted on March 25, 2008Last night Landon went to bed at 7:30. He generally goes down between 8:30 and 9, but he was so fussy and obviously exhausted (Maya said he didn't take a good nap yesterday because he was so excited to see all his babies again), that I stuck him in his crib at 7:28 and was amazed to find him fast asleep two minutes later...
Post-Bunny Busyness
Posted on March 24, 2008We have returned home to a snow dusted Chicago. It's a bit surreal to unpack swim suits and remember that just two days ago JP was out on a jet ski and Landon and I were in shorts and short-sleeves, feeling the grass beneath our barefoot toes. He finally got to wear some of the clothes I got back in May at his baby shower- including this fabulous UT jersey onesie...
Our Boy
Posted on March 21, 2008A year ago today we found out that I was growing a little boy. JP, who always insisted the baby was male, threw his hands up in victory in the ultrasound room.Landon: March 21, 2007Landon: March 21, 2008 What a difference a year makes! Landon, when he noticed my parent's giant cat (you and I might think of her as a labrador retriever) for the first time.
Partially Cured
Posted on March 20, 2008Thank you all for your congratulations and concern. We are still so excited, and still just a little bit in shock. I mean we were sitting up at the lake house this afternoon with Landon, marveling at how much he seemed to change in two days, and I couldn't believe that just three days earlier we were up at the lake, marveling at the Landon, and we didn't have a house...
Mine
Posted on March 19, 2008The seller accepted our second offer. We signed some papers and apparently someone is going to give us a house. I'm an almost home owner. I think I'm in shock- I was so afraid to get excited in case the seller rejected our counter-offer and went with the other buyer, that now I'm having a hard time believing it came through!I do adore this house...
Quick House-Hunt Dispatch
Posted on March 18, 2008We put a bid on a house today. It is beautiful and perfect and I love it. There is already another buyer in the picture who offered a bid two days ago, which the seller countered, and hasn't returned. Only in Austin is a house on the market five days with two competing offers...
Texas Soon-To-Be Our Texas
Posted on March 16, 2008We're here. The two days before we left were quite awful - Landon cried all night, I wanted to cry all night, JP worked late, and I kept getting sicker. Then everything went wrong the morning we were supposed to go to the airport. After waiting nearly 45 minutes for a cab that never came (it was the St...
The Breaking of the Proverbial Camel's Back
Posted on March 13, 2008Yes, I am the camel. I keep getting sicker- my nose is raw and pink from the constant blowing. I've actually been walking around school with a box of deluxe triple-ply kleenex in one hand and a bag to throw my used tissues in the other. It's as pathetic as it sounds...
Cuteness
Posted on March 12, 2008Because even I was bored by the time I finished whining, here is a bit of cuteness to offset any alleged misery:His new default facial expression is to bite his lower lip and poof out his cheeks. I've had a hard time capturing the look because he always smiles for the camera, but this image is close...
Misery
Posted on March 12, 2008I am sick. Splitting headache, constant nose-blowing, frequent sneezing, feverish with chills, feel like crap, want to curl up on the couch with tea, kleenex, and really bad TV, kind of sick. Landon is sick too. I am in the middle of finals. JP has been working late...
A Strange Sense of Calm
Posted on March 10, 2008Each quarter I sink to a new level of finals unpreparedness. It's become something of a contest among 3L's to see who has done the least studying and I'm pretty sure I win. This isn't the "I haven't studied at all (oh, but I did do all the reading, took notes, looked over old exams, and made an outline)" type of whining; I really haven't done any of those things...
Belugaless
Posted on March 08, 2008I am sitting in an under-heated undergraduate library, wearing my puffy down coat, and striving to create a con law outline without actually having read con law. Snow is pouring down from the heavens. I am freezing. I am tired. I am without belugas...
A Surgical Story in Pictures
Posted on March 06, 2008Greetings Dear Readers,I am pleased to report that Landon is home and doing well. I am drinking an enormous diet coke which I am counting on fueling me through the next hundred hours of catch-up reading and exam studying. But before I open my con law book for the first time in weeks, I thought I'd share our surgical adventure today...
Best Served Chilled
Posted on March 05, 2008Currently sitting on my refrigerator shelf, resting comfortable between my box of caffeine-free diet coke and leftover spaghetti sauce, are two poo-filled diapers. Parenting is so glamorous.Landon had two bloody stools yesterday. We called the pediatrician last night and she is very concerned about Clostridium difficile, a bad bacteria in the colon which is able to thrive because all the good bacteria in the gut has been eradicated by repeated antibiotic treatment (which Landon most certainly has had)...
Obsessed
Posted on March 04, 2008The TV has been turned on CNN since Landon and I got home this evening. He may only be seven months old, but he's deeply invested in the democratic process. And though we can't tell daddy, he's totally rooting for Obama. I think the most exciting thing about this election- besides the fact that I finally have a candidate I care about, rather than one who's just a better than the other guy- is the incredibly high voter turnout...
3pm: Diet Coke and a Fudge Brownie
Posted on March 03, 2008Time for my daily diet coke break (or Diet Pepsi, I don't have a preference and am actually drinking Diet Pepsi now, but in the South we call everything "coke" and I've had a hard time breaking the habit). I don't drink coffee ever or caffeine often, but I do enjoy my afternoon diet coke...
Home, Drugs in Hand
Posted on March 02, 2008We are home, Landon is acting much more like a Landon, and JP and I are like the walking dead. We decided to go to Northwestern Children's Memorial hospital. It's closer to us and doesn't have the memories or medical files of the Univ. of Chicago Children's...
The Last Place We Want To Go
Posted on March 02, 2008Landon was up all last night crying (ALL last night, we got maybe 60 minutes of sleep) and this morning he had a temperature of 101.4 and was refusing his bottle. We called the pediatrician who said to keep him hydrated and watch the temperature. We called her back when it went up to 103...
House Hunting Examination
Posted on March 01, 2008At exactly two weeks from today, I will have to have accomplished the following things:- catch up in the Marriage Law reading, write four, 5-page reaction papers on something in the reading- read 200+ pages in Con Law, create outline, write something on the Exam- create outline for Sexual Orientation and the Law, write something on the Exam- write reaction paper to final Law & Politics Workshop meeting for the quarter- talk with Austin loan officer and realtor to make schedule for home buying trip March 18-20- go through the hundred Austin listings our realtor has sent, do research, create list of homes to see on our 3-day home buying trip- have apartment surveyed by moving estimator to get timeline of summer move (tomorrow, 11:30)- get Landon sleeping through the night so we can all get a little rest before his surgery and our trip to Texas send his sleep schedule back to hell- go to hospital for Landon's surgery (March 6th), pretend like I will study while there, spend the night watching children's movies instead- play with beluga whales- pack and fly to TexasI'm not very stressed out about the school stuff because my expectations are embarrassingly low...
Inspired
Posted on February 29, 2008I went to a lunch talk today with Maureen Mahoney. She's the head of the Latham & Watkins appellate practice group in Washington, DC and one of the top Supreme Court advocates out there. She's argued 18 cases in front of the Supreme Court and won 16 of them (including the famous Grutter v...
Our Story of a Broken System
Posted on February 27, 2008A reader sent me this article from The Washington Post: "A Case of a Family Services Job Well Done, or Overdone?". The Caplans' experience is so similar to ours that it was hard to read- I could feel myself right back at October 13th, waking up in our apartment with the sick realization that Landon was in a shelter and I didn't know when we could get him home- but I'm glad to see the story is out there...
Distractions
Posted on February 26, 2008Rather than bore you with details about my stress level, impossibly long to-do list, and the phone call I just had filled with the mind-numbing logistics of our cross-country move, I offer you this video clip of Landon. I took it on Saturday when he got up into the crawling position for the first time ever...
The Quarter-Century Mark
Posted on February 25, 2008Today was the official birthday. It was pretty anticlimactic since I'd already celebrated it with my friends on Thursday and JP on Saturday. I actually forgot it was today until I checked my email about an hour after Landon woke me up (no, he did not let me sleep in) and saw an inbox full of "Happy Birthday" messages on my Facebook Wall...
Baby Beluga in the Deep Blue... Aquaruim
Posted on February 24, 2008If you didn't start singing along with that title then you need more Raffi in your life. I love his silly songs and "Baby Beluga" was always a favorite growing up. Last night JP and I had a delightful dinner at Quartino, an Italian tapas-like restaurant "where the wine is cheaper than water and the pizza is the finest"...
End of an Era
Posted on February 23, 2008My mom called this morning to tell me that my high school 100 breaststroke record was broken yesterday at the State meet prelims. I think she sounded a little more sad than I was. It's been so long since I've thought of myself as a swimmer, and I'm so happy and fulfilled with what I do now, that I was just excited for the girl who broke it (a junior who, according to everyone, is an all-around awesome girl)...
Have Whine, Need Cheese
Posted on February 21, 2008I'm trying to keep this blog from turning into a complete whine-fest, but this has not been a particularly good morning. We got the DCFS investigative file last night and reading through it was horrible. I'll probably have more to say about it later, but reading a blow-by-blow of the events (and my reactions) through someone else's eyes was really hard...
Getting Up Early, Coming In Late
Posted on February 20, 2008Landon woke up at 6:30 this morning*, so I woke up at 6:30 this morning. I have class at 8:30 on Wednesdays, so this should have worked out perfectly- we need to be out the door at 7:30 and one hour is usually plenty of time to make that happen. But then it took a while for Landon to eat his breakfast, and JP is really sick so he was in bed and no help at all, and suddenly it was 7:10 and I hadn't even changed out of my PJ's, and then I was dressed but Landon wasn't, and then we were both dressed but my backpack wasn't packed, and then I had to make up Landon's lunch and bottles, and then I remembered that it was negative fifty degrees outside (or maybe it was 3 degrees, but at that level of coldness, the difference is negligible) so I put on warmer shoes, and then I had to wrangle Landon into his coat, mittens, and hat, and then I started walking out the door wearing my backpack and a Landon but no coat, so I had to take everything off, set down the Landon, and put on my scarf, coat, and gloves...
Restaurant Research and Reaction Papers
Posted on February 19, 2008I love birthdays- they're like little holidays sprinkled throughout the year and offer a great excuse to eat cake, be spoiled, and go out with friends and significant others. I turn 25 next Monday. My girl friends are taking me to a wine bar Thursday night and JP and I are going to dinner on Saturday while two friends dote on Landon...
Maybe Moving Down South Isn't So Bad...
Posted on February 17, 2008Today our temperature spiked up to a toasty 42 degrees, causing flash floods as the ice melted all around the city. My car was standing in about 8 inches of water when I went out to run errands this morning (thank goodness I have an SUV)- I had to jump in the passenger door and crawl over to the driver's seat...
Full Fat Delicious
Posted on February 17, 2008Yesterday JP had some work to do at his office way out in Schaumburg, so Landon and I decided to come along and run a few errands in the suburbs. (Side note: I'm scared of moving to the suburbs. There's so much more STUFF out there. Stores, lots of stores, full of stuff we don't need but start thinking we do- and there's parking lots for your cars so you can pile the stuff inside...
King Of His Castle
Posted on February 15, 2008Because I can't let the weekend begin with that depressing post at the top of the page, I offer a picture trio of Landon sitting on his throne (or, the car seat that still hasn't been installed in JP's car). Every time I see his picture on my laptop desktop in class I get the biggest smile on my face...
Fear of Doctors
Posted on February 15, 2008Today Landon will be making his third trip to the pediatrician in 7 days. That's a new record for us. He went back on Wednesday because he'd been up crying/screaming all night on Monday and Tuesday (the lack of sleep, and what it's doing to me, is hard to put into words)...
Bumps and Bruises in Mothering
Posted on February 12, 2008Yesterday, when exiting my illegally parked car to pick Landon up from Maya'a apartment, I admired the softly falling snow and noticed that it was starting to hide the sheet of ice covering the sidewalk. I made a mental note to be extra careful while walking with Landon because that path was going to be very slippery when I came back out I went upstairs and was greeted with big smiles from Landon, wrangled him into his puffy coat, carried him out the revolving door, and immediately slipped on the ice...
Feeling Grateful
Posted on February 11, 2008(or "How I Learned to Stop Bitching (so much) About Law School")A friend just emailed me this story from the New York Times about "Education City" in Qatar. Five American universities have brought their programs and professors to the Middle East, and apparently more are on the way...
Frumpy Friday
Posted on February 08, 2008Assuming drinking beer is cool (and college is a near enough memory for me to go with that assumption), does the coolness of drinking a beer in the law library offset the nerdiness of being here at 6:15 on a Friday? Because I'm thinking it falls short...
My Post Meme
Posted on February 08, 2008I've been doubly tagged for this one thanks to Butterflyfish and Someone Being Me. I feel so loved.THE RULES:** Post about the meme and link back to the person that tagged you.** Go back to your archives and link to your five favorite posts.Link One: must be about familyLink Two: must be about friendsLink Three: must be about yourselfLink Four: must be about something you loveLink Five: can be anything you choose** Tag five other people (at least two must be new acquaintances so that you can get to know them better)...
Pop-Up TV Not Included
Posted on February 07, 2008This morning Landon took his first ride in the big boy car seat.He seemed to approve of his plush new accomodations.We went with the Britax Marathon- it's safe, easy to install, and lasts up to 65 lbs. We couldn't afford two Britaxes, so we bought an Evenflo Titan for JP's car- he doesn't drive Landon around neraly as much as I do, but I knew there'd be at least one occasion where he'd need to the ability to pick the little guy up...
Another Snow Day
Posted on February 06, 2008Last night's party was a big success- lots of fun, food, and chocolate cake was had by all. JP even got to play poker with a few of the guests, so he didn't mind beign surrounded by Obamamania quite so much. People left around midnight, so I knew making it to my 8:30 Con Law class was probably not going to happen this morning...
Political Party Hats
Posted on February 05, 2008Super Tuesday has finally arrived! I don't talk about politics in my blog nearly as much as I do in my everyday life, but I am a political junkie. I didn't know Sunday was the Super Bowl until two days prior, but Super Tuesday has been on my calendar for months...
Case of the Mondays
Posted on February 04, 2008Landon woke up at 3 AM this morning and cried off and on until around 5- efforts to comfort, feed, cuddle, or pacify him in any way were unsuccessful. This "sleeping through the night" thing is one leap forward, three steps back, 2 hops forward, 1 flip backward...
The Sweet Smell of Chlorine
Posted on February 03, 2008Today I found myself back in the pool after nearly a year away to give a friend a swim lesson. Every time I get back in I'm reminded of how much I loved it- I am more comfortable and more graceful in the water than I will ever be on land. Getting back in also reminded me of how out of shape I am...
Mexican with the Texans
Posted on February 02, 2008Tonight we're going out with another transplanted Texas couple (she's a 2L at Northwestern) who greatly miss the glories of Tex-Mex. Arturo's Tacos is in our neighborhood and one of the better Mexican places we've found up North. It has the added bonus of a liquor license (unlike many of the tasty places in Pilsen) so we can order margaritas to go with the $1...
Snowed In
Posted on February 01, 2008Chicago has received 12 inches of snow in the last 12 hours. Outside our window is a beautiful, white and fluffy, winter wonderland- and the snow is still coming down pretty hard. There's reports of white-outs and major accidents on the highways, so we're having a family snow day...
"Can A Working Mom Be A Good Mom?"
Posted on January 31, 2008That was the subject line of an email waiting in my inbox this morning. It was immediately deleted and Landon and I continued our morning routine. The reactions it provoked weren't outrage and anger (although there was some eye-rolling), but instead, a realization that since having Landon, lines like that don't really bother me anymore...
Law School Auction
Posted on January 31, 2008Tonight is the Law School's CLF Auction. It is by far my favorite law school event, and this year Landon and James are coming to join the fun. It's organized by the Chicago Law Foundation, a student group dedicated to raising money for classmates who take public interest positions after graduation...
4,000 Words
Posted on January 29, 2008I have a half-written post that I really want to finish, but I'm so behind in my reading that it's not going to happen today. Luckily, we finally got our new camera in the mail (JP dropped and broke ours on New Year's- and he was the sober one!). So I'll leave you with a few pictures:The JumperooWe finally gave in and bought Landon a new plastic monstrosity to play in...
A Top-Down Kind of Day
Posted on January 27, 2008Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has free admission through the end of January, so JP and I decided it was a good day for a family outing. Landon doesn't get much out of the exhibits yet (although he seemed to like the giant airplanes hanging from the ceiling), so the free price tag meant we didn't have to care if he decided it was time to leave after only 15 minutes...
Home Buying
Posted on January 25, 2008Today is my day to get caught up in school, and maybe even get a little ahead, but it's already 11:25 and I haven't opened a book. I have, however, spoken with our loan officer, learned several new home-buying terms, emailed our real estate agent, identified our "must have" home characteristics, and perused far too many online listings...
Hooray JP!
Posted on January 24, 2008JP got his acceptance phone call from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business yesterday! He's officially a member of the MBA class of 2010. Hook 'em!!We had already decided to move to Austin and just assumed he'd get in; and while it was a well-founded assumption, he was getting very nervous while waiting to hear the decision (I wasn't worried)...
Unfair Scrutiny
Posted on January 23, 2008Andrea over at Peanut Butter Burrito, a 3L at Harvard who just had a baby girl, wrote a lovely post today about her husband and how he sees being a dad as just "as important and active a role" as being a mom. Reading it reminded me of the fact that somewhere in my saved, partially written posts, there's one titled "The Evolution of (a) Man" where I described how wonderful it's been sharing my life with JP and watching him change from boyfriend, to husband, to father...
Caught Up, But More Behind
Posted on January 23, 2008I spend most of my time feeling like I'm treading water and barely keeping my head above it. I enjoy swimming and am very skilled at water treading, so I'm usually pretty happy in this state. But someimtes the to-do lists get overwhelming, and losing my child care on Monday has crippled me for the week...
Sleep, Finally!
Posted on January 22, 2008Last night Landon slept from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM. That is through the night people. Landon's wake up time is not my top choice, but it's a whole lot better than multiple wakings between 2 and 5 AM, so I'll take it.After six months of night feedings, night cuddling, and night crying (not just Landon), we finally decided to follow Ferber and our pediatrician's advice and let him cry it out...
Frickin Freezing
Posted on January 20, 2008Yesterday my little weatherbug notifier never registered above 0. This morning when I forced myself out to the library to write two papers, my car said it was -6 (and it was NOT happy about it). Now I love winter: the cold, the snow, the beautiful starkness, the big sweaters, scarves, and coats, but below 0 is just ridiculous...
So THAT'S How She Does It
Posted on January 19, 2008Marriage law is quickly becoming one of my favorite classes. The readings are fascinating and the discussion is much better than I anticipated. I was fearing the class would be composed purely of feminists, and while I agree with much of feminism, it would make the class significantly less interesting if everyone just nodded along with one other...
Grandma Beats Science
Posted on January 17, 2008I couldn't sleep last night. Like Landon, when I'm overtired, I have a very hard time falling asleep, and I'm so far beyond overtired, I'm overexhausted. The benefit of all the tossing and turning is that I wrote about 6 blog posts in my head. I think some of them were even good- I just can't remember any of them now...
Video Test, take 2
Posted on January 16, 2008This is the same clip I posted earlier today, but I'm trying to figure out how the blogger video format looks and works as compared to the YouTube "blog this" application. And since this is a random post that will probably be deleted later, I'd just like to add that I hate how Google Reader doesn't update after you change or delete a post...
6 Months!
Posted on January 15, 2008Dear Landon,Today you are 6 months old! I can't believe half of your first year is over. When I was rocking you to sleep last night and you were cuddled up in my arms and holding tight to my fingers, I got a little choked up realizing that time is passing and you won't be content to snuggle in my arms forever...
3.5
Posted on January 14, 2008That's how many hours of sleep I got last night. It's not enough.Landon went to sleep at 8:30. I went to bed at 11, but it takes me a long time to fall asleep, so I was still awake when he started crying at midnight. I went in to check on him, saw that he was fine, and decided we were not getting in the habit of eating in the middle of the night (his 17 lbs...
Ladies who Brunch
Posted on January 13, 2008I love throwing parties. They're a great way to hang out with friends and the only time I get to use the beautiful serving dishes we received as wedding gifts. Today I combined my love of breakfast with my love of hostessing and threw a brunch party for a seven of my law school girlfriends...
A Day in the Life of Landon
Posted on January 10, 2008-described by Landon, transcribed by me-2:30/4:45/5:00 AM: I wake up, either because I've flipped over onto my back and I DON'T LIKE IT, I'm hungry, or I'm sure my mommy and daddy have missed me and I want to give them some quality Landon snuggle time...
Time to Use the Alarm Clock Again
Posted on January 09, 2008This morning is my 8:30 AM class, so Landon and I needed to be out the door by 7:30. I stayed up too late watching CNN New Hampshire results and then took forever to fall asleep. Landon woke up at 5am, drank some bottle, went back to bed, flipped himself over 3 times, and freaked out all 3 times until I dragged myself out of bed to flip him back...
Picking Classes
Posted on January 08, 2008I believe I have settled on a winter class schedule:Constitutional Law II (Freedom of Speech): T,Th 9:45-10:50, W 8:30-9:35Sexual Orientation and the Law: T,W,Th 11-12:05Marriage: W 1:30-3:50, Th 1:30-2:35Law and Politics Workshop: T 4-5:15That gives me 11 credits, so I only need to take 9 next quarter to graduate with the 105 required...
Deep Thoughts on the Cashmere Mafia
Posted on January 07, 2008After watching Desperate Housewives, a Sunday night dinner tradition we greatly missed over the holidays (not that JP would admit it), I kept the TV on for the premiere of Cashmere Mafia while straightening up the apartment. The show is about four MBA-holding, corner office sitting, unrealistically thin and beautiful, best friends- all with different hair colors, of course...
The Kindness of Strangers
Posted on January 06, 2008I sent out an email a few weeks ago thanking those people who donated in the midst of our nightmare. (If anyone is reading this and thinking, "I didn't get one"- I sent it using my personal email and realized afterward I probably should have referenced the blog name in the subject line because some of you have no idea who I am and might not open an email from an unknown sender...
Aftershocks
Posted on January 06, 2008I have several posts, half-written or entirely in my head, about the aftermath of the investigation. I'm still working through what happened- there's anger, disbelief, gratitude, exhaustion, and outrage- and they all present themselves in varying degrees at different times...
Another Page in the Medical File
Posted on January 04, 2008In addition to biting my fingernails all day waiting to hear from DCFS, yesterday was also the day of Landon's appointment with a plastic surgeon for the bump on his eyebrow (and my first day of winter classes, but I'll get to that later). I had asked about the bump several times while we were stuck in the hospital in October, but no doctor ever gave us an answer- if it wasn't related to child abuse, they weren't particularly interested...
News, and Relief
Posted on January 03, 2008JP finally got hold of our investigator around 6pm (I tried to write this post then, but Landon was NOT amused by my inattention). Apparently she just needed JP's statement that he had tossed Landon because her notes only had me saying it. Since this is what they've pinned the entire neglect finding upon, they needed the story to come from him...
A Label I Haven't Used in a While
Posted on January 03, 2008This is the post, with it's now ironic title, that I was working on yesterday before I came home to that ominous message from our DCFS investigator (no update on that yet, despite JP's many attempts to reach her):--------------------One of my New Year's wishes is that this blog will contain more law school related posts- not because I think UC law provides fascinating blogging fodder, but because I truly hope law school occupies a larger part of my life and thoughts this quarter...
Shit.
Posted on January 02, 2008I was in the middle of writing a post about law school and how I hope I use that label more this year- because that should be the source of drama in my life. And then I came home to a message from our DCFS investigator. The one we wrapped things up with on Dec...
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