While I still can I am going to enjoy wearing a bikini. Okay, maybe enjoy is not exactly the right word. I'll have to suck my stomach in and be mindful of how I sit... but once preggers (and certainly post delivery) I'm sure I'll be switching over to the tankini and skort.

The bikini I've got my eye on right now?

This Miracle Bra Swim Suit from Victoria's Secret:

Top: $28 ON SALE
Bottom: $21

A recent post on a popular website asked, "what should I avoid if I'm trying to conceive?". I did some research and found a helpful article on BabyCenter.com that answers exactly that question.
Read it now.

My DH and I DVR'd the new NBC show The Baby Borrowers and watched it last night. OMG! What a wake up call for those teenagers!? If you haven't heard about the show or missed the season premiere this past Wednesday here's the 411: The Baby Borrowers is a reality TV show in which five teenage couples take on the task of parenting. First for babies, then toddlers, then pre-teens, teenagers and then the elderly. It airs on Wednesday nights on NBC.

My take on the teens after watching the premier episode? What were they thinking? I could not believe how confident they were before those babies showed up. Several of them are admittedly endearing. I was impressed with how well the young men handled things at first... the girls however... I don't think they have any idea what they're in for.

Once the babies arrived some of the couples rose to the challenge while other sank. How 'bout the gal (Alicea) that got frustrated trying to feed baby Carson and said "fine then starve". Woah! She later had the audacity to say that Carson's real mother got upset for no reason!!!

My husband and I are very excited about the prospect of having our own baby... but we're also nervous. We know it isn't going to be easy... which is why we have waited and planned for parenthood. Thank goodness we have realistic expectations about it... unlike these teenagers.

Want to watch a two-minute recap of Wednesday's episode? Click on the video below...


Did you watch the show? What did you think?

Crossing my fingers that my body is back to a normal healthy rhythm now and I'll be ovulating in the next ten or so days. One reader recommended that I use an OPK and I plan to do just that. I'll be seeing my family (they live a long distance from my DH and I) at the end of July and I would love to be able to tell my mother that I'm preggers. So for now crossing my fingers and baby dancing every other day!

If you and your DH are in the baby game and trying to conceive check out this article from The Cradle. Written by Ann Douglas, author of The Mother of All books, this article, Countdown to Conception is a great source of info for couples that are looking to start their family.

Hey mamas! I'm looking for some advice from the blogosphere. I have heard many great things about the BlogHer conference and am wondering if I should make an effort to be there? If you've been or you know someone who has gone I would love to know if you/they felt it was a worthwhile conference to attend. I am officially soliciting your advice.

I'm sure all you baby-less ladies out there have at one time or another heard the dreaded question... "So when are you going to start a family." Whether it's mom, Aunt Milly or an old classmate at your high school reunion... someone always has to bring up the fact that you have yet to join the "mommyhood." For me the questions started about year two of my marriage. At first it didn't bother me... I was able to just laugh it off with comments like "we're still newlyweds". Well three or so years later that comment doesn't work anymore. Even more upsetting than the dreaded question? The dreaded silence. I've noticed at recent family gatherings that people don't even ask anymore... they must figure that I am a lost cause. Little do they know (we're sort of keeping the "trying" a secret for now) if I have my way I will be joining the "mommyhood" in the next year.

What about you? Do you dread the question? Welcome the question? Or like me... have they simply stopped asking?

Being on the journey towards "mommyhood" and TTC (trying to conceive) means that I am on the outlook for all the good info I can get. While surfing the web today I found an article on MomLogic that was insightful and thought you might all enjoy it too. It's dated May 1st of this year... but the date doesn't make a difference in separating fact from fiction.

Here are the four conception myths that editor-in-chief Kim Hahn of Conceive magazine addresses for the MomLogic readers...

Myth #1. Have as much sex as possible
Myth #2. Women are to blame for most infertility
Myth #3. You can't control what you have
Myth #4. Having baby sex feels like a chore

Check out Kim's answers on MomLogic.

If you're following the story about the 17 teenagers that are pregnant at one high school in Massachusetts it just keeps getting more interesting. Initially many believed and journalists reported that there was a pact between some (but not all) of the girls to get pregnant and raise their children together as young mothers.

The reporter from Time, Kathleen Kingsbury, that broke the story appeared on The Today Show this morning with Meredith Viera to follow up on the story.

Just like the rest of us, Kathleen is now getting mixed responses from school officials and the city of Glouchester. Many are saying that there was no pact, that it's all just a big misunderstanding. Read Kathleen's follow up article here.

Regardless of whether or not there was a pact, the fact that 17 teenagers are pregnant in one high school is a huge number. I've heard that number is four times the national average.

What do you think? Did they have a pact or was it just the thing to do? Or is it possible that it's just an odd coincidence?

I had planned to test again this Friday but unfortunately there won't be a need too. AF showed up this afternoon. Now we've only been trying for one month... so I can't say I'm too upset... but admittedly a little disappointed. Would have loved to have had it happen right away. The good news is that my body seems to be getting back on a regular schedule after having been on the pill for the past fifteen years. (I started taking the pill at 14 to regulate my period.) So I'll be logging into my Fertility Gal account this evening and adding AF to my calender. Better luck next month.

Good Monday Morning Mamas!

It's Monday, June 23rd and today officially marks one full month from the date I told my husband I was ready to be a baby mama. What a month it has been. (No baby yet... no AF show either. I'll be testing again this Friday for those of you that are curious.) In the past month I've spent approximately $40 on pregnancy tests and ovulation predictor tests, purchased the book What to Expect When You're Expecting, joined every (at least it seems that way) mommy site out there, my fav's so far are BabyCenter and Fertility Gal, started obsessing about when I'm gonna get the BFP (patience has never been a virtue of mine) and started this blog roll, The Baby Mama Blog.

Thank you to all of you that have stopped by and left comments on various posts... I really appreciate it. I love feedback and want to know what it is you're interested in. If there is a particular topic you'd like me to talk about or research for the blog... give me a shout out and let me know. For those of you curious about blogging yourself... check out Blogger.com. My blog is part of Blogger... and it's totally FREE to have one. I started with one of their templates and then using my design knowledge and tools like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop went from there. I'm in the process of learning web design so that I can add that to my writing and graphic art repertoire. I've been having lots of fun with the design... but their templates are great places to get started.

Ooopss... I think I got a little distracted there for a moment... maybe I am pregnant... 'cuz that was a "pregnant brain" tangent to go off on. Thanks again for the encouragement and praise, I'm looking forward to writing this blog for a very long time. As for now, the baby dancing continues and I'll be testing again on Friday... if I can wait that long. As I said to my husband over the weekend... I'm either PMS'ing or I'm pregnant.

I thought a fun feature for the site might be quick little pieces titled... While I Still Can. Since the DH and I are TTC there are lots of things I can still do... sleep on my back, stay awake for the entire movie (okay let's be honest, sometimes I do fall asleep) and of course I can still reach my toes. So today's WISC... the personal pedicure.

Like most gals I love getting a pedi. Not only is the activity of getting one nice and relaxing, you don't have to worry about how your toes look in your fav flip flops for at least the next two to three weeks. However, with gas prices now over $4, I can't help but think of the ten gallons of gas I could be buying every time I pull out my Visa to pay for my $40 pedi. So ladies... I'm bringing it home and While I Still Can... I'm going to give myself a personal pedicure. Of course I'm going to need some supplies.

Here's what I'm gonna try...

The Tweezerman Pedicure Kit from Target for $14.99.


So what about you? What can you still do?
Tell me all about it!

I recently read an article from Shine (Yahoo's female friendly site) that I thought all you mamas and mamas-to-be would be interested in. According to the article "Are your late night snacks killing your sexual appetite?"... your late night snacks really could be. A recent study showed that "one third of people asked said that they are too tired for sex or felt bloated after eating unhealthy foods at the wrong times." (The Sun)

Now if you are trying to make a baby... you don't want anything to derail your plan... especially not a "yucky" late night snack (think chili cheese fries, fried tomatoes and Doritos) that makes you want to hide beneath the sheets and grown yourself to sleep.

Check out the entire Shine article for a list of Do's and Don'ts. My fav "Do" from the list? "Not all carbs are mood killers". Finally something positive about my long lost friends, carbs.

Don't miss an all new Jon & Kate + 8 episode tomorrow night on TLC at 9pm.

Episode Title: "Boy's Day Out"
What Happens: The boys spend the day with their dad at the golf course while the girls go grocery shopping with mom.

Ever wonder what's going on inside that cute little head on top of your child's body? I might not be a mom yet but I have experienced the "what are you thinking?" moment with many of my Godchildren. Surfing the web this afternoon I found the site of Dr. Heather Wittenberg, BabyShrink.com "Dr. Heather" is a psychologist specializing in baby, toddler and parent development. Her mission is to "help parents learn about normal (and no-so-normal) child development, and gain support and information about the challenging, amazing, creative, and daunting task of having and raising babies."

Check out "Dr. Heather's" site for the answers to what I can only assume are pretty common questions. She's been blogging since March of this year and has had some really great questions asked and answered in her blog. The most recent question came from a dad who is concerned that moving may prove stressful for his 5 1/2 year old daughter.

Maybe you're already preggers, or breastfeeding, or you're like me TTC and starting to "wean" yourself off of the alcoholic drinks. To be honest I'm not much of a drinker anyway... one cocktail and I am done (always a cheap date for the hubby). I do love a nice glass of wine on the weekends but even that I am starting to set aside for water and iced tea. Not wanting to take chances in case I am pregnant and wanting to "wean" myself off of the weekend wine in the mean time.

Now if you're a mama that's craving that fab taste of a freshly made summertime cocktail... I found an article from Yahoo's Shine today that you're gonna wanna read... "Five Great Ideas for Making... Mocktails?" There are five links at the bottom of the article to five recipes for mocktails; Lemon Verbena Soda, Placebo, Lavender Lemonade, Citrus Cream, Lime Rickey.

If it won't shock the guests at your summer BBQ give it a shot! (Figuratively not literally of course). If you decide to try one of the five mocktails, or you've got a recipe of your own... let me know all about it. Write in the comments or email me at thebabymamablog@gmail.com. I'll put your recipe or your reaction in an upcoming post.

There must be something in the water in LaLa land 'cuz Hollywood is bumping out all over. Every time you turn around another leading lady has got a growing baby bump. While I'm not crazy about 17 year olds, a la Jamie Lynn Spears having babies... I do get a kick (not a baby one yet!) out of taking a peek at the lovely baby mamas. Check out this gallery of pics... 13 celebrity (or pseudo celebs, thanks to the baby daddy) moms-to-be on Yahoo.

You've of course heard of a honeymoon (maybe even been on one) and you might have even heard of a "Baby-moon", but have you ever heard of a "Conception-moon"? Being the web junkie that I am I dove into researching pregnancy the very night my hubby and I decided we were ready to start trying. Little did I know that the information to dig through was gigantic. I was even more surprised (and admittedly excited) when I started reading about "Conception-moons".

Put quite simply... it's a vacation you take with your DH (dear husband) or BD (baby daddy) to TTC (try to conceive). I know... all of the abbreviating can make you feel like you're stuck in one of those texting commercials... "OMG IDK my BFF Baby Mama!"

Anyhoo... I fell in love with the idea of a conception-moon... but word-to-the-wise it takes some planning. You can't just jump online and buy the best getaway weekend package you can find. A conception-moon must be strategically planned so that you are in your ovulating window while on your vacay. It's probably also a good idea to go somewhere with relaxing activities so that you can stay rested for lots of baby dancing and not be tempted to wear yourselves out to soon.

As for me... the DH and I have only been trying for a little less than a month... so I'm not sure a conception-moon is needed yet... but any reason for a vacay... even a short one, is a good reason for me.

P.S... have you taken a conception-moon in the past? If so... tell me all about it. Post your conception-moon story in the comments and if it's a good one... I'll re-post for all the other mamas to see.

I want to give a BIG shout out to any new gals that are here to check out the blog. It's still in the very early stages of "conception" (pun intended)... so don't be surprised if you see changes in the next weeks when you stop back in. As a freelance writer and graphic artist it made sense to me to want to write about my experience and hopefully The Baby Mama blog can be a fun place to follow my journey, to share with me about yours and to find news and info that pertains to the "mommyhood". Please let me know if you have any thoughts, questions or suggestions. You can reach me via email at: thebabymamablog@gmail.com.

The Baby Mama

It's now Saturday am and I still have not seen AF (aka "Aunt Flo"). So the dealio is either I'm late... or it's still early. If you have no idea what I'm talking about... see my post on Fertility Gal. Fertility Gal is a great website with lots of info for gals just like me that are trying to get pregnant. If you fall in that group check it out. Fertility Gal has calendars, charts and a fairly active message board of women that are willing to share, commiserate, hope with you and send you lots of "Baby Dust."

So I did test again on Thursday evening for those that are wondering. I spent the moola and bought a box of electronic preggers tests (3). I used one and the result was a BFNP. For those not familiar with BFNP... "Big Fat Not Pregnant." This is a term I've only recently learned, thanks to the many mommy blogs and pregnancy message boards.

Here I thought I'd be saving all this money on birth control pills... I'm pretty sure I've just re-allocated that cash towards tests... but the curiosity makes me do it.

When I was in high school I couldn't tell you of a single girl that got pregnant... because she wanted to. It wasn't a badge of honor. Certainly not a right of passage. I guess I just don't understand... when did teenage pregnancy get hip?

I was shocked to hear about the Massachusetts high school where 17 girls are expecting! According to multiple reports (both TV and print) at least half of the girls had made a pact to get pregnant... because they wanted to be young mothers and raise their kids together. OMG!!! What happened to pacts like... "Let's all go to the prom in a big group so no one gets left out."

Perhaps we should all give a resounding... "Thanks Jamie Lynn Spears". While it might be alright (and I mean this with definite sarcasm) for 17 year old actresses to bring children into this world... it definitely means a long road ahead for these other young mothers and their babies.

Did you miss this story yesterday? Read an article from Yahoo.

Should I or shouldn't I?
I admit to being totally confused about the two tests I have taken during the last 48 hours. Might be time to invest in a more spendy "electronic" preggers test.

Stay tuned.

Now there are umpteen sites out there with all sorts of products for little Princesses... but I just had to share this one with you. These fab little ribbon headbands are perfect for little ladies with very little hair.


The K's Kraze ribbon headbands are currently being sold in small boutiques in the Pacific Northwest but can also be purchased online. They come in bunches of three for $12 or two bundles of three for $20.

Marathon on TLC tonight with special deleted scenes. I'll be tuning in. Will you?

So I took a preggers test yesterday (patience has never been a virtue that I posses)... and it might be a figment of my imagination but I think there was a very faint line. Here's the 411 on the test... it was a cheap one from Target. I took it late in the afternoon (I know... should test in the am when hcg is stronger), thought I saw a line but wasn't sure. A few hours later due to my heightened curiosity took another test and didn't see a line. So I waited, wondered and then took a test today. Nothing. So I'm guessing it was my imagination. If AF doesn't show by next week then I'll buy one of the more spendy electronic tests and see what happens.

See for yourself...
The top test is the one that is makin' me crazy. It's almost impossible to see... but it really was there (although it did get darker a la evap line overtime.) The bottom one is the test that clearly shows no preggers... there would be a plus sign in the left window if hcg was present.

In general I love TV (in my real life I freelance on a TV show), but I have to admit that since deciding to try to have a baby I have been drawn to the "baby" programming over most everything else. This is also probably true because it's June and my fav shows like Grey's, Desperate Housewives and Survivor are on summer vacay.

Here's the clincher... I'm addicted to Jon & Kate + 8. I can't seem to help myself... I am a J&K+8 addict! I can't get enough. Now to be clear (and this next statement is really for my husband) I do not want 8 children. I would be happy to just have one (at least to start with). Still I can't get enough.

Anybody else having a hard time pulling themselves away from the tube?

I've been having all sorts of "symptoms" for the past few days; bloating, headaches, cramping. Trouble is... I don't know if I should attribute these symptoms to PMS or possibly being preggers.

My cycle is off thanks to stopping BC pills after 15 years. Don't know when I should expect AF to show... and don't want to break the bank taking a pregnancy test every other day... you can laugh here... 'cuz you know you've done it too.

Don't know if I should be counting from my last on schedule AF or from what I think was break through bleeding a week after stopping BC.

So I'll give it a week and see what happens. If my cycle were normal I would be expecting it to be here by now.

I feel different... but it might be wishful thinking.

I met with the new Dr.. Loved her! Very happy and don't plan to have to do any more Dr. dating appts. to find the right practice. Now just have to do some serious baby dancing!

We spent the weekend visiting some friends whose oldest daughter happens to be one of our God children. My husband and I have five between us (two that we "share). Each time we see our dear friends they ask if we are planning to have children any time soon. Well this time we couldn't contain our excitement and didn't want to lie... so we told them that we were. They were to say the least pretty darn excited. On our trip home my husband and I discussed whether or not in the case of parenthood... does misery love company? Do our friends want us to have a baby so that we can experience the overwhelming joy of bringing another life into the world (at least that's what everyone tells us) or is that they want someone to commiserate with about 2am feedings, dirty diapers and projectile vomiting? Perhaps it is a true combination of the two?

What do you think?

I've got an appointment! A week from tomorrow. I've decided to try a new Women's Health practice. The last one I went to I just wasn't crazy about. Went twice and was happy the first time. The second time I did not have a good experience. Those appointments were just for annual exams... so if I wasn't happy with that I figured I ought to "interview" some new practices for pre-natal and maternity care.

I chose a subtle approach when I decided to tell my husband that I was ready to have a baby. Every man is different. Some welcome the idea of fatherhood with open arms, some are completely adverse to the idea until reality tells them they have no choice. My husband, he loves kids. I'm not just saying this to make him look good. He truly does love children.

No doubt he was ready to have a baby long ago. Of course without me on board he had no choice but to wait. He never pushed, he never even really mentioned it. In fact during the time I wasn't sure if I even wanted to have any he was cool with it. He always said, "If it's meant to be it will happen."

So telling my husband I was ready shouldn't have been scary... and yet it kind of was. It was like telling someone a very precious secret. Entrusting them with a knowledge that you had only come to own for a short time. Passing along a piece of information that would forever change the landscape of your life.

So we went on a date. We went to see a movie, Baby Mama. Coincidentally the name of this blog... yeah I know... I just couldn't help it. Then we went to look at ceiling fans for our house. He wanted to know what type of fan I wanted for my office (the room that will likely become the nursery) and in doing so he totally opened the door for me to start the "baby conversation."

Over the next couple of hours which included more ceiling fan shopping, dinner and gelato we talked through the idea of "trying to get pregnant." Needless to say we went home and practiced that night and I stopped taking my birth control pill.

So now it's really real. Next step... setting a family planning appointment with the OBGYN.

Having been married almost five years and having recently gone through a spell where I wasn't even sure I wanted to have children, I have to say I was SHOCKED when I began having "baby cravings". Little tiny urgings to completely throw my life upside down and inside out.

The cravings came pretty intermittently for awhile... nothing too serious. Nothing to worry about. Then all of sudden something in my brain flipped upside down did a little dance and said... "you're not afraid of a baby. What's the big deal? It's a baby. People do it all the time... if they didn't we'd pretty much be extinct (the entire human race). You can do this... more importantly, you want to do this. I do? Oh yeah."

So when my head (and likely my hormones) were finished with this little conversation, I sat on it for awhile. Wanting to be sure. Buying a Coach bag, a pair of Sevens, a Tiffany bracelet... all of those things can be impulse decisions. Choices made in the blink of an eye, the swipe of a credit card... and if later you feel extreme buyers remorse (and guilt) you can return them if not used.

A baby. That's a different story. No need to be impulsive when there's a baby involved. I had deliberately waited. Deliberately dedicated myself to work for the first years of our marriage... and I'd gotten a long way. Couldn't go blazing down a new path without really thinking about it.

So after lots of thinking, a little internet searching and seeing babies everywhere I knew what I wanted... I wanted a baby, but I was going to need some help. It was time to tell the hubby.