Situation Momedy: A First-Time Mom's Guide to Laughing Your Way Through Pregnancy and Year One

Blogger and former sitcom star (on Blossom) von Oy dishes up a fun, funny, and surprisingly useful book about living through pregnancy and "the new lifestyle a baby brings." Von Oy became a first-time mom at 35 and quickly learned that "none of us is really ready" for motherhood. In her breezy, conversational style, von Oy takes readers through her pregnancy (in which she blew up like a "puffer fish") and, while keeping readers laughing, provides some great tips, including a list of "unprompted advice" for husbands. Each chapter begins with an section entitled "A Scenic View of My Past," followed by "My Cradle Chronicles." There's little von Oy doesn't cover, from introducing a baby to pets (train the dogs, not your kids) to nursing, sex, and finding a good pediatrician. She spends less time on milestones such as first walks and words, and key issues such as food and sleeping, but still covers them adequately. The last section addresses harder attitude adjustments, including addressing your inner critic, not making motherhood a competitive sport, and making time for "me-time." Young mothers who pick up the book because they remember von Oy from TV will keep reading because she's an entertaining and informative author. Agent: Margaret O'Connor, Innisfree Literary. (Nov.)