Thursday, January 29, 2009

Octuplets News

How about this revelation about the Octuplets' mom: On CBS's The Early Show this morning, an acquaintance who didn't want to be identified told national correspondent Hattie Kauffman the mom has four older boys and two girls.

"She is young," the acquaintance says, "fairly young. She has six children already. And in those six children, she has a set of twins."

Hasselbeck "Knocked Up" Again

The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck announced on this morning's show that she is pregnant with her third child.

BBA Headlines

:: Extreme Multiple Births Carry Risks
After the birth of octuplets this week, some doctors are questioning the ethics and medical practice that contribute to extreme multiple births.

:: Baby Born in Library
It happened in Denver, just as the woman walked into the library after riding a city bus.

:: Take It Easy After Giving Birth
Here are a few suggestions for new moms.

:: Is Michelle Obama Pregnant?
That's the rumor swirling around Washington.

:: Is Katie Holmes Pregnant?
That's the rumor swirling around Hollywood.

:: Chad Lowe, Girlfriend Expecting
The 41-year-old Life Goes On actor is expecting his first child with girlfriend Kim Painter. The baby is due in May.

:: Baby Fever on 'How I Met Your Mother'
Two cast members from the hit CBS show are expecting.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Blog Designer Spotlight: Pink Armchair Designs + GIVEAWAY!

:: THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. CLICK HERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE A NEW/ACTIVE GIVEAWAY ON BBA.

New to BBA? Check out our welcome message and sign up for our feed, so you don't miss a thing.


We are excited to introduce another amazing blog designer here on BBA. Jenny of Pink Armchair Designs. She is giving away a Deluxe Blog makeover here on BBA!

How to enter: Go to Pink Armchair Designs and search through Jenny's creative designs. Leave a comment on this post telling us the title of your favorite design. Enter only once. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 2/4 at 8:00 AM ET. We'll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and email them after the contest ends.

Here's a little about the designer. We asked Jenny to tell us about herself and her design background. Here's what she said...

Hi new friends! I'm Jenny (also known as Jennifer,) a 27 year-old newlywed from the great state of Texas! When I'm not designing blogs, I spend my time loving the Lord, teaching Kindergarten, learning how to be a good wife, kissing my weenie dog Bailey, leading worship, watching The Office, reading chick-lit, and blogging on my personal blog, Song of my Life.

I started Pink Armchair Designs in February 2008 as a creative outlet with hopes of building a full-fledged home business. My desire is that by the time we have children, Pink Armchair Designs will be developed enough as a business that I'll be able to stay home with the kids.


Here's what Jenny told us about her design services.

My goal is to provide custom designs at affordable prices. The majority of the designs I do are "Scrap Happy," also known as scrapbook style, although I offer other styles as well. Since all designs are custom, we can work together to create virtually anything you'd like!

My design/installation service is for Blogger, but I also offer design services for Etsy banners as well as banners for other e-commerce sites. Come on over and visit my site to learn more!


Here are some of Jenny's creative designs:


Leave your comment on this post to enter the Pink Armchair Deluxe Design giveaway on BBA. Jenny is also having her own giveaway on her blog, so check that one out too.

Baby Blackberry

There's good news for parents who are tired of having their toddlers getting their grubby little paws on their BlackBerrys and other smartphones while they're not looking.

Leapfrog has announced a product called the Text & Learn or - as it's sure to be known in the blogsphere - the "baby BlackBerry."

Now kids can mimic their parents and send text messages and check their schedules at all hours of the day. The device, which is a bit bigger than your average BlackBerry, is geared toward preschoolers who are just learning to spell and includes games that focus on spelling and basic computer skills.

Octuplets News

:: The nation's second set of live-born octuplets are all breathing on their own today, 48 hours after they were born in Southern California.

:: The mother of the octuplets saw her babies for the first time last night.

:: The father of the world's first set of octuplets born alive is offering the nation's newest eight-sibling family a preview of what they have to look forward to.

:: Some celebrity moms are offering reaction as well.

:: How do you breastfeed Octuplets?

:: Fertility experts are rattled.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Winner: Fabulous K Creative Design

Congrats to Shannon (comment #48). She's the winner of our giveaway of a standard picture header design package from Fabulous K Creative. Shannon said, "I like the Mixed Up Girl header!" Thanks to everyone who entered. Our giveaway of the pair of shooshoos smileys runs through Sunday, 2/1 at 7pm ET.

Monday, January 26, 2009

OCTUPLETS born in California

A woman gave birth to eight babies in Southern California on Monday, the world's second live-born set of octuplets.

The babies, delivered within five minutes, were born Monday were "doing quite well," according to the hospital. The hospital says the mother gave birth to six girls and two boys weighing between 1.8 pounds and 3.4 pounds.

The first live-born octuplets were born in Houston in 1998, and one baby died about a week later. The surviving siblings — girls Ebuka, Gorom, Chidi, Chima and Echerem, and their brothers Ikem and Jioke — celebrated their 10th birthday in December.

Click here for video from KCAL in Los Angeles.

BBA Headlines

:: The Dangers of Sleeping with Baby
There has been a fourfold increase in the rate of infant strangulation and suffocation in the U.S. in the past 20 years, according to a report released today, and the apparent cause (though hardly the definitive one) is the rise in numbers of babies who share beds with their parents.

:: Preparing a Toddler for a New Baby
In the first few weeks after a new baby arrives, parents should expect both delightful moments when the kids interact beautifully, and moments that aren’t so pretty. That's according to Marian Edelman Borden, author of The Baffled Parent’s Guide to Sibling Rivalry. Click here for her suggestions.

:: Moms Who Breastfeed Less Likely to Neglect Child
Scientists followed 7,223 Australian women and their children for 15 years and found that the longer a mother breast-fed her child, the lower the risk of neglect.

:: Will First Daughters' Names Catch On?
Will Americans eventually name their children Sasha or Malia? Maybe in six to nine months, according to a hospital nurse. Right now Malia ranks 403rd in U.S. popularity; Sasha is 350th.

Study: Newborns Can Follow a Rhythm

Newborns can follow a rhythm, a new study has found, suggesting rocking out is innate. The finding adds to growing evidence that the newborn brain is not the blank slate it was once thought to be.

ShooShoos Smiley's GIVEAWAY

:: THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. CLICK HERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE A NEW/ACTIVE GIVEAWAY ON BBA.

New to BBA? Check out our welcome message and sign up for our feed, so you don't miss a thing.

A few months ago, we hosted a shooshoos giveaway on BBA and gave away their soft soled baby shoes. Now, we're doing it again! This time we are giving away a pair of their newly released shooshoos smiley's. These soles are a little more sturdy, but still very flexible for little feet. The smiley's are available in US sizes 5-8, which usually fits 12-28 month olds.

We had a chance to review the adorable Sand/Beige Smiley Sports (pictured below on the right). The shipping was so quick and they come packaged in a cute clear bag that fits them perfectly. I love the elasticized ankle which is super convenient as a parent trying to dress a wiggle worm toddler for the day. The smiley's are perfect for toddlers who are already walking or those who choose to crawl, hop or run from point a to point b. An added bonus is that they are very reasonably priced from $12.95-24.95.




The winner will receive: One pair of shooshoo's smileys of winner's choice.

How to enter: Go to shooshoos and search through their adorable baby shoes collection. Leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite shoe. Enter only once. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

This giveaway runs: Monday, 1/26 - Sunday, 2/1 at 7:00 PM ET. We'll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA after the contest ends.

BBA discount: Don't forget that shooshoos is offering BBA readers 10% off on orders of $19.95 or more through the end of January. Use the code "babyblog" at checkout.

Check out this giveaway and more at this week's Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Giveaways from Blog Designers

:: Don't forget to enter our blog header design giveaway from Fabulous K Creative, our featured Blog Designer this past week.

:: Then, you can enter another giveaway of a free basic blog makeover at Blogs by Danielle, one of our past featured Blog Designers, over at her blog. Check out Danielle's beautiful blog portfolio while you are there too.

:: Stay tuned for a new BBA giveaway that will post tomorrow (Monday).

:: Sign up for our feed, so you don't miss a thing!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Beautiful Baby Search 2009

The very popular Live with Regis and Kelly Beautiful Baby Search is back. Your baby has a chance to appear on the cover of Parenting Early Years and win $125,000 toward a college scholarship.

To enter: Visit liveregisandkelly.com and submit a photo from January 12, 2009 to February 13, 2009. The Live and Parenting staffs will narrow down the hundreds of thousands of entries to 10 semi-finalists, who will be announced on the show on March 9, 2009. You can vote for your favorites, and the top 5 contestants will be announced the following day. The winner will be announced on Live on March 13, 2009.


Check out some of the entries so far in the Beautiful Baby photo gallery.

You may recognize some of the previous winners. Find out where they are now.

Gap Casting Call Winners

**UPDATE - CLICK HERE FOR THE WINNERS.

On another cute kid contest note, the Gap Casting Call voting ended in late December. Winners will be announced in late January, so stay tuned.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Blog Designer Spotlight: Fabulous K Creative + GIVEAWAY!

:: THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. CLICK HERE TO SEE IF WE HAVE A CURRENT GIVEAWAY.

New to BBA? Check out our welcome message and sign up for our feed, so you don't miss a thing.

Kelly is the creative mind behind Fabulous K Creative. She offers beautiful designs and is giving away one STANDARD PICTURE HEADER DESIGN PACKAGE here on BBA! Lucky you!

The winner will receive: Standard picture header design package which includes a custom picture header, matching wallpaper for the sides of blog, coloring of links & name signature for the bottom of blog posts (a $35 value).

How to enter: Go to Fabulous K Creative and search through Kelly's fabulous designs. Leave a comment on this post telling us the title of your favorite design. Enter only once. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

This giveaway runs: Wednesday, 1/21 - Tuesday, 1/27 at 7:00 PM ET. We'll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA after the contest ends.

Check out some of Kelly's creative headers here:



We asked Kelly to tell us about herself and her design background. I love how much she uses the word "fabulous".
My passions are graphic and interior design, fashion, art, photography and all things fabulous. I initially started Fabulous K Creative as a creative outlet for myself. My design background is completely self taught, aside from a few PhotoShop pointers from my (graphic designer) uncle.

I was constantly changing the design of personal blog and soon started designing blogs for my friends. When I started receiving custom design requests from random people, I new it was time to start a business!

My designs have gradually gotten more detailed and no two are alike, which I think is fabulous. I love the entire design process, from helping my clients figure out what their 'style' is, to (my favorite) the big 'reveal'. I believe that your blog is your "home" on the web and it should reflect the fabulous person you are!

Here's what Kelly told us about her design services.
I am able to design professional style blogs and specialize in "scrapbook chic" blogs (as I like to call them). They are detailed, layered and personalized.

I offer everything from a basic header to a deluxe full redesigns, making sure that my offerings are affordable for every budget. I have recently begun offering other services, such as invitations, birth announcements and etsy banners, and am excited to be expanding my business.

Turnaround time is usually less than a week and I keep in touch with my clients through the whole process. For me, it's all about making it fabulous and fun from start to finish!


Leave your comment here to enter the giveaway...

Check out this giveaway and more at this week's Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival.

Baby Named 'Barack' On Inauguration Day

A baby born Tuesday in Miami, Florida has been named after the 44th president of the United States.

Barack Isaiah Cowan came into the world at 9:39 a.m. EST weighing seven pounds and five ounces.

The mother says they decided to name the baby Barack last year, after Barack Obama won the election. He was actually due last month, but held out until inauguration day.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Quads In The News

New to BBA? Sign up for our feed, so you don't miss a thing.

:: Quad Born in 1947 Speaks About Losing Mother and All Three Siblings at Birth
One of the world's first surviving quads has broken a 60-year silence to talk about how she lost her mother and all three siblings at birth. Their mother delivered all four babies on October 12, 1947, after doctors told her she was expecting twins...

:: Speedy Delivery: Georgia Dad Ticketed On Way To Witness Wife Deliver Quads
A Gwinnett County man had to drive 450 miles -- in a hurry -- when he learned his wife was about to deliver quadruplets...Dad did make it for the birth and was grateful for help from OnStar, as well as some police escorts. He wasn't lucky in one state, however...

:: Gilbert Couple Proud Parents of Quadruplets
Kami and Jason Crisanti became parents of three girls and one boy through an emergency cesarean on Dec. 29 at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. Sophie, Kylie, Ellie and Elijah, whose weight ranged from 3 lbs 2 oz to 3 lbs 12 oz, will join 6-year-old sister Maya and 4-year-old brother Jace...

:: Sioux City Couple Proud Parents of Quadruplets
Jessica Malm knew there was a history of twins in her family as well as in her husband Kevin's family. But that didn't stop the Sioux City woman from "hyperventilating a little bit" after learning she would give birth to quadruplets...

My Family Silhouette from Widdly Tinks

Widdly Tinks has some adorable and creative tickers for bloggers. They make customizable widgets for pregnant women, new mothers, brides to be and for many other special occasions and events. Check out this adorable picture silhouette that I built for our own family.


My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

If you have a larger family, your family silhouette could look like this:

Tips on Life and Love...After Baby

What happens to romance in a marriage when a baby arrives on the scene and (often) moves into the couple's bedroom, if not their bed? There's lots of tiptoeing around the subject, but couples are often left to find their own way back to the intimacy they once enjoyed.

Click here for some tips to recapture that spark.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Toddler Sad to See President Bush Go

As the nation welcomes Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, a three-year-old looks back fondly on George W. Bush's tenure as Commander in Chief.

Bronzing Baby's Shoes

An article from the November 1949 edition of Mechanix Illustrated offers a step-by-step process to transform baby's first pair of shoes into a permanent keepsake. It is long and complicated, so be prepared to spend a while on this if you tackle the challenge.

Getting Fit for Pregnancy

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month and the theme is “Getting Fit for Pregnancy.”

Birth defects affect approximately one in 33 newborns and are a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States.

Good health habits include knowing your family history, keeping regular check-ups with a doctor and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and a healthy diet. For every woman of childbearing age, these habits should also include taking a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid daily, starting before she gets pregnant, to improve the likelihood of delivering a healthy baby.

Naming Your Baby

There are several ways to get started, and this article suggests several good ideas. Among them: brainstorm, get creative and compromise.

Dad Delivers Baby On Porch

On her way to the car at 6:45 a.m. Jan. 2, 32-year-old Sarah Wildflower began giving birth after about two hours of small contractions.

"I woke up a little after 4 a.m. when I started having contractions," Wildflower said, who has two other children. "They weren't really hard and were about three to five minutes apart so I took a nice bath. The contractions started being two minutes apart when I felt a pushing sensation and just thought it's coming, there's no holding it back."

It was at that point that Wildflower asked her boyfriend, the baby's father, Chris White, to call 911. But the baby wouldn't wait.

Read more...

Sunday, January 18, 2009

BBA Headlines

:: Nicole & Christina's Joint Baby B-day Party
Pals Christina Aguilera and Nicole Richie joined forces Saturday afternoon to celebrate the first birthdays of their children – Aguilera's son Max and Richie's daughter Harlow.

:: Google Billionaire's Baby Benji Already a Web Mogul
Some Google users feel lucky. And others are born lucky. Benji Brin, the baby son of Google cofounder Sergey Brin and biotech entrepreneur Anne Wojcicki, falls in the latter category.

:: Anne Heche Baby News: Boy or Girl?
Actress Anne Heche and actor boyfriend James Tupper have announced the sex of their first child. The couple is expected to have a baby boy.

:: Rachel Griffiths Expecting Baby No. 3
Rachel Griffiths, star of ABC's Brothers & Sisters, is adding another brother or sister to her brood.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Congrats Murray Crew Quads!

Congratulations to The Murray Crew Quads for being awarded the 2008 Weblog Best Parenting Blog for their blog 4tunate! Thanks to all of you who voted and helped them to get almost 3,000 votes!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Baby Born Two Days After Mother’s ‘Death’

A former British skating champion, Jayne Soliman, 41, was 25 weeks pregnant when she collapsed from a brain hemorrhage. She was declared brain-dead, but doctors kept her heart beating and delivered her baby daughter two days later.

A tiny baby girl gaining strength in an incubator in England is named “Aya” — Arabic for “miracle.” The name is not only beautiful but also descriptive of her birth.

Read more...

Calculating the Odds of a Baby Through IVF

For any woman undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to overcome infertility, the big question is: What are my chances of having a baby? Pretty good, according to a new study, which finds that women's chances of live birth via IVF may be similar to those of other women their age in the general population — better for younger women, not as good for older ones.

In an analysis of the overall live-birth rate for 6,164 patients at a Massachusetts fertility clinic, researchers from Boston IVF and Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center found that in women ages 39 and younger who were treated with up to six cycles of IVF, the rate of live births ranged from 65% to 86%; in women ages 40 and older, the live-birth rate was 23% to 42%.

Read more...

BBA Headlines

:: Naomi Watts Has Already Lost Baby Weight
On Monday, only two days shy of a month after giving birth to her second child, Naomi Watts was close to having back her pre-baby figure.

:: Charlotte Church Reveals Baby Boy's Name
Charlotte Church names her second child, a boy, Dexter Lloyd. He joins big sister, Ruby, who was born in September of 2007.

CPSC Recalls One Million Baby Cribs

The CPSC announces the recall of more than 1,000,000 Stork Craft baby cribs. The cribs were sold in multiple U.S. stores throughout the country including Kmart, Wal-Mart and J.C. Penney.

Stork Craft baby cribs were also sold online at amazon.com, babiesrus.com, costco.com and walmart.com. The cribs were sold between May 2000 and January 2009.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Blog Designer Spotlight: DCR Design

We've spotlighted a few blog designers in the past here on BBA, but now we've decided to feature great blog designers weekly. With the new year, we know many of you bloggers are ready for a fresh new look with your blog, so look no further than our Blog Designer Spotlights.


First up is Jo-Lynne of DCR Design. She is "Beautifying the Blogosphere" and for that, we thank her.

We asked Jo-Lynne to tell us about herself and her design background. "I'm a mom of three, and we live in the suburbs of Philadelphia. I retired from teaching 3rd grade when I was 27 and became a full-time mom. I did some medical transcription from home at times. I discovered blogging in the spring of 2006, and that has gone from being a fun hobby to a part time job with lots of amazing perks.

My personal blog is Musings of a Housewife. I have a product review blog at Reviewsings.com, and I am the founder and managing editor of a beauty and fashion blog called Chic Critique. I also write for the Philadelphia Moms Blog.

I decided to try my hand at designing blogs after I realized what a market there was for it. I credit Jules at Everyday Design for getting me started off on the right foot. She advised me to learn Adobe Illustrator and gave me some instruction over the phone, but beyond that, I basically taught myself."

Here's what Jo-Lynne told us about her design services. "I offer a range of services including headers, buttons, and full blog makeovers. I design for Blogger, Typepad, and Wordpress. I work with the girls at Desperately Seeking Wordpress for Wordpress installations. I also do business cards (and mommy cards).

My philosophy of blog design is to keep the design elements minimal and showcase the content. I've been told my designs are very clean. I also am a huge advocate of using dark print on white background in the content sections; it's much easier on the eyes.

My turn around time is generally 2 to 3 weeks. I work on several designs at a time and try to keep them moving along. I'm committed to being accessible and responsive and to keep my clients apprised of their place in my queue so they don't have to wonder when I'm going to get to their project.

I just love making things pretty, and I think having a unique design is an essential component to a successful blog. Even if you're just updating your family and friends from afar and have no intention of making money or building a brand, your blog will be more enjoyable and more memorable if you have a custom blog design!"

Blog Hopping: Start Maternity Leave Before Baby is Born?

By Rachel Emma Silverman
The Juggle

A year ago, when I was 8 months pregnant, I started slacking off from work. Although I didn’t officially go on leave until my son was born in early February, I had a very understanding manager, a father of three, who let me slow down dramatically at work during the last few weeks of pregnancy.

Turns out, going on leave before giving birth is good for both mothers and their babies, according to new research out of the University of California, Berkeley. The researchers looked at how time off work, both before and after giving birth, impacts the health of mothers and their babies.

Read more...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Blog Hopping: Confessions of a Mommy Blogger

By Catherine Newman
wondertime.com

Blogging is narcissistic — and time-consuming. It gives strangers (not to mention the in-laws) ammunition for criticizing our parenting choices. And one day it could really mortify our kids. Here's why we do it anyway.

You are not alone. If there's a single fact to take from the 70 million blogs that inhabit the Internet, it's this: Whoever you are — however thrilled or frantic, bored or despairing, buoyant or afflicted with love like an aching in your bones — someone out there understands. Especially if you're a mother. Someone out there is still awake with a restless toddler. Someone out there has swigged the last of the cooking sherry, or dotted a nursing newborn with Doritos fallout. And someone is writing about it.

Read more...

Pregnancy Ticker: Pregnancy Planet

MyTickerScript.com Ticker

I love coming across new pregnancy countdown tickers and sharing them with all of you. How cute is this "It's a Boy" ticker from pregnancyplanet.net! Of course, they offer a pink "It's a Girl" ticker too.

Pregnancy Planet is an online social community for parents. They also offer a good selection of pregnancy tickers. Check out all of their pregnancy tickers here. If you're not there yet, but are trying to conceive, check out their TTC tickers here.

We've already featured lots of tickers here on BBA in the past, so click here to check them all out.

Drumroll, Please! Ben & Jen's New Baby's Name Is…

One week ago, Jennifer Garner gave birth to her second daughter with Ben Affleck. Now, the A-list couple, both 36, has announced the blooming baby's name to People.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck to the adorable celebuspawn roster.

Monday, January 12, 2009

BBA Headlines

:: Police: Dad Gambled, Left Baby in Car
A man has been arrested after he allegedly left his 3-month-old baby in the car while he gambled at a Louisiana casino.

:: Highway Delivery
A morning 911 call was in response to a 33-year-old woman in labor in a vehicle on the side of the road.

:: Over-the-Phone Delivery
911 dispatcher Lani Dzicek received the call. A mother of three herself, Dzicek says she was prepared for the baby that just wouldn't wait. She had a step by step set of instruction cards which go over the delivery process.

:: Breast Cancer Gene-Free Designer Baby Born
The first baby girl in Britain to have been screened before conception for a genetic form of breast cancer was born on Friday.

Blog Hopping: WE'RE Not Pregnant, I AM!

By Marisa Lufkin
BBA Contributor

I have never understood why couples use the term "we're pregnant." The last time I checked, I was the one with swollen ankles, a sore back and stretch marks. Ok, my husband shared my insatiable hunger but that is about the only link we shared.

I was fortunate to have a caring and loving husband who never let me carry anything heavy, made sure I got plenty of rest and ran out to the store each time I asked for a bowl of ice cream. But, we were not pregnant, I WAS!

When it came time to deliver our daughter, my husband became my pillar of strength. He stood by the hospital bed, held my hand and told me how proud he was. He was beside me during the c-section and watched the miracle of our daughter's birth. He rarely left my side during my prolonged hospital stay. His support continues to this day as we raise our child.

"WE" conceived a baby. "WE" are working together to provide our child with a safe and loving home. "WE" do a lot together. But, "I" was the pregnant one. And make no mistake, "I" was the one who gave birth!

Send us your funny blog posts and video clips. Click here to find out how.

Baby Names 2009

What can we expect this year? Parents magazine online predicts that the trend of naming kids after places will continue in 2009. They've placed Brooklyn, Milan, Houston, Aspen, and Geneva on the list of "jet-setting" baby names.

The Web site also thinks parents will look to nature for inspiration: River, Blue, Sunny, and Rain for boys and Moon, Lotus, Ocean, and Dawn for girls.

Check out the 2008 list.

Potty Training Using Baby Signs

The people behind the Baby Signs program are promoting the use of baby sign language to encourage earlier potty training, which saves money for parents and reduces problems for toddlers.

I was a big fan of using sing language with my son when he was a baby and was amazed at how quickly he caught onto it. It was a great communication tool for us before he used words to communicate. However, he didn't potty train until he was using words to communicate, so we never tried sign language to encourage earlier potty training.

Have any of you used sign lauguage to encourage earlier potty training with your child?

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Vote for The Murray Crew Quads

One of our favorite quad blogs, 4tunate: The Murray Crew Quads, is in the running for the 2008 Weblog Best Parenting Blog. You can vote once every 24 hours until this Tuesday. Looks like they are tied for #1 right now. All you need to do is click here for the ballot and then choose 4tunate for them to win. No need to sign up for anything else.

We featured the Murray Crew Quads here on BBA during our Quadathon last summer and they were winners of our first Halloween costume contest when mom Jen submitted their "Halloweiners" picture.

Good luck Murray crew!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Lisa Bonet Welcomes Baby Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa

Former Cosby star Lisa Bonet and her husband Jason Momoa welcomed their second baby, a boy named Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.

An article from Us Weekly explained that the unusual name is a tribute to the father's Hawaiian heritage. Nakoa means warrior and Manakauapo is a combination of mana (spirit/strength), kaua (rain), and po (dark). He was born on the stormiest, rainy night, so the name is fitting.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Winter Baby Blues

If you're planning on a winter baby, be warned: Economists from the University of Notre Dame found people born during winter months tend to be less healthy, less intelligent, less educated and lower paid compared with individuals born in spring, summer or fall.