Saturday, January 2, 2010

When Balance is a Verb

I woke up yesterday at 7 a.m. to fifteen new emails regarding my biggest case and an emergency Temporary Injunction hearing scheduled (by the other side) for Tuesday morning. I have worked almost non-stop since then, though I did take a park/hamburger break yesterday evening to watch Landon run about Zilker park and then refuse to eat a hamburger. I ate it for him, along with the enitre basket of fries JP and I were supposed to share. And then I worked from Landon's bedtime until midnight, starting again at 8:30 a.m. this morning with an all hands conference call.

But just before that 8:30 a.m. call, I went upstairs to get Landon only to find him covered in puke. He's thrown up less than three times since babyhood so this was most unusual. I cuddled him while we both got in the bathtub to clean him off, leaving JP to the sheets (in my delicate condition I can't handle getting that close to puke, unless of course it's already on my child and then mothering instincts conquer the urge to dry heave). By 8:28 we were back downstairs in the study. Landon's hair smelled like Johnson's baby soap, and he stayed wrapped around me like a little monkey for the duration of the 90 minute call. Afterward we gave him a sip of very watered down powerade which he threw up five minutes on the kitchen floor. This was repeated 30 minutes later when I stupidly gave in to his requests for a small cup of milk.

In between puke cleansings and clothes changings I have revised a Motion to Quash, drafted a summary of a deposition, started a Motion to Compel, and agreed to head to Fort Worth on Monday morning for the 3 days of hearings. Just after I sent the email saying I could attend, JP handed off a sleeping Landon and ran into the bathroom to throw up himself. Thankfully, his involved no clean-up because I'm not sure who could have done it.

Landon is now sleeping soundly in his bed (updated with a nice plastic cover under the sheets), JP is sleeping in our room (sans plastic cover, he better make it to the bathroom), the dogs are sleeping under the desk, and I am working as quickly as possible so I can assist whichever one of them needs me when they wake up. It is moments like these when I fantasize about having a grandparent with lots of free time (i.e. not my parents) and a willingness to help with unpleasant things (i.e. not my in-laws) living near by.

But it's fine. I don't mind the work- it's necessary and every partner on this case is working even more than I am to prepare for this last minute emergency. One was already in California for the U.T. game and is having to fly back to attend the hearing. I am not fancy enough to have these kinds of vacation plans, so all it's doing is delaying when I can go to Victoria's Secret to buy these pants which I just realized I need.

As a co-worker jokingly said a few days ago, "We're overpaid 350 days out of the year. We're paid what we are because of the other 15." This is one of those 15 and I accept it as such. It would just be nice if a bunch of vomit hadn't been thrown in the mix as well. An inauspicious start to 2010 to be sure!

8 comments:

  1. Delurking... had to post!

    When I read this I was looking for what time you posted it... this exact same scenrio played out in our house a few weeks ago! Our two year old got sick, two hours later the baby was sick, two hours later me, then two hours later my hubby... all the same horrible symptoms. It was 12 hours of stomach flu hell. Girl, take care of yourself because if it's the stomach flu you've been exposed now and that cannot be good for you. Please don't drive alone to Ft. Worth in case you do get it and make sure you have plenty of pedialite on hand (for you and the family) and I would call your OBGYN for an RX of Zofran (it's safe for pregnancy - I took it the both pregnancies) the second your stomach starts feeling a little weird.

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  2. This sounds awful. Fingers are crossed that you aren't the next victim, or if you are, that you recover in time for the hearings.

    ps - You have been linked into my bLAWg Roll at http://neverbeenlivedbefore.blogspot.com/. Happy new year (puking aside)!

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  3. Wow. You're a much better person than I am. Way to go with the great attitude.

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  4. Oh yuck! Vomit and work! Hope you are spared and everyone feels better soon. Safe travels.

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  5. Oh how I wish you'd start an anonymous blog about your in-laws... Just sayin.' Here's hoping Vomitfest 2010 winds down soon.

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  6. This is the ultimate example of work/life balance. I totally understand the wishing for helpful grandparents close by. Good luck with the next week. Fingers crossed it's just a 12 hour or 24 hour bug.

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  7. Wow. Here's hoping you don't get it too! What a start to the year!

    I really admire your attitude, LL. It's really amazing that in the midst of all of this you recognize that this is your job as a mom, as a lawyer in BigLaw... and I appreciate your putting this out there for the world to read!

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  8. Yuck, we just had that nasty. I didn't know it was contagious over teh interwebs! Hope you avoid it, and everybody feels better soon (and the work crazy calms down)!

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