Foxy and Refreshingly Private

What kind of celebrity couple are Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green?  Are they A list?  B list?  D list?

Let me make it easier.  I think we can all agree that they're not as famous as Brangelina and likewise agree that they're more famous than Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott.  Right?  Meaning, they're somewhere between super famous and reality star famous, but I'm not sure where exactly on the spectrum.  Most of that fame comes from Megan's success.  No offense to Brian Austin, I'm totally willing to admit a brief crush during his Beverly Hills 90210 days, but he isn't Mr. Limelight.

Why does any of this completely ridiculous characterization matter?  Check out below, which is a snippet from Megan Fox's Facebook page.

Who knew that Megan Fox was pregnant?  I have to admit that I did.  That's attributable to my unhealthy addiction to celebrity gossip websites.  But I bet some of you, more mature folk, didn't know.  The reason that some of you may not have known is because she didn't splash her pregnancy in every available media outlet.  She wasn't showing up on red carpets rubbing her belly.  She didn't do a spread in Us Weekly to discuss her cravings and nursery decor.  She didn't announce the gender on twitter.  She generally kept a low profile and privately enjoyed the pregnancy with her teen heartthrob husband.

For the record, I'm not a super fan of Megan Fox.  I happen to think she's a bad mediocre actress.  But I was impressed by her relative discretion when it came to being pregnant.  She announced her son's birth not by PR blast, but in her own words on her Facebook page several weeks after the fact.  There's still no photographs available to the public.  

What a stark contrast from those celebs who sell their baby photos to the highest paying tabloid/gossip magazine (more on that here).  So, back to my original question - what kind of couple are Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green?  Non-exploitive like those A listers and non-desperate like those D listers.  I'm still not sure where exactly on the spectrum that they exist, but good for them.

If you knew that Megan Fox was pregnant, how did you find out?  Did you know she gave birth?  Did you think she was discreet or just as shamelessly exploitive as the rest of them?

Stuff People Google 73

What is this week's edition of Stuff People Google about?!!

hot process soap cupcakes

This scares me.  I have a feeling it has something to do with cooking meth.  Have I watched too many HBO/Showtime series?

A Couple of Baby Name AHAs!

Last week, a friend (thanks B!) sent me a very cool article from iVillage about my #1 fav topic - baby names.  The article (here) lists ten categories of baby names (think places, spiritual, antique, etc.) and what choosing a name from each category says about the parent.  For example, parents who choose places as names (i.e. Brooklyn, London, Paris, etc.) envision their child in the limelight.   There's probably definitely no scientific research behind the assertions, but I thoroughly enjoyed them.

This short, sweet article, beyond providing some entertainment, provided two serious AHA! moments for me.  For those of you who don't know what an AHA! moment is, shame on you and I'll explain.  It's Oprah's term for an epiphany.  She made it up and I think it's now in the dictionary or at least the urban dictionary.  It's AHA! as in "I get it!", which is literally how Oprah defines it in her video explanation below.  So strange that this video exists on Youtube.

My first AHA! moment inspired by the iVillage article was the realization that my theory on uniqueness being the single most important factor in choosing a baby name (remember this post?) is not true.  Well, it's not true for everyone.  People have many reasons for choosing their perfect baby name, many of which are totally unrelated to uniqueness.  Aha!  There's more than one end goal for finding the perfect baby name and there's more than one path to get there.

Here are the categories of names listing in the iVillage article:

• Place Names
• Religious Names
• Vintage Names
• Nature Names
• Political Names
• Celebrity Driven Names
• Pop-Culture Inspired Names
• Ethnic Names
• Family Names
• Really Unique Names - this is my category, right?

Here's the other, more significant AHA! - I don't prioritize uniqueness in my baby name preferences.  I don't fall into the "really unique names" category.  What's that?!  Hold up now...

The article, understandably, listed names like Apple and Pilot Inspektor as really unique names.  I don't like either as I've previously mentioned (here).  There both a bit too out there for me.  Too unique.  On the other hand, I'm don't like Isabella or Jacob (the most popular names of 2011).  They're too common for me.  Not unique enough.  But, here is where the AHA! really hit home, if I'm forced between Jacob and Pilot Inspektor, I'm going with Jacob.  Turns out that uniqueness is more of a secondary concern for me.  I know, I'm baffled too. 

This double AHA! left me totally confused about what type of baby namer I am.  For a woman who's written about baby names several dozen times, this was concerning.  I was suddenly without a baby name identity.

Don't feel too bad for me...pretty confident you didn't...all that happened was a daily trip over to Nameberry.com to search around and rediscover who I am.  The process was quite quick and here are the results: my taste is vintage, classic and traditional with consideration (not absolute prioritization) of how popular the name is according to the SSN website.

What type of baby names do you like?  Any of the categories listed by iVillage?  Maybe you're a mesh of more than one or fall into a category overlooked by iVillage?

Stylin' Flower Girls and Ring Bearers

How cute are flower girls and ring bearers?  Right?  Sometimes they cause a bit of unwanted drama (think screaming, flailing tantrums), but mostly they cause a collective "awwww" from all the wedding guests as they slowly, awkwardly, adorably make their way down the aisle.

Not everyone welcomes babies, toddlers, children...anyone under 18... at their wedding for a plethora of reasons (including the screaming, flailing tantrum potential), but that's a whole different post.  Today, I'm focusing on wedding fashion for the mini members of a wedding party.  It's not wedding season, but it is the season of wedding planning for all those folks who will be getting hitched in 2013.

All the clothes, shoes and accessories below are for infants and toddlers (0-2 years) ...aka babies...but many come in larger sizes (and alternate colors), so be sure to click on the hot links below each image to get product details.  Also, most of the Etsy shops featured in this post specialize in infant/toddler/child formal wear, so check out the entire shop for other adorable products.

For the Flower Girls (ladies first)

White knit and tulle dress by Ralph Lauren ($175)

Tulle ballerina dress by Us Angels ($146+)

Jeweled collar by JCrew ($48)

Lace bow headbands by Little Blooms Handmade ($12 each)

Barefoot baby sandals by Happy Threads ($18)

For the Ring Bearers

Sage boys jumper by Beane & Company ($70)

Two button school blazer by JCrew ($158)

Alexander baby boy shoes by Pink2Blue ($32)

Elephant bow tie by Olive and Vince (~$16.44)

Name That Bump 5 - Revealed

As always, before I reveal the lady behind the bump from Name That Bump 5, here is the headless photo to refresh your memory:

And the lady is - Gwenyth Paltrow!!!  Amy and Ella Mae were correct.  

WW and Mother of Pearl, the headless image definitely looks as if it could be Posh.  But, Posh Spice (aka Victoria Beckham), while married to a Brit (soccer player David Beckham), is not what I would consider an accomplished actress.  She may have starred in Spice World with her fellow Spice Girls bandmates, but an Academy Award winner she is NOT.

Remember Spice World (circa 1998)?  Okay, I never saw it (shame on me), 

but I hear it's a cult classic.  I've just never met anyone in the cult.

Stuff People Google 72

I was truly baffled by today's edition of Stuff People Google:

louis borgenicht baby ägarmanual

The non-English words were the primary source of confusion.  The word "baby" made me hopeful that the search was appropriate for NSB, but I didn't know.  So, I googled it...of course.  Turns out that Louis Borgenicht is the co-author of The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Guide.  

I don't own it, so I can't vouch.
Check out Amazon.com reviews here.

Still a little confused as to why the typist wrote half in English and half in (what I believe to be) Swedish.  But, that's neither here or there.  Very excited to welcome Swedish readers/followers!  Come back anytime.

Fact Checking - Baby Style

In celebration and acknowledgement of the upcoming presidential elections, I thought it was fitting to do some fact checking.  No, I'm not going to reveal the truth behind Governor Romney's plan for reforming the federal tax code or expose what really happened at the US Embassy in Syria.  What I will do is throw out some interesting baby facts for us to ponder.  Let's get this party started (click on answers to see the source of my info):


Average weight and length of baby at 40 weeks - 7 lbs 10.08 ounces and 20.16 inches

Original Gerber Baby - Ann Turner Cook

Ann Turner Cook in December 1996

US State with the most births - California

US State with the highest birth rate (number of births compared to number of women) - Utah

Top selling baby toy on Amazon.com - Sophie the Giraffe, obvy

What's So Great About Sophie?

Doctor who delivered the most babies (arguably) - Dr. Walter "Papa Doc" Watson, practice in Augusta, GA, delivered 18,000+ babies, still delivering at age 100

Year that TLC's A Baby Story premiered - 1998

Highest amount of money paid for photo of celebrity baby - $11 million was allegedly paid by People Magazine for photos of Brangelina's twins (Vivienne and Knox)

The Money Shot

Busiest Labor and Delivery Hospital in US (arguably) - Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX

Best selling baby book (through 2000) - The Poky Little Puppy

Now in it's 65th edition!!!

Number of children fathered by Eddie Murphy - 8 (Bria, Myles, Shayne, Zola, Bella, Christian, Eric, Angel)

Amount of money Jay Z and Beyonce spent on Swarovski encrusted baby shoes for Blue Ivy - $800

Designed by Ruthie Davis

Name That Bump 5

So, you're starting to get into Name That Bump based on the slight increase in participation on Name That Bump 4.  This week's edition features a headless blond who has won an academy award for a starring role (aka - she's a film actress) and is married to a Brit.  I think I've said too much...

Blue Boy Baby Shower

Maybe I created today's mood board because I love Jones soda, maybe not.  Either way, here are a bunch of fun and yummy items to pull together a classic, blue baby shower.

Clockwise from top left

Cupcake toppers by Apple Candy Design ($2 digital file)

Blue gummy bears ($10/1.5 lbs on Amazon.com)

Jones blue bubble gum soda ($55/24 on Amazon.com)

Blue polka dot paper straws by Back to Zero ($4/25)

Lucky star origami by Origami Delights ($13/100)

Name That Bump 4 - Revealed

Before the big reveal, here's the headless photo from Name That Bump 4:

AHA!  You guys are getting a hang of this.  Everyone guessed correctly.  Nicely done.  The lovely lady with the lovely baby bump is Alyson Hannigan, who stars in How I Met Your Mother and has two daughters, Satyana (born in 2009) and Keeva (born earlier this year).  Alyson is pregnant with Satyana in this photo.

Stuff People Google 71

Today's edition of Stuff People Google isn't a total bizarre phrase, I don't think.

maternity belly donut

I've never heard of a maternity belly donut, but I think I can imagine what it is - a donut shaped pillow that fits a pregnant woman's belly bump so she can lay on her stomach.  Um, is that a crazy guess?  Does anyone know what a maternity belly donut actually is???

I'm Told That Babies Steal Sleep

Today's post revisits a topic I've written about before (here) - how babies affect parents' sleep.  If you're pregnant it's something that everyone is warning you about, if you have a baby it's something you're acutely aware of and not happy about.  Lack of sleep sucks.

Earlier this week, a blogging friend (Kendall) who writes On An Inhale posed a simple question on Facebook:

On An Inhale is not a baby blog.  It's a yoga, health, nutrition blog.  But, again, lack of sleep sucks and it sucks not just for parents, but for everyone.  And by "sucks" I mean that it has a serious impact on a person's health and well-being.  Hence, On An Inhale took on the topic.  

The question itself (above) wasn't mind blowing, just a general topic that seemingly all sorts of people could weigh in on.  The discussion that ensued was far more controversial.  Poor Kendall was pounced on by comment after comment that she clearly didn't have children because lack of sleep was not a choice for parents.  No amount of planning could assist a parent in gaining more sleep.  Essentially, nine hours of steady snoozing was a forgotten fairy tale once baby arrived. 

I get that newborns don't sleep much...at all...and when they do it's in small chunks that adult bodies don't find satisfying in the least.  I get that parents of a 3-month-old are literally running on adrenaline, sweat and as much caffeine as they can stomach.  But, am I wrong to think that at some point the tables adjust (though they may not completely turn).  At some point, a parent can get seven hours sleep at night without it being a miracle, right?  Maybe nine hours of straight zzzzs will be reserved for weekends when the kids are at their grandparents, but does sleep deprivation last from a child's birth until college graduation?

Someone, please, answer me.  And if you don't have anything nice (and reassuring) to say on this topic, then please don't answer me.

PS - If you want to check out On An Inhale 

click HERE for the website 

and HERE for the Facebook page. 

Name That Bump 4

Okay, I'm trying it again.  With a whopping two comments on Name That Bump 3, I was somewhat encouraged to keep going.  Okay, not really.  This seriously doesn't seem to be catching on.  But I'm going to beat the dead horse until...I don't know....

Here she is, this week's headless pregnant celebrity.

And here are your hints: She stars in a hit television sitcom and she recently (earlier this year) added a second daughter to her brood.

Supporting Friends (GIVEAWAY!)

Happy Monday and Happy Columbus Day!

Regular NSB readers may have noticed that a certain "Jessica" posting comments all over the place.  If not, you will now that I mention it.  Not only is Jessica a friend of NSB, but she's also an amazing crafter and the lady behind Little Partridge.  First check out some fun stuff available on the Little Partridge Etsy shop and then (keep scrolling down) check out details on an awesome GIVEAWAY.

Burp cloth cupcake sets

Personalized trick or treat bags

Diaper cake

Today through Thursday, Little Partridge is hosting a major giveaway ($75 gift certificate!) to celebrate the launch of its new, spiffy website.  Here's a screen shot of the website:

So, how do you enter this awesome giveaway?  Head over to the new Little Partridge website (click here) and follow the instructions.  Good luck!!!

Stuff People Google 70

Today's edition of Stuff People Google brought the typist here based on one, very old, very interesting post.  First, the phrase:

pregnant cake with foot

The related post was part of a series of caption contests that I hosted on NSB.  I don't do the caption contests anymore, but I vividly remember each photo.  The image below is from Caption Contest Dos.

This cake was featured on Cakewrecks.com and freaked me out the first time I saw it.  Actually, it still freaks me out. 

Celebrity Babies Everywhere!!!

If you read Next Stop baby with any frequency (and I hope you do), you know that I can't help myself when it comes to celebrity baby news.  It's not a regular posting topic, but I do write about celeb baby names and celeb baby gossip (i.e. rumors about Jessica Simpson's baby name choice, Blue Ivy's conspiracy, etc.) when it's too hot to ignore.  Today is a discussion of both these topics together.

There have been SO many celebrities having babies over the past couple months.  So many.  Let's review with the assistance of some names, dates and photos:

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler 

welcomed Camden Jack Cutler (boy) on August 8th

Kristin and Camden

Giuliana and Bill Rancic 

welcomed Edward Duke Rancic (boy) on August 29th

Edward

Vanessa Manillo and Nick Lachey 

welcomed Camden John Lachey (boy) on September 12th

Camden John (not to be confused with Camden Jack)

Adriana Lima and Marko Jaric 

welcomed Sienna Jaric (girl) on September 13th

Adriana (no pic of Sienna yet)

Melissa Joan Hart and Mark Wilkerson 

welcomed Tucker McFadden Wilkerson (son) on September 18th

Melissa (no pic of Tucker yet)

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. 

welcomed a son in mid/late September...that's all the info I could find. 

SMG (no pic of baby boy yet)

Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman 

welcomed Olive Barrymore Kopelman  (girl) on September 26th

Drew and Will (no pic of Olive yet)

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth 

welcomed Tennessee James Toth (boy) on September 27th

Reese (no pic of Tennessee yet)

Two things I noticed right away - they're all baby boys with the exception of little Olive Kopelman and Sienna Jaric.  And who would have thought that two couples would choose the same name (Camden) and initials (CJ) for their sons.  Strange.  I wonder if Kristin and Vanessa are pissed about it, each having thought that they chose such a unique, modern name.  I also wonder if their joint choice will launch Camden into the top echelon of popular baby names?  Like Kourtney K. did with Mason.  Last thought, I love Reese and Jim's choice of Tennessee (though I wouldn't choose it myself).

More importantly, which names do you love and which do you hate?  Whose choice surprised you?  Are there this many celebrities having babies all the time or was January 2012 a particularly romantic month in Los Angeles?

Katniss Strikes Back...Again...and Again

It's been almost one year since the notorious post in which I declared that Katniss is not a real name.  After all this time, comments are still rolling in about how wrong I was/am.  People love The Hunger Games.  People love Katniss Everdeen.  People think Katniss IS a real name.

There she is.  Badass.

I get it.  In fact, I got it about two weeks after I wrote the original post, so I wrote a follow-up post (here) taking back my assertion that Katniss was the modern day equivalent of Spock - a science fiction character and not a name.  It wasn't a full take back (I never said that Katniss is a real name), but I did admit some wrongdoing.  Nonetheless, the Katniss backlash continues.  So, I'm trying again.

(The beginning of the most recent comment on 

the year old "Katniss is Not a Real Name" post)

I'm still not going to declare that Katniss is a real name (despite the snide, but funny and informative comments I've received).  What I will do is acknowledge that I'm not sure that there is such thing as a "real" name.  Any word is a name, right?  Well, in some states there are words that legally can't be names (think: terrible, horrible 4-letter words) and a judge can actually rename a child if the parent chooses one of the forbidden words.  Beyond those rarest of rare circumstances, pretty much any combination of letters can be a name.

Celebrity parents are the most shining example of taking a seemingly random word and turning it into a name.  Apple Martin (Gyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's daughter) always comes to mind in these type discussions, though there are far more random words that have become celebrity baby names (i.e. Pilot Inspektor).  So, I admit, Katniss is not just the name of a book character, it's also a viable option for the name of a real life lady or gentleman.  That's my amended statement - Katniss could be a name.

Pilot Inspektor Lee (son of actor Jason Lee)

 

Will Katniss become a popular name and someday reign the Top 100 list?  Ummm, I don't know, though I kinda, sorta doubt it.  But, I'm perfectly happy being proven wrong.  So, go ahead - prove me wrong.  Start naming your babies Katniss!!!