Shelley's Case

Every other day of the week is fine

Don't schedule the intervention yet: I am much less stressed today.  Even with about four hours of fitful sleep (sinuses were so bad that I had to sleep in a chair, the baby woke up several times, including one requiring feeding her before I could rock her back to sleep), I felt infinitely better today.  I'm still not over the sinus infection - there's this lovely stabbing pain in my frontal sinuses - but for the moment I'm breathing OK.  Much work was shuttled out the door, mediations were scheduled, clients were called, files were audited, hands were held, research was read, and discovery was organized.  Good descendant of Puritans that I am, I measure my worth in productivity. 

Peach is much better, too.  She was absolutely delightful this evening, running around after her bath, insisting that I use the hairdryer on her hair, and cuddling with her current "baby" (a pink stuffed bear). She vetoed several pairs of pajamas before I found an acceptable set (Christmas themed, but OK) and kept trying to do headstands. 

Matthew is, I think, continuing to make a good recovery.  He still has to be extremely careful of his neck and his muscles get seriously tired, but he can do many ordinary activities again.  Whew.  I am really, really, really hoping he gets released to regular work soon.  Really. 

Lots of good news...and snotty noses

It's now less than a month until my little nephew is due!  When Sar held Eden for the first time, she said, "It really does feel different holding a baby that is related to you," and I can't wait to find out.

I am getting *really* excited about this upcoming trip to Finland!  I have a Lonely Planet guide to Finland, a 1:15000 map of Helsinki, and I have been researching hotels.  I would love to watch some court proceedings while I'm there, but am not sure if it's possible yet. 

This morning I opened my mail to find a Facebook message from E, my sister-in-law-to-be, asking if I wanted to go on a cruise to Stockholm while I'm in Helsinki: she has a gift card she needs to use.  Heck, yeah!  It'll be two nights on the ship and one in Stockholm.

I think I will be the shortest person in both cities.  I am used to being the shortest person in the room here, but...!

And I finally got the funds disbursed from my will contest case!  Come Monday, a check will go to the client, minus the fee that's going to me - and I will finally be able to archive a case that's been going on since before I started law school.  Seriously.  (I only came on two years ago.)  This is the case I argued before the court of appeals when I was pregnant, and Peach was five months old when the decision came out. 

The new Mac network is in place in the office, and so far, so good.  The MacBook Pro is so much faster than my previous computer; I actually think I liked the feel of the old G4 Powerbook, though. I may have trouble getting some ancient quickbooks data over to the Mac version.  I'm really loving Daylite as case management software so far, and I've barely scratched the surface of what it can do. 

As for snotty noses, Peach has one.  She's got a cold, is teething, and is generally whiny and unhappy.  I have a sore throat, but am not doing *too* badly - both Matthew and I are feeling run down (and I have been going to bed at 9 pretty much every night).  I hope I escape the worst of it. 

Excitement!

Today I am excited because:

• Yesterday I got the go-ahead to order the Macs for our new, all-Mac network! We'll be using Daylite for case management. I'm getting a MacBook Pro - yahoo!  (My PowerBook is 5 years old this month.)  There's no real network in place right now - we have wireless and some sharing enabled, but no case management software to speak of.  I am really looking forward to getting a lot of the processes in the office automated.  Also, the boss is going to give dictation software a go, which would be a huge labor saving device for staff.  (I'm considering giving the software a try, myself, once I see how it goes.)
  
• Peach is all over the place active!  We play tons of games (her favorite is a very energetic "Row, Row, Row" game), she babbles and sometimes I understand the words, she's helpful in getting dressed, and is overall a delight (except when she's having a tantrum, but we can't have everything).  I left a bit early yesterday to visit her in daycare, and it was the best thing I could have done with that time - it was wonderful. 
  
• The will contest case I took back in 2006 is finally wrapping up! (I wrote my respondent's brief for the Court of Appeals before I became pregnant with Peach, argued the case when I was five months pregnant, got the decision when she was five months old, and now that she's thirteen months old, I will finally get my attorney fees!)  Opposing counsel is probably happier: he hasn't gotten paid since he took the case way back in 2001.
  
• I am sitting in the Saturn dealership getting my VUE serviced!  OK, well, maybe I'm not all that excited about this one, but it needed to be done, so here I am.  But they've got wireless, and it's giving me the free time to blog that I wouldn't ordinarily get on a Saturday morning, so how can I mind? 

Long day made much brighter

The morning started too early, involved a long commute, encompassed 9 depositions  (one in which I swear some of my brain leaked out of my ears), then finally a joyful reunion with Peach and Matthew at daycare, a sushi dinner -- and an even more joyful discovery that my law school's most adorable co-counsel welcomed their baby daughter in the wee hours of the morning. 

And to those in the know, doesn't she really look like her mom?!