GUIDING LIGHT's Nancy St. Alban opens up about being a new mom and those secret vacations with Paul Anthony Stewart

Francesca Liliana Puleo — a.k.a. Frankie — is cranky today. Maybe it's something her mother ate.

"I had Taco Bell," laughs a sleepy but nevertheless perky Nancy St. Alban, who returns to GL as Michelle Friday, Oct. 17 (2003). "The thing is, I ate that a lot when I was pregnant, and they said if you eat it a lot when you're pregnant you should be fine. But all of a sudden she's very fussy. I had Thai food the other night, and she didn't like that either. I'm learning my lessons."

St. Alban has to hang up while Frankie settles down, but she quickly calls back, apologizing profusely. "OK, she's situated now," she reports, exhaling. "All tight. I can't promise that she'll be quiet, but..."

Luckily, Frankie naps for the rest of the conversation; thanks to little sleep, the sometimes cagey St. Alban is practically punch-drunk. "I feel like I'm in a daze. I can't even think about filtering what I have to say. You can ask me anything and I'll be so honest."

Soap Opera Weekly: What was it like returning to the show so soon after giving birth?
Nancy St. Alban: It was definitely weird because I couldn't be completely focused. Everyone was fussing over the baby and making a big deal about her, so that was fun. And everyone seemed excited to see us; that made me feel good. I overdid it a little bit. They had me carry the boy who plays my son, Robbie, and he is big. My stomach muscles are sore. I don't really have any stomach muscles, so I was like, "Wow...what did I do?" Last night when I got home I was laying on my couch like a zombie.

Weekly: You look fabulous — how quickly did the weight come off?
St. Alban: I look better than I thought I would look after three-and-a-half weeks. I still have a ways to go. I definitely didn't expect to be down to the weight I am now. In the first week I lost most of my weight. I couldn't believe it. I had so much water weight.

Weekly: How does Michelle return?
St. Alban: They have a welcome-home party for her, which is what they did for me at the studio. There are no big surprises, but it's cute. All of the important people are together in the same scene.

Weekly: Including Nico?
St. Alban: I don't think they are going there — at least I don't get that impression. Yesterday I actually asked that question in rehearsal, because Michelle is so adamant about keeping Nico around. I asked the director, "Does she like him?" The director didn't seem to think that it was anything like that, and I assume she would know.