My First Trial

I rarely, if ever, post anything about my job. Mostly because a lot of things I deal with are confidential. But a trial is public record. I've been 2nd chair on a few different trials--there was always a senior attorney that was 1st chair. 1st chair calls all the shots--they are in charge of how the trial goes and delegates jobs to second chair. Young attorneys are 2nd chair so that they can learn how to be 1st chair. 1st chair is a lot of responsibility. I've always liked being 2nd chair. You get a lot of glory with half of the stress. But last Monday I was 1st chair in my very first trial. And I did a great job. That doesn't mean that I will win--it means that if the judge picks the other guy, there wasn't anything else I could have done to persuade the judge to go my way. The second day of trial is February 8. I'll let you know how it goes.

I learned a lot of what to do next time. Next time will be a 4 day trial in June. And it will be a full-blown, hard-fought trial.

This Month

Well, I'm really glad I set a goal for all of us to post at least once per month or else I might not have done it this month! I must say that I am so proud of (most of) you for taking up the challenge!  Thor has been sick all month. It started a few days after Christmas and we've been struggling ever since. It started with the sniffles, then full blown, can't breathe through his nose,gobs of snot flying mucus. He was pulling at his ears, couldn't sleep, and then he started projectile vomiting and decided to stop eating too. We went to the pediatrician a few times and then the ER at the Phoenix Children's hospital because he couldn't keep anything down (not even medication to make him better). After X-rays, blood work, urine tests, etc, they basically said, we don't know what's wrong with him. Good job keeping him hydrated and bring him back if he gets worse. UGGGHHH! It was the vomiting that was the worst and what I was the most worried about. He couldn't keep down anything! Poor little guy. But they did give me anti-nausea meds for Thor and that helped. And we switched to soy formula because it's easier on babies' stomachs. He started doing better, but then got a horrible cough. Then he was coughing so hard he would throw up.  I have been covered in enough vomit this month to last a lifetime! He was diagnosed with asthma, so now he's been on breathing treatments which helped get everything under control.

And this kid has learned to throw up on command now since he knows his little gags send all the adults in the room to fly around him. It's crazy! Thor had just started trying real food--which he hadn't been a big fan of to begin with--but now anytime you put something in his mouth other than a liquid, he gags and throws it up. Anyone want a couple cases of baby food? He's not going to eat it. He's decided to be on a liquid diet for the rest of his life!

So this has been my life for the past month. I haven't stopped doing laundry long enough to get on the computer. I also haven't taken a lot of pictures this month. So here's to February!

What Should Be Everyone Else's New Year's Resolution

I am the oldest. Do you know a really good perk of being the oldest (as long as you're not one of my brothers, sisters, or married to one of those)? I get to choose your New Year's Resolution for you! YAY! How fun!

So I choose that all of my extended family members are going to write SOMETHING in your blogs at least once per month. Not per year (ahem, Stacy). Per month. Now I have set a very manageable goal for you. I am, after all, a very generous big sister. And being the fabulous big sister that I am, I will not only set the goal for you, but I will do it with you. Doesn't that sound fun?

I check your (mostly sadly unadded to) blogs everyday in the hopes that one of you will care enough to share your life with me. *blink, blink back tears* Some of you (ahem, Abby, Katie) are on my very happy list because I get to read stories and browse even more interesting pictures of your lives. Others of you . . . well, let's say you need this resolution more with every week that goes by.

Now get to sharing!! Now!

Happy New Year!

I am a really lucky mom. Last year was about hope. I had lost a lot of hope in the years before and the last year has been about finding a tiny bit of hope in my life. This year is about joy. The pure joy of being a mom to two wonderful children. Both of them are so different and so special in their own ways. For one, I was a very young mom and for the other I am a much older mom, but I was the right mom for each of them. I love watching them interact together. It brings me joy.

I hope you all feel joy this year, too. Happy New Year!

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas, everyone!

This Christmas was a little strange. Everyone asked for one very large gift rather than a few small ones. Shopping was too easy. Thor needed a highchair and I saw this one online and couldn't get it out of my head! I love the way it looks!

Daddy asked why I always had to fall in love with the most expensive baby items, but that's not really true. The black base of this same model is $100 more than the white base one (although, I have to admit, the black one looks even cooler than this one!) And the Stokke highchair is $500 more than this one--yep, I wrote that right. $500 MORE! Even I'm not that crazy! So Mommy asked Santa for the Bloom Fresco highchair and Santa brought it!

Sabre asked for her class ring for Christmas. She went online and designed the whole thing herself. And if you haven't been in the market for a class ring lately--yikes are they expensive! But she was very happy with it.

And Gary asked for a rifle for Christmas. I was thinking more along the lines of a hunting rifle, but he had in mind an AK-47. Since he rarely asks for anything this expensive, I knew it was something he really wanted.
*sigh*

It came complete with Zombie-killing bullets, courtesy of Katie. He loves it.
Thor actually was into ripping the presents open.

 We gave the highchair a test run. We are still trying to get him to eat baby food. (Cute bib courtesy of Grandma Jenny!)

 Then he played with all his new bath toys. He was so excited about them that  he kept yelling at them.

And about noon Sabre and Gary took off for Oklahoma :-(  Sabre went to Tulsa to see her dad and granny and that side of her family. Gary went to Shawnee to see his mom and dad. And Thor and I spent the rest of the day with Jenn and her family. Thanks Stephens family!

Thor's 2nd Plane Ride

The ride home I booked the last flight out. I thought this one would be the easy one because Thor is usually so happy in the evening. Oh, not so this day. On my way to the gate I was balancing my coat, him, his stroller, his carseat, his diaper bag and an extra carryon. He was so fussy that he just wanted me to hold him. But I couldn't balance and push everything in the stroller and hold him at the same time! So for an hour I entertained him just enough to keep him from crying, but not enough so he was quiet--he was still letting out short, protesting yells. But this time the plane wasn't full so they let me bring his carseat on board and use a seat. Hallelujah!

Don't let the smile fool you--he was punch-drunk happy at this point, acting totally silly. The only way he calmed down enough to sleep was after they turned out the cabin lights and I strapped him into his carseat and ignored his protests. He fell asleep pretty quickly after that.

Our Visit with the Ronnows

Stacy and Kysa met me and Thor at the airport. (Sabre and Gary stayed home this time.) We immediately went Christmas shopping for the next 2 days since I had left it all for then. We ate dinner at Mom and Dad's house Thursday and Friday and saw an assortment of aunts, uncles and cousins. Stacy and Allan's kids were especially good to Thor. They played with him so sweetly! Kysa would shake his hands and say, "Nice ta meetcha!" and Thor would just double over laughing. He would wave "hi" and "bye" to them.  And they taught him how to shake his head "no"! Mostly, he just loved to sit on the floor with them and watch them play. He was actively learning how to be a big kid. New Baby Ronnow is so lucky to be coming into this family of good big brothers and sister.

Then we had Richard's birthday at Mom's house on Saturday night. It was really nice to catch up with Richard and Abby. I read their blog everyday, but sometimes it's nice to talk in person. On Sunday, we had the Ronnow family Christmas party.

I think everyone liked their presents. All my brothers and sisters and their spouses chipped in to buy Mom and Dad a new TV (their old one finally gave out after 10 years)--I really think it surprised them! And we ate tons of good food.

Poor Allan James! Sunday was his only day off while I was there. He works so hard at the post office, especially around Christmas time. But Stacy kept me company. She is now 12 weeks pregnant and I am still hoping for a boy cousin for Thor. We shall see . . .

On Monday, we went to Mindy's house to take Thor's pictures. Check out this post for the fabulous resulting photos! Then Thor and I had a quiet dinner with just Mom, Dad, and Christina. And on Tuesday Chantelle put false eyelash extensions on me. I like them, but I don't think I will keep them because it's too hard to swim with them on.  Mom and Dad came to say goodbye to me and Thor.

Everyone was so good to us while we were there. Thanks to everyone for all the fun memories. Special thanks to Allan and Stacy who entertained us both even though Stacy wasn't feeling the best from being pregnant and Allan was so busy at work. You guys are awesome. We love you all!

Thor's First Flight

We went to see our Grandma Jenny--and assorted other people ;-) --on December 15.  It was Thor's first time in an airplane. I took the earliest flight, which meant that we woke up at 3am to get ready and check in by 4:30. Thor was pretty good during that part.

Thor was sitting in my lap for the flight. We got an aisle seat and he talked and giggled and laughed at everyone that walked by.

When the attendant gave instructions, she spoke to me in particular to remind me to put my mask on before helping him. Thor looked up at her, gave a huge Thor grin, and waved! Everyone laughed. It was the first time he had waved. Then he started doing it all the time. As soon as we taxied from the gate, Thor fell asleep for the whole airplane ride. All in all, a good experience.

Our Backyard "Park"

We have a beautiful park across the street from us, next to the school. It's nice to go there, but then I realized that Thor can't really play on anything yet and our big backyard was probably the same amount of fun for him. So now we drag a blanket out back under one of the trees and play in the sunshine. I took these pictures December 10.

I'm so glad that the weather is nice enough to go outside now and that Thor is old enough to enjoy it.

Grandma Cindy Visits

Gary's mom Cindy came for Thanksgiving. It is rare that we have anyone from either family come for Thanksgiving. Actually, the only time was in 2003 when Mary and Kenneth brought Grandma to see Kenneth's family on Thanksgiving and Grandma and I went shopping on Black Friday together. She shopped me into the ground! We didn't stop until 6pm that night. The rest of you have no reasons not to come to Phoenix on Thanksgiving--it is beautiful weather! But I digress. . .

So Cindy braved the crowds on airplanes. And for some reason, I don't have any pictures of that weekend except these:

It reminds me that I need to expand my photography skills from focusing only on Thor. (But let me point out that we are sitting on our porch outside at 8 in the morning in bright sunlight in these pictures--come on people, really? You are really not going to come visit for Thanksgiving? The only person that has any excuse for not coming to see me is Abby because she doesn't like crowds, and I do live in suburbia, smack in the middle of the highway square--a 3x4 mile rectangle hemmed in on all sides by 4 different highways. But still, Abby, I think you should come at least once!) But I am off track again . . .

We had so much going on that weekend! Besides Cindy, Shane, Jenn, John, and Bronson came over for Thanksgiving dinner and Eddie and Maria Lynn stopped by for dessert. We played games and ate a lot of pie. The next day, Gary and Cindy went shopping with me.  We had a nice visit.