"The Exes" Kelly Stables isn't old enough to remember the days when TV actresses hid their pregnancies by carrying around sacks of groceries or standing behind potted plants. But certainly she appreciates how much things have changed in recent years. The popular TV Land show's writers converted her hard-drinking party girl character, Eden, into a surrogate mother last year, winding up the season with her going into labor.

Now the show is back for its third season, and Stables is enjoying quality mommy time with her nine-month-old son, Kendrick, and looking back on it all in wonder.

When she became pregnant, Stables recalls, "I called our show runner, Mark Reisman, even before the three-month mark, when you usually tell people, because I thought it was fair to let them know as soon as possible. It was right after we got the word that we were picked up for our second season, and he couldn't have been nicer. I said, 'I've got some news for you.' He said, 'Are you pregnant?' And I said, 'Yes, I am!' He said, 'Great! We'll write it into the show.' He was very supportive."

"The Exes," which has Kristen Johnson as the divorce attorney who also owns the apartment in which three of her newly-single male clients live, happens to be quite a family-friendly set.

David Alan Basche, whose daughter was three at the time, "was just extremely supportive, and Wayne Knight has an adorable four-year-old little boy. And of course Donald (Faison) would kiss the belly every day for me — he and his wife are expecting in August — and so it was a very supportive environment."

Stables, remembered for her performances in the "Bring it On" and "The Ring" franchises, as well as her role as Melissa on "Two and a Half Men," notes that she and her husband, Kurt Patino, initially tried to work having a family around her professional schedule. "In the past, we had tried to plan for the off-season," says the actress, referring to her time on ABC's "Romantically Challenged" Alyssa Milano series. "Then the show was put on hold, and by the time we found out we weren't getting picked up, I could have had a baby. We kind of decided after that, if it's meant to be, it will happen. I had a talk with our director on 'The Exes,' Andy Cadiff ("Home Improvement"), and he said the same thing: 'You can't plan these things. Babies come when they're supposed to.' He's awesome."

Stables enjoys having a record of her pregnancy on TV, including "scenes when I remember he was kicking me — it's fun." She can also re-live seeing her body swell if she chooses. "I had gained 60 pounds, and I'm usually 90 pounds to begin with. So it was a lot of extra weight that I was carrying, and I was running around in heels. But, you know, when we were shooting I didn't even think about it. I thought about how grateful I was to be pregnant and working at the same time; that's what kept my focus on."

She was pleased with the storyline — not only that it offered chances for some great jokes, but added depth and dimension to Eden's character, as "someone with a heart, who really wants to help people."

After she gave birth, Stables found that baby Kendrick didn't sleep well in her dressing room. He ended up spending most of her work hours at her in-laws' house, which was, fortunately for her, a mere 10 minutes away from the studio. "It was really hard for me at first to physically be away from him," she admits. "But it got easier as the season went on. They're so great with him, and he was so happy there. Instead of thinking about how much I missed him, I could think of the fun he was having with grandma and grandpa, and that really helped. They have a really cool bond."

With production of this season having just wrapped, she's enjoying focusing on her son. "We go for walks together and swim together. He's here eating watermelon right now," she informs via phone. "He has two teeth on the bottom already."

She might take a role during the seasonal hiatus, if something good comes along, she says. There is also her voice over work — Stables has been heard on "W.I.T.C.H" and "Cavemen," and has a lead role in a new Tom and Jerry movie coming up on the Cartoon Network.

As for that 60-pound weight gain, "I was lucky; breast feeding was very good for me and walking. I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight."

And if "The Exes" continues, it sounds as if she and the rest of the cast could have their own preschool.