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

Vera - So many special moments: seeing my husband cry when he looked at us and said he was the happiest person alive, seeing the grandparents meet their first grandchild, and every day when I come home from work and see my son running towards me. Also, Christmas took on a whole other feeling after Alex was born. It became so much more special and magical. Last Christmas seeing Alex open gifts and laughing and making funny noises and moves was so amazing, totally priceless!

BCM - Do you have any advice for expecting moms:

Vera - I recommend listening to all the advice you are given but do what you think is best for your child and family.

Schedule and regimen I found is key to a happy baby and parents, whether it comes to sleep, feeding or play time or to your own personal life. 

Sometimes try to devote a night to do something just the two of you or with friends while leaving kids with grandparents or a sitter. I think it’s very important to keep your social life going. Also, moms should never start feeling like they are too busy to put on some make up and high heels.

BCM - How do you manage to balance your work and personal life?

Vera -Having a toddler and building a small business while maintaining my day job as a vice president of an investment bank is sometimes is a real challenge. It gets overwhelming at times because I want to be the best mother and wife that I can be. Having a regimen and a good “to do” phone app is a life-saver for me. Also, we have been very lucky to have my parents to help take care of our son, so it definitely allowed us to continue concentrate on our careers, our business, and to spend an evening alone or with friends once in a while.

BCM - What types of activities do you like to do w/ Alex?

Vera -As both of us work a lot we try to devote our weekends to family time. On weekends we usually don’t plan and enjoy days without schedules. We love exploring the city. If you ask Alex what’s is his favorite thing to do he would probably say “visiting grandpa” as it involves a bus ride. He will get to see his dog Rufus and he will play with the coolest collection of Hess toy trucks. Grandpa definitely won his heart :)

Also, Alex loves arts and wood crafts, clay and landscaping crafts, building stuff and coloring.

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

Vera -We really enjoyed the Halloween event last year. Personally, my favorite and most special event was the Biggest Baby Shower event. We launched Doodle Wheel during the event and had an overwhelmingly wonderful response from expecting moms. We were so touched and blown away by Big City Moms support for mompreneurs. We will never forget that day!

BCM - Tell us about your company - Doodle Wheel?

Vera - Doodle Wheels are customizable reflective hubcaps for baby strollers.  They offer fun and unique way to make your baby’s ride safer and more visible to motorists.  Also, they make it easier to identify your stroller in a crowd. Right now we offer dozens of stylish and fun designs to set your stroller apart.  Doodle Wheels are easy to attach to the wheel rims and are made from heavy-duty plastic built to withstand the rigors of everyday use.  They make the perfect gift to jazz up a stroller – be it brand new or gently used.  The best thing about Doodle Wheels is that they guarantee to put a smile on your baby’s face and the faces of people who pass by.