Hey Mamas! My name is Darlene Waller and I’m a stay-at-home-mom to 3 girls; Dayna, my college girl, Faith, my teenager and toddler Elaina Rose, (Rosie).  Raising my daughters is the most challenging job ever, but the pay is great!

{Down With Detroit}

I was born and raised on the west side of Detroit back in the days when the Vernor’s factory still thrived on Woodward Ave. My mother was a secretary and my dad was a Ford factory worker and mechanic. I spent my childhood swimming at the pool in Palmer Park and riding my bike through the trails, riding the giant slide and camping with family on Belle Isle. Recently, our family past time has been the Woodward Dream Cruise, and since we’re a Ford family everyone meets on Mustang Alley!

Living in Detroit has many challenges, as does any major city. People have asked me why I stay and I simply tell them “because this is my home and I love it.” I enjoy the small hidden parks, shopping at the Eastern Market on Saturday mornings and telling my girls about the rich history of our hometown; Berry Gordy and the Motown Sound, Henry Ford’s gift to the world that was built right here, and many other beautiful and exciting historical sites that prove the strength of Detroit and why my pride runs so deep. 

{My Life}

As a rebellious kid, I was often grounded and left with nothing but books in my room, no tv or toys. I thought it was torture then but as a result I love to read and that love has passed on to my kids. They enjoy everything from history books to comics like Emily the Strange. I guess they get it honest because I’m a die-hard Stephen King fan…whenever I have time to read!

I worked in the customer service field for over ten years before I realized that I was miserable. That was when I made the decision to become a stay-at-home-mom.  My oldest daughter is in college, the middle girl is in high school, and my hyperactive toddler keeps me on my toes! My Rosie is autistic, which is a challenge I’ve learned to face with my head up, a positive attitude, and plenty of patience. Most of my days are spent with her in occupational or speech therapy. My family and I are learning more about autism every day and I’ve vowed to advocate for awareness and acceptance of people with disabilities. It’s given me a new purpose and even though every minute presents a new challenge, I’m happy to be the mommy to this exceptional and beautiful child.

Being a single mom of 3 girls is a wonderful (and expensive) experience! I’ve probably spent more on hair and body care products than I have gas for my car, but I can always count on a sea of knowledge from a sisterhood of moms in my community and online. I suffered a bit of postpartum depression after my baby was born, but I’ve bounced back with the help of therapy and support from the sisterhood of Motherhood, especially through the Detroit Moms Blog. So when I was given the opportunity to become a part of the team I was excited to begin a new journey. When I’m not blogging, I’m working on building my jewelry and skin care business. I create crystal and glass bead jewelry for myself and the girls, and I make custom sets for friends and family. Blending natural oils and ingredients into nourishing scrubs and moisturizers for the skin is also a passion of mine and my dream is to distribute my products and jewelry throughout Metro Detroit stores and vendors. As they say, teamwork makes the dream work, so my daughters are my business partners. They are right by my side every day, learning what it takes to build something from the ground up.

{Baby & Beyond}

Becoming a mom again at almost 40 really felt like doing it for the first time! There is so much to learn and unlearn, but for the most part I rely on what all moms should which is experience and intuition. But despite that, I wasn’t prepared for the diagnosis of autism in Rosie. I see it as a learning experience and a chance to advocate for all children with special needs. With my older girls being independent, I was looking forward to placing Rosie in daycare and finding a job. Now I understand that my job is to advocate for the best care that I can give her. There’s no better way to do that than to find support in a network of moms and my goal is to build a stronger network within the city of Detroit. I’m committed to being involved in the rebuilding of my community.

{Down with Detroit}

Hello Detroit Mamas! I am Francina Gegovic, mother to three totally amazing kids. I am definitely a lover. I try to see the best in everyone and give WAYYY to many second chances 😉 Everything I do or aspire to do is to better my family. As a young girl I always dreamed to be a mom and my dreams were definitely fulfilled by my three babies!

I am a full time working mom so juggling three babies on top can definitely be exhausting but I am so lucky to love where I work and love my co-workers! My ONE hour commute to and from work is about the ONLY time I have to myself so even though it is a dreadful drive I am usually catching up with friends or family on the phone OR bringing my inner Britney Spears out and singing my heart out to songs I can’t listen to with kids in the car 😉

{My Life}

I am a wife to my husband Nick. We met when I was only 14 years old! We got married the MONTH after I graduated high school {totally crazy I know!} We have had many many ups and downs in our journey. Days where I thought it was over but we just held on a little tighter and now this July we will celebrate our 10 year marriage anniversary! Although things will NEVER BE PERFECT, I can honestly say that I feel closer to him now than I ever did before. Getting married young is definitely a challenge but we were able to grow together and make mistakes together. In doing that, I feel like we have a different level of respect for each other. So grateful to God for holding us together through the bad times!

{Babies + Beyond}

Our oldest daughters name is Liliana. She is 6 years old and a TOTAL girl! She is all about her shoes, clothes and hair! The one thing I admire most about her is her love and passion for school and reading! Liliana will read to anyone – anywhere! She just recently started modeling and she loves it! She was named the face of a brand new line of flower girl dresses called Couture Dolls!

(Hair by: Salon Blue Makeup by: Lydia Deljaj)

Our sons name is Damjon (pronounced Damien) he is the ‘wild child’! I never knew what the phrase ‘ants in your pants’ meant until I had him!! Damjon is 5 years old and has the BIGGEST imagination! He is into superheros and Mario brothers! The one thing I admire most about my son is his heart. He can be so wild and crazy but at the end of the day he is so loving. If he notices that I am upset he will not leave my side until I am “all better”! He is definitely a mamas boy and  I am holding on to every minute of that!

(Cake By @Occasioncakesbycharlene-Instagram)

Briana is our baby!! She is going to be 8 months old this month! I have NO idea where time has gone!! When she came home from the hospital she was the easiest newborn ever! Then at about one month old I thought WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED TO MY BABY? Thankfully her colic stage has passed and she is now a loving yet still pretty high maintenance baby! She has finally mastered crawling and is currently working on pulling herself up in her crib and playpen!

I live a very LOW KEY life. It is very rare anyone will see me anywhere without my kids and if a type of event is coming up that requires me to leave my kids; I am having anxiety about it for a good week for sure! I feel like I was born to be a mother, that it was truly my calling. I am FAR from perfect but I love meeting new moms and getting advice and even giving advice where I can. I feel like when you are a mom you are automatically in this new TEAM. There should never be any judgment (unless you just totally don’t care about your kids at all) we are all moms just trying to do the best we can for our kids! I am so excited to be a part of this brand new team and look forward to meeting new people, hearing new stories, sharing my own stories and just having lots of fun!

 {Down with Detroit}

I’m Shannon Fox and am very excited to be writing for DMB! I am a divorced, single Mom of two boys. Sam is 6 and Billy is 5. I grew up about an hour North of Detroit, in Marysville and we still live here today.  We always made trips to the city to watch the Tiger games at old Tiger Stadium and Comerica park, Red Wing games, plays and concerts. I’ve also gone on day trips with my brother looking at all the old architecture of the city!

{My Life}

I was married at 23, had kids at 24 and 25 and all the stress tore my marriage apart unfortunately. I went to school to be a Medical Assistant and also worked some evenings at a restaurant.  We are very into sports, especially baseball. Sam and Billy are playing Tee ball this year and are having a blast! I’m in the middle of a weight loss journey and have signed up for my first 5k at the end of July! It’s not always easy making yourself a priority as a single Mom, but this year I’ve made it a priority! Sam has impulse control and after a couple years trying therapy and changing his diet, we resorted to medicine and he is doing so much better in school! We love to go explore new places like the zoo and aquarium. Our family rescued a Yellow Lab/ German Shepherd mix around 1.5 years ago, we named him Scooby. He is definitely my third child.

{Babies and Beyond} 

I had my boys when I was young (compared to the average age now!) but I wouldn’t change anything!  Having kids a year and six days apart is crazy but they are growing up best friends (and worst enemies haha). They are very different. Sam is my hyper, but sensitive artist. He would sit and color/draw for hours. Billy is my loud, imagination kid. He could sit and play with his action figures and superheroes all day, making up stories. They both have had to deal with quite a few changes over the past 2 years and have struggled at times. We are outside as long as the weather is nice and spend most summer days at the beach!

{Down with Detroit}

I grew up in the Detroit ‘burbs, but both of my parents were born and raised in the city proper and we spent plenty of time in the D. Spring thru fall, Saturday mornings were dedicated to Eastern Market, and I skinned my knees countless times playing on the Belle Isle playground. As a teen and young adult I learned about the music scene and nightlife in Detroit, and spent many nights downtown. Now I enjoy exploring all that the city has to offer, from fantastic restaurants, museums, parks, culture, and people with my husband and kids too. I love Detroit, growing up here has helped shape me, and I feel like it’s a privilege to take part in and witness the renaissance that’s happening here now!

{My Life}

I took a winding collegiate path that included several different majors and even more schools over the course of 9 years. I met my husband, Patrick, along the way when we were both students at Lake Superior State University in Sault Sainte Marie. He’s been my partner in crime since 2002, and we married in 2007. I fell into a career in the automotive industry while I was pursuing a second bachelors in education, and spent 10 years there before making the decision to become a stay at home mom. In the middle of my corporate ladder climb, my daughter was born in 2009. Three and a half years later, my son arrived and my husband and I decided that it was a good time for me to stop working and spend at least a year at home with the kids. Well, these little people are addictive! And I didn’t want to go back to the rat race. I’d enjoyed my career, and love the people I worked with, but I wasn’t loving what I did. I’d always wanted to be a doctor or veterinarian, and over the years since my daughter’s birth I’d become more interested in natural health and how to care for my family in a holistic way. Inspired by both my midwife and a friend who owns a local holistic pet store, I’m now knee deep in a 4 year program to become a certified traditional naturopath! I’m excited to share with others how they can take responsibility for their health and wellness, and am in the process of launching my own holistic health business and website. More to come on that soon! In the meantime, I’m enjoying the journey of life and look forward to each new day!

{Babies + Beyond}

My kids are my everything. I love them beyond words! My son is actually the final inspiration behind my natural health education as he’s had some issues that traditional medicine were unable to resolve. Having to look outside the box and finding ways to help make him happier and healthier without medication has really opened my eyes! Learning to parent Lila (5) and JP (2) has been quite the experience. Lila was pretty much the ideal baby and toddler – independent, ate and slept well, super smart, and sweet as pie. JP came along and totally stirred things up! He was a total mystery as a high needs baby, and his first two years were a total learning curve as I struggled to meet his needs and still give Lila the attention she deserved. Thankfully the two of them are a match made in heaven, and go together like peas and carrots! It’s been a true joy to watch them together, to see the way they love one another, and how they conspire together against me and my husband – we’re definitely doomed! They are smart, kind, and adventurous – between the kids, our 3 dogs, and the cat, there is rarely a dull moment in our house. They’ve taught me how to prioritize what’s truly important, to appreciate all that I have!