The Working Mommy Debate

Every now and then, usually when the weather gets better, I find myself aching to ditch my full-time job and work part-time or be a SAHM. While this isn't exactly feasible at the moment while my husband looks for a job, I feel the need to weigh the pros and cons of being a working mommy - maybe you have these feelings, too, or perhaps I just need a reminder every now and then:

Cons of being a working mom:
- Missing out on many "firsts" and fun activities: Zach's first time on a swing, numerous storytimes, lunches, playdates and classes
- Only seeing my kids for 2-3 hours at MOST each week day
- Squeezing in valuable family time on the weekends, in-between birthday parties and errands
- Not really knowing your kids' daily routines/activities - who they play with, how they play, etc.
- Saying goodbye in the mornings and seeing the look of sadness on the kids' faces when I leave

Pros of being a working mom:
- A paycheck! i.e. not having to worry what my husband will think if I want to buy a new pair of shoes or get a manicure
- I get to eat lunch, make a call and check emails in peace and quiet
- "Me time" - usually when I'm commuting, but time to myself that I wouldn't have if I were at home
- Being able to leave work at a certain time to get home to relieve the nanny (whereas you ARE the nanny as a SAHM!
- Seeing the pure look of joy on my kids' faces when I walk in the door after a long day of work
- Showing your kids that you are a super-mommy - able to do it all

There are many more pros and cons but these are the first that came to mind. While I enjoy all of the pros of working, I hope that one day I'll have the chance to have some more flexibility in my schedule and test out what being a SAHM is like (maternity leave excluded - being completely sleep-deprived doesn't really count)!

EI Update

This just in: Zach will be getting physical therapy once/week at our house for 45 minutes to help with his delayed gross motor skills. While the evaluation report said his other (i.e. verbal, fine motor, social, etc.) skills were all age appropriate or better, his gross motor skills are still significantly delayed, and the state apparently agreed. I look forward to getting him the help that he needs so that he can run and play this summer! More updates to come.

Little Man

With the hoopla of the first birthday come and gone, it has been fun looking back on what I was doing this time, last year (just had his bris, was about to miss out on Mother's Day due to a horrid allergic reaction to my c-section strips...) and being very relieved that I'm on to new and different things this year.

Zach's first birthday was a lot of fun - he had a great time listening to the music (he was very intently watching) and had the most fun shoving an entire piece of cake in his mouth for the first time. Probably the highlight of his whole year! Abby loved watching him, too, and I just sat back and took pictures while marveling at my baby boy turning into a big boy. Oh, and not to worry, he is still "little" in some ways - he measured in the 3rd percentile for height and 6th for weight at his 1-year check-up!

Of course, I have some sadness at the fact that he is no longer a baby as he is most likely my last child (I say that with a 1% chance of changing my mind, never say never!). I know that in no time, I'll be chasing him around the park, telling him to stop bugging his sister and complaining about the "terrible twos" (or threes, in Abby's case). But in the the meantime, I am just so happy to have my little boy, who delights in the littlest things (balloons! paper towel rolls! Sadie's kisses! his sister's tickles!) and makes my world that much better.

I am so lucky to be Abby and Zach's mommy and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't feel blessed to have these two little people in my life, who make my life complete.

Happy Mother's Day to all the great mommies out there!