Help A Blogger Out

Hey Friends, Followers, Stoppers Byers, Former Coworkers, Mom,

If you have about 15 free seconds, do me a favor:

1) Click HERE and you'll be brought to a webpage that looks like the image below

2) Click to the LEFT on the owl that is speaking into the brown thought bubble.

3) When you click on the left owl, you will be brought to a website called Top Baby Blogs and you can close that browser window and go on with your day.

Explanation - Top Baby Blogs is a website that ranks baby blogs. The rankings are based on click-thrus (aka the number of people that click on the owl to the left) and everyone is allowed to click once a day. This prevents me from sitting at my computer, clicking the owl 500 times a day and unfairly (and psychotically) skewing the ranks. The loophole is that you can actually click thru more than once a day if you use different devices (so feel free to do the same 1-2-3 steps on your home laptop, phone, work desktop and iPad and whatever else you own!). 

Appreciation - Thank you so much for your support. Seriously. I'm a one woman shop with no big, fancy site designer or marketing guru or editor or contributor or whatever else bigger, fancier blogs have. Again, I appreciate your taking the time.

Sorry, No Post Today

My apologies - I don't have a post for you today. Not a real post, just this. It was a crazy, full weekend...much like the week it preceded...and I managed nothing by way of NSB. But, I'll be back tomorrow. I'm feeling a discussion of baby names. It's been too long.

Three Years of Blogging

It's been 3 years and 1 month and 3 days since I wrote my first post on February 8, 2011. In 2012, I commemorated my first full year of blogging with a little look back (aka a blogiversary post). I didn't do that last year because I was on blogging hiatus at the time. And, at first, I didn't think it was appropriate to do this year because, frankly, there's not much to recap. Not much has happened on NSB during the past 12 months. But, that's silly. Right? It's not important how much or how little happened. I'm blogging again so I should be blogiversary-ing again!

Let's start with a quick timeline of the last year on NSB:

February 2013 - I managed two measly posts (here and here). The arrival of my daughter at the end of 2012 had, understandably, altered my free time and my priorities. Blogging took a seat in the way, way back. Ever seen the movie The Way, Way Back with Steve Carrell? It's great.

March 13, 2013 - I finally posted a "Proper Farewell" in which I admitted that I needed an official break and wouldn't be posting for a while.

December 2013 - I randomly stopped by NSB and after some perusing, realized that the This Blogger page needed some major updates. So, I updated it and posted about the update. I've since updated it again.

January 13, 2013 - My quick December post got me thinking about blogging again. When the new year hit, it felt like the write time to get back on the horse. So, I did. But, before I could really get started, I addressed the need for an update to the blog name. So, technically, Next Stop Baby is now Next Stop (Another) Baby. Though you'll notice that I still use the NSB acronym because NS(A)B doesn't flow, it doesn't.

February 7, 2013 - While I didn't write a blogiversary post, I did write a "refresher post" to remind myself and my readers what we could all expect on NSB.

FAVORITE POSTS

The most read posts on Next Stop Baby seem to be driven by pop culture - what's everyone watching on TV and at the Movies, and what's the latest trend in baby shower themes. Posts about Teen Mom 3 command three of the Top 10 favorite posts. Here's the full Top 10 list, with #1 being the most viewed post of all time.

1. Rosie Pope Said Wha...???

2. Your Burning Rosie Pope Questions

3. A Day of Celebration - Teen Mom 3

4. Baby Bears

5. How Much to Spend on a Baby Shower Gift

6. Winnie the Pooh Baby Shower, Tttttttterrific

7. Katniss is Not A Real Name

8. Teen Mom 3 - It's On

9. They're Baaaaack...

10. Owl Themed Baby Shower, Hoooo-Hoooo

Since I've been blogging again in 2014, the favorite post is The Perfect Double Stroller. This is not hugely surprising. Everyone relies on the internet for product research and reviews, so I am happy to have provided some (helpful?) info.

READERS

Readers come to NSB from varying sources on the internet - google searches (the #1 source), subscriptions (by email or by blog feed), Pinterest and Twitter and Facebook, and other blogs. Readers also come from varying places in the world - US, Canada, Poland, Germany, UK, Russia, Australia, France, Sweden, Ukraine name the Top 10 countries in order of most pageviews. I find it super interesting that non-English speaking countries rank higher than some english-speaking countries (i.e. more people in Poland read than people in Australia). The Polish People and I are kindred spirits and I dig it.

Once again, special shout out to WW who is a tried and true reader, commentor, and lover of NSB. And I am a lover of her. Did that just get a little creepy?

Meanwhile, I miss commentors like The Mrs./The Mom and Whitney M. who had previously been staples.

PLANS FOR 2014

Guest Bloggers - Haven't had a guest blogger since January 2012. Maybe it would be fun to do a follow-up with some guest bloggers to catch up and see what's changed in their baby-related worlds. 

Suburbia - I don't live in NYC anymore, which is a bummer in some ways, though a wonderful thing in many more ways. In terms of blogging, my travels on the NYC subway system and encounters with disgruntled New Yorkers provided quite a bit of fodder for NSB. Will there be a large, sewer cap sized hole in NSB's content due to my new locale? No, there won't. I can already tell you that suburban Massholes are going to provide plenty of great posts as well...stay tuned.

Baby Names - I love Nameberry.com. I peruse the website with great frequency, and probably always will. And I even exchange tweets with Nameberry here and there. BUT, I need some new name inspiration. It's time to spread my wings.

Crafting and Nursery Decor - Over the years I've made a fair amount of moodboards for nursery decorating ideas. My inspiration has been whatever is trendy. While I'll continue to do this, I'll also be moodboarding from a more personal place. I'm in the process...the very beginning of the process...of decorating my daughter's bedroom. I'm pinning like crazy (love Pinterest) and all over design/DIY blogs. I also plan to venture into crafting territory, which you got a taste of on Valentine's Day. I'm starting simple. VERY simple (as you saw).

Happy Blogiversary to me and thanks for reading. It's going to be a great year.

For other blogiversary posts click here, here and here.

A Refresher Post

Now that I'm back in the swing of things and (trying) to post on the regular, I thought it was a good moment to re-introduce you to what Next Stop Baby is all about.  Sure, you can go to the page "This Blogger" to get the general gist, but today I'm going to give you a bit more detail.  Just a bit.  Expectation setting tends to make for more successful reception.  So, whether you're just stopping by or have been following all along, this is Next Stop Baby.  Welcome.

I am the only writer for Next Stop Baby (with very few exceptions) and I write about baby related stuff.  Mind blown?  Not so much.  I'll keep going. 

I try to write about things that I know nothing about.  This may make absolutely no sense upon first consideration, but I actually think that I'm onto something.  By writing about the unknown I can (hopefully) lead a more neutral and balanced discussion - it's harder to be judgmental about something that I have no experience with.  It can be tricky to find things within the baby world that are completely unfamiliar because I have a baby.  Two babies, however, is unchartered territory.  Hence, the focus of my posts is the journey to baby number two.  

Once in a while I write about reality TV.  It's not that I get lazy, it's more that I genuinely love trashy television and can't help but share my love with innocent bystanders.  Even less often, I host a giveaway, which is usually the result of someone contacting me and offering me free stuff for my readers.  It's tough to turn those opportunities down, so I typically don't.

The slightly unique aspect of my blogging style is that I try to keep it relatively impersonal.  I don't give much detail about me, my family or my life in general.  Things slip in here and there for context, but I've stayed anonymous in many ways.  I'll admit that this is selfishly driven.  First, I'm a surprisingly private person, despite having a fully public blog.  Second, and even more importantly, I often write about a topic because I'm genuinely seeking advice and perspective.  By largely excluding my personal life, I'm forced to really research and consider the topic itself.  This also drives more feedback on the topic itself and not feedback on me personally, which I don't need (or want).  I get plenty of personal feedback from my mom, my husband, my friends, strangers in Trader Joes...

So, if you're here hoping for a diary of how I got my daughter to sleep through the night or the sentence-by-sentence recap of conversations with my husband about whether we're ready for round two or even just details about who I am and what I look like, you're going to be quite unsatisfied.  If you want to discuss how to choose a name for your second child or what double stroller is the best on the market, awesome.  Please join the conversation.  

And now, let's set more expectations: What do you expect to read about on NSB?  What are your other favorite blogs and why do you read them?  What about having a second child scares/excites/confuses you?  What reality TV are you watching these days?  What would be your dream giveaway?  

Thanks for reading.

Time for a New Blog Title

Before I return to being a somewhat regular blogger, I need to address a foundational issue.  The title of this blog is Next Stop Baby, but the figurative train reached the figurative next stop back in 2012.  I arrived.  I'm a parent.  I have a baby...actually, I have a toddler.   So, "Next Stop Baby" is a bit of a farce.

I thought about it (for a minute or two) and came to a quick conclusion.  For me, the logical transition is from "Next Stop Baby" to "Next Stop (Another) Baby".  When I started Next Stop Baby, I was considering the idea of considering the idea of starting a family.  Now, I'm considering the idea of considering the idea of expanding my family.  So, the new title makes sense, right?  Having another baby is on my radar, but I'm not there.  

That's where we're at.  Ready yourself for discussions on the timing, the money and the space required for a second bambino.  I will attempt to tackle the hot topics of double diaper duty and two under two from all perspectives.  Maybe I'll even do some research on parenting techniques as they relate to birth order (I'm making this up as I go).  And, of course, there's always my favorite topics of nursery decor and baby names.

Speaking of, I'm already excited about Drew Barrymore's second baby...what will Olive's younger sister be named?!  And Olivia Wilde is pregnant, which is another name I'm eager to learn, especially because it's a boy.  Hollywood has been producing some especially interesting boy names as of late - Axl Duhamel and Kaius Jagger Berman...which I constantly say in my head as Kallus...like a callus on your foot.  

A Proper Farewell

Clearly, I'm checked out of this whole blogging thing.  And I apologize for not giving you a proper farewell three weeks ago.  Better late than never?

Motherhood is time consuming.  I've found a groove and I'm back to showering and using the bathroom at regular intervals, but true "free time" is rare.  While I could continue to blog, I know I could find fifteen minutes here or there, I'm going to hold off.  I don't want to serve up half-arsed posts twice a month.  That's not cool.  Not cool for you - you should be able to count on a five minute break from life that's worth your five minutes.  Not cool for me - I love writing and don't want to throw together grammatically incorrect, misspelled, boring nonsense.

So, I'm (finally) saying farewell.  It's been fantastic.  I've so enjoyed our exchanges, I'm no doubt a better mother for them.  I won't say goodbye forever, but farewell for the foreseeable future.  Thanks for reading.  Truly.

I will remain available for a chat at nextstopbabyblog@gmail.com

 

My Surprise Baby

Now that the cat's out of the bag (aka the baby's out of my bump), I have so many pregnancy stories to share.  I have thoughts on baby showers and registering, cravings and maternity clothes, and everything else from the pregnancy test to reaching (and passing) my due date.  But before I get to the sharing, I should explain why I didn't post about my pregnancy in real time.

When I learned I was pregnant at the beginning of the year, I wanted to wait to spread the news until I passed the twelve week mark.  It's a traditional milestone and it felt like the right milestone for me and my husband.  It was such a joyful, awesome discovery that we wanted to enjoy it between the two of us for a bit.  So, we did just that.  Then we told only immediate family and a couple close friends and let it settle some more.  Then, at twelve weeks, we told the rest of our family and friends and enjoyed a whole new round of excitement.

It finally seemed like a reasonable time to post my fantastic news on NSB. But, it didn't feel like the right time. Even with the news making its way through my social circles, I wasn't ready to share it with the public at large.  So, I decided to wait until it felt right and ignore what seemed reasonable.  Turns out it didn't feel right until last week.

From the start, my pregnancy felt like an immensely personal experience.  My reaction to that feeling was to keep it intimate.  I didn't share baby bump photos on Facebook and I didn't leave away messages on Gmail about my morning sickness (which I had).  I instinctively wanted to keep social media away from my belly.

Many, perhaps most, women shout out their pregnancy from the rooftops, which includes Facebook and online announcements.  I get that.  It's the reverse of what I did, but it equally expresses the true awesomeness of being pregnant.  For many, being pregnant is simply too amazing to contain.  For me, keeping my pregnancy amongst family and friends made me feel like I was preserving that awesomeness.   So, despite the fact that I constantly publicize my personal joys and junk on NSB, I pulled back and let this personal joy stay personal. I hope you forgive me for pulling a fast one on you.  Now that my beautiful baby has arrived, I'm ready (at last) to share and discuss.

My Next Stop

Some of you know why I took a hiatus and some of you may have guessed.  Some of you are just annoyed that I haven't posted in two weeks.  Well, the wait is over.   I'm back.  And, I'm a mom.  That's right, I'm a mom.  My hiatus involved giving birth to my first child, recovering (ouch) from said birth and mostly staring for endless hours at the perfect little person who was one day in my belly and the next in my arms.  There has also been a lot of poop, but we can discuss that on a later date.

For today, I'm just excited to share that I have officially reached my next stop - baby.

A Brief Hiatus

Hey Everyone - Next Stop Baby and I are going on a brief hiatus with big, exciting changes to the blog when we return.  Thanks for understanding and check back in about a week or so.  Happy November and happy weekend!  Talk soon.

~Leah

I Met Rosie Pope (Part 1)

I'm splitting today's post into two.  I realize that most people read blogs during a 5-10 minute break when the day gets a little boring, annoying and redundant.  Most people don't have time for a 30-45 minute hiatus from their busy lives.  Knowing this, I try to write posts that take 5-10 minutes to read.  But, I couldn't bare to leave out a detail of my amazing Pope encounter, so I'm giving you a two part series - today and Thursday.  Be warned that even as "part 1" this post is long (more like a 15 minute read).  You may want to pause for an ice coffee after paragraph four.

A couple weeks ago, I received an email at the Next Stop Baby email address from what I assume is Rosie Pope's public relations person team.  The email was a "media alert" sent to members of the press.  I was immediately intrigued by the sender and doubly intrigued by the thought of myself as a member of the press.  Me, the press?  I was clearly flattered and fanning my red cheeks, but also smirking...I unintentionally and rather successfully pulled the wool over someone's eyes.

The email invited me (aka Next Stop Baby) to the premiere of Rosie Pope's new maternity collection for A Pea in the Pod.  I was asked to attend and gently prodded to write a post about my thoughts on the clothing line.  For a small-time, 1.5 year old blogger like myself the mere invitation was way more than enough to secure my attendance.  But there was more: there would be a red carpet, a candy bar, a mocktail (alcohol free cocktail) bar, a swag bag, some other free stuff and, most importantly, an opportunity to meet the Pregnant in Heels queen herself.

I was in.

The event was held at a Destination Maternity store in Manhattan.   I arrived a little early.  I'm not a fashionably late type person.  I'm either unfashionably late or early.  The first disappointment I encountered was a lack of red carpet.  Hello!?  There were no papparazzi and no velvet ropes either.  I nervously approached a pair of fresh faced, official seeming girls with clipboards as I considered what I was about to say (my real name? my blog? a monologue about being a member of the press?).  I was saved when one of the girls immediately handed me a ticket and directed me upstairs without questioning who I was or what I was doing.  That was sort of the second disappointment - I wasn't on a list...there didn't even appear to be a list.

Upstairs was mayhem.  At least 75% of the attendees were pregnant, which was somewhat bizarre.  How often do you see a couple hundred pregnant people all in one room?  To make matters more interesting, upstairs was a fully stocked maternity clothing store that hadn't been cleared or organized to accommodate so many big bellies.  Watching two pregnant women simultaneously squish between two racks of maternity dresses is both unsettling and hilarious.  It involves a lot of bump bumping.  There were also a decent amount of strollers.  You know how I feel about strollers in crowded spaces (if not, click here).

After asking around, it became clear that there were some a couple invited members of the press in attendance and a boat load of non-press pregnant ladies.  The preggers people were all invited through an email blast sent by Destination Maternity to it's subscribers.  Aha.  Here's where I realized that some sort of designation as a member of the press (albeit a fraudulent member) would have been handy.  I should have replied to the email and requested a press pass!  Too late.  Without such designation I was left to fight my way through the crowd of mamas.

There were three lines: one for the candy bar, one for the mocktail bar and one to meet and greet Rosie (for anyone and everyone) after the press interviews were complete.  I immediately jumped on the end of the candy bar line.  It was slow moving and a little nerve-wracking being amongst so many hungry pregnant woman.  A few people away from the treats, a non-pregnant, attractive 20-something approached me and asked whether I was craving chocolate, gummy or licorice.  Her job was to get the candy for me.  Nice touch.  I awkwardly replied, "gummy...please."  I skipped the mocktail bar, but it did look delicious.  The bartenders (if that's what they are) were managing to churn out some fancy pants non-alcoholic beverages.

With my celophane bag of gummy bears and taffy, I strolled to the end of the meet and greet line.  It was the longest line by far.  And it wasn't moving.  I craned my neck to the left and right to see exactly what I was waiting for.  At last, there she was!  Mrs. Rosie Pope.  She was wearing a black lace dress, looking taller, paler and more beautiful than ever.  And, bonus, Daron Pope was there too!  Both Rosie and Daron looked exactly as they do on Bravo.

Rosie and Daron Pope...and I shared a room (with hundreds of other people)

I'll end it today with a photo of the meet and greet line...it was more of a meet and greet crowd.

Thursday I'll fill you in on Rosie herself and, of course, the clothes.

It's Voting Day, Again

It's a quick and boring post to solicit some votes for NSB on Top Baby Blogs.  If you are inclined, click HERE and then click on the owl to the left.  You can technically vote once a day, everyday, all year long, but I only beg for votes once or twice a year.  I'm shameless, but not that shameless...

Pregzilla Anyone?

I'm contacted by many a random website owner/product pusher at the Next Stop Baby email address (nextstopbabyblog@gmail.com).  Several times a week someone asks me to promote a cause on Next Stop Baby.  I pretty much never oblige.  I'm not a snob, I'm a preservationist.  I want Next Stop Baby to be about products, website and (mostly) thoughts that authentically strike me in my daily life.

I was emailed two days ago with one of these standard requests to pass along information to you, my beloved readers.  Right off, I was annoyed because the emailer called me a "Mommy Blogger".  You and I know that I'm not a mommy blogger, but I decided to continue reading.  Despite the introductory faux pas, the content of the email was interesting enough that I couldn't just blow it off.  One can't break an unwritten rule without serious consideration.  So that's what I did and after about 4 minutes I had made my decision.  I'm sure you'll understand why.

She also called me a mommy when she signed off.
She is clearly NOT an NSB reader.

The emailer is affiliated with a reality television casting company and she's working on an upcoming show: Pregzilla.  That's right, Pregzilla.  You understand my extremely quick decision to pass along the good word, yes?

I'm a reality show addict.  I don't waste my time calling it a guilty pleasure because I'm not guilty about it. You know that I've written about Teen Mom several times (here, here and here) and referenced the Real Housewives (here and here).

I'm an urban dictionary addict and "pregzilla" is a defined term (here).

I found a t-shirt with the
Urban Dictionary definition of Pregzilla
(from zazzle.com)

I'm a Pregnant in Heels addict critic.  My posts about Rosie Pope and Pregnant in Heels have been reigning fan favorites.  I envision Pregzilla as being a direct competitor of Pregnant in Heels (aka more fodder for NSB).

The sum of all this meant I had to share the casting information.  I would freak out if a Next Stop Baby reader applied for the show and made it to any of the casting rounds, much less onto the show.  So, if you're interested or know anyone that would be the info is below and keep me posted!!!  Look out Rosie Pope, Pregzilla is on the way.

Now casting the humorous and crazy side of pregnancy! 

EXPECTING MOTHERS: You thought PMS was bad, but this just got a whole lot worse! Are you losing your mind? Hormones running amok? Freaking out over the littlest things? Are you making yourself and everyone else around you nuts and using your pregnancy as the excuse?

This is your pregnancy and you need to be treated like a queen! Let's face it, you're never going to have a better excuse to act up, diva out, regress to childhood, and take command as the queen!

SIGNIFICANT OTHERS:  Do you not recognize the woman you fell in love with?  Are you feeling more and more like an alien took over her body and turned her into an emotional monster?  This is your chance to have fun with the fact that your lady has gone off the rails.  

Looking for both expecting mothers and significant others to participate and share with us the comic drama that surrounds wild ride of pregnancy.  

Doron Ofir Casting, the star-making casting company behind Jersey Shore, Millionaire Matchmaker, My Strange Addiction and RuPaul's DragRace, is now casting pregnant mothers who are loud and proud pregzillas! If you or someone you know qualifies, please apply now!

If you and your significant other are currently expecting and appear to be between the ages of 21-35, you could be eligible to star in a new exciting series that celebrates the roller coaster ride of pregnancy. 

This is your opportunity to express yourself and tell the world what you've been going through. Vent, complain, brag, show off...and get the ultimate travelogue of your journey to parenthood. 

If selected, you will receive an episodic stipend of $5,000.00

To apply, please visit www.pregzillascasting.com and fill out the digital application. 

Blogiversary Part III - YOU (The readers)

It's the last day of blogiversary fun.  Tomorrow will be back to the usual with the 39th edition of Stuff People Google and it's a mysterious one.  To wrap up the week of blogiversary posts, today I'll share some statistics about YOU, the fantastic readers of Next Stop Baby. 

I'm very grateful for the faithful followers of Next Stop Baby and hope this crew continues to expand over time.  It's hard to tell how many of you there are though I'm fairly certain, after a year, that this group includes more than just my mom.  Chrissy, Jessica Morris and The Mrs./The Mom name a few of these regulars who I have never met face-to-face but feel like I know from their frequent comments.

In addition to regulars, there is a large population of first time and one time readers.  These are folks who find Next Stop Baby thanks to some keen internet searching.  Sometimes these searchers are looking for information actually contained in the pages of Next Stop Baby...and sometimes not so much.  This segways to the first statistic of the day:

Top 10 Search Phrases That Bring People to Next Stop Baby (aka Stuff People Google):

1. rosie pope speech impediment
2. farrah abraham
3. rosie pope speech
4. catelyn lowell pregnant again
5. owl themed baby shower
6. next stop baby
7. maci bookout pregnant again 2011
8. how much to spend on a baby shower gift
9. rosie pope
10. rosie pope speech problem

The #1 phrase on that list brought 2,667 searchers to Next Stop Baby over the past year.  That's a lot of people typing "rosie pope speech impediment" on their computer screens.  Between Numbers 1, 3, 9 and 10, you can see how obsessed internet users are with Rosie Pope and her speech.  I'm happy to have supplied some relevant information for Rosie Pope haters fans. 

You can also see how often Teen Mom brings people to Next Stop Baby.  People think Farrah Abraham is a hottie.  Period.  Her name, "Farrah Abraham" is very close to overtaking Ms. Pope's lisp issue.  I think it's a photo of her from an old post (below) that's drawn the crowds.  Meanwhile, Catelynn Lowell was rumored to have been pregnant again (wrote about that here) and Maci Bookout spends 50% of her screen time on Teen Mom talking about wanting to get pregnant again with her new ex-boyfriend Kyle King.  Yes, EX-boyfriend -hey broke up about a week ago, or so UsMagazine.com tells me.  Hence, people want the scoop on both of their uteruses.

Owl themed anything was HOT in 2011, hot like Farrah Abraham.  All my posts that include owl themed baby stuff have been very popular.  I don't know why.  If anyone does know why, please enlighten me.

Then there's the lone ranger: Number 8.  How much does one spend on a baby shower gift?  It's a common concern (and common search phrase) that I tried to answer (here).  In fact, it's even more common than it appears because people search extremely similar phrases (i.e. "how much to spend on baby shower gift" or "how much on a baby shower gift") all the time.  The list only accounts for the exact phrases that were searched the most.  If I were able to add statistics on all the different ways that people searched that question, the combination would be much higher on the list.

You may be interested to know that people outside the U.S. read Next Stop Baby.  Makes sense, this world wide web stretches farther than our American borders.  It's no surprise that the top 4 countries are all English speaking, but who would have guessed that my nursery decorating ideas and rants about rude subway riders would intrigue the Germans and Polish? 

Top Ten Countries that Visit Next Stop Baby

1. United States 
2. Canada
3. Australia
4. United Kingdom
5. Russia
6. Germany
7. India
8. Netherlands
9. Singapore
10. Poland

The Polish flag.  I'm grateful for their readership.

That is that for the blogiversary week.  It's been a good year of blogging.  Cheers to another...

Blogiversary Part II - Best Posts

Today is the official blogiversary of Next Stop Baby - the one year anniversary of the First Post on February 8, 2010.  Yesterday I thanked a bunch of people.  Today I'm going to reveal some behind the scenes info about Next Stop Baby itself.  It's gonna be a potpourri of good stuff.

What are the most popular, best posts on Next Stop Baby?  There are a bunch of ways that I've tried to answer this question. 

Random publicity has been an indicator of a more favorable posts.  Back in July 2011, the post entitled Name Poaching - It's a Jungle Out There was featured on Stumble Upon.  I have no clue how Stumble Upon chose this post, but I assume that someone important at Stumble Upon liked it, which is awesome.  Then in last fall, a Canadian radio DJ decided that he liked the post entitled Top 10 Signs Someone is NOT Baby Crazy.  He tweeted it to all his twitter followers, who then retweeted...and so on.  Again, awesome.  Who would have guessed that a male, Canadian, radio DJ would have read Next Stop Baby?

This is Canadian radio DJ Todd Hancock that reads
(or has read) Next Stop Baby.  Seriously.
(photo from his twitter page).  

The most viewed post is another way I've determined what the general population finds to be my best work.  Below is this list.  Rosie Pope and Teen Mom dominate, which isn't surprising because these are hot topics for random internet search engine users.  It's also not surprising that most of the other slots are filled with baby shower themes (Owl, Milk and Cookies, Nursery Rhymes).  These are also topics that a random internet searcher would seek out.  Random, lucky number 7 is a result of Stumble Upon.  In sum, these statistics are almost entirely the result of what people are most likely to search on the internet, and not necessarily what regular NSB followers like most.

Most Viewed Posts:

1. Rosie Pope Said...Wha???
2. A Day of Celebration - Teen Mom 3
3. Teen Mom 3 - It's On
4. Owl Themed Baby Shower, Hoooo-Hoooo
5. How Much To Spend On A Baby Shower Gift
6. Milk and Cookies Themed Baby Shower, MMMMMM Good
7. Name Poaching - It's a Jungle Out There
8. Your Burning Rosie Pope Questions
9. Slightly Scared of Being Pregnant in Heels
10. Nursery Rhyme Baby Shower, Hey Diddle Diddle

Next is a list of the most commented on posts.  This list gives an idea as to what NSB followers (versus random internet searchers) prefer and find interesting.  Some of the posts on this list were controversial (as controversial as a baby blog can get) and some were hit popculture trends of the moment.  Then there was the recent post entitled Baby Crazed Grandparents that sparked a commenting feud out of nowhere.  I was completely taken aback by the attention this post received.  This list doesn't count Caption Contests and Giveaways.

Most Commented on Posts

1. Rosie Pope Said...Wha?!? (53 comments and counting)
2. Katniss is Not a Real Name
3. Baby Crazed Grandparents
4. A Little Boob Goes a Long Way
5. Giving It The Old College Try

Below is the picture from the very first Caption Contest.  My favorite caption contest and favorite picture.

Now, I'll turn it to you.  What was your favorite post this past year?  Thanks in advance for sharing.  (I'm guilty of saying "thanks in advance" ALL the time, so much so that I probably contributed to it being a phrase on the list from this post)

First Blogiversary

This Wednesday (tomorrow) is the blogiversary of Next Stop Baby.  On February 8, 2011, I published the first post on Next Stop Baby.  It was aptly titled, First Post.  For the past year, I've continued to write and so many of you have continued to read (THANK YOU!!!) and even comment.  It was a year of growth and change and more change and more growth as I learned about blogs and about blogging.

Since the start, one thing that hasn't changed is the Next Stop Baby font/logo.  The informal cursive reminded me of the way I write on post-it notes.  The casual vibe was just right.  I almost went with, "Reminder - Get Pregnant".  Interesting side note, I wanted the webpage http://www.nextstopbaby.blogspot.com/ but that was already taken.  So I had to add the "-" (http://www.nextstop-baby.blogspot.com/).    

I never read blogs before I started writing Next Stop Baby.  And, I didn't really plan this project in advance.  Not at all.  I had no life long aspiration to become a blogger.  Rather, starting a blog was an extremely random and very impulsive decision.  The blog's theme was an obvious choice because on February 8, 2010 babies were everywhere in my life.  Now, a year later...they still are.  Since starting Next Stop Baby, three friends have had babies and four friends are currently pregnant!  (I suspect more may be making announcements in the coming months).  I can't even count how many Facebook friends have had babies and are pregnant...  

In honor and celebration of this one year milestone, I'm going to share a little about me that's never before been shared, a little bit about what I've learned about blogging, and a lot about the behind the scenes of Next Stop Baby.  You may have read the page "This Blogger" located on the homepage of Next Stop Baby.

If so, you discovered no very little personal information about me.  So, maybe you want to know a little more?  What you've probably learned by reading posts is that I live in New York, I have a day job that I commute to via subway (aka "the train") and I'm obsessed with The Hunger Games trilogy and Teen Mom.  Here are a few things that you probably don't know:  I'm in my 30s (don't now judge my obsessions with The Hunger Games and Teen Mom), I ran a marathon last year because it was on my baby bucket list and I would like a big family (read: lots of kids)...I know, I better get going on the latter.

Another image from Hunger Games, of course.  That's Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen.  How age inappropriate would it be if I went opening night at the movies (3/23/12)?

And now it's time for what may seem a little bit like an acceptance speech.  I owe a bunch of people big THANK YOUs for all the support they've given to Next Stop Baby this past year.  

Big Thank you to the following websites that have been down right amazing in driving traffic to Next Stop Baby over the past year, without my ever requesting that they do so:

www.adventuresinbaby.wordpress.com

www.thekennedyadventures.com

www.uncooked-meghan.blogspot.com
http://www.scarymommy.com/

Big Thank You to my #1 Commenter: WW - who I know and love.  Also thanks to commenters Jessica Morris, Chrissy, Mother of Pearl, Coll and Lia.  Your continued reading and commenting has often been the inspiration I needed to keep writing.

Big Thank You to all my guest bloggers who have included some incredibly talented friends and family members:

• Attorney by Day, Baby Dreamer by Night (Babies - Last On My to Do List?)
• Ella Mae (Motherhood)
• Alfie Toner (Trust Your Gut and Three Months Experience)
• W. Wilson (Nine Month Abs) *
• Lia Capri (I Did a Stupid Thing) *

*Notice how these guest bloggers have names similar to my biggest commenters...coincidence?

Big Thank You to Rosie Pope, who has by and far been THE biggest source of interest on Next Stop Baby.  More on this later in the week.

Next Stop Baby was not a premeditated plan.  But, I can now say that sometimes premeditation is overrated.  Sometimes the extremely random and very impulsive decisions in life work out.  This isn't a plug to give peyote a whirl or quit your job and become a belly dancer.  Rather, the lesson I've taken is that cultivating one's creativity is rarely harmful, so don't limit your aspirations to the same old.

Technical Difficulties

A number of faithful fans and first time readers have let me know about some repeated technical difficulties that Next Stop Baby has suffered.

Commenting - There was a long standing issue with the commenting function.  I got many an email (nextstopbabyblog@gmail.com) informing me that a comment had been attempted and failed.  It took a lot of researching and tweaking, but I think I've finally resolved this one.  Yes?  Anyone have commenting issues lately?

RSS Feed - Recently I've been getting feedback that my RSS Feed is busted.  I haven't a clue how this happened or why, but I wanted to update you that I'm working on it....which could take a while.  The commenting fix came about after 6 months of efforts.  In the meantime, you can subscribe to Next Stop Baby: there is a "Follow by Email" function on the right side of your computer screen (scroll down).  By entering your email address you will receive an email every time I post something new and once in a while when I update or correct an old post (grammar mishaps get even the best of us).  

Thank you for letting me know when things don't work and please continue to do so.  AND, come back at noon for a real post!  

First Post

I got married in 2010.  It was magical.  The perfect finale to a year full of weddings.  My own plus nine others made a grand total of TEN from May to November.  It was the greatest year of my life thus far, albeit expensive beyond my wildest nightmares.  My weekends were full of filet mignon, buttercream frosting, open bars and dancing until my feet hurt because I refused to switch to flats.

I woke up on a miscellaneous morning in November feeling nostalgic and slightly depressed that my wedding hayday had come to a close.  What was next?  World travel?  Buying a home?  Or a puppy?  Learning to speak another language?   Perhaps, simply basking in the glow of newlywedhood?

Babies.  Babies were next.  The summer of love had turned from real life bliss to an amazing memory and baby craze was instantly upon me.  Friends from all angles were suddenly "trying" or "officially trying" (the difference alludes me).  There was the subtle switch from coffee to decaffeinated tea and the not so subtle switch from mimosas to orange juice.

I don't know much about babies.  Not much at all.  I know even less about pregnancy.  Yet, I'm finding myself surrounded by cooing infants and sprouting bellies.  And so, it's hard not to talk about and think about what I imagine of the year that will someday rival last year's greatness (note the word "someday").  In the wedding season aftermath, I want to learn another language and maybe get a puppy.  And, I must admit, I'm thoroughly enjoying this baby craze that surrounds me.  It's a lot of fun.