Please welcome our newest celebrity blogger, Christy Carlson Romano!

The actress is best known for her early-2000s Disney Channel work, including her turn as type-A older sibling Ren Stevens on Even Stevens, and for voicing the titular character in the animated series Kim Possible. In 2004, she starred on Broadway as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Romano, 32, married writer-producer Brendan Rooney in a romantic winter-wonderland wedding set against the backdrop of the Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada, on New Year’s Eve 2013.

The couple are expecting their first child, a daughter, on Christmas Day.

You can find Romano on Instagram and Twitter @ChristyRomano.

Natalie Black

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter.

I’ve been lucky to have had an eclectic, widespread career thus far, and have been at it for a LONG time: singing, dancing, acting, doing voiceover work, producing, writing, and most recently, my greatest passion, directing.

I started performing on Broadway when I was 6 and went on to do a lot more musical theater until I eventually landed my first film, Woody Allen‘s Everyone Says I Love You, when I was 11. I was a singing, dancing Chiquita Banana and still can’t get the song out of my head.

Years later, I moved to L.A. and embarked on filming the part I’m most known for: Ren on Even Stevens (not my real name, hint-hint). This led to me booking Kim Possible and eventually playing Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway — which later took me to Barnard College, one of Columbia University’s undergraduate schools.

This is where I met my husband, Brendan Rooney: a writer-producer, Marine veteran and all-around heartthrob. I mean, have you seen this guy?! I get to procreate with him!

Philip Samuel Martin

We eventually moved out to Los Angeles, got married in Banff, Canada, and most recently — after working on our first film together, Christmas All Over Again — became pregnant!

The movie, which comes out this holiday season, was my feature directorial debut. Brendan and I wrote the movie together and got pregnant during production. Talk about collaboration!

Now that I’ve barraged everyone with my/our backstory, let’s get into my first trimester (we can just call it YUCK-VILLE), second trimester and the absolutely INSANE recent events that happened with my husband (PREVIEW: He stopped a murder and saved a woman’s life).

Michael Feifer

First Trimester

Rule #1: Admit that you are powerless to your little butt-kicker, who will bend your insides around like origami, forcing you to befriend your toilet.

As soon as I became pregnant, the type-A Ren Stevens in me bought every book on the market, from the obscure to the well known What To Expect When You’re Expecting. I buried myself in all things baby and read over and over again about the impending nausea that was to come my way.

I thought I absorbed everything, but no book could get my body ready for the extreme fatigue and nausea that descended upon me in week five. I tried to convince myself it was going to go away any minute or that I could outsmart it, but NOTHING WORKED. I tried eight prenatal vitamins before finally settling on CitraNatal 90 (in case you’re like me and ripping your hair out, this one was the easiest to stomach).

Philip Samuel Martin

Brendan was shocked to see me so worn out; I hardly ever get sick or feel ill. After all, I’ve always followed the time-old mantra “the show must go on” since my young days in the theater. But not this time. I needed to ask for help for once, and Brendan proved to be a ROCKSTAR teammate.

After tons of Googling and Preggie Pop wrappers (they are helpful and tasty!), we figured out when the nausea would come it was our daughter-to-be communicating that she wanted to be fed, and that if I was always eating something, it would help ease the pain … a little. After that, Brendan started cooking me three meals per day, giving me foot rubs and granting my every request. Yes, I know, the struggle is real …

When we finally started to put together a routine to minimize the TOILET GAMES (no doubt meant to be shouted like HUNGER GAMES!!!), a great acting opportunity popped up and the show really did have to go on!

Natalie Black

Rule #2: Always carry a portable fan with you while pregnant on a film set.

I got a call from my manager that I had booked the lead role in a, wait for it … Christmas movie. That’s right, a SECOND Christmas movie called Christmas in the Red, which is also coming out this holiday season.

What’s stranger? In this movie, my character gives birth to a baby on Christmas Day, which is the day our daughter is due in real life! So, just to recap: baby conceived while making a Christmas movie, due on Christmas Day, booked a second Christmas movie, where I play a character who gives birth on Christmas Day. Weird, right?!

Also, Brendan and I are OBSESSED with Christmas. So, yeah, these strange cataclysmic events are just the pinnacle of happiness for us. Problem is, being pregnant on set in the middle of L.A. in June = HOT and EXHAUSTED.

Christy Carlson Romano

The thing about acting is, it’s repetitious. You do take, after take, after take, and spend long hours on your feet. Don’t get me wrong — our director, who’s a dear friend, knew I was pregnant and was extremely accommodating, but that didn’t stop the California heat wave.

To fellow actresses who are pregnant and shooting in the summer, or anyone who’s pregnant and spends a ton of time outside on their feet, remember: BRING A PORTABLE MIST FAN WITH YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO. This is not a suggestion, this is a MUST.

We were shooting in a small town in a beautiful house, and the temperatures were record highs. I know what you’re thinking: Just turn on the AC, right? Wrong. Problem is, you can’t have the AC on while you shoot because the noise of the AC interferes with the sound. No AC, record highs — oh, and a wardrobe outfit that requires a corset on your ever-expanding belly. I think you can put two and two together about what happens next.

Christy Carlson Romano

That said, Brendan was great. He drove me to and from set every day (long commute) even though he was in the middle of working on a TV pilot for his agents. He also brought me lots of decaf iced teas. We were both so wrapped up in work, and since I’d been having massive pregnancy brain (it’s definitely a REAL thing), we didn’t even think about buying a portable mist fan until the last day! Oh well.😦

Rule #3: Take comfort in knowing the second trimester is so much easier than the first!

Second Trimester (so far)

Rule #1: Try to remember your husband might be a real-life Batman, who keeps the city streets safe at night while you’re sleeping.

You may or may not know via my social media, but while I was out of town on business, sleeping, Brendan saved a woman’s life. I’m still in shock!

Christy Carlson Romano

Brendan and his brother were walking in Los Feliz, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, at night to meet a friend when they heard a group of young women screaming across the street. Brendan, having served four years in the Marines, knew something was wrong. He peered over and saw a man yell, punch one of the women in the face, then pull out a knife on her. Brendan sprung into action, bolted across the street, brought the man down in a choke hold, disarmed the knife from his hand and held him there until the police came.

The police were calling him a hero and the woman thanked him for saving her life, They gave the police their reports and shortly after, his brother realized Brendan had injured his knee in the process. He was sent to the hospital immediately, where he received 14 stitches. His brother called and told me everything that happened.

Christy Carlson Romano

I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled that he put his life in danger with our daughter on the way, but I am also so incredibly grateful to have such an amazing man to call my husband. You hear people talk about what they’d do in this type of situation, but who actually does stuff like this?! AMAZING.

And did I mention I am still in shock?! Jeesh!

Brendan’s since been on crutches, elevated and healing, and I’ve been taking care of us: cooking, cleaning up, re-reading him the Harry Potter book series (just kidding, we watched all the movies and ate ice cream).

I’m grateful to be feeling much better these days and to be embracing the start of my role as a mom. In just five months, it will be a full-time gig for me, so why not get a head start? We’ve recently started trying out colors for the nursery and have been continuing to read tons of tons of books. I encourage all of you parents-to-be to read as much as you can and absorb only what feels right to you.

Christy Carlson Romano

I look forward to telling you all about the next phases and hope to report on a more tranquil second half of my second trimester. Stay tuned for more of my mommy (mis)adventures!

Lots of Love,

— Christy
(or Kim or Ren … if you must)

Please welcome back guest blogger Julie Solomon Schaech!

The publicist married actor Johnathon Schaech during an intimate beach ceremony in Ocean City, Maryland, in July 2013.

That September, the couple welcomed their first child, son Camden Quinn, 3 next month.

Schaech, 46, recently appeared on Legends of Tomorrow.

Solomon can be found on Twitter, Instagram and her website.

KARA COLEEN

KARA COLEEN

It’s not every day you set out to redo pretty much every space in your home in the middle of summer travels, while working from home full-time as a PR consultant and blogger, with a toddler at full speed and potty training attempts underway (hello, pee on the floor)!

But that’s exactly what my husband and I did last month and it turned out more amazing than expected. And not just because of how open and airy it now feels or how “pretty” it looks or how “designed” it may be. It’s amazing because it finally feels more functional!

I don’t think I realized how dysfunctional I thought my home was prior to this undertaking. Granted, I did the best I could to create a space that was conducive to our family needs. But hey, life happens! And as children grow and demands take place, priorities shift. I found myself, over the past two years, just kind of “getting by” with our space. As long as the laundry was done (kinda … ), dishes were clean (sorta … ) and I wasn’t stepping on a Lego every five seconds, I was doing fantastic!

KARA COLEEN

KARA COLEEN

Earlier this year, during some spring cleaning, it hit me … my house is a dysfunctional, hot mess. And not because my son Camden just spilled GoGurt in his hair then head-butted the couch … but our home wasn’t truly reflective of who we are as a family or individuals. If home is in fact, where the heart is, shouldn’t it be reflective of those hearts that live and breathe it every day?

I started to think, “Other than each other, what would cheer us up when we walked in the door?” “What changes would excite us to share our home with family and friends?” “What would make our out of town guests most comfortable when staying with us?” “How could I create a space that was truly functional for my family?” “How can I implement small changes that will help our son grow, play and create in his bedroom?”

KARA COLEEN

RELATED GALLERY: Tour Johnathon Schaech’s Relaxed Family Retreat

I have always been a major fan of Cost Plus World Market. Not only is their site filled with amazing quality pieces, but also at a budget-friendly price point that is perfect for growing families. I knew they would have a lot of what we needed so partnering with them made perfect sense!

Then, we teamed up with Decorist, a company that offers easy and affordable online interior design services via their online site to make sure that “functional” was properly executed. Our designer from Decorist, Ashley Redmond, immediately went to work with our need of function in mind.

What I love most about the Decorist design concept is the convenience of working with Ashley right from our house. It was very simple. I emailed my design goals, photos and measurements; and Ashley got to work sourcing product online from Cost Plus World Market. Then we shared final design boards for each room, ordered everything online, had it all shipped and installed. It was super fast, easy and fun — which was great for my busy summer schedule! I was amazed that Decorist could do the entire design process 100 percent virtually.

KARA COLEEN

KARA COLEEN

I told Ashley we really wanted a relaxed and inviting space throughout the house with lots of life. Along with some great new furniture pieces, she added a ton of gorgeous plants and succulents that are easy to maintain that brought much needed life into the home.

I was happy that Ashley had the idea to cut all the darkness of the floors by adding each area with layered jute rugs — they are inexpensive and durable, which as a mom are major pluses for me, and they feel good on the feet, especially in a place where Camden is romping around.

Camden has grown a lot since we first created his room as a newborn and was ready for more storage space. Like most families, we’ve accumulated more trains, animals, coloring books … more things over the years. It was time to give him his own creative space in a functional and organized way — or as organized as we can try and make it for a soon-to-be 3 year old. We made sure to add storage pieces and bins that were accessible to his reach while also keeping toys stowed.

KARA COLEEN

One major issue we needed to tackle (and I think my husband and I were avoiding like crazy due to fear of the unknown) was transitioning from his crib to his “big boy” bed. No parent wants their kids waking up unhappy due to a restless night’s sleep. When updating Camden‘s room, we wanted to make sure he had a mattress that ensures once he falls asleep, he’ll stay asleep! We chose a hybrid mattress from Beautyrest because, in all honesty, it felt like a cloud and has a cool to touch surface that I thought would help with the crib to bed transition. The mattress also fit removable bed rails that made it easy to climb in and out of.

We added pops of color with a fun animal gallery wall, some of which were made my family members, and animal prints on his bedding. We also added a desk for painting and a tee pee, found on Etsy, which he is extremely proud of.

KARA COLEEN

KARA COLEEN

What I’ve learned throughout this process is that we just have to trust and be flexible. Give your input, but let the designer you trust be creative and do what they do best. I had never worked with an interior designer before and I was so beyond thrilled with the results Ashley pulled together!

Of course, the day the project was complete, my son immediately spilled something on the new rug, I dropped a Sippy cup of green juice and our dog tracked mud in the house.

But it made me think about the impossible standard we sometimes hold ourselves to as parents when it comes to function and having things in — what we feel — is some sort of better system of order. About our desires to have the best for our families, the best for our children, even for our good friends! I know one thing for sure and it’s that we all experience this at some point in our parenting journeys.

KARA COLEEN

Our home will never be perfectly functional as I know function is relative. But maybe if we learn that there may in fact be a little function to our dysfunctional way of living. That perhaps my son doesn’t even know the difference between his baby room vs. his big boy room. And that, perhaps, my desire to try and attempt a more functional home is only an attempt to make me feel a little more capable and secure as a mom?

I’m not afraid to admit that. After all, “function” is just about operating in a particular way. And if I am mindful of the never-ending need of love, patience and grace needed from a mother, that will be all the function my family may ever need.

— Julie Solomon

Please welcome back celebrity blogger, Lacey Chabert!

The actress, best known as Claudia on Party of Five and Gretchen in Mean Girls, can currently be seen on Still the King, airing Sundays at 9 p.m. on CMT. She’ll next appear in Hallmark’s A Wish for Christmas.

Chabert, 33, married Dave Nehdar during an intimate wedding over the 2013 holidays.

The mom-to-be confirmed in February that the couple are expecting their first child — a girl! –who will be welcomed by their chihuahua Kitty. 

You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @IamLaceyChabert.

CHRISTINE FARAH PHOTOGRAPHY

There’s so much to do in getting ready for the arrival of our baby. We’ve interviewed pediatricians, toured the hospital, taken CPR and childbirth classes, installed the car seat, debated cord blood banking and attempted to organize our home as much as possible.

One of my favorite parts of nesting though was creating the room in which our baby will grow up. This room in our home had previously been intended as a guest room, but had turned into a storage unit of sorts filled with the random things we didn’t know where else to put. If I’m being honest, it had nearly become an episode of the show Hoarders, but that could be another blog entirely. I get very attached to things and like to save everything.

Like, everything.

I’m trying to change!

CHRISTINE FARAH PHOTOGRAPHY

You may have seen the nursery pictures on PEOPLE, but I want to give you a more personal look at what went into designing the room.

I wasn’t blessed with the interior-design gene. Had I been left to my own devices without the help of a professional, undoubtedly my baby’s room would have been pink on pink on pink. I swear I would have painted the floor and ceiling itself pink with accents of, well, pink! Because of my lack of design ability, I was thrilled to have the help of a very talented interior designer, Vanessa Antonelli.

When Vanessa designed a room that largely featured gray, I was surprised. The day before we were set to paint, I panicked and called her suggesting that we paint more white or pink instead. She explained why it would look better with the palette she’d created. I decided to just trust her and not stand in the way of her plan.

CHRISTINE FARAH PHOTOGRAPHY

More from Lacey’s PEOPLE.com blog series:

• Lacey Chabert’s Blog: The Secret to Hiding My Baby Bump on Set
• Lacey Chabert’s Blog: I’m Having a Baby Girl!

I’m so glad I did because I’m in love with the results. She’s such a talented designer. She took my vision — or what I thought was my vision — and created something more beautiful than I could have imagined! I realize it was a luxury to work with a professional. Vanessa is also an incredibly lovely person and I enjoyed getting to know her and her sweet family.

With so many products available, I deferred to her wisdom when selecting what should go in the room. I love what she chose. I think the pattern of wallpaper by Tempaper is so pretty. I’ve never used wallpaper before and now I want to wallpaper everything!

I love that the crib by Franklin & Ben is classic yet modern, and the Bella Notte bedding is so feminine and soft. The Delta glider and Best Home Fashion ottoman are also favorites of mine because they are so comfortable. I look forward to spending time rocking the baby here.

RELATED: Inside Lacey Chabert’s Feminine and Romantic Nursery

Courtesy Lacey Chabert

I wanted to add a personal touch so we included this pink blanket that my grandmother crocheted for me. She made it years ago in the hopes that I’d one day have a little girl. It’s really special to me.

My sister Crissy came out to visit while we were setting up the room. She offered her moral support and “supervised” with a glass of wine in hand of course. Aunt Crissy is very excited about meeting her niece!

Huge thanks to my dear friends and talented hair and makeup artists Rachel Pagan and Annette Davenport who got me ready for the pictures. I’m just so thankful for all of the amazing women in my life!

CHRISTINE FARAH PHOTOGRAPHY

This last month of pregnancy is so interesting. I’m calm, but I feel like my emotions have also been all over the place. These past nine months have flown by and yet they’ve also felt like an eternity. It’s surreal and beyond exciting that my due date is finally approaching! In some moments I feel completely ready and in others, I panic that we have forgotten to take care of something before her arrival.

Courtesy Lacey Chabert

Speaking of her arrival, how will that transpire? What if my water breaks in the middle of a crowded restaurant like it did for my sister? Will my family make it to California in time for her birth? Just how painful will labor be? Will I be a sweaty mess yelling at Dave through contractions? How and when will she end up being born? Will we be good parents?!

With so many unanswered questions, all I know for certain is this: I have never been more excited to meet someone. The thought of finally laying my eyes on her little face fills my heart with joy deeper than I’ve ever felt before. She’s already a blessing to us.

Thank you all so much for your support throughout my pregnancy. I’m enjoying sharing this journey with you!

— Lacey Chabert

Courtesy Stephanie Izard

Please welcome our newest celebrity blogger, Stephanie Izard!

The Top Chef season 4 winner (and first female winner) married craft-beer consultant Gary Valentine in Chicago in 2013. On May 26, the couple welcomed their first child: son Ernie William.

The chef and restaurateur, 39, is the owner of  Mediterranean-influenced Chicago eatery Girl and the Goat, as well as a diner and bakery called Little Goat. Her new line of sauces, rubs and spices — aptly titled This Little Goat — hits supermarket shelves this fall.

You can find Izard on Twitter, Instagram and her website.

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter.

Lori Sapio

Yes we did. We named our new baby boy Ernie … and we have a 4-year-old dog named Burt.

To make us sound perhaps a tad less silly, Ernie’s name came from my husband‘s super fan-ness for the Cubs — Mr. Cub in particular, the late Ernie Banks. Ernie was not only a great baseball player, but was said to have been just an amazing human being — someone we would want our son to be like.

Of course the fact that our dog Burt would be his best friend ever just solidified it as the perfect name.

The “best friend ever” part is one that we envisioned while I was pregnant: joking about Ernie riding around on Burt’s back like a little horse (Burt is around 80 pounds), the two of them taking cute snuggly naps together, Burt walking Ernie to school, Ernie being Burt’s new tug o’ war partner. Best buds.

Lori Sapio

How would it really work, though? We did start to get a bit nervous as the big day arrived. We noticed that Burt actually seemed not to like little kids … or more so that he was extremely afraid of them or nervous around them. His hair stands up, and he starts sounding almost mean whenever a small child comes around.

Maybe just the height and size of these small strange beings makes him uneasy. He has managed to befriend some; it just took a little getting used to. One of our friend’s sons named Conner just loves Burt … and now thinks all dogs are named Burt. Their relationship just took a little time to get cozy.

So it was time to bring our 8 lbs., 1 oz., son Ernie home to meet his 80-pound big brother Burt. We did as the hospital suggested and my husband brought one of Ernie’s blankets home so Burt could get used to the scent, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Burt has had the same blankie for years (he sucks on it like he is sucking his thumb when he is nervous), and takes no interest in other blankets.

We figured we would approach the homecoming like we had learned to do with visiting puppies: bring Burt outside to meet Ernie first before just bringing the new younger brother into Burt’s house. Burt sniffed him curiously, and I think wondered when he would get to play with this new toy we had brought him. It was when Ernie started to move and make sounds that Burt got a bit freaked out: “It’s alive?!”

Lori Sapio

I think it took about 15 minutes before Burt decided he was going to be the ultimate protector. I felt bad for the construction guys coming in and out of our house (yes, we were mid-bedroom-makeover and have been living in the basement since Ernie was born). Burt had always run to see someone at the door … but now it was more of a, “Holy crap, there is an 80-pound dog charging at anyone coming to harm his little brother.”

Burt also decided that lots of kisses were a great idea. That’s a pretty big tongue kissing a pretty small baby. We now have moved to little feet kisses rather than huge, slobbering, face-swallowing ones.

It seemed like things were going to transition just perfectly and the best-friend snuggles were just around the corner … until the baby crying got louder and more frequent. A sound Burt is not a fan of — perhaps because he cannot do anything to help.

Burt also realized that if Mom or Dad is feeding his little brother, they don’t have enough hands to play fetch. Though we tried our best to make sure Burt was feeling just as loved as before, he realized he was no longer the one and only baby in the family.

Lori Sapio

So now he is on doggy Prozac, or something of the sort. When Ernie cries, he just wanders slowly down the hall and curls up in a ball. Knowing that his mom and dad need to give their focus for the time being to the much smaller and less hairy brother.

I think he knows that soon Ernie will be big enough to be his true best friend. Soon Burt and Ernie can skip down the street together, wearing little Sesame Street T-shirts.

As with all things baby, there are just some changes as our little family grows.

— Stephanie Izard

Andrew Malnar

Ashley Jones is a new mom!

Jones is known for her roles on True Blood and The Bold and the Beautiful. She has produced and starred in movies for Lifetime, as well as recurred and guest-starred on many television shows — most recently, CSI: Cyber and Criminal Minds.

The actress, 39, also appeared in the 2015 comedy The Wedding Ringer. She returned to her current role as professor Parker Forsyth on General Hospital this summer, and will star in the independent film Good After Bad.

Jones is married to Joel Henricks, and they welcomed their first child together — a son named Hayden Joel — on May 24. The newest member of the family joins Henricks’ 4-year-old son, Huck.

You can follow Jones on her personal blog and Facebook, as well as Instagram and Twitter @AshleyAJones.

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter.

Claudia Craig Photography

At 7:06 p.m. on May 24, I held my son, Hayden, for the first time.

Those first few days together in the hospital were priceless. I’ll never forget my husband sleeping on the cot (or trying to) while our son slept on my chest. The room was quiet, minus the sounds of the monitors. Time stood still. It was an incredibly special moment I have waited years to experience.

My husband Joel and I were both running on adrenaline, and I had a surge of hormones that kept me going in the hospital. My family made it just in time for the delivery; my parents held their first grandchild moments after he arrived. Looking back on that time, it was magical.

Then … the hospital sent this angelic being home with us. Reality set in, followed by exhaustion. Add trying to breastfeed on demand and hormonal roller coasters.

Claudia Craig Photography

Later on, Joel — who served in the US Army — jokingly said that instead of saying, “Congratulations on your newborn,” someone should have said, “Welcome to boot camp. Meet your drill sergeant, Hayden. He will break you down and test those vows of ‘For better or for worse.’ He will innocently find the worst parts of you and drag them out, only to slowly rebuild you into something, hopefully, better: a parent.”

I’m in the “slowly rebuilding” phase. I still can’t believe I get the privilege of being Hayden’s mother … and I’m learning every day how to get better at it. I have some perspective now, and can tell I’m out of the “baby blues” fog.

Does anyone else wanna rename the term “baby blues?” Can we all just petition to do that now? It has such a negative connotation for me. I never wanted to use that expression.

The truth is, I couldn’t have been more grateful and ecstatic to have this little peanut. I want to protect this precious baby with my life. The first couple months, this translated into worry and anxiety, coupled with a decent dose of emotion. My mother stayed with us for the first two weeks, then came out again the week I briefly went back to taping a show. The morning she left, I cried. For a long time. There were other days my husband would come in the room when the baby was crying, ask if he was hungry, and I got upset. I thought he was calling me a bad mom.

More from Ashley’s PEOPLE.com blog series:

• Ashley Jones’ Blog: And Baby Makes … Four?

Claudia Craig Photography

I started to realize that although I was operating from an emotional perspective, my husband wasn’t. He was operating almost entirely on the opposite side of the spectrum. For him, if the baby was fussing, he deduced the problem in a logical, mathematical way and wanted to fix it. He didn’t understand why I took things so personally.

But everything was magnified! Life didn’t happen on any normal levels. Plus, I felt like I wasn’t a good mother if I wasn’t emanating sheer bliss all the time. I felt like happiness personified when I looked at our son, but was it okay to feel all the other things too?

Come to find out, 70 to 80 percent of women go through this phase of “the blues.” Why don’t more women talk about this? Maybe they do and I just didn’t register it? And I knew anxiety was a real thing, but did anyone else experience feeling indecisive? It started before giving birth, and magnified postpartum.

Claudia Craig Photography

I didn’t decide on storing cord blood until the final hour on the way to the hospital. Thank goodness PacifiCord was willing to help me — they delivered the cord-blood-storing kit to the hospital! I am still so grateful. It’s one way I can be proactive about protecting him any way I can.

I look back at the last two months and realize I might have made life harder than necessary. I put a pretty big expectation on myself to have it all together. I expected to be able to breastfeed all day and night (no sleep), keep the house clean, have dinner on the table for the family (takeout), work out, go back to work, etc. etc. How many of you felt this way?

My stepson, Huck, is learning new words right now. He learned the combination of disaster and catastrophe is “disatrophe.” When life doesn’t go his way and his little brain gets frustrated, he jokingly proclaims it is a disatrophe! I started to feel his pain! For a period of time there, I tried to do too much and some moments seemed like a mini disatrophe in my mind. I believe we can have it all, just not all at once.

RELATED: So Wild! Inside Ashley Jones’ Safari-Themed High Tea Baby Shower

Courtesy Jones Henricks Family

So, I’m letting those expectations go. When I look at Hayden, nothing else matters anyway.

If I could tell expecting first-time moms one thing, it’d be this: Go easy on yourself. Please. Because one day, you will wake up and life WILL seem somewhat normal again — a “new normal,” as they say. You’ll still be overwhelmed and emotional at times, but you’ll learn to accept things on your own terms, and the joy will outweigh everything.

Plus, you won’t believe when eight weeks have gone by … then 10. You’ll graduate from saying “weeks” and start using months. And you’ll start realizing what Joel and I are learning right now: That the days and nights are long, but the months (and years) are short. So very short.

Claudia Craig Photography

This morning, I peeked at my body in the mirror as I hurried out of the shower back to the baby. Since I’m looking in the mirror, I don’t see my stepson’s new mini truck on the floor, and I trip.

Literally lying on the floor in a towel, I wonder if I’ll ever have a flat stomach again … well, at first I wonder if my back went out and if I can even get up to get the baby, then I move on to vanity.

The positive part of the story? I laughed at the potential #disatrophe. Some days are longer than others …

Claudia Craig Photography

These first months have been phenomenal. And challenging. I’ve said many times now, “I’ve never been this happily tired in my life.”

And just when it seems like I can’t sleepwalk through life another day, Hayden giggles after his morning stretch. Lo and behold, he slept over five glorious, continuous hours! The light at the end of the tunnel becomes brighter, and I find myself relearning one of the great lessons in life: This, too, shall pass.

The hardest moments I fear will last forever, but they don’t, so I breathe. And the greatest moments I want to last forever, but they don’t, so I relish them. Because I’m going to miss all of this.

— Ashley Jones

Anthony T. Rose

Tatyana Ali is pregnant!

Best known for playing Ashley Banks on the hit ’90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the actress and R&B singer, 37, also has multiple films — including Second Sight, which premiered in April, and Samaria, out Sept. 24. Her latest EP, 2014’s Hello, is available on iTunes.

Ali is currently expecting her first child with Dr. Vaughn Rasberry, whom she met on eHarmony, became engaged to in March and married on July 17.

The couple will welcome their baby any day now.

You can follow Ali on Facebook, as well as Instagram and Twitter @TatyanaAli.

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter.

Babies enter the world with no baggage. They carry little else but full potential. Pristine, now in the womb environment — where I’ve done my best to keep my body, mind and spirit clean — kicking and tumbling, trying to find space, my little one is protected by my flesh, my actions, even my thoughts.

I want my baby to be free. I don’t want her/him to ever feel trapped by anyone or any notion, whether it’s the world’s or of his or her own making. Someone brand new will be in our care, and I want this little one to gently become aware of the surrounding world without ever losing sight of the truth of who they are. I don’t want to unwittingly pass down social suggestions or my own baggage.

I decided on an animal theme for the nursery, keeping the design gender-neutral because we have chosen to not know the sex. I selected the Larkin Set from Pottery Barn Kids in a soft gray. It was so much fun to not simply pick pink for a girl and blue for a boy. We had to get creative.

We painted a quarter circle in tangerine on the back wall and the ceiling a pale sea foam, to convey the rising and setting sun and the natural colors of the sky and ocean.

I initially wanted to go further with the animal theme, but almost every path led me to “safari” — and from there, slipping down into a colonial dreamscape seemed inevitable, so I kept the vision more metaphorical.

I used my sewing machine to make a valence with cream ribbon and seashell buttons for trim, with a matching chair cushion from a playful Malian fabric we bought in Harlem, where we spent our babymoon.

I also made curtains with a blackout liner in a soft butter yellow. I tried to keep the room innocent, to imbue the nursery with some of my Afro-Caribbean and Vaughn‘s Afro-American heritage, but with nothing that could suggest social or political context — only soothing colors, an angel baby from Lladró and pictures and paintings of animal parents and their babies.

I brought in a little glamorous grounding for my own sake, with baskets and a Moroccan-inspired rug.

Earlier today (it’s 5 a.m. now) I lay in bed wide awake, partly because of my new war with acid reflux and partly because the four main breastfeeding positions — cradle hold, football hold, side hold and … crap, can’t remember the fourth — were swimming around my brain like smiling piranha chomping at my mind (and oh my God, my breast!), but mostly because a drawer became emblematic of the baggage I refuse to pass on.

My husband (love saying that) woke to find me laid out on the bathroom floor, trying to fix the underside of a vanity drawer in the master bathroom that slid off its hinges about a year ago; it hadn’t bothered me at all until now.

It’s been a broken catch-all, with years of makeup and hairpieces from artists I’ve worked with and shoots I’ve done. The contents need to be trashed or organized. I’ve gone through this process room by room in the house. This bathroom is the last on the list.

More from Tatyana’s PEOPLE.com blog series:

• Tatyana Ali’s Blog: Finding My Mom-Me Superpowers
• Tatyana Ali’s Blog: The Magical Mystery of Keeping Baby’s Sex a Secret

Since our wedding, which was an absolute dream come true — friends and family flying in from all over the country and world, great music, great food, so much joy — I’ve been oscillating between countdown mode and the eternal waiting room in Tim Burton‘s Beetlejuice.

I have been assured by others that my need to decorate and organize, my obsession with cleanliness and DIY and crafting, are my “nesting instincts” kicking into full gear, all par for the course.

My best friend, a mom of two, said she cleaned her house with a toothbrush before her daughter was born. I know that sounds like a scene from Full Metal Jacket, but for her it was nothing like punishment, nor was she at any risk of cracking under pressure. There’s a joy in getting in those cracks and making it shiny and clean: clean enough to welcome something fragile and new.

Our family and friends have helped tremendously with everything, and they are preparing in their own way. My mother has begun exercising again every morning. My dad has been coming over to help hang curtains. He even bought a gauge to check electromagnetic frequencies in the nursery, after I read abut the potential hazards. Turns out the computer I’m writing on gives off more than anything in my house. Phew! Another crisis averted. My in-laws, who live a state away, are packed and ready to go when the call comes in. Even my Frenchie, Kip, has been en garde at the nursery door like a tiny mighty sentry.

I’ve heard that it takes a village to raise a child, but I am learning that a child raises up a village. It’s as if we have all woken up and been reminded that life is precious. Nothing seems mundane now. There is no getting to it later. Everything is pulsing with meaning and purpose.

The baby is reminding us that we all have that most sacred part of us that is pristine and untouched, and we’ve had it since the day we were born. How amazing would it be to live all of life energized by this kind of expectancy and dedication?

It will feel so good to have my home and my life, even my finances, organized and ready to receive (if I finish it all in time). That’s why I am up this morning, watching the sunrise from my dining room. I’m trying to make our little piece of the world pristine — a mirror of the little one who will be here … any moment now.

— Tatyana Ali

Matt Harbicht/Getty Images

Please welcome our newest celebrity blogger, Peyton Lambton!

The costar of HGTV’s Going Yard and DIY Network’s Yard Crashers host Chris Lambton met through their appearances on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, respectively. They’ve appeared together on specials including My New Old House, HGTV Dream Home and HGTV Smart Home, and recently completed building their dream home near the Massachusetts coast.

Peyton, 33, and Chris, 39, were married in 2012.

They are expecting their first child in November, and are already parents to Summit, a 3-year-old greater swiss mountain dog.

You can find Peyton on her website, as well as on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @peytonwlambton.

Want all the latest pregnancy and birth announcements, plus celebrity mom blogs? Click here to get those and more in the PEOPLE Babies newsletter.

Courtesy of Peyton Lambton

There are days when I wake up and still pinch myself because I can’t believe I am going to be a mother.

I have always tried to picture what different parts of my life would look like, and they have all surprised me. I never thought I would go on a reality show. I never thought I would meet my husband from a reality dating experience. I never thought we would work in television and home improvement. And I really never thought I would move out of the south to New England, where I would need a very heavy winter coat!

I did, however, think I would become a mother one day, and I am so happy that day is finally here!

I always thought that in the process of becoming a parent, getting pregnant would be the easiest step. Little did I know that we would spend years trying, only to find out that the old-fashioned way wasn’t in the cards for us.

I know plenty of women dealing with fertility issues, but I think many of us never anticipate it will happen to us. I also have a good number of friends who got pregnant by practically looking at their significant other.

Cape Cod Healthcare Charity Gala

I remember asking my OB/GYN when I should stop using birth control because I figured there would be some time for my body to reset. He told me to stop when I was ready. Well, that was over two years ago!

Finally, we turned to a fertility specialist and tried everything from drugs to IUI and then IVF. This process wasn’t quick or easy, but it worked for us, and we couldn’t be more excited.

So I just started my third trimester, and pregnancy has been a roller coaster from day one. IVF wasn’t exactly a party, and then I got the worst morning/all-day sickness you can imagine. It lasted well into my second trimester, so I didn’t exactly get that blissful period with tons of energy that many describe.

Courtesy of Peyton Lambton

While I am feeling large, I am happy to finally have an appetite, and I have stopped turning my nose up at anything remotely healthy. There are always things to deal with at every step, whether it’s morning sickness, restless legs, bleeding gums or sleepless nights. I just know that all of these things are preparing me for the life that I am creating and that’s what keeps me going each day. It’s all worth it, and I will forget about all of these obstacles the minute we see this beautiful life we have created. Pregnancy is a journey that’s different for everyone, and I wouldn’t change anything about it!

Once we announced to our friends and family, everyone wanted to know if we were going to find out the gender. This is a natural question, and I always thought I would want to know. I consider myself an organized person, and I imagined that it would be much easier to plan the nursery and to have everything in order if we knew the gender.

My husband had a different opinion, and really did not want to know. We went back and forth, but ultimately decided that we would not find out.

Courtesy of Peyton Lambton

The process of going through IVF doesn’t allow for many surprises. I was very open with my friends and family about what I was going through, so no one was surprised when we finally announced we were pregnant. Now we have the opportunity to be surprised and to surprise everyone around us.

We have three nephews, and my husband is one of three boys, so the odds of it being a boy are pretty strong. I am an only child, so who knows what will come from my side?

Courtesy of Peyton Lambton

Obviously we will be thrilled either way, and all we want is a healthy baby! I’m glad we are waiting to find out, and I’m having a blast with all the guesses coming from friends and family.

What do you think?? Boy or girl???

— Peyton Lambton

Austin Henry Wallace

Christy Carlson Romano is pregnant!

The actress is best known for her early-2000s Disney Channel work, including her turn as type-A older sibling Ren Stevens on Even Stevens, and for voicing the titular character in the animated series Kim Possible. In 2004, she starred on Broadway as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Romano, 32, married writer-producer Brendan Rooney in a romantic winter-wonderland wedding set against the backdrop of the Fairmont Banff Springs in Alberta, Canada, on New Year’s Eve 2013.

The couple are expecting their first child, a daughter, on Christmas Day.

You can find Romano on Instagram and Twitter @ChristyRomano.

Few topics make more women uncomfortable than that of discussing our body image. Now add the necessary 15 lbs in 2 weeks* for baby’s health and you end up having a spectrum of opinions ranging from shameful, boastful (I’m so nurturing and glowy!) and even highly depressed (cue the ice cream & Nicholas Sparks movies).

Personally, I have always been very thin — to a fault. When I hit my growth spurt at 12, I was all chicken legs and crooked teeth (thank you, ballet & braces). People often called me rude names, as if being underweight had something to do with making me a misfit.

Now, I can assure you, there have been times when I have dropped weight due to stress, but I have averaged the same weight and decent nutrition patterns for most of my life.

Source: Christy Carlson Romano Instagram

Enter, pregnancy. I am the heaviest I have ever been. My doctor just asked me if I am active because I have gained 20 pounds in my second trimester. I am also the most hormonal. This has called into question a ton of feelings in regards to my weight that I can only imagine I share with many of you ladies.

Now, I am lucky to be with someone who actually LIKES me without makeup, a bra, and thinks sweatpants are sexy! (He’s a keeper this one, I tell ya.) But I have never felt more schlumpy than these last couple months.

On the one hand, I have been so happy to get my appetite back after my first trimester nausea (see Blog #1), and for a moment (okay, like a couple weeks of moments), I relished in being able to eat to my heart’s content to meet my daily quota of nutrients.

In some ways, I was trying to prove everybody (mostly my inner critic) wrong from my childhood that I could be “normal.” But in this massive cluster of information we find ourselves thrown into, “normal” for us first-time moms does not mean “normal” — it means being the best at being what we think is the status quo.

Austin Henry Wallace

After months of looking at my now parenting-laden Pinterest boards, I can’t help but question what “normal” even means for us moms overall.

Is normal wearing sky high heels, dusty trench coats and false eyelashes while showcasing your maternal side as a side-note to your overall independent personality?

“Isn’t being pregnant glamorous?” these pictures seem to scream. Or does normal mean hibernating at home for days on end and “nesting” in yesterday’s yoga wear? Is it a mix of the two?

Austin Henry Wallace

I really hope I am not alone in this confusion. I don’t wish to be superficial or detract from the joy I feel every time our baby moves inside me, but I can’t help but feel as though the transition into motherhood comes altogether suddenly as your belly truly begins to sprout out and you must wistfully pack away your pre-pregnancy clothes.

Well, readers, I can tell you wearing heels for me, is out of the bleeping question. Yoga wear, on the other hand … there are a ton of amazing active options! (See pics!) In fact, things started to turn around for me as I embraced my new weight and let go of the concept of trying to have the perfect pregnancy for anyone else, and just have the perfect pregnancy for me and my baby.

More from Christy’s PEOPLE.com blog series:

• Christy Carlson Romano’s Blog: Keeping My Cool During Summer Shoots

Courtesy Christy Carlson Romano

I have been blessed to have received great new maternity wear and, ladies, please treat yourself to some new bras (with strap extenders), leggings and flowy dresses for when you wanna rock that mama earth vibe. I really have grown to love affordable maternity brands like Ingrid & Isabel, Great Expectations Maternity, BOOB, Tiffany Rose, Miss Madison Photo Props and Pink Blush boutique.

Work and your social life will NOT stop until you decide. After much discussion (things are a family decision now), we have been able to make my date to start working from home around late October.

But even when I am working from home, the mind reels at comparing itself to others either more active, more photogenic or more organized/capable. Our insecurities really need to be held at bay by our own doing and we need to stop beating ourselves up.

Courtesy Stokke

The other day, I was at a birthday party filled with beautiful babies. The moms at the party stressed how important it was for us to create a regiment of self-care. I wish someone had explained that the greatest form of self-care, at least from what I’ve come to learn, is not stressing about every little detail.

I can really only plan so much before going crazy! So I’ve been focusing on the basics: feeding myself and baby, my dreaded prenatals are key. Shaming myself for not doing an exercise regimen every day is NOT. I have also started to meditate via the Calm app on my phone. I highly recommend it!

Overall, let’s love ourselves as we are now, ladies. I believe our babies will thank us later.

Lots of Love,

— Christy Carlson Romano