Here Goes Nothing. . .

Welcome to JD Moms! We are three law school friends who are navigating the waters of being lawyer moms. Despite taking different paths to get to where we are today, the three of us have faced many of the same obstacles and shared many of the same joys along the way. This blog is about our journey as moms and lawyers, and about balancing those worlds.

To get to know us a little bit better, here is a short description of us:

Jean: Wow! A description of me? Just the basics of a 32 year old working Mommy:

• Mommy to adorable 4 year old twin girls, A n’ B
• Wife to Scott for 7 years this September
• Compliance Consultant at a financial institution
• Daughter to awesome parents (n/k/a Gpa and Gma)
• Born in a small town in IL (no, we don’t have a stoplight!)
• Living in the “big city” in Iowa now.
• Motto: Every day is an adventure (adopted when the girls were born)

Basically, I just want to be the best Mommy, wife, worker, daughter, friend, cook, laundry worker, boo-boo kisser, maid, etc. I can be. And most of the time, that doesn’t happen or I excel at one and not any of the others. And as for “me” time – HA! From my posts, you will learn that I am pretty honest about my accomplishments, failures, and I am definitely not perfect. I just hope the posts will brighten your day and possibly provide an outlet for me.

Also, please note that I am not a writer. I have extremely talented cousins who excel at writing/editing/composition, so I am hopeful they won’t be too harsh with the “red pen.” And, as you can probably tell from the bullet points, I give PowerPoint presentations most of the time.

Mandi: I’m nearly 32 years old and reside in Davenport, Iowa. My world involves juggling between the 4 most important people in my life (my husband and three children) and being a litigation attorney. Although I strive to find balance, my scale always tips toward my family. I am a Mom through and through, its what I was born to do and what I do best!

My husband, Todd, works for a local factory in the Quad Cities and unfortunately works nights. We essentially are forced to be “tag team parents” most of the time, where I come home from work and he goes off to work. Our first child is our only daughter, Miss J. J is truly a diva; she’s 4 going on 30, precocious, inquisitive, always fashionable, and has a social calendar that far surpasses mine (filled with ice skating, dance, and soccer). Our second child is our first son, “H”, and let me tell you he is all boy through and through. H teaches me to laugh at life and his smile and ice blue eyes can melt your heart. In May of this year, we welcomed our third and final child, another son, “L”. L (3 months) is the happiest and most laid back baby I have ever met… calm, cool, and collected. L’s smile can light up a room.

When I am not chasing around after my 3, I am a civil defense attorney working for one of the largest law firms in the Quad Cities. I’m licensed in Iowa and Illinois and so between the two states my court calendar stays packed.

Karen: Is a commercial litigator in Chicago. A former Big Law associate, I recently moved to a smaller, “family-friendly” firm to spend more time with my two children, KJ (3) and Sweet Pea (20 months). I commute over three hours every day, which in theory gives me lots of time to plan meals and update baby books, but in reality is used to squeeze in a little more work or sleep. I am blessed with a wonderful husband and amazingly supportive parents who never mind a 2 a.m. call from me asking, “does this cough sound like croup to you?”

In the end, we hope the readers of our blog can identify with us, support us, or at least laugh with us as we go through this journey together.