Today was the day of the big ultrasound and we're going to have a son. I'm already reveling in saying "his" and "him"- infinitely better than "it". JP threw up his hands in victory at the penis sighting- he was certain it was a boy all along (although, he's certain that all our unborn children are boys). I realized last night that I was kind of hoping for a boy too. I would have been thrilled with a girl, but for the first time I realized I had a slight preference. Our next one has to be a girl though- there can only be so much testosterone running around.The ultrasound was lots of fun- our baby is very coy and refused to let the ultrasound tech get a good look at his face. She had to keep adjusting the bed and getting me to stand up and walk around. He finally cooperated and then decided to play peek-a-boo and made his hands cover his face. I love thinking he already has a personality- so cute!
It's amazing to be able to see so much- we saw every major bone, a detailed view of the heart, the brain, his face, and all his little fingers and toes. Everything looks perfect!.
And to top off an already awesome day I got an email from my securities prof that I got an A on our final. That was a very hard class and very hard final, but it was also my favorite class and favorite professor. I cared about doing well not only because I'm type A and want to go into corporate law, but because you could tell the prof put a lot of effort into teaching the class and really cared that we learned it. Last quarter was tough- I took hard classes and spent the majority of it in a pregnancy induced sleep-like state. I'm happy I did well in something- it will help cushion the blow when admin comes back...
So cool! Congratulations! I can't wait to know myself!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your baby boy and the A!
ReplyDeleteYay! Hooray for first boys. :)
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ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteAmanda- definitely send me an email (lagliv@gmail.com), so we can talk more about the specifics of UC. I was actually planning to do a post about being a pregnant classmate and focus more on other student's reactions and perceptions. So that's coming.
ReplyDeleteAs far as 1L year- it would be really difficult. It's a very intense year, and thanks to our quarter system, it gets increasingly more intense as you go. Spring quarter was by far the toughest. I'm all about making choices that are best for you and then making it work, but I would still, rather strongly, advise waiting until 2L year. That said- it would be possible if you're willing to make some sacrifices on the school end of things.
I'm not taking off any time b/c I'm due Aug 10 and classes don't begin until the end of Sept. I talked to 4 women who had babies during their 2L/3L year (at UC) and 1 took off a quarter and graduated late and the other 3 took off about 2 weeks and then came back to class. That's the benefit of waiting after 1L- you can take a reduced load and more seminars so missing a few weeks of class isn't so bad.
I'm more than happy to chat about UC specifically- just send me an email. And Congrats on UC and the future baby plans!
Amanda, like LL, I'm a pregnant 2L. However, I'm at a tier 2 law school, and, thus, the "rigors" of law school may be less. Yet, I would reiterate the advice that being pregnant 2L year is much easier than 1L year. One girl from my 1L class was pregnant that year. She had her baby last summer. However, she did not accept a position with Law Review, even though she was offered one. And she started going part-time (at night), and thus MAY graduate later. Being pregnant 2L year means you only have to balance the baby and law school - one year, your last year, which for many people, is often the "easiest" anyways. Being pregnant 1L year means you have to do deal with morning sickness and all that during a very stressful time, and then having to balance a baby with school your 2L year, which is often a busy year (IF YOU WANT IT TO BE) with such things as law review, moot court competitions, interviews, etc. Of course, anything can be done. And it is up to you to make the best decision for you. But just thought I'd add my two cents.
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone! I truly appreciate your support and advice! :)
ReplyDeleteI'll keep checking in-- I'm so excited for all of you! :D I give you all credit! Its nice to know that theres no one "CHOICE" and this whole movement to have both a law career and a family-- its exciting!
I just don't want to wake up one day years from now realizing that I let my work become my life- of course this is important to me- Its my dream come true but you need to keep everything in perspective and realize what is really important to you so...
Again thanks!!! Congrats!! and I'll probably start blogging soon-- its a good way to relieve some stress and get some encouraging words! :)
Congratulations on all fronts. Now your husband is the one that gets to have the first sex talk with the kid.
ReplyDeletehey im a college senior who has just finished applying to law school and recently found out that I am pregnant. It looks like I'm gonna have to defer for 1 year since I'll be due in September, which is when classes start. I'm really concerned about the financial strains and time constraints that I'll face entering law school. Do you have any advice? Do you know of any scholarships for law students who are also parents? I am really determined to continue my dream of becoming a lawyer and I really need some advice. As for my parents, they expect me to fail since according to them, " once you have the baby, you're life is over!".
ReplyDeleteDear gj,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the pregnancy! It's hard to give someone advice without knowing more specifics- is the father in the picture? Will you be near family or friends who will help? Does your school have a family center or drop-off daycare associated with it? Are you going to a school where you can be reasonably sure you'll have a job after graduation (so you don't have to be overly stressed about taking out additional loans to support both you and your baby)?
I do believe that you can always make something work. Even if it's not the perfect timing or situation, people can adapt to just about anything and it will be okay. Law school is very demanding, especially 1L, but if you have daytime care for your baby, you can get your work done during the day. The rank of your school matters quite a bit- at a lower tier school there is more pressure on your own grades and class ranking.
I think being a single parent and student would be very, very difficult, but as I said above, anything can be done if needed. I guess my biggest suggestions would be (1) find daytime care, hopefully through your school or through references from other grad students- most schools have some sort of grad student parents listserve, group, center, etc. and (2) set yourself up with as much support as possible- either from the father, family members, friends, etc. I think deferring is a good idea- those first few months are so draining, it would be really hard to focus on classes when you're exhausted and completely absorbed with your new baby.
Good luck- feel free to email me at lagliv@gmail.com.