Meet Amy, our Mom of the Month for February 2025!

Tell us about your family!

My husband Rob and I have been married for 9 years, together for 15. We went to Dominican and started dating our Senior year. Our daughter Molly is nearly 5, and our son Sam just turned 1 a couple of weeks ago. We also have 2 dogs, Wi-Fi and Suellen. Wi-Fi is probably around 12 and an Australian Cattle Dog/Beagle mix, Suellen is probably like 8 and we say she's a Border Collie mixed with love because we don't know what else is in there (and knowing doesn't really matter anyways). Both were adopted from PAWS.

Current/previous career?

I've been a graphic designer with The Royal Group, a corrugated manufacturer, for the last 13 years. Which is the fancy way to say I work at a box factory. I get the artwork ready for everything from your regular ol' Amazon boxes to endcap displays in CVS, Walgreens, and Target, to trays inside Costco.

What does motherhood mean to you?

Strength, in so many ways beyond physical strength.

Favorite local spot?

The chocolate dipped brownies at Twisted Cookie on Madison street are SO good and SO big that you can eat half and save the second half for the next day's "I deserve a little treat" moment.

How did you find Fit4Mom?

I had done prenatal yoga when I was pregnant with Molly, but that place had closed, so I was "on the market" for something when I was pregnant with Sam to keep myself moving and to kind of have "me time" with him. I think there was a Fit4Baby session that was half regular class, half prenatal yoga, and that got me in the door. Kari was a great teacher, and a warm community environment was immediately evident, so I signed up right away.

What's the best part of Fit4Mom?

All you ladies! I'm big about community and belonging and you guys are it!

Favorite class/exercise?

I like Liz's new Stroller Barre class! The exercises are a little different, skipping down the "runway" with the stroller babies on either side always puts a smile on my face :)

Proudest moment?

Not to get too deep, but overcoming postpartum depression/anxiety after having a March 2020 baby (anyone remember what those days were like?), setting myself up with a plan and a safety net for my mental health with my second baby, and advocating for myself through that whole delivery/hospital experience.

What is something that would surprise us?

I'm not really an athletic type person. But I had a running era, though I'm not really a running type. And I also had a pole dancing era, though I'm not really a pole dancing type. Which is all to say, I guess I'm really just the type that likes the challenge of trying out a new hobby that I'm not really "the type" for if I've got good support and good determination.

FIT4MOM Oak Park River Forest offers fitness classes for women in all stages of motherhood, including prenatal, stroller & moms only classes. Your first class is free! Click here to try a class.