Bouncy seats, minivans with automatic opening doors, drive-thru banking and dining, diaper genies, waterproof sheets, pack and plays with vibrating bassinets, bottles that disinfect in the microwave in seconds–these are just a few 'things' that make a moms life easier.

I sometimes sit back and think how my mother handled three kids with none of these accessories that make my life as a mother easier. And yet, life as a mother is still hard. In some aspects, it's harder now than it was, say, 50 years ago.

Why is that? Why would I possibly say something like that when I have a million gadgets at my disposal that were designed to make my life easier?

I think it's because I have a choice. The women's movement gave us a choice on what we wanted to be when we grew up. No longer were we bound by the traditional wife and mother role that was our ancestors' fate. That choice, which I honor and appreciate on a daily basis, comes with some negative side effects.

What could possibly be negative about having a choice as to how you live your life as a mother?

The number one negative result is that women seem to have turned against each other. It's working moms versus stay-at-home moms. It's the single women against working moms. Who works longer? Who does more? In the work place, I remember hearing people say things about the moms who left at 5 p.m. How dare they? Who gets less sleep? Moms who have one child versus the mom who has three. Every mom seems to have a rougher time of it than the next mom.

When we aren't turning against each other, we are complaining to each other. Our husbands travel too much, the school did 'this,' the bills, the neighbors, the lack of 'me' time, the fact that no one cleans or puts anything away, there is always something to complain about. Even with all my 'gadgets' that were made to make life easier, I still find myself complaining.

It's ridiculous that we even take that time to complain to each other anyway. None of us has the time for it. If you have time to complain, then you probably had time to make a healthy dinner, pay the bills, clean the house, or any number of other tasks that you are complaining about.

I'm complaining because it's a full-time job and I had a choice. Sometimes there are days that I'm not sure about the choice I made. Sometimes I feel like it might have been easier if I didn't have a choice.

As a stay-at-home mom, I often find myself jealous of the moms who get out of the house every day and have their coffee in peace. They go to work and enjoy talking to adults instead of making baby talk and cleaning up spit-up all day.

I'm not saying my life is harder than my mother's either. If you ask your father if he changed your diaper, don't be surprised to find out that he didn't. It wasn't his job. My mom didn't go away for a girls' weekend. She does now, but back when I was growing up, she never left us.

These days, it's expected for the husband to change diapers, get up in the middle of the night with crying babies and stay home with the kids when us moms go away for a night or two with our friends. I don't remember my mom complaining about her job either. Everyone's role and their expectations have changed.

When Teddy, my second child was born, I was overwhelmed. I remember one day sending an email to my old work friends at SAP America. I begged them to find me a job. I was ready to pack my boys up and send them to daycare.

By the time they got back to me, I had realized my mistake. I wasn't ready. I had made my choice and I knew I would regret changing my mind so early on. I can just imagine starting a job and quitting a week later because I missed my babies so much.

Of course, now, as I type this and hear "Mom, where is my DS?," "Mom, can you tie my shoe?," "Mom, I can't figure out how to put these legos together," "Mom, I'm hungry," "Mom, I'm thirsty," "Mom, I'm sick," "I want this, I want that" with some crying, whining, or fighting.

The house is a mess and I don't know what is for dinner and, yes, I'm complaining about it over the phone with my girlfriend, while cruising the Internet at the same time.

That's when I saw it: SAP America is hiring 500 new employees for their Newtown Square headquarters. Maybe it is time to try being a liberated, independent woman again.