Hi everyone! I’m Ashley Rademacher, and I’m so excited to be April’s Mom of the Month.

I grew up just outside of Sacramento in Northern California and was the first person in my family to attend college. Attending UC Irvine (home of the Anteaters Zot! Zot! Zot!) was my first big venture away from home and I have basically been moving ever since graduating in 2014.

My husband and I matched on a dating app in 2013 while he was on a Navy detachment in El Centro and I was in Gaslamp for the weekend with friends. We immediately hit it off, I think I won him over with my ability to quote TOPGUN, but since we were both passing through San Diego the early years of our relationship were mostly long distance. After graduation, I moved from Irvine to Washington, DC then to Virginia Beach, VA and West Virginia pursuing my career, while my husband finished his training as a Naval Aviator. We got married in 2016 and finally moved in together for good in 2018 when we were stationed in Key West, FL.

Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I worked for 6 years as professional staff for the FBI doing everything from firearms background checks, to filing and administrative work, to analytical work.

In 2021, a few months before we were set to leave Key West, I found out I was pregnant with our first baby girl. We headed to Virginia Beach, bought our first home, welcomed Riley in May 2022 and then Avery in November 2024. Then in March 2025, we received orders to San Diego, the place where it all started.

They say the best parents are the ones who don’t have kids yet and boy did that ring true for me. I thought I had it all figured out while I was pregnant but, if I’m being honest, my postpartum experience with Riley was really hard, nothing like I expected or heard about from friends. I was definitely not expecting to step into the SAHM role after being so career driven. I had finally started finding myself again when I found out I was pregnant the second time. Then in the throes of postpartum with Avery, we packed up and moved cross-country to an area where I didn’t know anyone. I’m so thankful to have found the camaraderie of FIT4MOM during this phase because it has helped me grow into a healthier, happier version of myself as a mom.

When we’re not at class, you can find us on Coronado at Spreckels, the San Diego Zoo, or whenever we’re able, Disney!