Article by Membership Coordinator, Emily Doran
Dawn is a former MOB board member, working mom, and in the last year has been on an inspiring weight loss journey. Her generosity and sense of humor are just a few things that make her such an amazing woman and mom.
Tell me about your family…
Sean and I have been together for seven years. We have one child, Ava, who is 5 (going on 35).
What brought you to Brentwood?
We were living in Walnut Creek, and when I got pregnant, we realized that our priorities were about to change. I grew up in the area, and we liked the ‘hometown’ feel that Brentwood had.
What made you join the MOB?
I didn’t have any mom-friends and thought it would be a good way to find friends for both Ava and myself.
Tell me about becoming a mom…
I never planned on being a mom. I was comfortable with how my life had panned out – career, friends, travels, etc. I was content being the ‘cool aunt’ to my niece. Early in our relationship, Sean and I went to my company Christmas party (on 12/12/12). After the party we headed home. On the walk from the car to the front door I glanced up and saw a shooting star. Exactly one year later (12/12/13) Ava was born. So, there we were, I was 36 and Sean was 39 and we had a baby. I guess the Universe had bigger plans for us.
How do you make it all work?
With lots of help. We were so lucky to find the most amazing person to care for Ava while both Sean and I work. I get up at 2:30 a.m. each morning and head to work around 4:00 a.m. so that I can be home in the early afternoon. When Ava was little I aimed to be home before she woke up from her nap. Since she hasn’t napped in about 3 years, now I want to be there to hang out and watch “Puppy Dog Pals”.
What’s your advice for moms going back to work after having a child?
I went back to work when Ava was six months old – still one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I had to shift my mindset, I couldn’t focus on me ‘leaving/abandoning’ her. Knowing that what I was doing was going to benefit her, and her future, helped ease the guilt. It also helped that our nanny would send pictures and videos throughout the day. I still get random texts from Karina some days. It does get easier. There are some weekends when I’m counting down the hours until I get to go back to work.
You’ve been on a weight loss journey; how did that begin?
I was almost 41 years old and I could barely walk. My knees were swollen, it hurt to sit, it hurt to stand, I couldn’t climb the stairs in my house without my knees giving out. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I said, “I’ll start Monday”. I started by just tracking my food, since exercise wasn’t even a possibility at the time. Eventually I started riding a stationary bike. I found exercise actually helped my knees. Each day, I tried to do a little more. This was never about starving myself, or following the latest fad diet. I needed it to stick, I needed to find something that was going to work and be sustainable. I found that if I followed the mantra “do better than you did yesterday” it helped. A year later, and I’m down almost 60 pounds. The best part? My knees don’t hurt!
What’s the biggest surprise of motherhood?
You take more pictures than you thought humanly possible. In some cases, it’s a hundred pictures of the same thing. Yet, I can’t bring myself to delete any of them. A far cry from when I was a child. Still pretty sure 80% of my childhood is on some undeveloped film in my mother’s dresser drawer.
What do you always carry in your purse?
Carmex, protein bar, wallet, phone. Some random toy.
Favorite restaurant in Brentwood?
Enishi Kitchen
Best part of being a mom?
Getting to see life through her eyes… Finding joy in simple things.
