When I decided to stop working and be a stay at home mom, I was super excited not be reporting to anyone and was ecstatic at the opportunity to be my own boss.  Who was I kidding?  My former boss, who was truly amazing, has been replaced by a pint sized CEO who is running a business without a business plan, sans weekly strategy meetings and loves to manage my calendar to his own liking with changes being made on the fly.   This little guy really knows how to work me and while the recent survey on salary.com said the work of a stay at home mom is valued at $127,000 annually, I think that is nice but hardly adequate given the 24/7 job we have.

The daily grind of the corporate world however, did prepare me for motherhood.  Shocking, I know.  But I came from a world that was fast-paced, forever changing on a dime and required me to master multi-tasking to be successful.  I was a planner, strategist, and executioner, and its a good thing I learned those skills because I am using them more than I ever thought I would as a stay at home mom.  It is truly a 24/7 position that you can’t resign from.  Once you’re in, you’re in and you will be busier than you ever thought possible.  And the sad part is night time will come around and you will think to yourself, what DID I do all day?

For me, the day begins anywhere from 6-8am, where more often than not, the start is closer to 6am than 8am, especially since teething has kicked in.  I usually awake to the little man talking up a storm and then slowly the talking turns to complaining as he’s wide awake now and ready to start the day.  A big smile awaits me as I walk down the hall and then the day officially starts.  The diaper changes, feeding, playing, getting him dressed, planning our day, packing up the diaper bag, heading out to whatever we have planned, doing laundry, making dinner, straightening the house, bath time and the list goes on and on.  David doesn’t have a true schedule as he is not a big napper some days so he is up and at it, looking to be busy every minute of his waking hours.  And for someone that doesn’t go to bed until after 9pm, those are a lot of waking hours to fill.  Lucky for me though David is capable of entertaining himself when necessary but he is one active little dude!

Feeding, diapering and getting dressed are the biggest time drains in my opinion.  Meal-time was once so simple, warm up a bottle and serve.  But now that food is in the mix, that adds another layer of complexity and takes more time.  Meal-time is a guessing game as to whether or not he will be interested in food on any given day.  Some days he is an amazing eater and the next his lips are locked tigher than Fort Knox.  Go figure.  In addition to feeding there are the diaper changes which normally can be quick and painless but with the introduction of food they have become more complex.  Either he wears the food after he rubs his face and then proceeds to rub it on everything around him, or he knocks the spoon and a nice glob of food ends somewhere other than his bib.  Thus, a wardrobe change is sometimes in order.  And of course there are the poops – the really big poops that manage to exit the diaper and end up on his clothes.  Time for a new outfit and thus, more clothes for the laundry.   These are all the basics.  We haven’t gotten to the phone calls that come in, the bills that need to be paid, the shower that needs to be taken and all the household chores to get done all the while you are taking care of the baby and entertaining him too.  There has to be time for fun and that is a necessity for both you and your child.  I am usually doing two things at once like folding laundry and playing peek-a-boo with David.  As I pull out towels from laundry and other items we cover our faces and guess who’s hiding.  Who said laundry is dull and boring?   Dinner time rolls around faster than you know it and before long Darren is walking in the door. I think I’ve done a good job of making a home cooked meal more often than not since David’s arrival but almost every day as I am preparing dinner I wonder where all the hours have gone.

I love being a stay at home mom and seeing everything first hand for myself.  I am really enjoying every minute of it but at times I do envy my friend’s who are still working just a little bit because they can have a warm cup of coffee uninterrupted, time to eat breakfast and can grab a few minutes to talk on the phone.   It’s all about trade offs, and what is best for each person and their family, and no one should judge.  No matter what your choices are you are a mother first and foremost and that is all that matters.

Last week Darren and I decided we wanted a little weekend getaway to recharge our batteries.  I spent hours scouring the internet for possible locations but most of the ideas we came up with didn’t work for one reason or another.  Then our good friends Shari & Steve recommended Turning Stone Resort & Casino, located 30 miles east of Syracuse.  We were very fortunate to find a room at The Lodge, the most exclusive accommodations at the resort, only days before we wanted to arrive.   With the downturn in the economy, the gaming industry has been hit hard and thus, we were able to secure a reservation only days before our arrival.

The Turning Stone in my opinion however, is more resort than casino.  Golf galore, two amazing spas, a pool, fitness center and over half a dozen restaurants, you really don’t feel that the casino is at the heart of the complex, especially when you stay at The Lodge.

Darren hit the links twice and I spent two days pampering myself with a spa experience.  He was impressed with the two 18-hole courses and thought they were challenging. So, while Darren was off perfecting his swing, I had a massage, facial and mani/pedi.  I thought the spa was very nicely done, had all the amenities one would look for including a hot tub, sauna and mineral pool.  The technicians were very professional and the services were quite good. I would definitely recommend Skana to anyone going to Turning Stone.

The restaurants were better than expected.  Most of the restaurants are in the main tower/casino area but there is one restaurant, Wildflowers, in the lodge.   We ate breakfast there both mornings and each time there was a wide selection of breakfast treats to choose from and everything was extremely fresh.  The waiters were ultra attentive and everyone aimed to please.  For dinner we dined at Forest Grill, the steakhouse, which was not the caliber of a New York steakhouse but it was still more than adequate and the prices were relatively moderate too.  We also dined at Pino Bianco, the Italian restaurant that had a wide variety to choose from.  The hotel is BYOB so if you plan on going, be sure to bring whatever alcohol you wish to consume.  The casino and hotel only serves water, coffee, tea, juice and soda.  If you do forget to bring a little vino, don’t fret, there is a liquor store just outside the premises where you can get most anything you are looking for.

The grounds at the Lodge were beautiful.  The blue stone patio in the rear of the lodge overlooks the gardens which are adorned with fresh flowers.  There are many chairs and a few cushy lounge chairs to relax on and enjoy the scenery.  Inside the lodge are several fireplaces, comfy chaise lounges and couches that you sink into.  It makes for a very homey and relaxing atmosphere.  They even serve free coffee and cookies for you to munch on while you curl up with a good book or just admire the view.

All in all, it was a wonderful getaway and we really enjoyed the experience.  Even the 4 hour drive didn’t seem so bad.  I guess it was because of the amazing company that I had :)

This weekend was the first of what will be many, many Herman family bat mitzvah’s.  For those of you that don’t know it, Darren has an enormous family on his Dad’s side so there are many celebrations ahead of us.  On Saturday morning, Samantha, the first of all of Darren’s cousin’s children was called to the beama in honor of her bat mitzvah.  The weekend celebration of this incredible milestone began however, on Friday night with a beautiful Shabbat dinner hosted by cousins Peter & Fran at their magnificent home in Wilton, Connecticut.  It was so fabulous for the entire Herman family to get together with many relatives traveling in from all over the country and Canada.  We had not seen many of them since our wedding almost two years ago so spending time with everyone was extra special.  It was also a thrill for Darren and me to introduce everyone to the newest addition to the Herman family.  As usual, David was all smiles and dazzled the entire family.  He graciously went to everyone and was happy as can be to meet his great aunts/uncles and cousins.  He can’t wait to grow a little so he can join the rest of the kids running around.

For the actual bat mitzvah on Saturday we left the little guy at home with my parents while we all attended the service and luncheon.  We arrived just as Samantha was going to begin her torah portion and she was remarkable.  She was poised, confident and truly rocked the shul!  She is going places – that is for sure.  We were all incredibly impressed by her sophisticated command of the service and expect nothing but amazing things are in her future.  After the service we all went back to cousin Caron and Johnny’s house to continue the celebration.  Cocktails were flowing and everyone was eating, dancing and enjoying the afternoon festivities.  Darren and I had a great time talking with family members that we don’t see very often and enjoyed some time without the baby to mix and mingle.  A great time was had by all and we look forward to the next celebration which is in September.

Mom, Dad and I have been spending a few days in the city.  While Dad has been hard at work whipping up digital media recipes at The Media Kitchen, Mom and I have been making the most of the big city.  We have been catching up with friends, lunching at some of her favorite upper east side locales and spending time in Central Park.  With this perfect spring weather, it is impossible not to take advantage of the outdoors.

Today after lunching with good friend Elizabeth, we headed to the park once again for a stroll but this time Mommy had a surprise for me.  We stopped at the Central Park Zoo and boy did I have a blast.  We arrived just before feeding time for the sea lions and Mom managed to get us a fabulous seat where I could see all the sea lions as they were being fed and doing some amazing tricks.  I thought it was so funny that I was giggling and talking.  Too bad they couldn’t understand me but I was having a blast and I wanted them to know it.  I was a very good boy and sat on Mom’s lap clasping my hands in excitement as I watched them dive in and out of the water.  Gee…they go splash, splash, just like me in the bathtub.  After feeding time was over and the sea lions disappeared, we wondered over to some of the other exhibits and I saw ducks, mallards, monkeys and other interesting furry animals.  Mom kept us far away from the reptile section though because she is afraid of them.  I guess Dad will need to be the brave soul and take me in to see those little (or not so little) slithery creatures.  Just when I thought our trip was over, Mom strolled me over to the children’s zoo where I was able to get up close to the pigs, lambs, sheeps, and llamas.  She didn’t let me get too close though so I wouldn’t get bitten (or get their slobbery goo near me).  We didn’t stay too long as the animals had a terrible smell and Mom was not a fan.  It was an enjoyable excursion and then we enjoyed the rest of the sunny afternoon on a blanket in the park where I gazed up at the sky and took in the city surroundings.  It was a great time and we both enjoyed it.  I wonder where she will take me on my next visit….hmmm.  I can’t wait!

Yesterday was my first Mother’s Day and it was truly amazing.   Darren made the day extra special from the moment I woke up until we went to bed.  He took the baby reigns for most of the day giving me time to sleep in, relax and enjoy a peaceful day which was terrific.  When I finally emerged from the bedroom just after 10am, Darren (with David as his assistant) whipped up a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and bagels with my favorite, salmon cream cheese so everything started off perfectly.  The rest of the morning was spent doing a few things around the house and taking a relaxing bath where I escaped for a little while.  It was so nice to have a little time off before we headed to our family for dinner with the Hermans and the Kepners.  The day was spectacular and I can’t thank Darren, our family and my friends enough for making my first Mother’s Day the best day I could have asked for.

Every Friday morning Mom and I are on the move to make it out of the house in time for our morning music class at the clubhouse.  I’ve been attending music class since I was 5 months old (wow, a whole month has gone by) and I really love it.  I am the littlest peanut in the class so I’m a little behind the pack of crawlers and first walkers but that’s okay.  I love looking at all the other kids and some even crawl up to me so we can check each other out.  Andy, our music teacher is fabulous. He comes up from the city to entertain us  and I’m so glad he does.  Mom can’t say enough good things about him and our class.  Boy is she right!  I’m having a blast rockin’ out to all the new baby songs I’m learning plus I’m being exposed to some of the timeless songs that have transcended the generations.  I absolutely love that we start out each class with “Sing A Song”, it’s definitely one of my favorite songs.  Mom sings it to me all week long and it reminds me of all the fun we have.  Andy brings lots of shakers, wave drums, puppets and other toys for us to shake, rattle and roll with was we groove to the music.  He’s such a great guitar player that we are all mesmirized.  He keeps all his fun toys in a big black suitcase which I’m excited to crawl up to once I learn how to be mobile.  I see all the other boys and girls piqued with curiosity about this big black bag on wheels that I can’t wait to be able to get up close and check it out for myself.  Friday is definitely my favorite day of the week!

This morning Mommy took me to the doctor for my six month check up and according to the doctor I am doing just great.  I am 26″ long and weigh 15lbs 15oz putting me in the 50th percentile for height but the 25th percentile for weight. Despite being really solid, I’m still a bit of a peanut according to the statistics.  Hard to believe it since I’m such a good eater and have already taken to my rice cereal really well.  I’ve been eating a tablespoon 3x a day for weeks now and I gobble up every last bite most of the time.  The doctor said I can start to try other cereals then fruit, then veggies and eventually meat and chicken.  By the time I’m 9 months old I should be eating a true breakfast, lunch and dinner with some formula.  I am also suppossed to start transition to a sippy cup so by the time I turn 1 I can drink from a regular cup.

Developmentally I am doing a great job.  I can sit up in the middle on my own as I have a very strong core.  I think I get that from Mom.  Thank goodness since I’m pretty much all Daddy and I have to have something from Mommy too so she doesn’t feel left out.  I haven’t quite figured out how to roll over yet but that will come in time.  The doctor says one day I’ll figure it out and then that is all I will want to do.  I have terrific use of my hands and can pick things up and transfer them from hand to hand so I’m right where I should be.  My tummy time is great as I can hold my head up at a 90 degree angle which is excellent.  Before my next visit, I should be starting to show signs of crawling and then I’ll really be on the move.

Its hard to believe that six months have gone by already.  I’ve been making phenomenal strides especially in the last couple of months and every day seems to bring something new so I’m really excited for the summer.  I’m looking forward to spending time at the playground and the pool.  I also can’t wait to take my first motor boat ride on Uncle Bob’s lake.  Now that is going to be a great time.  I just hope I don’t lose my hat…(or anything else).