Recently a friend asked me about the pro’s and con’s of the City Mini stroller vs. the Maclaren Techno XLR stroller so I thought I would share my thoughts with everyone since we own both.  If you are in the market for a stroller, I hope this is helpful.

City Mini:

• Pro’s
  • Incredibly lightweight – less than 17lbs
  • Super easy to open and close; you can do it with one hand
  • Easy to buckle the baby in and you can do it quickly
  • Extremely easy to maneuver especially over curbs and through doorways
  • Single front wheel makes for simple turns and for those that like to jog, the front wheel locks for a smooth run
  • Great coverage for keeping your little one out of the sun.  Peep windows on the hood allow you to check on your baby while you walk/jog
  • One handle bar so you can put the Skip Hop diaper bag on it and push with one hand
  • Excellent for multi-terrain usage
  • Not overly expensive – $229 range
• Con’s
  • All of the accessories are sold separately; belly bar, parent pack, cup holder, feeding tray
  • The basket on the bottom is small and there is no back mesh pocket
  • Not as luxurious or probably as comfortable a seat as some of the others since there is not much padding but our little one’s don’t know any different anyway

Maclaren XLR:

• Pro:
  • Extremely well made, sturdy and durable
  • Much more luxurious seat and probably more comfortable
  • Two handles – can hang packages from them but be careful they aren’t too heavy and tip the stroller
  • Baskets are much roomier and you can fit more
• Con:
  • Heavier and bulkier than the City Mini
  • Not as easy to open and close but still doable in a flash
  • Lock on the harness is really tight and sometimes tough to undo in a rush
  • Maneuverability around corners or making turns is not very smooth
  • Coverage from the sun is fair at best
  • More expensive – about $350

My personal preference happens to be the City Mini on most occassions especially when we are in NYC.  Darren calls it the ‘Porche’ of strollers and I have to agree.

I can’t believe that it was eight months ago today that I came into this world.  Mommy can’t believe it either.  The time is going by very quickly.  I must say that being eight months old is fabulous.  I can pretty much sit up all by myself and play with my toys for periods of time.  I love taking things out of boxes and putting everything and anything in my mouth including the remote for the TV.  I am still teething away but not a single tooth yet.  Mom was a late teether so I must be just like her.  Eventually they will all start to pop out and then I’ll have a mouth full of teeth.  I am a really good eater and think baby food is far better than formula lately.  I enjoy just about everything with squash, carrots, green beans, mango, and bananas topping my list of favorites.  I can’t wait til I can eat table food because all I do is stare and mommy and daddy when they eat.  What is on their plate looks quite interesting. Also, my grandma’s can’t wait to give me a cookie and ice cream so I’m looking forward to that too.

Since the summer has finally descended upon us, I am hitting the pool just about every day.  Not to worry, mommy covers me in sunscreen and I’m always wearing a hat so I don’t get too much sun or a sunburn.  After couple of times of getting used to the water, I am loving the pool.  Grandma Bobbie is teaching me to swim and I’m having a great time splashing away.  Later this summer Mom and Dad are taking me on my first vacation to the Hamptons and I’m so excited since I will have my first beach experience.  I’m piqued with curiosity about the feel of the sand and the ocean.  I’ll try not to take home too much of the beach with me when we leave but somehow I think that is inevitable.

I’m still not mobile yet which is a blessing for Mom and Dad.  I can sit outside all day and play, play, play but I can’t go anywhere.  Just wait.  Once the holidays are upon us I have a feeling they will be chasing me around the house.  Daddy says he wants to exercise more, well I promise to give him quite the workout later this year.

It’s been a fabulous year so far and I am so excited for what lies ahead.  More music class, my first gymboree class later this fall and all sorts of other wonderful experiences.  It’s been a blast to date and I can’t wait for more!

It’s been awhile since I gave an update on my time at the pool.  I have to say, I am really starting to enjoy it.  The weather has not been overly cooperative so I haven’t had as many opportunities to get comfortable with the water as I had hoped.  But the last few days have been pool weather so Mom has been working with me and I am loving it!  Those that are regular readers of Hermanweb know that the first time I hit the water, I cried.  This week there were no tears to be found.  Mom splashed a little water on my arms and legs and then I was raring to go.  I rode in my floaty for awhile kicking my feet and reaching over to touch the water with my hands.  I had my serious face on but I was enjoying it.  I splashed and splashed getting my face all wet.  It was so much fun.  Grandma Bobbie came over today and helped me get even more comfortable by helping me float on my tummy so I could keep my head up and look around while I kicked.  Then Daddy got into the action and really pushed my limits by introducing me to going under the water but only to the tip of my nose.  I didn’t cry but I was really puzzled by what he was doing.  Mom’s goal is for me to go completely under later this summer so I’m not afraid of the water.  As scary as it can be, I need to be able to swim and everyone says that I have to go all the way under at a young age so I’m not fearful when I get older.  I’m waiting to see if they really go thru with it.  We shall see.  Until then, I will be kicking, splashing and having a blast as long as the rain stays away.

I just finished watching an interesting segment on Today about the changing role of dads and how many fathers have become ’stay at home dads’ while their wives returned to the workforce.  Profiling former high level executives from leading financial services firms, the segment showed how Dad’s have had to step it up and take responsibility for their children and their homes since losing their jobs as a result of the economic downturn.  There are now ‘Daddy & Me” meetups in parks and get togethers for ‘Stay at Home Dads”.  The segment quoted that membership in the ‘Stay at Home Dad’ meetup group on Meetup.com has more than doubled in the last six months.  With 75+ members in the NYC group these Dad’s admittedly are just trying to keep things afloat until they find a job.  They all acknowledge how hard it is to stay home and have a new appreciation for the wives who once were home juggling feeding schedules, diaper changes, music classes and other activities.  I have yet to stumble upon these men on the days I spend in Central Park but I’m sure they are there.  In fact, I am seeing many more mom’s strolling the city streets with their little ones than ever before.  Slowly but surely I think we are seeing more and more stay at home moms or dads.  It will be interesting to see when the economy picks up how many will choose to stay home indefinitely vs. those that choose to return to the workforce.

On Friday, I will be seven months old.  Wow, seven months!  The time is flying and I’m starting to get really good at things.  I’m a big talker first of all…must take after my Uncle Kenny since he’s the ‘mayor’ in my book.  Hopefully I will have his way with the ladies too when I get older.  I’m Mr. Social and flash my gummy smile to everyone I see but I don’t have any teeth yet.  I love to have conversations with my hands and feet and babble all day long.  I’ve already mastered ‘da-da’ but still haven’t gotten around to saying ‘ma-ma’.  Sorry Mommy.

I finally learned how to roll over from my belly to my back.  What a milestone!  Now every time Mommy is lotioning my back and tushie, I find it necessary to roll right over so she picks me up and lets me do it over and over til I get cranky.  I still haven’t figured out how to roll from my back to my belly.  I’m almost there though, maybe next month.

My biggest achievement to date is my ability to eat.  I love my fruits and veggies.  Surprisingly, I like the green veggies as much as the yellow.  While I am a good eater most of the time, if I’m not in the mood I lock my lips so don’t even try to get something in there.  It’s not going to work.  My favorite foods are bananas, pears, carrots and peas.  Mom keeps introducing me to new things and most of them are good.  Over the next couple of weeks she said she is going to add some exciting new foods to my diet including chicken, turkey and beef.  I wonder how I will like those.  She also can’t wait to mash up a good melon like cantaloupe or honeydew since she says they are yummy sweet and very healthy.  Aside from food, I like drinking water.  My doctor said I can have a little bit when I am outside on a hot day or a few sips when I am eating my lunch or dinner.  He said I could start to use a sippy cup but I didn’t like it that much so Mom tried giving me a few sips right from the cup and I like that MUCH better.  Looks like she is going to be teaching me to use a real cup very soon.

Developmentally, I’ve come a long way in the past month.  Aside from rolling over one way, I’m getting much better at sitting.  I also grab and reach for toys that are nearby.  I can hold a toy in each hand and transfer one to the other too.  I love to stare at my hands and marvel as I make them move.  My feet are by far my favorite body party that I’ve discovered.  I’m in heaven when Mom lets me be barefoot and I can grab hold of my toes.  It’s the best part of my day when I can lay on my back and put my feet in my mouth.  Nothing is better than that!

It’s been such an exciting month for me (not to mention, Daddy who was in the New York Times on Sunday).  I can’t wait to see what next month has in store for me.  It certainly is going to be an exciting summer!

Summer is just about upon us and it’s pool time!  Mommy is so excited to be home with me in the summer and for the two of us to hit the pool for some splish splash time.  Last weekend the weather was absolutely beautiful so Mom put me in my swimsuit and lotioned me up so we could make my maiden voyage to the pool.  Needless to say it wasn’t quite what she hoped for.  The water in the kiddie pool was quite chilly and my little feets didn’t like it in the slightest.  I’m used to the warm water of my bath tub where I can splash all over the place without feeling chilly.  I put up a bit of a stink so that didn’t last too long.  We then sat under an umbrella on the lounge chair and I took in the scene.  Forty-five minutes later we were back home and I was a happy camper again.

Mom would not give up though so yesterday it was time for the pool again.  This time we packed up and headed over to Grandma Bobbie’s.  Grandma Bobbie’s good friend Heidi has a big pool and she and Mommy vowed to get me to like the water.  Once again I wasn’t thrilled with the cold water but Mom and Grandma didn’t give up.  They splashed water on my toesies and legs until it didn’t feel so bad and then I started kicking a little.  I had my serious face on as I was still trying to make sense of this whole experience but by the end of the afternoon it was getting better.  Hopefully, next time I will like it even more.  We have a whole summer of fun ahead of us!

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.

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.