Motherhood Inspiration: Sheri Baumann

Motherhood Inspiration: Sheri Baumann
Today we're talking to the lovely Sheri  Baumann. She's a mother we admire and you can follow along at  @sheribaumann on instagram. We're so sad to report instagram crashed as we were trying to save this interview, so we don't have it on our IGTV, but you can read this interview anytime and catch up with the rest of the interviews on instagram! 
  • Ayla & Co.: Who are you a mom to? I am mom of three amazing kiddos - Mason is 13 1/2, Jaxon is 10 and Samantha will be 9 in a week!
  • Tell us a little about you outside of motherhood: "So, me OUTSIDE of being a mom.....let me remember.  ;)  I LOVE being active and exercising.  I used to do CrossFit (until my aging body told me to try something new), then trained for and competed in a sprint triathlon.  I LOVE HIGH fitness and any type of interval training.  I love being outside in nature, and I feel the most connected with  myself and my higher power when I'm in nature, ESPECIALLY at the ocean.  I enjoy music quite a bit.  If there's not music on in the room/car, there's surely a song playing in my head (ALL.THE.TIME.).  I still remember all the lyrics from songs I listened to when I was 10 years old, but I can't remember important historical dates to save my life!  My favorite place I've traveled thus far is Puerto Vallarta, but have grand dreams of visiting Bora Bora, Hawaii, Spain and returning to Chile (where I was a missionary for my church 16 years ago).  As for work, I'm currently in the research stage of starting my own business.....but I don't want to give the idea away before I've launched!  I'm hoping to have it ready to be up and running by next Summer, so follow along with me on  IG if you're curious!"
  • How has becoming a mother changed your life? "How has becoming a mother changed my life?  Well, besides the forehead wrinkles?  lol  I've definitely learned the value in becoming more deliberate and intentional with my time.  I want to always try and give the best of myself to the people I love, so being organized and a bit structured (not overly....cuz that's just not who I am) really helps me.  I'm also realizing that the spontaneous side of me THRIVES in motherhood.  I'm a HIGHLY spontaneous person.  I find that I'm the most present in the fun with  my kids when I don't have a rigid idea in my mind of what that "fun" should look like, and just GO WITH IT with them.  Because isn't that really what kids are all about anyway?  Just JUMPING IN with both feet and HAVING FUN?"
  • Did you work before having kids? If so how did having kids change that? "Before having kids, I was an Admin at eBay in Draper.  I loved that job - supporting several department heads, helping plan corporate events, making sure my boss always had his Diet Coke ready on his desk when he got into work in the morning....(which I can REALLY appreciate the importance of now that I'm in my 40s! haha!).  I worked there until I had my oldest child.  After that, I had random jobs for several years until I started my own LuLaRoe business.  I did that for a few years until it wasn't working for our family dynamic anymore, and then I began working as an office secretary at my kids' elementary school.  Now my job is being a Gestational Carrier (similar to a surrogate), so I put that AMAZING office job on hold so I can focus on keeping this little baby in my belly healthy!"

 

  • What made you want to be a surrogate mom? "Waaaaaaay back in 2006, after several years of trying to become pregnant, my sister told me that they were FINALLY pregnant!  I was so excited for her, and then I remember thinking about how cool it would be to carry a child someday for a couple like them who had fertility struggles.  The thought entered my mind several times over the next MANY years, and about a year and a half ago (maybe more?) I felt strongly like it was time to start pursuing that journey.  It's something I've felt "called" to do for quite some time, and I'm so grateful that I'm getting to fulfil my own dreams by making another family's dreams come true as well!  At my core, GIVING is what fills my cup.  Serving brings me so much joy."

 

  • How do you balance the constant chaos of motherhood? In addition how do you prioritize self care? "You know, it's been almost 14 years since I first became a mother and the process of balancing the chaos is ever-changing!  What I needed to do for self-care and me time was SO different when I was only balancing the needs of ONE child with my own needs and that of my marriage.  Back then, as long as I was able to get to the gym and get a shower every-other day, I was okay.  Now that I have three kids whose school work and extra-curriculars demand a LOT of my time and energy, I've had to change the way I prioritize my personal time.  I have found that I really prefer getting up early, exercising, meditating, writing in my gratitude and GOALS journal and getting all of that stuff done FOR MYSELF to fill my own cup before I start pouring into my childrens' cups. When I'm not consistent with that routine, everyone in my immediate little bubble can tell.  And to keep the "chaos" to a minimum (because let's be honest, it never REALLY goes all the way away), I use a good old-fashioned paper calendar.  I brain dump on it at night before bed, make sure my schedule for the next day is in my head, and I REALLY love Jordan Page's time block scheduling for getting things done around the house."

 

  • Tell me about your "life's messy moment" story: "Oh gosh, life's messy moment?  If we're talking literally "messy," about a month ago I was standing in the kitchen with my 13 year-old son and we were joking around about something, then I had a sneeze catch me totally off-guard so there was no time for that mom-of-three-cross-your-legs-first stuff.....and I FULL ON PEED MYSELF.   I mean, I had to go clean off and change.  Then the next day, he had a couple of friends over and he told all of them ALL about it."

 

  • How did you hear about the Ayla Bag? "I heard about the AYLA bag on your IG, and when you mentioned the vacuum to me one day, I got so excited to see the prototype!"
  • What are you most excited for about the bag? "Well, the bag I ordered during the kickstarter launch will be for the intended parents of the baby i'm carrying - it will be their hospital gift when the baby is born!  It's so beautiful, organized, functional and practical!  I'm sure I'll end up with one for myself too!"

 

  • Tell us one place you will be using the Ayla Vac? "I'd use that AYLA vac in my car DAILY!  It doesn't matter how old your kids are - kids are messy.  Well, and so am I, let's be honest.  We all make messes with snacks in the car!  Then I can hide the evidence that I ate two of those CostCo croissants on the way home from my shopping trip....."
Be sure to follow us and Sheri for more! 
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