Ketchup, Bananas and a Bag Full of Panic
Ok, I’ll be 100% honest. When I saw those two pink lines pop up on the pregnancy test, my first thought was, “Wait…we weren’t really ready, were we? I should take another test to double check.” A million thoughts quickly followed beginning with, “Oh my gosh, I’m pregnant! I’m going to have a baby! Oh…the pain?! Am I going to breast feed? How can we afford this? I hope everything goes ok? Oh my gosh, what are we doing? I’m not ready for this! I have to be responsible for another human! Oh my gosh!” And so on, and so on, and so on….until I could catch my breath, and finally smile!
My husband, Josh, and I had “the talk,” and both decided we were ready to start our family. But the talk had occurred just 8 weeks prior to finding out our wonderful news. So while we had decided we were ready, I had told myself it wouldn’t happen overnight and that we’d have to be patient. Discovering our pregnancy came as a shock, and we are so thankful that we were so fortunate to find ourselves pregnant so soon.
Shortly after celebrating the two pink lines with Josh, I remember almost immediately getting online and surfing the web about pregnancy and babies and parenthood. And during the first few weeks (and even still today), I couldn’t get enough of reading about pregnancy! As a first time mom, I definitely feel moments of information overload…sometimes I do it to myself, and sometimes not. But there is no lack of information out there for pregnant women be it by the internet, health care providers, books, family, friends, and even strangers!
Still, I find myself never being able to get enough of learning and reading about my growing baby and changing body, and I gladly accepted the offer to learn more from The Hot Mom to Be Handbook! I really had no expectations of this book. I hadn’t heard of Jessica Denay or The Hot Mom’s Club, but after reading her bio, I see she is quite well known. I have to admit I can see what makes her so popular. Her focus on making a mom feel great about herself and her body during pregnancy is commendable and makes her very likable.
Each chapter includes mini-sections covering a variety of topics, and includes humorous quotes and related excerpts from other authors and Hot Moms Club members. This made the book a quick read for me, and I enjoyed reading a chapter or two each night before going to bed. She also provides numerous websites to check out and recommendations for products, and I found myself folding the corners of pages so I can go back and reference those items. Each chapter also concludes with a series of journaling questions for the reader to consider and record.
I also really enjoyed the humor (and light sarcasm) throughout the book. I laughed out loud quite a few times while reading, and had to repeat what I just read to my husband. One of my favorite quotes was, “I just wanted to buy a few bananas and some ketchup but instead came home with a bag full of panic.”
What I appreciated most about this book was the overall message Denay is sending to pregnant women, which is that ALL pregnant women are “Hot Moms.” She really encourages the reader to feel good and confident about themselves, their bodies, and their decisions in life.
…and who DOESN’T want to hear how great they are every once in a while?!
In summary, I would consider this book to be a “light,” fun read, and packed with great references. I think it would make a wonderful gift if you know someone who recently announced their pregnancy.
For more information on the author, Jessica Denay, check out her website. Hot Mom’s Club sound perfect to you? They’re on Facebook and Twitter, too!
