Friday, February 29, 2008

Mom & Daughter Give Birth On Same Day

Here's a snippit from a story out of Knoxville, TN about a mother and daughter giving birth on the same day. Can you follow it?

...Kirsten, Erika's mother, gave birth to baby Gus. Two hours later, Erika had baby Ethan. That makes Gus, Erika's brother, and Ethan, Kirsten's grandson. That means Gus is Ethan's uncle, which is pretty amazing considering Gus is only two hours older...

Thursday, February 28, 2008

DwellStudio for Target

Move over Pottery Barn, here comes DwellStudio for Target. From bedding to lamps to gliders, DwellStudio seems to have your modern nursery covered with trendy and boutique-style fabrics and furnishings that are oh so cute!!

I love their Zoo, Olivia and Circles bedding sets. They are reasonable at $79.99 for a 3-piece crib set (bumper pad, comforter, crib sheet) and you can add the crib skirt for just $19.99 more. The rest of the accessories are reasonable too; window panels are $14.99 and decorative pillows are $9.99.

Check out the entire DwellSudio collection here.

Website Spotlight: Apple Blossom Prints

Apple Blossom Prints offers some adorable photo announcements, cards and invitations. Check out their unique new tri-fold announcements giving you an entire 15 inches to brag about your new baby!!

Have you thought about sending Easter photo cards to family and friends? Apple Blossom Prints also offers Easter cards, but you'd better hurry. It takes about 10-12 business days from the time you order til the time you recieve the cards and Easter is March 23rd, so don't procrastinate.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Brain Activity Linked to Parental Instinct

What is it about a baby's face that draws us like bits of metal to a magnet? Well, scientists think they may have the answer - and it's all in the brain.

In experiments using a neural scan, researchers at Oxford University found that a specific region of the brain associated with emotion lights up with activity within milliseconds of subjects seeing pictures of infants' faces.

Video: Pavlov's Dog All Over Again?

When Gender Testing Goes Wrong

From the Chicago Tribune...

Amid the tumult of the delivery room, Rohit and Geeta Jain were calm about one thing: Their new baby was sure to be a boy. Six months earlier, the Jains had spent more than $300 for a test that screened a minute quantity of Geeta's blood for traces of male DNA. The testing company said it was 95 percent accurate in determining the sex of a baby, even as early as the eighth week of pregnancy. After six hours in the delivery room, Rohit gaped as his wife gave birth to a daughter.

"There's only two choices -- either it's a boy or a girl," said Rohit, 35, a computer scientist in the Vancouver, British Columbia, suburb of Surrey. "I couldn't fathom how it could be wrong."

Today's Headlines

>> For families, green can mean baby steps...
>> Leap-year woman expects Feb. 29 baby...
>> Health steps to take before you get pregnant...
>> Lisa Marie Presley, 40, pregnant with #3...

Monday, February 25, 2008

Blog Designer Spotlight: NW Designs

BabyBlogAddict.com was born out of an addiction to baby blogs. At the time, blog designs were pretty standard. Now it's becoming more and more popular to customize your blog and refresh the look every so often (sometimes with the season...other times with the addition of new family members).

Since so many of you Baby Blog Addicts have your own blogs, we are going to start to feature some blog designers, in case you want to spice things up on your own blog. Lots of these blog designers are also stay-at-home-moms which is great since we love to feature mom businesses.

Here's our first - NW Designs. My favorite is that she calls herself the Nap Warden and used that to name her design site, NW, get it?

Check out NW Designs' completed projects. If you like her style and want a new look for your own blog, let her know.

Her prices are reasonable: the whole shebang (template, header, avatar) starts at $35 or a header for $20.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Best Baby Tub

When registering for a baby bathtub, I chose the First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn-to-Toddler Tub and after using it, I would definitely recommend it to other parents.

I loved the "hammock" when my son was a newborn and I think he did too...he really looked like he was lounging in it. It made baths much more relaxing for him and for me too. As he grew and was able to sit up, we just took out the hammock and the tub was still a comfy place for him to relax in the contoured seat.

It's desined to fit snuggly over some sinks or it can be used in a regular bathtub, and it's just $16.99 which is one of the more reasonable infant bathtub options.

Do you have a favorite infant bathtub? Let your fellow BBA's know in the comment section below.

Sweet Shoes Winner

We had 17 comments on the Sweet Shoes Contest post, but the last three were past the deadline of Friday, 2/22 at midnight EST (sorry), so 14 were eligible. We ran numbers 1-14 on the random sequence generator on random.org and here are the results:

Comment #2 is top, so the 2nd comment is the winner. Congrats to Andria!!!! She wrote, "With my third on the way, what couldn't be cuter to receive? LOVE shoes!~Andria."

Today's Headlines

>> Jennifer Lopez gives birth to twins on Friday...
>> Jolie shows off baby bump...
>> Kidman's unborn baby has multimillion-dollar price tag...

Thursday, February 21, 2008

'Miracle Baby' Conceived From 22-Year-Old Sperm

Twenty-two years ago, when he was just 18 years old, the last thing on Mike Kuzminski's mind was fatherhood.

His only concern at that point was surviving the cancer that had taken hold in his young body, and getting through the life-saving radiation and chemotherapy treatment doctors had prescribed.

But a forward-thinking oncologist advised the young man to freeze his sperm because the treatment was likely to render him infertile.

Years later, Kuzminski and his wife have given birth to what they describe as their "miracle baby," conceived from the sperm that was frozen for 22 years, 2 months and 2 weeks...

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Presidential Baby Names

We've linked a few times to The Poop, The San Francisco Chronicle's Baby Blog, because they have some great content for us Baby Blog Addicts.

Here's a great post they did about Presidential Baby Names. Check out the comments that the post generated too. My personal favorite was, "Jack (JFK) is kinda cool"...I'd have to agree! You might get some ideas of your own if you are searching for a baby name.

Monday, February 18, 2008

We're Giving Away Sweet Shoes!

Want to win this pair of Sweet Shoes? You're in luck...we're giving them away!

We recently had the opportunity to review a pair of Sweet Shoes, "soft-soled baby shoes with a stylish edge". A stay at home mother of three used the local surf/skate culture as her design inspiration for these edgy and hip shoes for infants.

Sweet Shoes are available for baby boys and girls, newborn up to 24 months and retail for about $29. Their list of retailers and etailers has been growing since their launch in August 2007 and Sweet Shoes will soon be selling the shoes on their own site too.

Unfortunately for me, my son is two and wears a size 8, so his feet are too big for sweet shoes. He wasn't able to test them out, but it's obvious that these are high quality and comfortable shoes. The soles are made with an extra layer of foam between two layers of leather; this provides extra shock-absorption while staying developmentally appropriate for infants growing feet.

Lucky for you, we're giving a pair away to one lucky Baby Blog Addict reader. The winner will receive a pair of the Black and Brown X Bones (size 6-12 months) from their skate styles.

To enter the contest, just leave a comment on this post by midnight (EST) this Friday, February 22nd. Each comment will be assigned a number starting with 1. We'll plug the numbers into random.org to select a winner. Include your email address or a link to your blog, so we can let you know if you win. Or if you'd prefer to leave your pertinent info off the comment, just post a comment and send us an email letting us know which comment was yours, so we can give you a heads-up if you win. Follow that? Email us if you have questions.

**Saturday Update: This contest has ended. We will announce the winner in the next couple of days.

The Great Diaper Debate: Disposable or Cloth?

When it comes to infant care, choosing disposable or cloth diapers can be a loaded decision, no pun intended. Online parenting chat rooms are filled with heated debate over the merits and drawbacks of both choices...

Do you have experience with cloth diapers? If so, do you have a favorite brand? Let us know in the comments section here and/or send us an email. We'd love to share your opinions on BBA with other parents considering cloth diapers.

Today's Headlines

>> Good parenting should triumph over bad language...
>> How good parents can turn cranky babies sweet...
>> Miracle baby who survived tornado gets nickname...
>> Kids today not much different from 30 years ago...

Live's Beautiful Baby Winner

Live with Regis and Kelly announced the winner of their 2008 Beautiful Baby Search. Congratulations to Ella Segars who will appear on the cover of Parenting magazine and win $125K toward her college education.

Check out more pictures from the photo shoot on Parenting magazine's website.

Protect Your Family

Family Watchdog is a great site to help you protect yourself and your family. Search your neighborhood for known registered sex offenders or search specific names of people you are considering welcoming into your home - baby sitters, housekeepers, yard people, etc. Family Watchdog also allows you to set up alerts for up to three addresses and they will let you know if a sex offender moves into the area.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

A Clean House...

From tribe.net. No description needed for us Baby Blog Addicts. I'm sure we can all relate.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy Valetine's Day!

from BBA (that's us...Baby Blog Addict)

Live's Beautiful Baby Finalists

The five finalists for "Live with Regis and Kelly's" Beautiful Baby Search were guests on their show on Tuesday. The photo shoot was that afternoon and the winner who will appear on the cover of Parenting magazine and win $125K toward college education will be announced on their show tomorrow. Check out how Baby Corbin was delayed in getting to NYC and missed the show Tuesday.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Spoiled Under 30 Crowd

I received this in a forwarded email from my sister and couldn't stop laughing. I knew I had to post it on BBA (Baby Blog Addict), because I know you all can relate. It's really about parenting and kids. It's long, but worth it.

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious stories about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning...uphill BOTH ways...yada, yada, yada.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy. I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!

When I was a kid we didn't have the internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up ourselves...in the card catalog! There was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it! And we didn't have fancy caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, someone asking you to prom, you just didn't know! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister! You couldn't just let it go to voice mail, because there was none!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600 with games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your guy was a little square. You actually had to use your imagination. And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever. And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there was no such thing as stadium seating. All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no on screen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday mornings. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little brats!

You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The Over 30 Crowd

The Dwink Juice Box Holder

Is it possible for a toddler to drink out of a drink box or pouch without squirting the juice on their face or shirt at some point? Yes it is. Check out the Dwink juice box holder.

This is a great addition to your arsenal of supplies, but it's also a cute take-home gift for a birthday party. Just write each child's name on the Dwink juice box holders. Let them use it at the party and then take it home too. They are available in blue, pink, orange and purple for $4.76 each at Baby Center.

Check out these other theme juice box holders - Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, Elmo and Dora the Explorer. Perfect for theme birthday parties.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Rise in Domestic Adoption Inquiries

A decline in foreign adoptions since restrictions imposed by Russia and China is prompting greater interest in U.S.-born kids, including those in foster care.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Top Parenting Trends of 2008

From baby names to birthday parties, check out the 10 biggest parenting trends of 2008 according to Parents.com:


  • Anything goes for baby names

  • Toy safety

  • Working mother bringing babies to the workplace

  • Sophisticated nurseries

  • Families traveling together more

  • Holding baby showers for the birth of 2nd and 3rd kids

  • Parents creating personalized baby websites...BABY BLOGS!!!

  • Birthday parties with physical activity themes

  • More sentimental Push presents for mothers

  • Discipline - Saying “no” to spoiled kids

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Potentially Toxic Baby Bottles

Over the summer, it was lead paint in toys that had parents on edge. Then, the recall of 1 million cribs raised further red flags. Today, baby bottles may stoke even more concern among stressed-out parents.

Website Spotlight: Cherry Blossoms

We love to spotlight mommy businesses on Baby Blog Addict, especially when they offer something other mommies (and daddies) would be interested in for their own little ones.

Cherry Blossoms offers custom handmade hair accessories for infants, toddlers and children. Her story is similar to many. She sought high quality unique hair accessories that were beautiful, functional and affordable for her daughter with no success. So, she began fabricating her own designs and distributing them amongst friends and family. Compliments and inquiries from others soon followed, as well as numerous requests for customized work. She decided it was time to make the big jump and began selling her creations online.

Check out her Yellow Glitter Butterfly on Pale Yellow Stretch Headband (pictured above). It is so sweet and would be adorable with Easter, Spring and Summer outfits. Click here for the rest of the Cherry Blossom collection.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

A Sweet Alternative to Sweets

If your child goes to daycare or preschool, they will inevitably consume more than their fair share of sweets on Valentine's Day and come home with even more sweets packed in goody bags from all their friends. You might be guilty of contributing to this over-indulgence too by baking cookies, heart-shaped muffins or giving those boxes of sweethearts candy.

How about giving Valentine's Day happies that are not edible on Valentine's Day, but will be a great parent/child project on a future day.

One idea is to give a heart-shaped cookie cutter with a cookie recipe attached for each child. Here are some cookie cutters:

The silicone heart pans are a little more expensive, but would be a great teacher gift. Check out this one for $7.49 on Amazon.com.

Lots of these are available online or at Target and Wal-Mart, but check out craft stores too - Michaels, Joann's, Hobby Lobby. Shop soon so you don't have to scramble at the last minute or stress if they run out before you get there.

Here are some recipe options to attach to the cookie cutters: Super Easy Sugar Cookies from Easy Kids Cookie Recipe or choose your own cookie on Cookies for Kids from BetterRecipes.com.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Counter Boxes from families.com

We recently highlighted the tickers from families.com. Then we came across their free counter boxes. The counter boxes are similar to the tickers, but easier to install in the right or left column of your blog, because they are not as wide as the tickers.

Here are the three they offer: the pregnancy counter box, the angel counter box and the trying-to-conceive counter box. They are free and just require a quick log in to families.com.

To see more of the tickers and widgets that we've featured on BBA, click here.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Recipe: Shrimp Opelousas

Growing up in South Louisiana, my mom made Shrimp Opelousas a lot and now I know why. I pulled out the recipe card the other day and gave it a try. It was soooo easy and soooo delicious...definitely reminded me of home. So in honor of Mardi Gras this Tuesday, February 5th, here's a great Louisiana recipe.

Shrimp or Crawfish Opelousas

1 lb. shrimp or crawfish, peeled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
onion tops & parsley to taste
1 1/2 cups rice, washed
1 can beef broth
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 stick margarine
season to taste

Put all ingredients into a rice cooker and mix. Cook as you would be cooking rice about 20-25 mintues. Do not open and stir.

*I tweaked the recipe just a bit. I only added 1/2 of a bell pepper and did not add the mushrooms, because they are not a favorite in our house.

**Like Adrienne said in the comments, it's kind of like a jambalaya.

Lead in Mardi Gras Beads?

Mardi Gras season is in full swing in New Orleans, Biloxi, Mobile and all other cities and small towns (around the country now) that celebrate this holiday.

With all the scares about lead in children's toys last year, we can't help but wonder about lead in Mardi Gras beads too. It's definitely something to think about considering that most beads are made in China and most kids put the beads in their mouths at some point during the Mardi Gras season. Even if the beads are not lead hazards, they can be choking hazards, so watch small children carefully or better yet, don't let them play with the beads at all.

Here's an excerpt from the article "Chinese-made Mardi Gras beads get a second look" that was recently published in The Times Picayune (the New Orleans newspaper): "The brightly colored beads and baubles showered on crowds during Carnival processions originate largely in Chinese factories. Retailers say they are now testing to see if the imported wares are safe." For more of the article including specific testing for some retailers, click here.