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)!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
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.
Friday, May 6, 2011
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!
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!
Friday, April 29, 2011
One Year Later
Well, friends, it seems that being a working mommy of 2 with a new job has proven to be busier than before, as my last post is from early February!!!
Since then, I have become fully immersed in my new job. In April, I traveled to Houston for the NCAA Final Four (which was a huge blast and a lot of work) for 6 nights. It was a long time to be away from the family, but Jason held down the fort with some help from our nanny and his parents. My boss is currently on maternity leave, so I've had some good opportunities to interact with senior management on several projects and get visibility to things I normally wouldn't have. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm coming along nicely, or so I think I am!
In March, Jason and I took Abby skiing for the first time with friends of ours (and hers). She definitely didn't love it at first, but she got adjusted and seemd to enjoy it. She requested a ride on the chair lift, which we promised her on our next ski trip (next winter). Abby's also been going through a major "dress" phase - she wants to wear a dress EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. and cries if she doesn't! Every morning, the first words out of her mouth are: "Mommy, can I wear a dress today?" My almost 4-yr-old little girl is growing up fast, because she also requests a necklace and "party shoes" to go with it!
My little pumpkin Zach turns one tomorrow. I have NO idea where the past year went - it seemed to just fly by! The one thing that hasn't changed is he is still the happiest baby I have ever seen. The kid doesn't cry (unless you take something away from him that he wants, like the remote or a brush)! He is a good eater for things that he likes but he refuses any/all meats (i.e. chicken, turkey, steak, fish) as well as beans. He does LOVE cheese, cottage cheese, veggies, pasta, sweet potatoes, yogurt, fruit and bread, so pizza and grilled cheese are generally his favorite foods. At his 1-yr appointment on Monday, I plan to ask our doctor what I can do to get him to eat our "staple" foods (i.e. chicken and turkey) more so that he doesn't live on cheese and pasta!
Developmentally, he is doing ok. His fine motor skills (talking, pincer grasp, waving, clapping, etc.) are good but he is still delayed in his gross motor skills. We had him re-evaluated for Early Intervention this week and the reco will be to give him PT services, with a focus on sensory PT - he doesn't understand the space around his body, so when he leans forward or to the side, he doesn't yet put his hands out in front of him, which makes learning to walk or crawl quite difficult. He is not crawling or walking yet, so we still have a long way to go, but he is quite squirmy and rolls around everywhere so I know we'll have our hands full soon enough.
I just can't believe that a year ago today, Abby was still an only child and Zach hadn't come into our lives yet. He is such a joy and I can't wait to see what this next year brings for him (and us) - I know it will be so much fun to see him walk for the first time, start talking (though he does say "hi daddy" as clear as day) and of course, become more independent. In the meantime, we'll celebrate with pizza (his fave) and he'll have his first taste of cake tomorrow.
Happy first Birthday, little Zachary Jacob!!! Mommy, Daddy, Abby and Sadie love you!
Since then, I have become fully immersed in my new job. In April, I traveled to Houston for the NCAA Final Four (which was a huge blast and a lot of work) for 6 nights. It was a long time to be away from the family, but Jason held down the fort with some help from our nanny and his parents. My boss is currently on maternity leave, so I've had some good opportunities to interact with senior management on several projects and get visibility to things I normally wouldn't have. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm coming along nicely, or so I think I am!
In March, Jason and I took Abby skiing for the first time with friends of ours (and hers). She definitely didn't love it at first, but she got adjusted and seemd to enjoy it. She requested a ride on the chair lift, which we promised her on our next ski trip (next winter). Abby's also been going through a major "dress" phase - she wants to wear a dress EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. and cries if she doesn't! Every morning, the first words out of her mouth are: "Mommy, can I wear a dress today?" My almost 4-yr-old little girl is growing up fast, because she also requests a necklace and "party shoes" to go with it!
My little pumpkin Zach turns one tomorrow. I have NO idea where the past year went - it seemed to just fly by! The one thing that hasn't changed is he is still the happiest baby I have ever seen. The kid doesn't cry (unless you take something away from him that he wants, like the remote or a brush)! He is a good eater for things that he likes but he refuses any/all meats (i.e. chicken, turkey, steak, fish) as well as beans. He does LOVE cheese, cottage cheese, veggies, pasta, sweet potatoes, yogurt, fruit and bread, so pizza and grilled cheese are generally his favorite foods. At his 1-yr appointment on Monday, I plan to ask our doctor what I can do to get him to eat our "staple" foods (i.e. chicken and turkey) more so that he doesn't live on cheese and pasta!
Developmentally, he is doing ok. His fine motor skills (talking, pincer grasp, waving, clapping, etc.) are good but he is still delayed in his gross motor skills. We had him re-evaluated for Early Intervention this week and the reco will be to give him PT services, with a focus on sensory PT - he doesn't understand the space around his body, so when he leans forward or to the side, he doesn't yet put his hands out in front of him, which makes learning to walk or crawl quite difficult. He is not crawling or walking yet, so we still have a long way to go, but he is quite squirmy and rolls around everywhere so I know we'll have our hands full soon enough.
I just can't believe that a year ago today, Abby was still an only child and Zach hadn't come into our lives yet. He is such a joy and I can't wait to see what this next year brings for him (and us) - I know it will be so much fun to see him walk for the first time, start talking (though he does say "hi daddy" as clear as day) and of course, become more independent. In the meantime, we'll celebrate with pizza (his fave) and he'll have his first taste of cake tomorrow.
Happy first Birthday, little Zachary Jacob!!! Mommy, Daddy, Abby and Sadie love you!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A New Start
Today was Day 4 of my new job at LG Electronics and so far, I have survived. It is a HUGE change from where I worked previously in the beauty world and in the city, but I have to say, it's rather nice to be able to drive to work and work with more men than women. I am learning a lot and adjusting, but overall doing pretty well and looking forward to some of the exciting programs I'll be working on (i.e. I get to go to the NCAA Final Four in April!).
I very much enjoyed my week off in-between jobs (could have used more time, honestly!) and Jason and I escaped to Atlantic City for a few nights. The time we had there with no kids and no "real" obligations was amazing! We slept, ate (a lot), got some spa treatments, shopped, worked out and even hit the casino. It was a lovely escape.
When we came back from AC, we had Abby's CPSE evaluation meeting where we learned that she does not have any speech (or any other) disability and she won't be receiving services. We had her tested because we (and others) often have trouble understanding her, but the evaluators said it's within normal range for kids her age. She apparently is in the "superior" range for quantitative reasoning (numbers), high average verbally and below average for "visual spatial processing" (i.e. puzzles, shapes, etc.). They said she is smart, "adorable" and doing great. While I wasn't surprised to hear that news, I was a little surprised that they thought she wouldn't benefit from speech services.
Abby's been doing GREAT with the potty - peeing and pooping with little to no accidents! And she is in underwear at night and 9 out of 10 nights makes it through without waking up to go until the morning. Amazing accomplishment in such a short time!
Zach turned 9 months old at the end of the month and is doing great. He is still not a big guy - only 12% in height and 14% in weight - but cute as a button and happy as a clam. We got the go-ahead to try yogurt and cheese, both of which he loves. While we are still waiting for his EI evaluation results (late next week), the evaluators' initial thoughts were that he would not qualify for services. But with him being over 9 months and still not doing some big physical milestones yet (i.e. sitting up on his own, pulling up to stand, etc), I am hoping they'll qualify him! We shall see soon.
All in all, the past few weeks have been busy and exciting for everyone!
I very much enjoyed my week off in-between jobs (could have used more time, honestly!) and Jason and I escaped to Atlantic City for a few nights. The time we had there with no kids and no "real" obligations was amazing! We slept, ate (a lot), got some spa treatments, shopped, worked out and even hit the casino. It was a lovely escape.
When we came back from AC, we had Abby's CPSE evaluation meeting where we learned that she does not have any speech (or any other) disability and she won't be receiving services. We had her tested because we (and others) often have trouble understanding her, but the evaluators said it's within normal range for kids her age. She apparently is in the "superior" range for quantitative reasoning (numbers), high average verbally and below average for "visual spatial processing" (i.e. puzzles, shapes, etc.). They said she is smart, "adorable" and doing great. While I wasn't surprised to hear that news, I was a little surprised that they thought she wouldn't benefit from speech services.
Abby's been doing GREAT with the potty - peeing and pooping with little to no accidents! And she is in underwear at night and 9 out of 10 nights makes it through without waking up to go until the morning. Amazing accomplishment in such a short time!
Zach turned 9 months old at the end of the month and is doing great. He is still not a big guy - only 12% in height and 14% in weight - but cute as a button and happy as a clam. We got the go-ahead to try yogurt and cheese, both of which he loves. While we are still waiting for his EI evaluation results (late next week), the evaluators' initial thoughts were that he would not qualify for services. But with him being over 9 months and still not doing some big physical milestones yet (i.e. sitting up on his own, pulling up to stand, etc), I am hoping they'll qualify him! We shall see soon.
All in all, the past few weeks have been busy and exciting for everyone!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Change, Change, Change
Some exciting new changes to report in the Strongin household!
First, last night was the first night Abby wore her big girl underwear to bed and she stayed completely dry from 8 pm - 7:30 am! This is amazing, considering it was just 3 short weeks ago that she refused to even SIT on the potty and was waking up with a soaked diaper each morning. So given how well she has been doing with both pee and poop lately, we thought we'd try underwear last night and she once again surprised us! So we are saying goodbye to pull-ups officially!
The next big change is that I am going to be leaving my current job of almost 6 years and starting a new job a little closer to home! I'm leaving L'Oreal at the end of the month and have accepted a new job at LG Electronics doing partnerships and promotions for their electronics & appliances. It will be a welcome and interesting change for me to be in this new, exciting category. And, I'll be 30 mins closer to home and will drive to work.
And not to leave out the little guy, we started the process for early intervention evaluation for Zach. We'll know more in a few weeks but at least we got the ball rolling.
Lots of excitement to start out the new year!
First, last night was the first night Abby wore her big girl underwear to bed and she stayed completely dry from 8 pm - 7:30 am! This is amazing, considering it was just 3 short weeks ago that she refused to even SIT on the potty and was waking up with a soaked diaper each morning. So given how well she has been doing with both pee and poop lately, we thought we'd try underwear last night and she once again surprised us! So we are saying goodbye to pull-ups officially!
The next big change is that I am going to be leaving my current job of almost 6 years and starting a new job a little closer to home! I'm leaving L'Oreal at the end of the month and have accepted a new job at LG Electronics doing partnerships and promotions for their electronics & appliances. It will be a welcome and interesting change for me to be in this new, exciting category. And, I'll be 30 mins closer to home and will drive to work.
And not to leave out the little guy, we started the process for early intervention evaluation for Zach. We'll know more in a few weeks but at least we got the ball rolling.
Lots of excitement to start out the new year!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
2011 - We're Off to a Great Start (Mostly)!
Happy New Year!
I find it hard to believe that I am sitting here 13 days after Abby first wore underwear and started using the potty, telling you that I think my little girl is 99%potty trained! She has been pooping on the potty the past few days and most recently, is staying dry at night, too! Last night she woke up at 9:30 pm and today at 6:40 am to pee, but her pull-up was dry for the 4th night in a row! I am just sooooo proud of her and I can't believe how easy it was once we fully committed to it. She adjusted beautifully to having no pacifier and to the big girl bed, so I don't know why I am so surprised about the potty training, other than her stubbornness to go prior to this. My big girl is growing up right before my eyes!!!
In other news, Abby has part 1 of her speech evaluation tonight and parts 2 & 3 next week. Since her teachers (and we) have a hard time understanding her sometimes, we thought we might as well do the free evaluation and find out if she needs any help to clarify her words.
We are also having Zach (who is sick at the moment, courtesy of mom and big sis) evaluated for possible early intervention. My adorable little 8-month old is soooo laid back that he doesn't seem to want to move very much - from back to front, to get up on all fours or sit up by himself. His pediatrician said he may not need it, but we should at least get the process started, so I will be setting up those evaluations soon.
One new and exciting addition to our house is that now Zach finally has his own room! The contractors came the last week of the year to build a wall in our loft, so now the little guy has his own space at last. My job: decorate it so it looks cute but don't go overboard as I did with Abby's nursery!
A lot is going on in our household for the first week of 2011 so it promises to be a busy but hopefully great and rewarding year!
And a quick shout-out to Abby & Zach's great-grandma Zita, who is not reading this but who is celebrating her 83rd birthday today! Happy Birthday, Grandma Z!
I find it hard to believe that I am sitting here 13 days after Abby first wore underwear and started using the potty, telling you that I think my little girl is 99%potty trained! She has been pooping on the potty the past few days and most recently, is staying dry at night, too! Last night she woke up at 9:30 pm and today at 6:40 am to pee, but her pull-up was dry for the 4th night in a row! I am just sooooo proud of her and I can't believe how easy it was once we fully committed to it. She adjusted beautifully to having no pacifier and to the big girl bed, so I don't know why I am so surprised about the potty training, other than her stubbornness to go prior to this. My big girl is growing up right before my eyes!!!
In other news, Abby has part 1 of her speech evaluation tonight and parts 2 & 3 next week. Since her teachers (and we) have a hard time understanding her sometimes, we thought we might as well do the free evaluation and find out if she needs any help to clarify her words.
We are also having Zach (who is sick at the moment, courtesy of mom and big sis) evaluated for possible early intervention. My adorable little 8-month old is soooo laid back that he doesn't seem to want to move very much - from back to front, to get up on all fours or sit up by himself. His pediatrician said he may not need it, but we should at least get the process started, so I will be setting up those evaluations soon.
One new and exciting addition to our house is that now Zach finally has his own room! The contractors came the last week of the year to build a wall in our loft, so now the little guy has his own space at last. My job: decorate it so it looks cute but don't go overboard as I did with Abby's nursery!
A lot is going on in our household for the first week of 2011 so it promises to be a busy but hopefully great and rewarding year!
And a quick shout-out to Abby & Zach's great-grandma Zita, who is not reading this but who is celebrating her 83rd birthday today! Happy Birthday, Grandma Z!
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