by Wall Street Mama (USA) | Jul 26, 2011 | Guest Post, Motherhood, USA, Working Mother
Buzzzz…….Buzzzz…… It is 5 a.m., and my alarm clock just buzzes away. I hit snooze one too many times, and I have that same thought cross my mind as it does every morning. I wish I could call out of work today…… But, I never do.
I have been working on Wall Street for over 15 years, and something in my nature always keeps me going.
I commonly refer to myself as a “worker bee.” The worker bee in me has been married for eleven years, waited to have a baby for six years and then went through another three years of trying before our little miracle was conceived.
I pat myself on the back when I tell people I never took a single sick day while pregnant as an example of dedication to my job.
I also continued my typical schedule during the entire pregnancy of going to bed at midnight and waking up at 5 a.m. How do I do it? Why do I do it? When will I stay home with my baby? These are the common questions I hear from friends and family at functions, parties and holiday get-togethers. (more…)

Wall Street Mama was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to NJ when she was a teenager. She fell in love with New York City and set her mind to one thing after college – working on Wall Street. She has spent the last 16 years working on the trading floor at three major banks. As an Institutional Salesperson, she is responsible for helping large corporations and money funds invest their short term cash in the fixed income part of the market. She lives in the suburbs of central NJ with her husband of 11 years, their amazing 21 month old boy and their first baby – a very spoiled Maltese. She has baby #2 on the way and is expecting a little girl in June 2012. She is a full time working mother and struggles with “having it all” while wondering if that is even possible.
Wall Street Mama was married at the age of 25 but waited to have children because she felt she was too focused on her career which required a lot of traveling and entertaining. When she was finally ready, she thought she could plan the exact month she was ready to have a child, like everything else she planned in her life. She was shocked and frustrated when things did not go according to her plan. Fast forward four years later, after a miscarriage and several rounds of failed fertility injections, her little miracle was conceived naturally. She never thought in a million years, that she and her husband would be in their late 30’s by the time they had their first child.
Since the financial crisis of 2008, she has endured some of the most difficult years of her life. The stress of trying to conceive was combined with some of life’s biggest challenges. She and her husband, who is a trader, both lost their jobs on Wall Street the exact same month. Her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she ended up passing away while she was 6 months pregnant. At times it didn’t seem like things would ever get better, but she has learned that life is cyclical and what comes down must again go up.
Leaving her baby boy with a wonderful nanny each day is difficult, but at times it is easier than she would have expected. She still enjoys the seemingly addictive draw of working on Wall Street. The past few years have been dramatically different from the “good days” but she is focused on trying to achieve what she once had before. She is currently working on launching her own blog, Wall Street Mama, in an attempt to guide others who are focused on continuing their career, yet struggle with leaving their little ones at home. She is weathering the ups and downs of the market and motherhood, one day at a time.
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by Dee Harlow (Laos) | Jul 25, 2011 | Family, International, Mexico, Motherhood
In less than 24 hours the packers will be here to pack up all of our belongings. In 13 days we’ll be driving north out of Mexico and into the next chapter of our journey in the intrepid life of an US Foreign Service family.
Throughout the house is a series of piles, some of which are cordoned off with anti-toddler barriers made up of sofas cornered with loveseats, and other piles atop the most unreachable pieces of furniture away from little curious, grabby hands.
But, despite our efforts, our 20-month old twins know that something is afoot, and they team up to undo all the hard work that goes into keeping our hectic life organized and manageable.
They peak under the sofas and squeal in a questioning tone why stuff that is usually in the kitchen is on the floor in the corner over there, and they try to trick us into letting them enter by throwing balls into the ‘no-go zone’, expecting to be allowed in to fetch them…a definite no-no. Because, you see, these various piles are not all going to one place (wishing as I write this that it was that simple). (more…)
One of Dee’s earliest memories was flying on a trans-Pacific flight from her birthplace in Bangkok, Thailand, to the United States when she was six years old. Ever since then, it has always felt natural for her to criss-cross the globe. So after growing up in the northeast of the US, her life, her work and her curiosity have taken her to over 32 countries. And it was in the 30th country while serving in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan that she met her husband. Together they embarked on a career in international humanitarian aid working in refugee camps in Darfur, Sudan, and the tsunami torn coast of Aceh, Indonesia.
Dee is now a full-time mother of three-year old twins and continues to criss-cross the globe every two years with her husband who is in the US Foreign Service. They currently live in Vientiane, Laos, and are loving it! You can read about their adventures at Wanderlustress.
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by World Moms Blog | Jul 24, 2011 | Guest Post, India, International, Mexico, The Alchemist, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary

On Monday, we will be in Mexico with Dee Harlow, who will soon be undertaking the next in a series of moves. Dee and her family move with the kind of regularity that would drive most of us round the bend, and she describes how they manage to keep getting their stuff from one place to another.
We have a guest post on Tuesday! Jennifer D’Ambrosio of New Jersey talks about an issue that many of us struggle with every single day: balancing life with a busy job, a long commute and motherhood!
On Wednesday, we head over to Illinois to hear from Polish Mama on the Prairie. She has lost of interesting stories to share about her escape from Communism as a baby, her role as Mom in a bicultural family, and her quest to keep her Polish heritage alive for her children.
And on Thursday, we will be in Massachusetts with Kyla P’an. Kyla talks about keeping our self-identity when we become parents, not losing our individuality to our roles as Moms and holding onto our own dreams and aspirations as we raise our kids.
On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!
In writer interviews this week, we will get to know Galit Breen from Minnesota, and on Thursday we are profiling The Alchemist from India. Every writer interview reveals interesting tidbits about our contributors, and these ones are no different!
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— World Moms Blog
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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by Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Jul 19, 2011 | Autism, Canada, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, South Africa, Special Needs, Working Mother, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I was born in South Africa and started earning Frequent Flyer miles at a very young age due to the international nature of my Dad’s job. My childhood homes included Connecticut and Milan, Italy (this was when I was too young to appreciate the art of fashion shopping). As an adult, (more…)

Kirsten Doyle was born in South Africa. After completing university, she drifted for a while and finally washed up in Canada in 2000. She is Mom to two boys who have reached the stage of eating everything in sight (but still remaining skinny).
Kirsten was a computer programmer for a while before migrating into I.T. project management. Eventually she tossed in the corporate life entirely in order to be a self-employed writer and editor. She is now living her best life writing about mental health and addictions, and posting videos to two YouTube channels.
When Kirsten is not wrestling with her kids or writing up a storm, she can be seen on Toronto's streets putting many miles onto her running shoes. Every year, she runs a half-marathon to benefit children with autism, inspired by her older son who lives life on the autism spectrum.
Final piece of information: Kirsten is lucky enough to be married to the funniest guy in the world.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be sure to check out her YouTube channels at My Gen X Life and Word Salad With Coffee!
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by Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham (USA) | Jul 19, 2011 | Motherhood, Parenting, USA
How I’m handling my baby leaving the nest…
I have exactly a month from today before I take my oldest baby, ok my 18 year old *insert mommy face*, to New York for his first year of college. Yes, 3000 miles from home! He was accepted to the New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts (NYCDA), a college known for its hard auditions.
Thousands audition from across the world, and only 180 are accepted per semester. It’s a huge deal, and I am so proud of him. He has wanted to sing and act since he was 4 years old and has wanted to attend NYCDA since his sophomore year in high school. He now gets to live out his dreams.
Needless to say, this will be a transition for the both of us, actually for the three of us; it has always been him, his brother and me. We have been the “three amigos” (as they’ve named us) for 13 years. (more…)

Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham is an Indiana native now living in Arizona, USA. She’s the Founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Teen Center – Hodge Podge the Teen Cafè™ (http://www.HdgPdg.com), CEO of Iron WoMan Inc™ (http://www.IronWoManInc.com), a writer, is known to teens all over the world as the S.W.A.G Doc™ (http://www.TheSWAGDoc.com), a wife and most importantly a mom to two awesome boys. She joined the Army when she was a senior in high school because she did exceptionally well on the testing and was involved in the Gulf War. She served 8 years and is now a disabled Vet but that doesn’t get her down, nor stop her. Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham loves to write and help teenagers feel better about themselves. She knows ASL and signs with her deaf friends when she can. She’s always busy writing and building her Brand and found it great when she was given the opportunity to write for World’s Mom Blog. She has many goals on her bucket list and once her business has grown to her satisfaction, her goal is to own her own bull(s) (yes, real bulls!) and have them participate in the PBR (Professional Bull Riding). Traveling is a love of hers and one day she will visit Italy! You can find Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn Lanham on FaceBook at http://www.FaceBook.com/theSWAGDoc or Twitter @JeanelleLanham – Her heart is true to Rehabilitating Teens, Coaching Moms & Encouraging others.
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by World Moms Blog | Jul 17, 2011 | Canada, International, Malaysia, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary

On Monday, we start the week in Minnesota with Galit Breen. Galit discusses a topic that was touched on here a couple of weeks ago that many people are all too afraid to open a dialogue about: race relations. Specifically, she talks about ways to educate our children about the differences between people.
On Tuesday, we will have our first post from Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn of Arizona. This busy mom of teenagers has lots of interesting stories to tell. She is fluent in American Sign Language, and she is endeavouring to make the world a better place through her non-profit teen foundation.
On Wednesday, we head on over to Massachusetts to hear from Courtney Cappallo. Courtney talks about a question that moms have agonized over since the dawn of time: how do you know when you’re done having kids?
And on Thursday, we will visit Amy Hillis in Ohio. It has been a while since we had a post from Amy because she’s had some very heavy loads to deal with in her life, and we are very happy to welcome her back. Last week she reintroduced herself in her writer’s interview. This week she will dive back in with a regular post. Welcome back, Amy!
On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!
While our regular posts this week are all-America, our writer interviews are international. On Tuesday we will profile scheduling editor Kirsten Doyle from Toronto, Canada. On Thursday we will get to know Alison Lee from Malaysia.
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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