Meet our February Mom of the Month - Karen Sarai Gonzalez!

I absolutely love Karen! She is such a breath of fresh air and she is so sweet and friendly to everyone she comes across. Every time I see her, she is always in such a positive mood and she brings such good energy to class. I always get so excited when I see her name on my class roster. She’s the best! We love you Karen and we’re so happy to have you a part of our Fit4Mom village!

-Kristen R.

Karen is the sweetest and most patient mama to her children. She is also incredibly kind and thoughtful to everyone around her. She is open and willing to share her struggles and successes and encourage each other. We are thankful she joined our FIT4MOM family.

-Elizabeth

Tell us who makes up your family. Where are you from? What brought you to Pearland?

Hello, we are a family of four. I have two lovely children: Maryem and Issam Emilio. We moved from the Pacific Northwest about to years ago to the Houston area. Work brought us here. My husband is a physician- I am an Emergency Room Nurse. We did not meet at the hospital. We, actually, met at a Starbucks. Anyway, We heard great things about the medical center, and after Covid we needed a change in our work environment.

What is your proudest mommy moment?

Motherhood is not a book you can read and mark/highlight a chapter for when “this happens again” or “incase of” . I have 2 kids and both pregnancies let alone the kids I am raising are so different. Being that said, life as a mom can be quite chaotic and challenging. And no other mom has it the same way, even if we have similar experiences is still not the same. So we just learn to lean on each other and try to take and twitch what may work for us as moms and for our kids . So my proudest moment is when I stopped comparing myself to the standards of motherhood social media and society have placed. You have to do what feels right for you and your family. Actions can speak for themselves. I started to prioritize my mental health and physical health because my husband said “you have to be okay for the kids to be okay” . And it’s true . We are important. If we are burned out, then we are not giving the best for ourselves - how can we give the attention and dedication to those little humans that look up to us so much? If we are not okay? Fit4mom was a good starting point to initially motivate me to get out of the house then it because a routine- my energy was boosted - I was getting fit- I felt stronger happier- i could even say prettier- I was a hot mom now! Even if we are late and quite a mess, no one judges because we are all in the same boat- we are trying to do our best for us so we can be the best for our families . It’s really a little community- something that says “you are not alone” . Also, I prioritize my coffee, I deserve it warm so I am taking my time each morning to drink it. The chaos is there and will be always there . Better face it caffeinated!

What are a few of your favorite things?

We enjoy traveling as a family. We also love hiking (God miss the mountains in Seattle). I love reading and staying home - specially during cloudy rainy days. I love those dark days. I like thrifting and going to state sales (my husband says it’s garbage) I say someone’s garbage is someone’s treasure 😎

What surprised you most about motherhood? What advice would you give a new mom?

I never saw myself as a “mom” to be honest. Now, that I am one- sometimes, I struggle between motherhood 24/7 and work because I really love being a mom, but I also love being a nurse . And although, sometimes the days are rough, at night being smashed between those two and their little hands hugging me tight, it is a feeling I would not change for the world. So eventually, once they grow I feel I can go back to devoting myself to my professional career. That was the hardest thing to come to terms that I was not giving up my career to be a mom, it is devoting myself and attention to raise the future generation. We are much more than moms. We are teachers, healers, friends, lovers, all and more . we learned by trial and error while giving our best one day at the time because just like those babies are learning to be babies for the first time, we are also learning to be in this role they call MOM for the first time. Be kind to yourself. You are doing well, and you are not alone.

What do you love about FIT4MOM? What would you say to a new mom who is thinking about coming to class?

Try it! Connections and friendships are made and it’s a good feeling that someone else has been through something you have experienced as a mom. they may have the advice, the solution or if none of the above - the hug to make it better.