I was looking through some of my pictures from when I was pregnant. It’s funny…I don’t have many, but it’s not surprising to me that I kept the cameras off me! I didn’t look so hot. You know what? Next time around I’m just gonna splurge on a hot maternity wardrobe. It’s totally worth it. ‘Cuz you wanna have those pregnancy pictures to look back on. And you don’t wanna go, “Ew.”

When I was pregnant, a whole bunch of other stars were, too. Angelina Jolie, Gwen Stefani, Katie Holmes, etc., etc.

And now, there are a whole new set of celebrity babies showing up. Not that I’m pregnant, too, but doesn’t it seem like stars all get knocked up at the same time?

I was on the Celebrity Baby Blog and I gotta say: Nicole Ritchie’s baby is very, very cute. But what about Angelina on her…5th? I mean, I guess they are happy, or seem to be, but wow. Just. Wow.

When I first started this blog, I talked about great places to get certain looks for moms and their babies. When you spend around half a year wearing maternity wear, you want to know how you can get back into the swing of things. That is, if you are completely clueless like I was. I didn’t wear cute maternity clothes. I wore big shirts that made me look even bigger. I wore gross, cheap pants that I hated but that I thought I had to wear because I was too big for anything normal. It was pretty bad. All I have to say is that the next time around, I’m gonna be the hot pregnant girl you see with the cute maternity jeans and boots, and cute layers and cozy knit sweaters! You’ll see… ;)

The fact of the matter is that pregnant women no longer need to wear the yucky, oversized, blousy maternity wear of yore. But you gotta get out there. You gotta check out the stores and the online sites and really keep style as well as comfort in mind. You CAN have both. I know that now. Here’s a tip: Try Due Maternity. There’s a store that opened up recently near my house that I pass all the time and think…”Oh, if only I knew!” But, again…there’s always next time!

I was going through some of my old nursing stuff that is jammed in the back of my closet and I found a nursing gown and robe that I never even used. I bought it because the pattern on it is really cute - black with pink and white cherries all over. But, since I never really changed out of my sweats and t-shirt the entire time I was nursing, I didn’t put all that cutesy stuff to use.

I think a lot about what will be different with my next child. I do eventually want to have another baby and when I do, I would like to try and nurse longer. Maybe now that I’ve done it once and know what I’m getting into, it’ll be easier the second time around. For one thing, I want to be better prepared. Like, having the appropriate nursing accessories and clothing. I didn’t have enough of the things that I wanted to wear day in and day out. Like t-shirts and comfortable nursing bras. Having those things really makes a difference. Nursing is already hard enough without the extra pain of finding appropriate clothing.

NursingPJs.com is a specialty store dedicated to letting new mothers continue to look stylish, sexy, hip AND be comfortable by way of the best nursing fashion available. Yeah, you have to pay more for good nursing wear. But you know what? In my eyes, it’s totally worth it. And, really, you just need a couple of key items. Same deal with maternity clothes. If you don’t feel good in what you’re wearing, you are going to resent your body changing shape and that is not how any pregnant woman should feel.

Right now, this amazing site (seriously, look at the stuff they have!) is offering free shipping through the holidays. More reason to give ‘em a try. I personally can’t take advantage of this site’s products just yet (thank god!), but when I do become pregnant again, this is definitely going to be a site I order from.

#1: Cocoa puffs are really good.

#2: When you finish eating cocoa puffs, you have a bowl full of chocolate milk! Who knew?!?!

I gained a lot of weight when I was pregnant, like 50 pounds. I ate everything and anything I wanted. I exercised a bunch (3 times a week qualifies, right?), but still somehow managed to pack on the el bees. Two weeks before my due date, I was diagnosed with preeclampsia. I don’t know if my weight gain had anything to do with it, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t help matters. I had no idea how serious preeclampsia was or what kind of risks were attached to the disorder. I didn’t have a lot of time to ask questions since, immediately after the diagnosis, I was sent to the hospital to be induced.

It wasn’t until later, when I began reading about this condition, that I realized I (and the baby) could have been in serious danger.

Needless to say, we both survived and are in good health - for which I am forever grateful. After he was delivered, my blood pressure went down and I lost 20 pounds. It looked as though I was headed back to the body I once knew…until, that is, I forgot it was going to require a bit of hard work! Fast-forward six months and…let’s put it this way: I’ve got a closet full of clothes that are getting dustier by the second.

I can’t fit into any of my old outfits, which is such a waste because I’ve got really cute shit. It drives me crazy. So, here’s the deal: I’ve decided to do the holidays differently this year; I’m not going to wait until the New Year to make my resolution. Instead, I’m going to do the work now, with my goal being to reach my target by New Year’s Day. And all of those reading this are witnesses to my vow!

‘Cuz seriously, this is getting so beyond old.

The day I found out I was pregnant was unbelievable. Three open packages of varying brands of home tests scattered on the bathroom floor later and tada! I became a believer. It was like finding success in the ultimate of science experiments. I’d hooked up the right wires, attached them in correct sequence…you get the idea. It worked, it actually worked! Holy shit, it fucking worked! And now there was this thing, this thing growing in me. As I stood there, staring at the stick in my hand, then back at the directions on the box in my other; then again at the stick; then again at the box, I did everything to keep myself from hitting the floor.

The next 8 months passed slowly. Every day seemed like a new opportunity to make myself better. I felt as though I were being re-released into the world, reborn and recreated. This was my chance to start from scratch, to make the perfect human being in my likeness! I’d screwed up thousands of diets, dyed my hair the wrong color millions of times, improperly cared for tons of scratches that spitefully turned into scars, began moisturizing too late in life, drank too much coffee, did too many drugs, forgot to wear sunscreen and tossed my retainer only to find that my bite re(in)corrected itself. But this! This was an opportunity to reverse all the wrongs I’d committed unto myself, the ultimate in clean slates. This was a control freak’s (er, perfectionist’s) wet dream!

Not the thoughts a budding mom should be entertaining? Whatever. The truth is, no one can tell you how you should or should not be feeling while pregnant. If one dares, be glad your hormones have made your fingernails double in length - you’ll need ‘em to rip the offender to shreds! Think of your babe as a glorified Chia Pet? Ok, then. Enjoy the fantasy because when the bubble (and your belly) bursts, you’ll forget what it was like to imagine baby-making was all about cute outfits and posh strollers.

People always say there is nothing you can do to prepare for the realities of caring for a newborn. Wrong. You could gradually cut an hour out of your nightly sleep until eventually you don’t sleep at all. You could practice letting the laundry basket get so full it spills out onto the floor and begins to form a conga line down your hallway. You could skip showering for days in a row, then when you do, set an alarm for 3 1/2 minutes and be dried and dressed by the time it sounds. You could attach clothespins to your tits. You could refrain from watching television, reading the newspaper, talking to your friends on the phone and going outside until you feel completely out of touch with the world around you, at which point you fall on the carpet sobbing (don’t worry about smeared mascara because as with all your makeup, it’s in a pile making friends with the dust bunnies).

So, yes. You actually can prepare yourself for motherhood. But why would you want to?

Enjoy being clueless. Enjoy thinking you’ll have time to exercise, cook, clean, shop, socialize and take care of your newborn 24-7. And for those of you returning to work, well, all I have to say to you is…

…ughh…

…hmm…

…alrighty!

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Enjoy believing you’ll still have a life. That’s what pregnancy is all about – the fantasy, the excitement, the sleep! Enjoy using the “I’m too tired” excuse, the “I’m eating for two” excuse, the “It’s my hormones talking!” excuse. Take advantage of these precious months of everything being all about you, because it’s the last time it ever will be. And that’s not a bad thing.