Writing this feels admittedly a little funny–and not for the reasons you might expect. No, I’m not shy or not used to sharing my “elevator pitch.” I’m a little nervous to be writing this because I’m not actually a mom . . . yet. And no, I’m not pregnant, either! I’m here, joining the Detroit Mom team because I am “paper pregnant,” in the infant adoption process. But more on that later.
On Who I Am . . .
In a nutshell, I call myself an “engineer by day and writer by night.” I went to school for Biomedical Engineering and utilize (some) of those skills in my day job, where my team configures software for our clients’ needs. I’ve loved getting to stay in the healthcare space and knowing that what we do every day impacts millions of lives. I get to manage a team of between five to eight people, which I’m told teaches you a lot about parenting! I love them each so much and am grateful to have gotten to work with them in this capacity.
At night, though, the engineering brain turns off and my writing pen gets fired up. I’ve always loved to write ever since I can remember and for the last couple of years, I’ve gotten to do it professionally as a side hustle. I write about everything from snacks to beverages to dog stuff. You name the category, I’ve probably written about it.
I’m passionate about physical fitness, spending lots of time around our area YMCAs and around our parks nearby. In addition, I love to spend time with my extended family who lives in NW Ohio. We’re also pretty active in our local church and spend a good amount of time helping out with different events and Sunday service.
On Self-Care . . .
Self-care is something I’ve struggled with for a long time! For most of us, I think, there’s room to improve here. There is zero reason to feel shame for that. When I do it well, I’m getting my hair highlighted, grabbing a glass of wine with girlfriends, following my skincare routines, and spending time cooking. There’s something about cooking that ignites a creative spirit in me that sometimes goes dormant. I really believe everyone has a creative bone in their body . . . it just sometimes needs to be woken up.
On My Family + Infant Adoption . . .
Like I said, I’m “paper pregnant,” meaning we’re almost home study-approved as I write this! If you’re not familiar with the infant adoption process, the home study is a critical part of the process where a case worker comes in and checks out your home, relationships, and kids to see if you’d make suitable parents. It sounds incredibly intimidating, but our case worker has made it so easy and dignifying.
Adoption for us was always something we wanted to do, but I didn’t know we’d do it for our first child. We have not tried to get pregnant biologically, but we just really wanted to adopt first so that our birth mom and child know that this was very much our first choice. I think if I had to put myself in some “mommy categories,” I’d be a crunchy mom and of course, an adoptive mom. I’m also planning to work after the placement of our kiddo and love to talk about this with other moms who work outside the home. Join me on my campaign to introduce the term “working dad” to the world!
Other than our future mystery kiddo, we have two dogs that are like giant teddy bears. They like to walk the parks near our house and snuggle up with us on cold Michigan winter days. In fact, we’re snuggling now as I write this . . .
On Our Detroit Story . . .
Last year, we found ourselves at a bit of a crossroads. Post-pandemic, we both worked remotely and were looking for a place to put some roots down. Given that my family was in northwest Ohio, we thought Detroit would be a great option that still gives us the big city-feel while near family. We moved originally to Corktown before buying a house in West Village. I love the Villages’ friendly, family feel (manifested in places like the Metropolitan!) and can’t wait to add to the family count here.
Moving to Detroit has been nothing short of amazing. Detroit is everything we could’ve hoped for and more. The people are so kind, welcoming, and just downright gritty. The food scene is exceptional and we’ve had a heck of a time exploring different cocktail bars over the last year. We have zero intention of leaving (like, ever) and can’t wait to raise our kids in a city with such a deep history.
On What You Can Expect From Me . . .
In case it wasn’t incredibly obvious, I’m very passionate about adoption. While adoption is an awesome option for families who can’t have biological children, I believe no family is “too fertile” to adopt. I look forward to sharing our experiences with the infant adoption process and about our future baby (so weird to type that!). Beyond that, I hope to write about raising littles in the city limits and how to incorporate kiddos into the adventures we find ourselves on on a regular basis. Cheers to this wonderful city and for the warm welcome as a momma-to-be!
