I am so incredibly honored to be Mom of the Month! I am a wife, mother, animal lover, coffee and wine drinking runner! Joining Fit4Mom has been such an amazing decision for me and my son!
I have a very energetic, sweet, and silly 2 year old son. He keeps me on my toes and laughing (and sometimes wanting to pull my hair out!) every day! He is an incredible little guy and such a blessing!
We moved to Texas when I was 33 weeks pregnant with our son. I was nervous about having a newborn while not knowing anyone. The first year it was hard to meet people, but thankfully I met a couple of good friends. This August I attended a free Fit4Mom work out with a friend (everything is less scary with a good friend by your side!) and was immediately hooked. Every single woman was so kind and welcoming. I felt like I had found my people! As a former Executive Director for a nonprofit that encourages physical activity for young girls while teaching them important life lessons such as leadership skills and positive body image, I fell in love with what Fit4Mom is – yes, it is a work out, but it is so much more. It is a village of supportive women. It is friends and playmates for our kids. It is encouragement when you need it. It is one of the best parts of our week!
Mama of the Month Q&A
Where are you originally from? Cincinnati, Ohio; moved to Texas from Boston, MA.
Tell us about your little workout buddy! Crosby is two years old. He is active, silly, and has an adventurous spirit!
How did you meet your husband? My husband and I were set up on a blind date. We are pretty sure we were the only two single people our friends knew, and they didn’t really expect it to work out! He actually hung up on me on our first phone call before we met, so it’s a miracle we ever met in person!
What’s your favorite family activity? We love going to the zoo and hiking as a family.
Tell us a little about your career—pre or post baby. I was the Executive Director of Girls on the Run Greater Boston – my dream job! It is an after-school program for girls in 3rd-8th grades that emphasizes the important connection between physical and emotional health. Before moving to Boston, I volunteered with the Cincinnati Girls on the Run council for 10 years.
How did you find out about FIT4MOM? I heard about Fit4Mom via social media when we lived in Ft. Worth after Crosby was born, but I knew we were moving to Burleson in several weeks. This summer I heard the Burleson-Crowley one was opening, and I was very excited. I convinced a friend to join me for the free week in August and haven’t looked back since!
What is your favorite thing about FIT4MOM? The women are INCREDIBLE. They are strong, vulnerable, smart, inspiring, and unique. I love that Fit4Mom has brought such amazing and different people into my life. We are all on our own journeys, but do not judge each other, just support each other along the way. It has also helped my little guy come out of his shell! At first, he would hide his face when new people looked at him and now he asks to see his friends and their mamas almost every day!
Do you have any big plans this month? No big plans, but I am looking forward to getting back to our routine after the craziness of holiday travel!
What is your proudest moment as a mom? I may not have been a mom in the traditional sense of the word at this point, but we had to undergo fertility treatment to be blessed with Crosby. I am still incredibly proud of myself for giving myself a few shots a day for several weeks. I was terrified (and cried for 30 minutes before the first one), but I got braver each time!
Have you ever thought, gosh I can’t do this, and what brings you to see the good? The hardest time was when Crosby was 5 months old and would only sleep 45-90 minutes at a time. It was so hard and we were incredibly tired. Thankfully I enlisted the help of a sleep consultant to get us through it and Crosby has been a great sleeper ever since! I often remind myself of how long and how hard we fought to become parents and that always keeps me going the toughest times!
How has becoming a mother changed you? Becoming a mother after infertility is a funny thing. You feel like you don’t quite belong with the moms, but you also don’t belong with the infertility community anymore. Being blessed with Crosby has helped me to recognize that everyone is facing their own struggles and the best thing we can do to help each other is to be kind and empathetic.
What advice would you give a new mom?
The best advice I could give would be to accept help and reach out to your people. No one does this completely alone. We were meant to live in community and support each other.