GUEST POST: NEW JERSEY, USA: Losing My Mom While Pregnant

I will never forget the moment I walked through my mom’s door to see her sitting on the couch looking so scared, so frail and so child-like.

We looked at each other, tears streaming down both of our faces and we embraced.  She was shaking as she uttered one sentence that crosses my mind almost daily:

“Jeni, I will never get to meet your babies.”

It was like an arrow went through my heart at that exact moment.  (more…)

Wall Street Mama (USA)

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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MINNESOTA, USA: The Bittersweet Reality of Back to School

The letter arrived in the mail on Saturday.  There it sat, long, white and unopened.  My heart skipped a beat.  No, it wasn’t the anticipated college acceptance or rejection letter.  Nor was it a job offer or denial.  It was the letter that would represent my young son’s future:  His teacher assignment for first grade.

I opened it up quickly with mixed feelings.  Who would it be?  Would it be who I wanted?  Would his newly made friends from Kindergarten be in his class?  Or, would he be all alone, faced once again to meet new friends? 

As I read the letter, these thoughts raced through my mind, but a deeper, more powerful reaction took over my mind.  (more…)

Nicole Melancon (USA)

Third Eye Mom is a stay-at-home mom living in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her two children Max (6) and Sophia (4). Her children keep her continually busy and she is constantly amazed by the imagination, energy and joy of life that they possess! A world wanderer at heart, she has also been fortunate to have visited over 30 countries by either traveling, working, studying or volunteering and she continues to keep on the traveling path. A graduate of French and International Relations from the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she met her husband Paul, she has always been a Midwest gal living in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Chicago. This adventurous mom loves to be outside doing anything athletic (hiking, running, biking, skiing, snowshoeing or simply enjoying nature), to travel and volunteer abroad, to write, and to spend time with her beloved family and friends. Her latest venture involves her dream to raise enough money on her own to build and open a brand-new school in rural Nepal, and to teach her children to live compassionately, open-minded lives that understand different cultures and the importance of giving back to those in need. Third Eye Mom believes strongly in the value of making a difference in the world, no matter how small it may be. If there is a will, there is a way, and that anything is possible (as long as you set your heart and mind to it!). Visit her on her blog, Thirdeyemom, where she writes about her travels and experiences in other lands!

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Travel Itinerary for the Week of August 22nd!

On Monday, we are in in Minnesota with Third Eye Mom, who talks about a topic that is on the forefront of many parents’ minds right now. How do cope with our children starting Grade One and the realm of full-day schooling? Go on over, have a read, and commiserate with this Mom who feels that her child is growing up too fast.

On Tuesday, we head over to Saudi Arabia to hear from Mama B. She lives in Riyadh, comes from a big happy family, and is now a busy mom to three kids. She offers some great insights from her fascinating corner of the world.

On Wednesday, we are back in the United States with Arizona mom Dr. Jeanelle Marshawn. This mama has recently undertaken a trip to New York to help start off one of her sons in a new and really exciting phase of his life. She is rightfully proud of him, and all of us at World Moms Blog wish him all the best.

And on Thursday, we will be in Israel with Susie Newday, who writes a moving and thought-provoking post about what it’s like to know that the baby you are carrying will at some point become a soldier. She describes the transition from anxiety to calmness in a post that is guaranteed to keep you reading until the end.

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 hear from one brand new writer, and one of the originals, who we have already grown to love. On Tuesday we will get to know more about Tara B. from Washington, and on Thursday we will welcome Maman Aya from New York!

In news this week, World Moms Blog is going to the UN! Our founder and editor-in-chief Jennifer Burden will be sitting in the press box at the Social Good Summit. How exciting is that!

Finally, on this day in 1923, it became illegal for dancers in Kalamazoo, Michigan to gaze into the eyes of their partners.

— World Moms Blog

Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.

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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ILLINOIS, USA: Little Things From Great Heights

My family has just settled back home after a 2,300 mile road trip from Illinois to Colorado, and back. Our primary destination was Rocky Mountain National Park, a most spectacular place composed of mountain elevations ranging from 8,000 to over 14,000 feet.  To place perspective on this height, our home in Illinois is at 600 feet. 

American citizens are blessed with a national park system. It is a collection of some of the most spectacular and varied natural places in the world, protected for all to experience, free from progress and destruction. It’s an understatement to call this a treasure, especially after you’ve experienced the indefinable thrill and beauty of such a stunning natural place. (more…)

Jill Barth

Jill Barth lives in Illinois with her husband and three kids. She reminds you to breathe. She is a freelance writer and consultant. Also, she is the green content Team Leader and columnist at elephantjournal.com and reads fiction for Delmarva Review. Jill's writing can be found on her blog, Small Things Honored.

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Travel Itinerary for the Week of August 15th!

On Monday, we are in India for a special post from The Alchemist. She will be writing about Indian Independence Day, and we look forward to hearing all about this occasion and what it means for our Indian moms.

On Tuesday, we visit with Ambre French, our French maman who lives in Norway. She talks about having fun with her daughter and animal sounds. What languages does an animal speak when a child is being raised in a multilingual home? Read and find out!

On Wednesday, we are in Illinois with Jill Barth, mom of three. We recently got to know Jill in her writer interview, and we look forward to reading her posts here. Come read what she has to say!

And on Thursday, we head to Brazil to hear from Eco Ziva, another new writer. She is a mom of two, and working on a doctoral thesis on international environmental policy – an issue that is increasingly important as our world becomes more depleted. We look forward to her first regular post.

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 be in Canada and Australia. On Tuesday we will get to know Multitasking Mumma, who is joining us from Canada, and on Thursday, we will hear from Fiona at Inspiration To Dream.

There is no news to share this week, but for those interested in useless trivia: on this day in 1953, the whiffle ball was invented.

— World Moms Blog

Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.

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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Saturday Layover for August 13th, 2011…

“I don’t want to be a mom.” 

When I first heard those words ring out of my 4-year old’s mouth, I was crushed.  I immediately thought that this was my fault.  Am I too hard on her?  Am I too strict?  Am I too neurotic? Does my job look boring to her? Is it because I stay home?

I thought about myself as a little girl, taking care of my dollies.  Yes, I wanted to be a mother, no doubt, as a little girl.  My daughter plays with toy dinosaurs all the time.  Was that the problem? Should I be providing an environment of more baby doll stuff?  Where had I gone wrong? (more…)

Jennifer Burden

Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India. She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls. Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.

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