Introducing the DMBs of Erin…..

Hi! I’m Erin, and I’m really excited to join the team. I’ve been looking for an outlet outside of work where I can flex my skills and sort out some of my thoughts on the crazy roller coaster of parenting, and so I’m excited to share with you all, and learn from the other contributors, as well as our readers. To get started, I’d like to share my “DMBs,” so here’s a little bit more about me!

{Down With Detroit}

I grew up in Allen Park, just ten minutes south of Detroit. Though I don’t live there any more, I’m still pretty protective and defensive of the Downriver community, as I think it was a great place to grow up. My parents took us downtown often enough to develop an appreciation for all of the great things going on in Detroit. We went to family Tigers games, a trip to the theater was a special treat most years, and as we grew older we’d go out to eat in different neighborhoods or tour some of the more historic areas like Indian Village or Corktown on walking tours.

I married a country boy who has totally fallen in love with the city, and now works downtown at a non-profit. He has opened my eyes to some hidden gems, and we try to get downtown as often as we can. As our son has grown, we’ve also taken him downtown with us – the City History Museum, Michigan Science Center, Thanksgiving Parade, and outdoor concerts in Campus Martius have all been big hits with him, and I hope to take him down more as he grows.

{My Life}

As I mentioned, I grew up in Allen Park, then went to a small liberal arts college, Adrian, where I met my husband Nick. I graduated with a Communication degree in Argumentation and Advocacy and dreamed of going into PR, but landed in the world of online marketing. Nick and I married two years after graduation and settled in Livonia. It’s a teeny bit TOO suburban for my taste in some ways, but I love being close to both Ann Arbor (where I work) and Detroit, and we’ve got great friends and neighbors here.

We were married for about four years when I was “happily surprised” to find out I was pregnant with our son. We welcomed Oliver into our family in October 2012. My company gives us a really generous maternity leave, so I had a lot of time off with Oliver before returning to work part time. Oliver wasn’t the world’s easiest baby, so some of those days dragged on and on during maternity leave, but looking back, I am really thankful I had that time to ease into motherhood. I was so uncertain about everything I did when he was little, and know I’m still making plenty of mistakes, but have learned to trust my instincts more in the last two years, stress less about each decision, and trust that God “loaned” Oliver specifically to me and Nick for a reason.

In addition to family stuff, I really love vegging watching TV – even though I don’t have cable, I’m more of a TV junkie than I’d really like to admit (love Parks and Rec and The Mindy Show lately, Gilmore Girls and The Office are my all time favorites, and I also like some British TV shows). I’m not a great cook but I really love going out to eat, and am about the least picky eater I know…I can never decide if that’s a good thing or not, because it means that I think that just about anything I cook is okay, and I’m always afraid I’ll serve guests food that is actually disgusting to anyone but me.

{Babies and Beyond}

Oliver – Oliver just turned two. I really hate phrases like “He is all boy,” but despite any of my attempts to introduce him to all kinds of toys, books, etc, it is totally true in his case. He is a funny, energetic curly-haired kid who is totally and completely obsessed with any and all vehicles, especially cars and trains. My not-so-easy-baby has turned into an awesome little boy, who loves to “wace” and “wun awound” the house, which is a good thing because it takes a lot to wear him out! I’m really excited (and plenty nervous) to see how he adapts to being a big brother in a few months. Right now he understands there’s a baby in my belly, and also talks about “sisser” when we see baby items or talk about babies.

Baby #2 – I can’t believe we are having another baby in just a few months! I would’ve been excited for Oliver to have a brother, but am also pumped to have a girl, and hope that we can share some things that I loved growing up (Anne of Green Gables, anyone?). I absolutely consider myself a feminist, and am already finding that there are some interesting things that people expect/say/do when you’re having a girl that will be interesting or tough for me. I’m definitely not anti-pink or anything girly, but want to make sure I raise a young woman who finds her value in her personality and knowing she is loved no matter what she looks like or how she dresses.