Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday season. My husband and I stayed in town and laid low. We watched movies, ate, slept, ate, spent quality time with friends and family … and then ate some more.

The official countdown is in full effect … I cannot believe that in two weeks time I will be a mommy!

In the grand scheme of things, these nine months went by pretty quickly. Yes, there were weeks that seemed endless and yes, I’m currently complaining about my feet swelling up like balloons and the general discomfort that comes with the end of pregnancy — but all in all the journey has been one that I will never forget. Dare I say … I’m even looking forward to doing it AGAIN?!

Everyone keeps telling me to enjoy these final moments of solitude, but I just want to jump to the part of pregnancy that comes with a baby already!

My four best friends threw me the most perfect baby shower a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful brunch and was so flawlessly planned I don’t think I could have done it better myself! I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of all who attended — we pretty much got everything we could possibly need for our little one, and then some.

I truly don’t think I could have made it through pregnancy without the help and advice of my mommy friends who had babies before me. Everything from baby gear to stretch mark cream — my friends were on it!

So, before I leave you to step into the baby bunker (don’t worry — I’ll be back to update you post-baby), I decided to leave you with a list of my pregnancy must-haves. Please enjoy and feel free to pass along to other mamas!

Favorite Maternity Store: A Pea in the Pod

One stop shopping for all of your changing body needs. I purchased everything from underwear to my little(ish) black dress that I wore to my baby shower (see above photo).

Favorite Maternity Jean: J Brand — Mama J Skinny Jean

These jeans are by far the most comfortable and flattering jeans that I could find. They don’t have a panel on the belly (which I never found to be very comfortable) — instead they have side elastic panels that grow with you so you don’t need to buy multiple sizes.

Favorite Before, During and After Dress: Anything by Rachel Pally

Rachel Pally makes the most comfortable and flattering dresses for women no matter what size you are. I’m wearing one in the nursery photo below. Her gorgeous creations got me through three weddings during my pregnancy and I know I will wear them again post-baby and beyond.

Favorite Body Pillow: My Brest Friend 3-in-1 Body Pillow

This pillow has all the support you need, complete with a wedge for your growing belly. Trust me, this wedge will save your life as your bump gets bigger and heavier!

Favorite Pregnancy Memoir: Exploiting My Baby by Teresa Strasser

I personally LOVED this book. Informative yet beyond hilarious and didn’t scare me the way some of the other books did. You’ll want to be best friends with Teresa by the end of it!

Favorite Pregnancy Book: The Pregnancy Test by Dr. Emily Sikking and Melissa Heckscher

I mentioned this book in my first blog post, but I wanted to give it another shout out. I can’t even tell you how many times I referred to this pregnancy guide. Saved me a few phone calls to my doctor — who actually wrote this book. Great for expectant fathers too!

Favorite Stretch Mark Cream: Basq Advanced Stretch Mark Butter

Great for preventing stretch marks before and after pregnancy. My favorite thing about this cream is that it isn’t greasy and absorbs quickly so I can put my clothes on soon after using it. Smells yummy too!

Favorite Breast Cream: Novena Organic Beauty Breast Cream

Yea you heard me … I’m talking breast cream! Those little/big guys are susceptible to the same marks as your belly, so you can’t abandon them! This one is my favorite because it’s odorless and paraben-free.

Favorite ‘Faux Glow’ Makeup: Benefit Benetint

For those days when your “pregnancy glow” just isn’t happening. I put this rose-scented liquid on my lips and cheeks and instantly look and feel refreshed.

Favorite Hydration Buddy: Lifefactory Glass Water Bottle

This thing didn’t leave my side! It’s super important to stay hydrated when you’re pregnant and this bottle is the perfect portable size. I also love that it’s glass so there’s no icky plastic taste to my water. On days that I was feeling extra crazy, I would add lemon or mint to fancy it up.

I hope you find this list helpful — feel free to add to it and share in the comments section. Maybe my next list will be my favorite baby items?

Until then, you can follow me on Twitter @marlasok or catch me in The Chateau Meroux, which is out now on DVD.

Xo,

– Marla Sokoloff

Actress and musician Marla Sokoloff is set to welcome her first child – a girl – at the end of this month. The mom-to-be tells Celebrity Baby Scoop about her latest flick, The Chateau Meroux, a romantic comedy about California wine country available on DVD Tuesday, January 3rd.

The Practice alum also opens up about feeling “pretty good” in the home stretch of her first pregnancy, her excitement to become a mom, and her low-key birth plan: “I’m not one of those pregnant women who have a 40-page birth plan ready to go.” Continue reading about Marla’s first pregnancy, her hopes for a natural birth, and her new flick.

CBS: Tell us about your new film, The Chateau Meroux. What do you like best about this film and your role?
MS: “I play Wendy, a city girl who struggles with both her professional and personal life. She gets a giant wake up call when her estranged father suddenly passes away and leaves her his winery. She is obviously very unprepared for this responsibility so she’s undecided on what to do with this newfound business. There is also a sweet love story element to it so there’s a lot going on. Oh and I get to kiss Barry Watson which is a big plus. It’s available on DVD on January 3rd.”

CBS: You’re in your third trimester of your first pregnancy! How are you feeling?
MS: “I feel pretty good! Sleeping isn’t really happening anymore but other than that I’m happy.”

CBS: When are you due?
MS: “End of January.”

CBS: You’re expecting a girl! Do you have any names picked out?
MS: “We do but we’re keeping it a secret. We love the name so much and came up with it super early and just decided to not allow any opinions weigh in. Our families are starting to get a little bitter about it.”

CBS: Do you have a birth plan? Are you hoping for a natural birth? Are you planning a hospital birth/home birth?
MS: “My birth plan is simply getting her out safely! I’m not one of those pregnant women who have a 40-page birth plan ready to go. One of my best friends had it all planned out then wound up having an emergency C-section, so you really never know. I’m really trying to go with the flow the best I can in every capacity of pregnancy. Not to say I’m being flippant about the process – I’ve definitely thought about it and educated myself on labor and delivery. I trust my doctor 100% so that is also giving me the confidence to take this on without added anxiety.

I plan on delivering in the hospital and would LOVE to tell you that it will be a drug free experience, but I don’t think that’s in the cards for me.”

CBS: What are you most excited about in becoming a mom? Do you feel ready?
MS: “I’m most excited to hold this little girl! I dream about it all day long. Every time I walk into her nursery I feel so emotional because I just can’t wait for her to get here. I feel as ready as I can be. I’ve never done this before so I have no clue what being ready entails. But whatever it is, I’m super excited for it.”

CBS: What did you do for the holidays? Did you stay close to home in case baby arrived?
MS: “[Stayed] in town for sure and just [spent] time with friends and family before we disappear into the baby bunker.”

CBS: Do you plan to take a maternity leave? What’s up next for you after baby arrives?
MS: “I hear the first 3 months are super intense and the most trying, so I will most likely get through that phase and then get back to work. If something were to come up sooner I of course would be happy to do it. I will just need a minute to get back to my fighting weight!”

Well hello there, third trimester!

Just when I thought this pregnancy was moving slower than molasses, week 30 seemed to appear out of nowhere! It feels like just yesterday I was dying for my belly to turn into an actual baby bump and now I feel as if I’m venturing out of the cute preggie phase and catapulting into the just plain GIANT phase.

This phase can be dangerous territory for your friends and family. They will still tell you how beautiful and glowy you are — yet the guy in the checkout line at the market will say, “Holy moly — you are ready to pop!” or my personal favorite: “Wow! Are you expecting twins?”

Now that the official countdown has begun, it seems like there are a million and a half things to do before our little one arrives. Our office has now been converted to a pretty pink (yes PINK!) nursery and most of the furniture is starting to arrive.

Even though my husband was very anti-pink from the get-go — the giddy look on his face when he saw it freshly painted will forever be etched in my mind.

Putting her room together has been my favorite part so far — to think it’s currently an empty space filled with baby essentials, and in just a few weeks there will be this new little person living in it. Truly a surreal and awesome feeling!

Sleeping is starting to become a wee bit uncomfortable and from what others tell me, it will only get worse from here on out. (And then it becomes non-existent right?)

Yes, I purchased the favorite pregnancy pillow that everyone swears by and to be honest — we have developed a pretty intense love/hate relationship. I’m either lugging it around the bed or I wake up in the middle of the night only to find it on the floor.

I just can’t figure out how to make this relationship work! My poor husband is really looking forward to putting my new sleeping partner in storage until the next go round.

I must say, one pregnancy plus that I will surely miss is the kindness of strangers. People open doors for me, hold elevators, and even let me cut in line in the ladies room! Definitely a nice little perk!

As our checklist got shorter, I realized that we forgot to plan the newly popular babymoon getaway. How many of you decided to take one before having your first child? It was something that I was kind of on the fence about, but I knew one last vacation with my husband would be such a fun thing to do.

I truly hate to fly, so we decided to drive to Santa Barbara for a few days of relaxation and spa treatments. It was absolutely perfect. We took those cliché long walks on the beach and got couples massages and I watched as my husband drank fine wine. (And by watched, I mean drooled.)

It was the perfect way to spend our last Thanksgiving as a twosome — next year will be sweet in such a different way and I just can’t wait for it.

Would love to hear about how you got ready for baby or how you spent your babymoon if you went on one! Send me a Tweet @marlasok.

– Marla Sokoloff

The moment I found out I was pregnant, I instantly felt different. Not physically different but mentally, I was in a newfound headspace. My brain was completely consumed with thoughts of BABY. (Let’s be honest — I had major baby brain way before that little stick told me I was pregnant!)

I knew our lives were going to change drastically, and I truly loved the thought of it. I walked around all day with a giant smile on my face, knowing I had this exciting secret.

The first four months were (thankfully) uneventful. I didn’t even have one second of morning sickness or nausea. I had the Preggie Pops and the Sea-Bands standing by, but they were never needed. (Ladies, don’t kill me — I have no idea how I got out of that one!)

I assumed the next few months were going to be filled with stretch mark and weight gain worries … when my pregnancy took a scary turn.

Around 17 weeks, I got a call from my doctor saying some of my second trimester blood work was looking a bit abnormal. Knowing that lots of women get a “false positive” on these tests, I tried to remain calm until further testing was done. (By calm, I mean hysterically crying until we got to the doctor’s office.)

The next morning, my husband and I sat in the genetic counselor’s office discussing our “options” if the test was in fact positive for a serious birth defect. They were throwing out everything from spina bifida to Down syndrome.

I was completely crushed. I was already so attached to my little girl. She has a name. I talk to her, I sing her songs … she has to be okay.

After a detailed ultrasound, our doctor recommended amniocentesis to investigate further. In that moment, I started to remember reading about amnios in all of my baby books. Wait — didn’t they say the needle was seven inches long?!

I squeezed my husband’s hand for dear life and prayed it would be over quickly. (The amnio wasn’t my favorite activity of all time — but I recommend closing your eyes and breathing as if labor has already started to ease the pain.)

As the nurse wiped the betadine off of my belly, I started to feel like I had been punched in the gut. My positive attitude that I tried so desperately to hold on to went flying out the window and was replaced with complete and utter fear.

The next few days were spent on the couch covered in tears. I literally couldn’t function. The thought of something being wrong with our baby was just too unbearable to even think about. The only thing in the world that I wanted was for this little girl to be okay. Nothing else mattered.

After 10 agonizing days, our amnio results came back showing a perfectly healthy little girl. The abnormal blood work was, in fact, a false positive. I took my first deep breath in almost two weeks and then returned to my oh-so-familiar state of hysterical crying. Only this time, they were happy tears.

Being pregnant has officially turned me into a worrywart. My first worry was, “Can I get pregnant?” The next was, “How can I keep baby safe in there?” The list can go on … if I allow it.

The complete lack of control hasn’t been easy for this control freak. Every day, I try my best to be calm and stay present — prenatal yoga has definitely helped me with that. I know that this little scare is just the first of many parent tests that we have coming our way!

Whenever I start to panic or veer off track, I feel her little kick in my belly, and I know that’s her way of saying, “Mom relax … everything is going to be okay.”

Thanks for letting me share my story — would love to hear yours as well! Leave me a comment below (I’ve been reading them all!) or send me a Tweet @marlasok.

– Marla Sokoloff

I’m so happy to hear that everything is a-ok with Marla and baby! Thank you for sharing your story with us, Marla!

Lightning Entertainment, the Santa Monica-based sales, production and distribution company, announced today that it has acquired international sales rights in all media to seven new completed theatrical feature films and will debut the new slate at the upcoming American Film Market. All seven titles will have their first market screenings at AFM, with three key titles making their World Premiere debut: BRAKE, COLUMBUS CIRCLE, and WRATH.

The announcement of the new lineup is part of the company’s ongoing drive to acquire and develop high profile titles that will satisfy demand across all distribution platforms both internationally and in the United States, where the company is expanding its presence as a domestic all rights distributor. For three of the films, BLOODWORK, THE REVENANT and BOY WONDER, Lightning has acquired worldwide distribution rights and will be releasing them in the US through their domestic distribution label, Lightning Media. In the US, Lightning is continuing to expand its extensive reach via its direct VOD and digital release platforms, which it combines with traditional theatrical and home entertainment channels.

The new films span a number of genres from horror to comedy and feature top international stars including Stephen Dorff, Michael C. Hall, Lucy Liu, Selma Blair, Amy Smart, and Giovanni Ribisi.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring this slate of films to AFM for our buyers,” said Robert Beaumont, President of Lightning Entertainment. “The reinvigorated marketplace is looking for compelling stories and cast driven theatrical feature films that will appeal to global audiences and we aim to satisfy that buoyant demand.”

Source

The story is timeless. It is about loving someone more than anything else. It is about giving up something you love for another person. It is about true love. It reflects the true meaning of the season, which is not about material objects but about caring for someone else even more than you care for yourself.

Marla Sokoloff is adorable as Della. She’s a sparkling character who discovers true love then loses it, only to find it in the end.

This movie is family approved by the DOVE foundation which searches out faith and family films.

* Gift of the Magi DVD
* Studio: Vivendi Entertainment
* Running time: 85 minutes

The DVD will be released on October 18, 2011 and you can pre-order it today at Amazon.com!

Marla Sokoloff’s Blog: I’m Having a Baby Girl!

Please give a warm welcome to our newest celebrity blogger, Marla Sokoloff!

Since audiences first got to know her as Gia on Full House at age 12, Sokoloff has had many memorable TV roles — Jody on Party of Five, Lucy on The Practice, Claire on Desperate Housewives – as well as turns on the big screen in Whatever It Takes, Dude, Where’s My Car? and Sugar & Spice.

Sokoloff, 30, also sings and plays guitar and released an album, Grateful, in 2005.

She wed her husband, music composer Alec Puro, in Nov. 2009 and the couple — plus pup Coco Puro — make their home in Los Angeles. They expect their first child this winter.

You can find Marla on Twitter.

Hello and welcome to my very first pregnancy/baby blog!

I was super excited when PEOPLE.com asked me to contribute to their blogging section because I’ve been a big fan and an avid reader for some time now. I have really enjoyed reading about everyone’s journey and I’m so pleased to be able to share mine (so far!) with you.

I promise to fill you in on the good, the bad and everything in between. I’ll admit, being pregnant for the first time is a little scary, so stay tuned for my many anxieties and neuroses. (Let’s just say … I’m pretty sure my doctor regrets giving me her email address!)

Luckily she wrote an awesome book that I highly recommend for anyone who has a million pregnancy questions. Everything from “Can I dye my hair?” (Yes.) to “Is it safe to visit a volcano?” (No.) It’s called The Pregnancy Test by Dr. Emily Sikking and Melissa Heckscher. I reference it at least once a day. But I digress….

I’m currently 21 weeks along and we recently found out that we are having a … GIRL!

In all honesty, I had no preference in regards to gender; I just wanted the little peanut to be healthy. (Truly — I’m not just being politically correct here.) But I must admit, when I heard that we were having a girl — my heart skipped a beat.

Images of bubblegum pink and sweet little dresses filled my brain and I could hardly stand my excitement! (Side note: If you ask my husband, she will be a tomboy, so we are clearly on different pages as far as her style goes.)

Speaking of my husband … here’s a little background on the both of us:

ME: I’m an actress who has a hard time listing my credits because I’m a little shy about that stuff. Most of you may recognize me and think we went to high school together but I promise you, we didn’t. I just have one of those faces.

I’m so excited to be a first time mom and I’m ready for it all! Spit up, poopy diapers, diaper rash, sleepless nights — BRING IT!

HUSBAND: Alec Puro. Baby daddy and music composer extraordinaire. Some of his credits include Higher Ground, The Art of Getting By, and too many TV shows to list.

We’ve been married for almost two years and are currently in full-on nesting mode. Every weekend it’s a new project around the house. Anyone else experience this??

Fun fact about us: Almost eight years ago, we were set up by the lovely and talented Jessica Capshaw. Hmmm … should we name our daughter Jessi??

DOG: Coco Puro. Our original first-born and the love of my life. Sometimes I look at her and feel awful because I know her life is about to change big time. If anyone has any tips for bringing baby home to an only child/dog, I would love to hear them!

So that’s our little family. I can’t wait to introduce you to our baby girl when she arrives! I really look forward to sharing the rest of my pregnancy with you.

If you need to reach me in the meantime — send me a tweet @marlasok.

– Marla Sokoloff

Marla’s first blog entry