Baby Etiquette Week: Day 1 Your Friend is Pregnant

This week is "Baby Etiquette Week" on BabyBlogAddict.com. Thanks to Lisa Friedman, co-founder of SomeoneSpoilMe.com in Beverly Hills, CA, for being a guest contributor this week.

Baby Etiquette Week: Day 1 – Your Friend Is Pregnant

While you may not be the one getting larger each month, deliberating on the relative merits of the Bugaboo versus the Stokke and running (wobbling) from OBGYN appointment to Prenatal Yoga, you are still under a lot of pressure. Your friend is pregnant, therefore you need to worry about what gifts to buy, when to give them, how much to spend and how to throw a baby shower. Don’t get overwhelmed, you have nine months to save and plan. You will get through this stressful (ahem wonderful) time.

What are the best new baby gifts?
This is not stressful- anything you buy will be absolutely adorable (everything is cute when it’s that tiny) and will be extremely helpful (most people do not have extra onesies lying around). Your biggest concern should be choosing pink, blue or green (aka gender neutral), the size (3-6 months is key) and what type of cotton (if it’s an eco-friendly baby, opt for organic cotton). New baby gifts for all genders and environmental dispositions are blankets & burp cloths, clothes & shoes, gear (high chairs, strollers, etc), toys or silver collectibles. Many gifts can be personalized with the baby’s name, which adds an extra special touch.

Lisa Friedman
BBA Guest Contributor
SomeoneSpoilMe.com
Beverly Hills, CA

Video: RickRolling the Baby

Seems Rick Astley has a nice calming affect. Who wouldn't settle down to listen to one of the great 80's artists? If you're curious about the term "RickRolling," here's some background. We didn't realize RickRolling was so popular.

'Designer Baby' Free of Cancer Gene

This is certain to kick-start a few conversations in the coming days: a couple are expecting Britain's first baby screened not to have hereditary breast cancer in a move hailed as "an exciting technological development."

They decided to screen her embryos and remove the inherited cancer-causing gene BRCA-1 because the baby's father, his sister, mother, grandmother and cousin all had the cancer.

Celebrity Baby News

:: Nicole Kidman has created a soundtrack for the birth of her first biological child. The expectant mom plans to play her carefully selected tunes in the private room she reserved at a hospital in Nashville, Tenn., during the big day.

:: Cate Blanchett, mother of three boys, says having children is "addictive."

:: Gwen Stefani will let her two-year-old son, Kingston, name her unborn baby so he doesn't feel left out.

:: Season two 'American Idol' contestant Carmen Rasmusen is expecting her first child. 'AI' 2006 contestant Paris Bennett, or Princess P, is also pregnant.

:: 'Biggest Loser' host Alison Sweeney is expecting her second child.

Dad's Diary: InJEANious Idea!

By Scott
BabyBlogAddict.com

Most moms want to wait as long as possible before sliding into those maternity clothes. It seems to be kind of a challenge among the pregnant set: delay the inevitable as long as possible. And why not? Maternity clothes, from what I hear, are really no fun at all, so why rush into them? There is, however, a line that should not be crossed. When the time comes future moms, accept it. Don't be the very pregnant lady wearing just a jogging bra and pants exposing all of her at least eight months worth of stomach. Have some self-respect. But really, maternity clothes aren't even that bad anymore. Easy for me to say, I know, but Google backs me up.

While you're still trying to ward off the stork, try this: about three months into her pregnancy someone told my wife about the rubber band trick that helps jeans fit a little longer as the waistline expands. What an idea! And neither she nor I would have ever thought of it. Make the most out of those clothes for as long as you can, moms-to-be, but please, know when to say when.

:: Dad's Diary appears Sundays on BabyBlogAddict.com ::

Parenting Quiz

A certain almost-three-year-old has started refusing to finish his dinner. After several bites he wants to get up. Food that he has loved up to this point in his young life, he claims to suddenly despise. Should he be strongly encouraged to "eat a couple more bites" or should the parents give in, accept that maybe he's full, and let him out of his seat? How do you encourage your child to eat when there are better things to do? Leave comments below.

Got a parenting question? E-mail it to us and we'll post it for the Addict Nation to offer its feedback.

'Today' Welcomes Back Giada

New mom Giada De Laurentiis, three months after giving birth to her first child, Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson, is returning to her guest-hosting role at NBC's Today Show this week and feeling torn.

"I thought I would be so excited to get back to work, but I feel bad that I'm leaving her," says De Laurentiis, 37. "She's out of the 'blob' stage of just eating and pooping. She's starting to become a person; I see her character and personality coming out. And now I won't be around that much."

BBA Writers Update

We've had a few people express an interest in writing for Baby Blog Addict and hopefully we'll have some material from them in the next couple of weeks. We would still like to add more writers to our stable, so if you're interested e-mail us. We're only looking for a post per week or every other week, so the time requirement would be minimal.

Parenting Style: First Year is Important

Researchers from the University of Chicago claim that a mother's parenting style in her child's first year of life and the infant's disposition can reliably predict future behavior - good or bad. The team followed 1,800 children between the ages of four and 13 and found that children who were less fussy and were predicable infants were at a low risk of bad behavior later in life.

The Politics of Parenting

It's still hard to come to grips with the reality that Tim Russert is no longer with us, leaving that huge void on Sunday mornings. The tributes to Russert continue to pour in, but more and more they focus on his parenting instead of his TV triumphs. A newspaper columnist - and mother - says parents should not apologize for trying to stay close to their children.

Week in Review

:: Highlights: a major crib recall, Dad's Diary, a blog designer spotlight and our new advertisers. To advertise on BBA, shoot us an e-mail. Also: a funny video, hip parenting, a BIG baby, baby borrowers, a censored butt and undies.

:: Pay a visit to the left sidebar and subscribe to Baby Blog Addict (more than 70 addicts already have). It's easy to do and you'll always be up to date.

:: Baby Blog Addict is looking for contributors.

Story ideas? E-mail us.

Video: Baby Says

This was submitted to us by a sketch comedy group in New York City. One of their members has been pregnant and they decided to make a short comedy film about her baby communicating from within her tummy. Let us - and them - know what you think.

Hip Parenting Boosts Mommy Businesses

In the maternity world these days, it's all about high fashion. Women no longer have to worry about sacrificing their sense of style during a pregnancy.

Products for moms and infants have more than doubled over recent years: belly belts (maternity pants extenders), nappy clutches (fashionable diaper bags), breast milk trays (for freezing breast milk), massage oil for babies, parenting magazines, etc. It’s the age of hip parenting.

Newborn Twins Tip Scales At 23 Pounds

A set of North Carolina babies surprised their parents by tipping the scales and being among the biggest twins on record: Sean William Maynard and Abigail Rose Maynard weighed in at a combined 23 pounds and 1 ounce at birth last week. The boy weighed 10 pounds, 14 ounces; the girl, 12 pounds, 3 ounces.

Those would be considered big babies for single births, can you imagine twins? By the way, for those of you who watch Desperate Housewives, does the name Maynard ring a bell?

The Baby Borrowers: Reviews

What did you think of the show? Here's one review. Most that we've seen have been mixed, including this one: some teens are saying the show barely delivers.

Blog: Reviewing "The Baby Borrowers"

From Momnibus:

"I did feel badly watching those poor babies crying as the “parents” struggled with attempting to soothe them. How the real parents sat by I don’t know, I could never do it. I think I would’ve been intervening for every tear. I’m going to take a guess that they haven’t ever helped with a real baby in their lives, ever. Babysitting might be a nice start for them…but not my kid." More...


From The Mom Crowd:

"When I first heard of this show, I felt skeptical about its overall premise, but I thought I would give it a look-see. The first episode introduced us to the couples and showed them preparing for the arrival of their baby, as well as a glimpse at their first day with the child.
I’m not gonna lie. Watching this was painful. And I am capable of watching a lot of painful stuff, y’all. I started off taking notes, but stopped after a few minutes. From that point on, I was trying very hard not to gouge my eyes out with my pen." More...

Baby's Bottom Censored

A mother who wanted to give her son a birthday cake featuring a photo of him as a baby had to get it censored because it showed his bottom.

Write for Baby Blog Addict!

BabyBlogAddict.com is growing and looking for a few good contributors. If you're a Baby Blog Addict and would like to write for one of the Blogosphere's most interesting websites, e-mail us right away. This unpaid but very prestigious position(s) would require one or two posts every couple of weeks. That's it. The writer would get credit on the story and, if they have one, a link back to their website.

Whether it's parenting challenges, funny stories, advice, product reviews or a great website you came across, write about it and we'll post it. Length is determined by the writer.

Jardine Crib Recall

Federal product safety officials announced one of the largest crib recalls in the nation’s history Tuesday, with retailers voluntarily pulling 320,000 items due to breaking slats or spindles that can cause injury.

The cribs were sold over six years in Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us stores and affiliates nationwide, beginning in 2002 and ending in May. Click here for more pictures of the cribs involved.

"The Baby Borrowers" Premieres Wednesday

NBC's newest reality show, "The Baby Borrowers," premieres tomorrow night. When the series was first announced months ago, critics were up in arms. At least one critic says the show is not nearly as creepy as it sounds.

"It could be educational for some naive teens," wrote Jeanne Ostrow, a television critic for the Denver Post. "The Baby Borrowers," according to Ostrow, "turns out to be both more supervised and less harrowing than advertised."

Ostrow continues: "Consider the fact that the actual parents who lent their children to the producers for this project were across the street, watching on monitors, and able to enter the house to talk to the teen couples at any time. Consider, too, that nannies were on-site, although instructed not to intervene except in the case of an emergency, which happens in one episode when a baby wakes up, crying, to an empty house."

Would you turn over your child for a "social experiment?" One woman, who turned over her two children to the show, said she has no regrets.

"I didn't look at it as loaning my kid to a TV show," said Natalie Nichols, a 31-year-old mother who got married and pregnant on purpose at 17. "I looked at it as a very important teaching project. It was a way to get a message out."

Blog: Hand-Me-Down Undies: Yay or Nay?

From iVillage.com:

"Kids grow so fast, and for parents of two or more children, hand-me-down clothes are great time- and money-savers. But is it a good idea for parents to let their younger kids use their siblings' outgrown underwear?" More...

Dad's Diary: Overwhelmed by Registering

By Scott
BabyBlogAddict.com

When you're a first-time parent there is a lot to think about between finding out that your wife is pregnant and the due date. Will we find out what it is? When do we tell everyone? Which room will become the nursery? How do you change a diaper? Are we even qualified to be parents? While exciting, it can also be a frustrating experience. Some of the most frustration, for a dad-to-be anyway, comes when it's time to register for baby gifts. One of our stores of choice was Babies-R-Us, which should be outlawed. Way too many options. To help us wade through the array of possibilities we enlisted the help of one of my wife's college friends who had two young children. I highly recommend bringing along someone familiar with the experience.

It took us almost a half hour to get started because the lady who was helping us sign up thought it was time to chit chat and giggle instead of register. When the mission was finally underway it was clear I was there for one reason: to help with the big stuff. I could handle the car seat, stroller, pack'n play, bouncy seat, swing...and a mirror, of course. Any child of mine had to have a good car mirror. But my influence quickly waned when the subject turned to The Pump. We registered for something called Pump in Style. They make it sound like if you're pumping with this thing, there's no one out there doing it better. For the price, it should feed the baby for you.

I didn't get to register for a very comfy chair and ottoman that afternoon, but it briefly served a valuable purpose. At least we got the best pump out there. But future dads should prepare themselves; no man should ever have to see his wife actually use the pump.

:: Dad's Diary appears Sundays on BabyBlogAddict.com ::

Blog Designer Spotlight: Made Digital

Made Digital's tagline is "Designing memories that last...and so much more!" And designer Theresa Marie is right. She is one-stop-shop for designs, like:

• announcements and invitations
  
• custom scrapbook pages and albums
  
• business items like logos and business cards


• and our favorite, blog headers and complete blog re-designs

Ready for a new look on your blog, but don't know where to start? Check out Made Digital's blog portfolio and reasonable prices. You can get a new header for just $35 or an entire redesign package for just $47.

Video: Laughing Baby

Spears Home With Baby

In celeb news, Jamie Lynn Spears is back at home after giving birth to a healthy, 7 lb., 11 oz. girl - Maddie Briann. Now the real fun begins for the 17-year-old.

New Advertisers

:: Please welcome our newest advertisers by visiting their sites. Baby Mall Online (specializing in newborn baby clothes) was the first to sign up with us. They were quickly followed by Hip and Trendy Baby (finding hip and trendy products for you and your baby) and Baby Essentials (an ebook all about getting free stuff). Of course, we're partial to Jackaroos Boutique (custom children's clothing and gifts).

:: If you are interested in advertising your business on BabyBlogAddict.com, please e-mail us for rates and ad information.

We're Back...and Other Tidbits

We're back. And by "we" I mean a collective we - the website and me. I was traveling with friends in Washington, D.C. while my wife, the other half of Baby Blog Addict, is with our son still visiting family and friends in Louisiana. They return on Tuesday. All parents can relate to how incredibly weird it is to be alone in a very quiet house that is usually anything but quiet. It's nice, but I'm anxious for them to return. We'll be back to our regular Baby Blog Addict updates tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, one of the highlights of the trip was a private tour of The White House. Yes, that is me in the top picture pretending to read a book in the library on the ground floor. We even caught a glimpse of First Lady Laura Bush as we crossed a hallway and got to pet Beazley, one of the president's dogs. Barney, the older dog, ran off before we could say hello. On the south lawn of the White House - the same place where tee ball is played - there were two volleyballs that our guide told us the dogs like to play with. The volleyballs were an odd sight on the pristine lawn - just sitting there, alone, in the midst of gun-toting security guards and heavily armored vehicles. It was one of the most normal things we saw there.

A couple of other noteworthy parts of the tour included a stop at the White House bowling alley (we were told President Bush doesn't use it very often) and a look inside the massive refrigerator that keeps all the White House flowers fresh. They were some of the most perfect flowers - all types - that I've ever seen.

The White House is an incredible place, dripping with so much history it's impossible to comprehend it all.

Here's an interesting nugget to close with: there are no back doors at the White House because it would be considered offensive to bring a head of state in through one. Who knew?

The Baby Blog Addict Road Trip Blog was a big hit. Check out more pictures here.

Road Trip!

:: We're traveling for the rest of the week and will blog about our trip to Washington, D.C. Beginning Thursday, check in a few times a day at our Baby Blog Addict Road Trip blog.

Is It Harder to Raise Boys or Girls?

Here are a few interesting nuggets from this story:

:: Boys may not listen as well as girls because their hearing isn't as good from birth

:: Girls are rigged to be people-oriented; boys are more action-oriented

:: Boys are harder to raise early on, but girls become more difficult as pre-teens

What do you think? Which is easier to parent: a boy or girl?

Today's Headlines

>> Eight parenting mistakes...
>> Behind bad kids are usually bad parents...
>> Communicating with your child when it matters most...
>> Lynne Spears to release parenting book in fall...

Go Back To Work Midweek

The idea of going back to work when your maternity leave ends can be overwhelming. If you can ease back into it by working part time for a little while, try that. If you don't have that flexibility and have to go back full time when your maternity leave is over, try to start with a short week. Instead of going back on a Monday and having to face five full days of dropping your baby off at daycare and working for eight hours a day, you should think about going back on a Wednesday or Thursday.

Consider this option. Sign up your baby to start daycare on the Monday of the week you go back to work. Drop them off for a couple of hours each day - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This will give you some time alone to get things prepared at home and will ease you into the transition of being separated from your baby. When you go back to work on Wednesday or Thursday of that week (my vote is for Thursday), you can see light at the end of the short tunnel. Friday is only a day or two away. Now I'm not saying this makes going back to work after maternity leave easy, it just makes it a little bit easier.

BBA News...

:: Click here to see what we've been up to lately.

Parenting Styles Differ

It's funny that we stumbled upon this just a couple of days after the first installment of Dad's Diary. Moms and dads do things differently - VERY differently in some cases. Here's an excerpt from a column found in a Colorado newspaper:

"I remember the first time I watched my husband change a diaper. He placed the cloth next to our newborn son and then scooched his bottom into position by sliding him side to side, his floppy little legs waving. 'Why is he doing that?' I thought to myself."

Ah, that's what makes the world go 'round. Click here for the entire column...and more differences between mom and dad.

Blog: Tim Russert Taught That Parenting Matters

From Parentdish:

"In an interview with Matt Lauer, Luke Russert, the son of the recently deceased journalist, Tim Russert, demonstrated the kind of poise, good humor and love for his dad that spoke volumes about his upbringing and his parents." More...

Craigslist Babysitter Disappears, Leaves Toddler

Here's another reminder that a potential babysitter's references should always be checked. Seems a 25-year-old dad in Arizona left his 2-year-old daughter with a sitter found on the popular online listing site Craigslist. When he returned home, the sitter and toddler were gone.

BBA Blurbs...

:: We've added RSS reader feeds and e-mail subscriptions to BabyBlogAddict.com (upper left sidebar). Sign-up and stay up-to-date with BBA all the time!

:: We are now accepting advertising.

:: Our new feature, Dad's Diary, will run periodically - hopefully weekly. We welcome your humorous column ideas.

Dad's Diary: It's a Mom's World

By Scott
BabyBlogAddict.com

Us dads, before we're officially Dads, aren't quite sure how this whole parenting thing will work out. We've seen other guys, whom we've deemed far inferior to us, thrust into the parenting world and somehow, against all odds, they make it. We, too, should be able to master this. Why do we doubt ourselves? Because society makes us! It's a mom's world out there - everything relating to kids is built around them. Mother's Day Out. Playgroups. Magazines. We're trying to break into this huge fortress, but the gates are locked tight and there are big, burly guards out front keeping us at bay.

When our son was an infant, we had a wonderful nanny who stayed with him from 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. My work schedule allowed me to fill the gap between 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. when my wife got home. I took pride in the fact that every afternoon when we packed up the stroller and hit the road for a long walk I was the only dad out there. At the same time, it drove me nuts when moms out for a stroll with their little ones brought up the fact that I was "babysitting." How often are moms asked if they're babysitting? Let's go out on a limb and say never. So on this Father's Day, here's a message to all the people out there who rank dads just above the yard guy: we're trying to get used to this whole idea of being a dad. Don't make it more difficult for us. Embrace us! Welcome us in as one of your own! We may even surprise you every now and then and fail to come up with an excuse to get out of changing that dirty diaper.

This is the first installment of Dad's Diary. There will be more. Maybe weekly. We'll see. If you have ideas for future Dad's Diary columns, e-mail us.

Advertise On Baby Blog Addict

If you haven't heard, BabyBlogAddict.com is in its second year and has found a cozy niche in the parenting community. In fact, if you Google Baby Blog we come up at number five out of 28 million results! Of course, if you Google Baby Blog Addict we're number one.

E-mail us if you're interested in advertising and we'll send all the details on our new advertising options.

Last-Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas

PC Magazine has a top ten list to help you out.

Bringing Up Babies...at Work

Could that be a gurgle or - whoa - a stinky diaper in the next cubicle? Yes, "baby on board" is the latest - and the most controversial - trend in corporate day care for a small but growing number of brave employers. The twist is parents do the care, toting infants with them to the office each day and juggling bottles and wipes, conference calls and e-mail.

Controversial? You bet.

Proponents hail the idea as a workplace morale-booster, along with a needed benefit in a country lacking in affordable child care. But naysayers call parenting and working a poor mix, and say infants are an unwanted distraction for employees. More from the Boston Globe...

What do you think?

Blog: Parenting and Sex

From The Poop:

"I believe it wasn't long after I learned how babies are made that the most disgusting thought occurred to me: My parents probably had sex at least once. And "once" was just assuming that my sister was planted in our house by some deity as a Job-like trial for me. In that moment, the fantasies I had -- that I was in fact the child of royalty, adopted by commoners to protect my identity until the day I could be reunited with my "real" parents and assume the throne -- became infinitely more appealing." More...

Snake in a Crib!

A family in New York discovered a California King Snake (non-venomous) inside their 7-month-old's bed while she was sleeping. The child's grandmother -- understandably -- was shocked.

"An urban legend, you don't believe it could really happen," Joyce Abatemarco said.

The 2-3-foot long constrictor that will grow to a size of more than 8 feet was discovered in the crib, wrapped around the leg of tiny Isabella Abatemarco, visiting her grandparents in Brentwood, a community on Long Island.

More coverage here.

Baby Furniture Tainted With Formaldehyde

A number of cribs and changing tables commonly sold at retail outlets contain unhealthy levels of formaldehyde, a consumer advocacy group reported yesterday. Studies have shown that excessive exposure to formaldehyde increases the risk of asthma and respiratory problems.

The report says the Child Craft Oak Crib had the highest formaldehyde of the 21 items tested, emitting 3,680 micrograms per hour.

Plastic Baby Bottles Ruled Safe

Plastic baby bottles and water bottles are safe, a federal health official said Tuesday, seeking to ease public concerns about the health hazards of a chemical used in the products.

The National Toxicology Program said in a recent draft report that there is "some concern" that bisphenol A can cause changes in behavior and the brain, as well as reduce survival and birthweight in fetuses. It drew its conclusions from animal studies.

Baby With Rare Tumor Born Twice, Now Healthy 4-Week-Old

Sounds like a story out of The Inquirer, but it's not. This is an amazing true story highlighting advances in medical technology and the miracle of life. Here's a clipping of the begninng of the story. It's definitely worth a click through to read the rest.

Four months into Keri McCartney's pregnancy, doctors reportedly noticed a tumor growing on the baby's tailbone.

Doctors discovered that the tumor was stealing blood from the fetus and weakening her heart. So, at 25 weeks, surgeons at Texas Children's Fetal Center cut into McCartney's abdomen in an effort to remove the life-threatening mass, according to a CBS News report. For the rest of the story...

Click here for photos including one incredible picture from the operation. I was going to post it here, but even FoxNews.com has a warning that it's graphic, so I figured I'd put the link instead.

Jessica Alba Gives Birth to Baby Girl

The 27-year-old actress gave birth to a healthy baby girl — Honor Marie Warren — on Saturday.

When asked what kind of mother she will be, Alba recently told Fit Pregnancy magazine, "I don't want to be my child's best friend. I want to be a mom. But I do want my child to come to me when they have problems and need to talk, so it's going to be about treading that line."

How to Save $400 a Month on Groceries

Making a few changes can help ease your grocery bill, experts say. Find out how to feed a family on $100 a week in "How to Save $400 a Month on Groceries".

Featured websites include:

• The Grocery Game - you'll get a weekly list (called Teri's List) of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers' coupons and weekly specials -- advertised and unadvertised. Subscribers pay $10 every eight weeks.


• The Coupon Mom - offers a database that matches store deals to relevant coupons, but doesn't pinpoint when an item has hit its lowest price.


• The Dollar Stretcher - funded by advertising, which means the registration path can be a bit annoying, but the founder insists it's necessary to keep the service free and growing and we like FREE.


• Amazon.com's Grocery Service - ships 22,000 nonperishable items in bulk -- free, if your bill surpasses $25.

Calling All Baby Blog Addicts!

We're working on a project about Baby Blogs and how they've grown over the past few years. We want to hear your thoughts on the Baby Blog phenomenon -- write as much or as little as you'd like.

Tell us when you started your baby blog and why, how many baby blogs you usually visit on a daily basis, how many strangers' blogs you stalk and what you get out of the whole experience. What surprises you? What disappoints you? What will it be like to let your children read your blog about them one day? And explain why you're a Baby Blog Addict.

We'd like to use your first name (and last if you'd like to include it) and your home state. Send us an e-mail or leave a comment here with your response in paragraph form. Thanks in advance for your help!

Easy Tips For Cute Post-Delivery Pictures

Hospital pictures right after the baby arrives are not necessarily the most flattering, yet they are usually the first pictures that go out to family and friends; they are posted on your blog for everyone to see; and they are at the beginning of your baby's scrapbook (if they have scrapbooks these days).

Here are a couple of suggestions (no make-up necessary) to make the photos of yourself easier to look at when you are feeling like yourself again.

1) Bring a pretty pillowcase from home. The pillowcase that you are leaning against makes it into all of the pictures, right? Instead of the stark, white one that the hospital provides, bring your own from home. Maybe a pretty blue one or pink one if you know you are going to have a boy or a girl or a neutral one if you will be surprised. These pictured above are from the Martha Stewart "Trousseau" Luxury Bedding Collection sold at Macy's.

2) Now onto that ugly gown that doesn't fit well, is dull and has probably been worn before. There is an alternative! Rachel Zinny is the founder of dearjohnnies "special gowns for special people".

She says, "Like most new parents-to-be, my husband and I planned to take photos right after the birth to share with family and friends. But then I realized that a prominent feature in the photos would be the generic, unattractive pattern of a hospital gown. Did it have to be this way? Why couldn't I be wearing something less institutional and more attractive? Besides, wearing a “used” gown worn by who knows how many other patients wasn't appealing." So she founded dearjohnnies.

dearjohnnies gowns are $65 each and robes are $70. It might be a little pricey for something you can get for free, but after forty weeks of pregnancy, we think you deserve to feel pretty and comfortable. These are also great shower gifts or maybe even a surprise gift from the father-to-be to the mother-to-be...hint, hint to all of you guys out there who are expecting soon.

All this being said, you do realize that no one else is looking at you in the pictures, right? It's all about the baby now!

Useful Tips from Parenting Magazine

From the Chicago Tribune...

1. Get your kid in the car in a hurry. "Have her choose an animal (a bird, frog, bunny, whatever) to act like as she makes her way to the car."

2. Have ants invaded your kitchen? "Sprinkle baking soda in cracks and anywhere else they can sneak into your home," according to the authors of "A Field Guide to Household Bugs: It's a Jungle in Here."

3. Stay dry. Stick a Popsicle into a coffee filter to keep hands clean and prevent a spilling mess.

4. Snack standing up. Bonus: You'll probably consume less than when you're sitting because you'll be less likely to fall into the trap of mindless eating."

5. Make a snack necklace with a preschooler: "Have her slide Cheerios, pretzels, and dried apple rings onto waxed dental floss. Tie it around your child's neck to make it an edible accessory."

Today's Headlines

>> Quads for couple NOT trying for baby...
>> Mom's diet can boost baby's brain...
>> Baby born on flight across Pacific...
>> Eva Longoria pregnancy rumors ...
>> At least $15 million for Brangelina baby pics...

Web Spotlight & Blogging Tips from Tip Junkie

Tip Junkie is a site that compiles great tips and creative ideas from people like you! Fun activities for the kids, delicious recipes and creative decorating tips are just of few of the tips you'll get from Tip Junkie. Your own blog posts can even be added as tips on Tip Junkie. Just check out the Submit a Tip link in her blog's sidebar.

My favorite post and a great one for all of you Baby Blog Addicts is Blogger Questions & Tips. From "Is it worth putting advertising on my blog?" to "Do you like music on blogs", this is a great list of 18 blogger tips that you don't want to miss.

Dog Drama: Getting Ready for a REAL Baby

A lot of parents are now paying to baby-proof their dogs. A canine re-education course called Dogs & Storks, launched in 2006, now has 35 affiliated trainers in the U.S. and Canada, with hundreds of graduates.

"It's catching on because people are choosing to have kids later, and their dogs are really their first baby," says the course's creator, Jennifer Shryock of Cary, N.C., who sells it to trainers for $300.

Dogs bite about 4.7 million people a year in the U.S., the majority of them children, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Bonnie Beaver, a Texas vet and past president of the group, says that of the 15 to 20 people a year who die from dog bites, about 80% are children.

Ms. Shryock tells expectant parents, "When the baby comes, you are going to look at your dog for the first time as an animal. You will feel different about Fluffy."

More from the Wall Street Journal...

Parenting Books

These four books are worth your time and money, according to family psychologist John Rosemond:

~ Have a New Kid by Friday
~ Confident Parenting
~ Internet Protect Your Kids
~ How to Behave and Why

Opinion: Culture Limits 'Baby-Friendly' Options

From New Orleans City Business:

The baby haters have spoken.

I haven’t been to a movie since September. The previews at the theater have sufficiently warned us about how crying babies can disrupt the viewing experience for others. We’ve had waiters give us the stink eye for bringing our otherwise quiet infant into a white tablecloth restaurant.

And I’ve had one friend bring her baby to an outdoor food and wine tasting, only to be told by a manager as she was leaving that her child’s presence made him uncomfortable.
Since having our daughter Zoe, in July, we’ve discovered our culture isn’t very baby-friendly.

More...

Robeez Luxury Collection

Check out these adorable Sweet Cupcake shoes from the Robeez Luxury Collection. They are perfect for any little girl to attend a birthday party and for her very own first birthday! A little pricey at $39.95, but oh so sweet and special.