MetroMom Sunni Baker
An El Paso native with a Biology degree, mom Sunni has added a Triathlon to her accomplishments

MB - What is your most memorable moment of becoming a mom? 

The whole process of giving birth is by far the most memorable. I was induced on a Wednesday morning, and 21 hours later we had our beautiful baby, Brady. The most amazing thing to me was when the announced his weight. The nurses and doctors told me that he would be about 8 pounds. He came into this world at 9 pounds, 8 ounces!  I will never forget that moment!

MB - What was your biggest challenge after becoming a mom?

My biggest challenge was learning to juggle my new “mom” life with my “old” life. I had this idea that nothing would change after baby, and he would fit perfectly into my wonderful, organized world. I thought I’d jump right back into work and things would be back to normal.  Boy, was I wrong! EVERYTHING changed. I lost interest in working, all I wanted to do was spend time with him, and I quickly realized that I would not be on my own schedule anymore.

MB - How was your first triathlon, and what inspired you to do it?

My sister, who is a personal trainer, moved to the Dallas area this past January. She encouraged me to start working out again (I gained 60 pounds during my pregnancy and hadn’t lost much of it). Our gym, Lifetime Fitness, was sponsoring a triathlon and she talked me into doing it, to set a goal to get in shape. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, especially the swimming, but overall it was a fantastic experience and I am so glad that I did it. The feeling that I had when I crossed the finish line was something I have never experienced... very fulfilling!

MB - How do you find the time to exercise, work part time and juggle the hundreds of mom duties?

I have such a supportive husband, and a really easy-going child who loves going to the gym’s daycare, so that makes it a lot easier. I work one or two days a week and I go to the gym whenever I can.  Sometimes that’s at 5am, or sometimes at 5pm. The mom duties seem to fill in every other moment!  I really sleep well at night, though, because I’m pretty tired by the end of the day.

 MB - What advice can you give to moms about incorporating fitness into their lives?

You just have to make time for it. Schedule it like you would a doctor’s appointment. The idea of being healthy and fit for my son keeps me motivated. He’s very active and I want to be able to keep up with him. When I first started, it was so easy to talk myself out of going to the gym. Now, I actually feel worse if I don’t go. 

MB - What is the best advice you received about being a mom or raising a child? 

One bit of advice that sticks out is something that my husband’s cousin told me. She said that if you make a threat to your child, like sending him to his room when he is in trouble, you better follow through with it. Children are VERY smart and they pick up quickly to your empty threats.

MB - If you could give another mom or expectant mom one piece of advice, what would it be?

Go with the flow. Don’t try to force things. Expect your life to change 180 degrees. Just let motherhood happen and enjoy every minute. It really does go by quickly.

MB - Do you have a motto you would like to share with other moms? 

Raise your daughters to be ladies, and raise your sons to be gentlemen.

What has been your favorite MetroMoms event to date and why?

I really enjoyed the The Best and Hottest at Blue Mesa Grill. I love to see all the great products that are out there to make our jobs a little easier.