BACK!!

Happy fall! Sorry to have disappeared for a bit. We started our September with a trip to Israel to introduce Benji to the other side of the family. What an amazing trip! Benji got to meet his cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I was surprised how well he adjusted to the time difference. There is a 7 hour difference and I was sure he would be confusing day for night and visa versa. Because we took at midnight flight there, he was so tired from being awake at the airport that he passed out almost the entire 9 hour flight there! When we arrived it was already 5pm Israel time and I was sure he wouldn't sleep again so soon, but after all of the activity of meeting the new family, he passed out again around 9pm until 6am the next morning!
Now we are back in New York and that means back to work as well. Things have been getting steadily busier for me since I went back to work in July after maternity leave. Currently working on a variety of residential projects, it has been a true challenge to balance my new life as a working mom. On top of that, Itamar (my husband for new followers) is out both Tuesday and Thursday nights for work and basketball. That leaves me with a lot to do on those days since I jump right from work into Benji time with no break until he goes to sleep. These past few nights he has decided to move his bedtime from around 7:30pm to 9pm, leaving me with much less evening time for myself.

All in all, busy but in a good way. I will begin writing about some of my new projects, home and design tips and more so please check back for new and regular updates! Happy September. :)

So my first month at work is nearing its end. I have been fortunate enough to have help from my mother this summer until she goes back to work in Septmember. Since I work with my father near their home, I have been able to see Benji during the day whenever I want.

At first I was skeptical about this arrangement. I was afraid that I would be too distracted and not be able to focus on work. It has turned out to be the opposite. With Benji nearby, I have felt more relaxed and more focused since I know I can pop in to say hi at any time. I also don't get those pangs of guilt for leaving him at home while I am far away. This has made my transition back to work much more comfortable.
I am beginning to dread leaving him at home with a nanny for 8-10 hours a day come September when my mother is no longer available to help me. Finding the right person to care for your child while you are not around is a seemingly impossible task. I have met with a few nannies so far but none that have given me that "feeling" I am looking for. Am I being too overprotective, or are my standards set too high? If you don't set your standards high for your child though, then for what? I will keep looking for that Mary Poppins of a nanny through August and hopefully we can find someone that makes me feel as comfortable as a mother can feel when leaving her child in someone else’s care.

Back To Work With Baby!

Well, it has been a busy first week back to work after a 3 month maternity leave. Although I had prepared mentally for this time, knowing that it would not be the same as before, it was still difficult to make that adjustment.

I had set up some phone meetings with potential clients for this week, only to find out that the day I had planned them, my nanny was unable to come as scheduled. This left me to decide whether to change the calls to another time, or take the chance that Benji would either be sleeping or quiet during the meeting. In the end I managed to get him to sleep about 20 minutes before, so I was able to keep the appointments. Needless to say it was another reminder that life as a working mom will not be the same as before!

On a positive note, I have realized that I am able to get a lot done in less time. I think there is actually room for more efficiency when time is more limited. We spend so much of the day wasted on checking unimportant emails, surfing or researching things that are not top priority. When faced with a more limited schedule, I found that I can actually get a lot more of the important stuff done. Working under pressure seems to be more productive for me in the end.

I read a quote this morning from an article in Entrepreneur.com that said "The only thing that separates those who become entrepreneurs from those who don't is moving forward despite any fear." Entrepreneur Mom
This speaks to me since there is always fear when taking on such challenges as raising a family and nourishing a business. Fear of financial stability, fear of failure and fear of time to name a few. Although there is this fear, there is also an excitement and drive to get to work. To have that independent feeling again and to use your brain cells for things other than singing the ABC's!

All in all, it was good to be back in the professional world and I look forward to the challenges of balancing my personal life with my professional life.
Have a great weekend!