BCM- How did your life change when you became a mom?  

Kristine - I had to learn to let go a little. If you are Type-A like me, your pre-mom self liked things orderly, well-planned and you liked a clean house. Author Rebecca West once said that ” A house uncleaned is better than a life unlived.”  To me this resonated after I had a child, not just because the days of a toy-free living room are over, but it’s a great philosophy about motherhood in general. Some days are going to be messy, plans may be derailed by a sick or fussy child, but hopefully amidst all of the messiness, your life will be enriched. 

BCM - What has been your most memorable moment as a mom? 

Kristine -After a truly amazing labor and birth experience at Mt. Sinai hospital, we were thrown a huge curveball shortly after Charlotte’s arrival into the world. About an hour after her birth, the nurse noticed that Charlotte didn’t appear to be breathing.  She quickly made a distress call to the NICU to get help. My husband Max and I watched in tears as doctors and nurses came pouring into the room, making every effort to revive her. It was surreal and frightening. After several minutes of watching helplessly, Charlotte stabilized on a breathing machine and was quickly taken to the NICU. This was the most memorable moment of motherhood for me because in that first hour of her life, I understood that I had just increased my capacity to love someone else to an infinite level. As mothers, there is simply nothing you won’t do for your child.  The story ended well, thanks to the incredible professionalism of the staff at Mt. Sinai Hospital. After spending an exhausting week visiting Charlotte several times daily in the NICU, we joyfully brought our healthy baby home and she has been thriving ever since.

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

Kristine -Don’t stop living your life just because you had a baby! Having a child does add a new level of complexity, but it doesn’t have to mean you can’t do many of the things you enjoyed before becoming a mom. If someone had told me that with conviction years ago, I probably would have taken the plunge into motherhood sooner. With support from your partner, family and caregivers, you can still find time to exercise, cultivate your hobbies and relationships and yes, travel. If you are a travel junkie like I am, there is no reason you can’t include your children on your journeys. It involves more planning, more family-friendly accommodations, and lots more luggage, but you would be amazed how well children can learn to travel at an early age. You would also be surprised by the kindness of strangers during your travels—flight attendants can be lovely and key to getting that free middle seat for your infant if the flight isn’t full. Hotel managers and servers are often charmed by well-behaved children and can make things so much more comfortable during your stay. Max and I adore taking Charlotte with us to both new and familiar places. We recently took her to Paris, which is my favorite city in the world and where we were married. It was incredibly special to see the city through her eyes. It was a trip I will never forget.

BCM - Besides working full time at your corporate job, you recently launched a second educational DVD, "Jack Goes West",  Tell us about it.

Kristine -While I truly enjoy my corporate job managing private bank clients, I am really a creative type at heart. I have spent most of my life singing and acting, and I am still fortunate to perform on the off-off Broadway circuit here in NYC.  My husband Max, who is a filmmaker, had a strong desire to enter the baby and toddler video market a few years ago, as he saw a real need for quality educational entertainment that would appeal to both toddlers and adults alike. He and his business partner created “Jack, the Cuddly Dog,” an adorable animated puppy who lives in Central Park. The first DVD, “ Jack, the Cuddly Dog – Colors and shapes” was animated by a former “ Blues Clues “ animator with artful hand-drawn quality animation, and soothing classical music by an award-winning concert pianist. I have been on the creative team since day one, and my voice can be heard along with that of my stepdaughter, Lucy, as co-narrators on the videos. We received such a positive response from the first video that “ Jack Goes West” was released late last year, taking toddlers on a journey to the great American west by way of the Grand Canyon, New Mexico and finally to the shores of California. A book is also in the works, and is scheduled for release in late 2011. A huge thank you to BCM for selecting the first video, “ Jack the Cuddly Dog – Colors and Shapes” for their recent Holiday Gifting Guide!

BCM - How do you manage your work/life balance? Any advice for moms? 
Kristine -Having an incredible nanny who I trust implicitly and a wonderfully supportive husband have been key to my sanity and success. When I re-entered the corporate world after my maternity leave, I started on a quest for that holy grail of work/life balance—I attended events at BCM, I joined an affinity group at work, and I read several books on the subject that first year while I pumped my milk twice a day at work.  I finally settled into my own groove, and can offer some advice from what I have learned:  1) Let go of the guilt. Once you can overcome the guilt of being away from your child to not only help support your family, but the guilt of actually being fulfilled by your work as well as motherhood, that is half the battle. 2) Try to immerse yourself at work when you are there, but switch gears to immerse yourself at home with your family during the evenings, weekends and vacations. 3) Find the right work environment that embraces work/life balance and try to align yourself with colleagues and ultimately a manager who have similar priorities and ideals.  I am very blessed to have the support of a great business partner and a team of people supporting me who understand that I may have family obligations on occasion and who allow me the flexibility to do what I need to do. 4) Every mother whether working or stay-at-home should carve out some time to cultivate a passion– whether it’s reading, painting, blogging, or in my case, singing and acting. It is so important for us to hold onto that piece of our pre-mom self, and with the help of a supportive partner, it can be done.

BCM - What type of activities do you like to do with your daughter? 

Kristine -I have been singing to Charlotte since I was pregnant, and continue to do so everyday, even on the phone when I am away on a business trip. Music has become a shared language of ours, and while my first love is musical theater (we are big fans of Broadway Babies classes), I have tried to give her exposure to other genres as well. Nothing tickles us more than to hear her little voice coming from the backseat of the car singing “Jammin’” by Bob Marley.

We established a nighttime reading ritual when we first brought her home, it is one of my favorite pastimes, and I love to introduce her to different places and cultures through books, sometimes in anticipation of our next trip together. 

BCM - What has been your favorite Big City Moms event?

Kristine -I love all of them, but have a soft spot for the expectant events while I was pregnant. At my first dinner, I was sitting next to an expectant mom who turned out to live a block away. Two years later, not only have we remained friends, but our children adore each other and play together several times a week with our nannies, who have also become great friends.

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FUN FACTS:

I’m totally obsessed with……

Kristine -Losing that always elusive last 5 lbs.

My biggest influence is…..

Kristine -My husband—hands down the best friend, lifeline and cheerleader I could have ever asked for. He's also the only person I can shop with – he has amazing taste in fashion and the patience of a saint.

My favorite drugstore buy is…..

Kristine -Anything Mustela for Charlotte, Aveeno sunless body moisturizer for me

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Products I can’t live without…….

Kristine -Lip gloss—which I reapplied in labor—also, my Manolos at work and running shoes on the weekend.

My guilty pleasure is ….

Kristine -Watching “Glee” while sipping a big red wine.

Favorite restaurant………

Kristine -It’s a toss-up, and both are in our Upper West Side backyard: Dovetail for date nights and Café Frida for family nights (Charlotte is a guacamole addict just like her mom)