Whoa.. we're half way there... WHOA-OH!!

Twenty weeks down, people. Twenty to go.  Nausea is abating ... finally.  Tension headaches / migraines, not so much.

Also, at Clownfish's first Tiger Scout meeting, I ran into a guy I used to teach with back in the day.  He asked how I was -- I pointed out my awesome son and my belly (kid #2).  He pointed out his oldest (now 10, who was a preschooler last time I saw him) and other boy (age 6) and mentioned his two girls at home ... and that his wife is pregnant with #5!!  Five kids: 10, 8, 6, 3 and pre-natal.  Yeah, if we were doing the one-up baby game, he totally won. In spades.

MILP #166

Ptlawmom had the Roundup.  Here in two weeks... probably.

Changes

So I am no longer working at the best job I've ever had.  I knew it was only for a year going in, and a year is up.  To say that I was sad for it to end would be an understatement. To say that I blamed the tears on 'pregnancy hormones' would be ... absolutely true.

I am poised to begin the Lucy Job -- another one-year gig, but in a very different atmosphere.  The Lucy Job will (hopefully) open more doors in my future and will (hopefully) lead to a permanent job that I will enjoy and be happy doing.  I have a few days off to get my stuff together, to spend time with my family, and to get Clownfish packed off to first grade.  First grade for him, new job for me:  9/1.

I am more anxious about starting the new job than I thought I would be.  It could be because I have to drop the "by the way, I'm pregnant" bomb in the first week.  It could be because I am not really sure what my options are yet, and am not really sure what I need to ask for.  It could be because we are still exploring our childcare options, but that once I start, time will be like a speeding freight train heading toward my due date.  It could be that, deep inside, I am not remotely convinced I am qualified to be doing what I will be doing.  It could be the commute -- an hour each way, in good weather.  It could be that everyone already wants to know "what's next" and I feel pretty confident that getting through this year will be enough to think about, thankyouverymuch.

MILP #165

The Weekly MILP (Moms In the Legal Profession) Roundup is hosted on a rotating basis between PT-LawMom, Butterflyfish, and Attorney Work Product blogs. We originally rounded up just the moms in law school, but then discovered that those women eventually graduate. Who knew? So now all the moms in the legal field (heh) are represented. We aim for Sunday posts.

PtLawmom is off-line temporarily, so I'm taking hosting duty this week.  Sorry for the late round up.  Next week, Proto Atty has it. 

• Lag Liv has a wonderful backyard spa... and cute pics. And a message from Biscuit.  
• Newlawmom is starting 3L... where does the time go?
• Shantelle is just starting the 1L journey.  Kinda hope we're still doing this round up when she's a 3L
• Magic Cookie is making New House Resolutions...  
• Googiebaba just gave judgmental parents something to think about. 
• Dinei -- so hopeful for a trip home... so cute. 
• Gillian on missing her kids 
• Jenny made her first appearance in court, on her own behalf...
• LEO is getting ready for the transition to working mom, and she has crafts!
• LC had the kind of day that would make me run for my bed and never leave it
• Izzie has a tough separation coming up... again
• Lady Gaga is NOT parent fail, Proto Atty 
• Oh, in case anyone missed it, I'm having a girl. 

Shout-out to Ptlawmom.  No posts to link to now, but she'll have a helluva tale when she's back on-line.

For those who didn't see the post, Cee (Wild Northwest Litigator) has a stalker situation which caused her to take down the blog for now.  I know I am not alone in hoping its not for good.

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If you’d like to have your blog added to the MILP blogroll for weekly review or would like us to consider a specific post, drop the hostess(es) an email or leave a comment at our sites. Expecting Moms in law school are welcome! Hat tip as always to the “original” Roundup — Beyond the Underground and the co-rounder-upper, Nobody!

50 States in 50 Years

Bullshark and I have a new goal: to visit all 50 states before we turn 50.  My list so far.  Bullshark has to do his. Then we'll start planning vacations, and we'll give the kids (how weird for me to say "the kids!") a head start on their own list.

• Alabama. Drove through a few times
• Arizona. I worked in Tempe for a week when I was pregnant with Clownfish. I should go back.
• California. Great tour in 2002
• Connecticut. Yes, many times
• Delaware. Drove through many times, spent the night in Newark in college
• Florida. Disney as a kid.
• Georgia. Drove through a few times. Want to see Atlanta
• Kentucky. Saw a blue grass band in a border town while in college.
• Louisiana. Ate craw-fish and alligator there, though only drove through New Orleans. Should return.
• Maine. Did a wonderful long weekend there -- Acadia, lighthouses, lobster festival. Great vacation!
• Maryland. Drove though, spent the night, some sightseeing
• Massachusetts. Boston, the Cape, all over it.
• Mississippi. Drove through a few times
• New Hampshire. Been to Portsmouth a few times...
• New Jersey. Six Flags, Camden Aquarium, all over it.
• New York. Manhattan, Long Island, Catskills, Niagra Falls. All over it.
• North Carolina. Have driven though and/or spent the night a number of times
• Pennsylvania. Sesame Place, Crayola Factory, Philly, Amish Country... all over many times.
• Rhode Island. Newport many times, Brown, Providence. Yeah all over it, though its small so not saying much :)
• South Carolina. Have driven though and/or spent the night a number of times.
• Tennessee. Have driven though it.
• Texas. Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio... lived there for years.
• Vermont. Burlington, Old Man of the Mountain, lots of hiking.
• Virginia. Charlottsville, theme parks, lots of sightseeing, many times.
• West Virginia. Two summers in college doing volunteer work in Appalachia, saw capital
• Wisconsin. Long weekend in Green Bay, drove around a lot.
• Washington D.C. (ok 51!) Visited a bunch of time...
  

So, more or less, I've seen the edges of the country except the Pacific Northwest.  We've missed a lit of the middle of the country.

To do list:  Either Alaska or Hawaii will be our 50th, probably for Bullshark's 50th birthday...

Alaska
Arkansas
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois (no I'm not gonna count the time I was in the airport)
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan (no I'm not gonna count the time I was in the airport)
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Dakota
Utah
Washington
Wyoming

Girl!

Clownfish is adjusting -- he was the only one with a strong preference.

Watch this space

I find out the Lima Bean's gender in a few hours.

Edited to add: 

IT'S A GIRL!!!

We had no strong feelings either way... though I am such a "boy" mommy, I felt intimidated by the idea of a girl.  I've gotten over it.

MILP Round Up # 164

The Weekly MILP (Moms In the Legal Profession) Roundup is hosted on a rotating basis between PT-LawMom, Butterflyfish, and Attorney Work Product blogs. We originally rounded up just the moms in law school, but then discovered that those women eventually graduate. Who knew? So now all the moms in the legal field (heh) are represented. We aim for Sunday posts.  (Failure this week -- massive headache)

There is no theme.  Here we go!

• Sammie B is already fabulous.
• Atty Work Product is swimming.
• Lag Liv looks but doesn't touch.
• Magic Cookie has gratuitous cuteness.
• Googiebaba is losing money by working.
• Dinei is posting good news *really!*
• Gillian's butt probably does not look big in those pants.
• Jenny is going to court, armed for bear and terrified.
• LEO has burning questions about starting work at The Firm.
• LC is not as old and cranky as she thinks she is
• Izzie brings her own food.
• Ptlawmom on why her kid is happy and sad.
• Cee went underground. I was about to post her email (as requested) when she came back.

And that does it. My feeds are messed up, and I may have missed a few posts, but I got most everyone.

___________________________________
If you’d like to have your blog added to the MILP blogroll for weekly review or would like us to consider a specific post, drop the hostess(es) an email or leave a comment at our sites. Expecting Moms in law school are welcome! Hat tip as always to the “original” Roundup — Beyond the Underground and the co-rounder-upper, Nobody!   

In related news, a few bloggers reached out this week and asked for a shout out here.  Neither is a MILP but I didn't see the harm because neither of them appear to be selling anything. 

• In House Outlet is a young female attorney, not yet a MILP but, in her words, "not preventing it" and a new blogger who is looking for MILPy friends.

• Paralegal Hell is pretty funny... and despite what she's seen, she's apparently thinking of going to law school.

What You're Missing

I occasionally refer to my unborn child as the "baby" though I usually refer to it by its in-womb name, the Lima Bean.  I was discussing nausea or something with a female co-worker today and said something like, "Yeah, the baby sure doesn't like that..." when she corrected me.  She said "fetus."  I was like, ummm, its my womb, I'll call it a baby if I want to.  But she was insistent -- fetus. Am I wrong to have been slightly taken aback by that?  I won't go so far as to say I was offended, but certainly a little surprised.   

And now, what you're missing... an occasional feature in which I round up of some of my recent Twitter posts.

• Reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because everyone else is doing it.
• My son is awesome. His favorite shows are Mythbusters and Food Network's Chopped. No more Dora the Explorer for me!! Shit...til the next kid
• Ummm, not quite. Clownfish: I can count by sixes... 6... 11... 16...
• Me: What should we get your friend for his birthday? What does he like? Clownfish: He really likes hitting people...
• My mom: Why did you never consider voice-over work as a career? You could talk into a microphone & people pay you. Seems easy.
• I have very distinct memories of watching Midnight Madness as a child. It was a terrible movie about a scavenger hunt. I want to rent it now
• Whoever came up with that Kia commercial with the urban hamsters singing 'This or That' should be fired. Who does that appeal to?
• According to a website, the baby went from being the size of an avocado last week to an onion this week. All I keep thinking is guacamole.
• I'M ON A MISSION -- I'M GONNA SPANK A CHICKEN... AND YOU'RE THE CHICKEN! ~ Clownfish, to me.
• Week 17. The nausea is supposed to stop by now. So is the gagging & nearly vomiting all the time. My little Lima Bean is not showing love. 

She has dreams which she'll tell you all about *

I dreamed that I was interviewing for a Supreme Court clerkship.  And that I spent the whole time defending my decision to go to the law school that I went to, my grade in Labor Law, my overall class rank and my employment up to that point.  Three judges interviewed me from the bench, and I had "the lights" timing each of my responses like I was doing appellate advocacy instead of interviewing for a job.  Also, although I knew it was the Supreme Court, it wasn't any of the current justices . . . unless the president named a woman who looks like Danny Glover chief justice while I was on vacation.


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* She is:  the least interesting blogger in the world.  Hat tip, xkcd.

MILP #163

Atty Work Product had it.  Here next week.

MILP #161

Ptlawmom had it.