My Favorite Toddler Books

Including A Sick Day for Amos McGee in a recent(ish) post got me thinking about all the wonderful toddler books that my daughter has introduced to me. Technically, I've introduced her to them...but without her there would have been no introductions whatsoever, so she gets the credit. Reading is our favorite activity. She is absolutely insatiable when it comes to books. Some days she wants to read the same book over and over...and over...and over. Other days, we would get through her entire mini bookshelf, if I had the stamina.

With this in mind, here are four of my favorite toddler books that didn't exist (or I didn't know of) when I was a wee one.

Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray - My daughter doesn't get the potty humor yet...probably because she doesn't use a potty yet...but I do. And it's fabulous.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt - Another excellent comedy. And full of teaching moments as in "what color is this?".

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead - This is total sweetness. It's about Amos and his best buds from the zoo.

Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis - This is a girl-power book. There's a nice message and it manages to avoid the hokiness that one would expect based on the title.

UPDATE (7/18/14): How could I have forgotten Otis? 

Otis by Loren Long - My daughter loves, loves, loves Otis and his friend the calf. This is another sweet one about friendship.

Most of these books were gifts. I guess other moms know what's up. Where do they find these gems? How do they get the inside scoop? How about you and your toddler - what do you love reading? What new books have you discovered together? I would love some suggestions, there's always a room for one more on the bookshelf...

A Pregnancy Book or Ten

I have written about pregnancy books a couple times (here and here too).  Those posts were, of course, written before I was actually pregnant. So, by the time I became pregnant and wanted to get on the knowledge wagon, I forgot the results of all that research.  Easy solution - I went back through my posts.

I had written about serious pregnancy books and "Not So Serious" pregnancy books.  I wanted a serious book.  I knew ZIP about what was in store for me and relying on Jenny McCarthy as my sole provider of information seemed risky (though I've heard that Belly Laughs is a hoot).  I also decided, after reviewing my posts, that I wanted to steer clear of What To Expect When You're Expecting.  While several friends had recommended it as the true bible of pregnancy, others classified it as a fear-inducing encyclopedia.  I wanted to err on the side of a fearless pregnancy.  Lastly, I did a little re-reading of Amazon.com book reviews.  With everything fresh in my mind, I headed to Barnes and Noble to make my big purchase.

I can't tell you what I intended to purchase at Barnes and Noble because I don't remember.  What I do remember is going to the pregnancy section of the store for the first time and (sort of) freaking out.  First, I couldn't find the book I had picked and was too nervous to ask for help.  Maybe I chose the wrong book and the sales clerk was going to judge me..."already a bad mom and the baby isn't even here...tisk tisk."  I quickly gave up my game plan and started randomly looking through the shelves, but there were so many books.  SO MANY BOOKS.  I picked up one and mindlessly flipped through it.  Nope.  I flipped through another.  Nope.  I didn't know why I was rejecting them or what I was looking for.  At some point I decided that I had been there too long, my mission was a bust and I needed to just grab something and leave.  My hands landed on the Mayo Clinic book and I nearly ran to the check out.

GREAT accidental choice on my part.  About half the book is broken up into a month by month discussion of changes to the baby, changes to the mom and specific things that will occur in each month (prenatal tests, etc.).  Monthly breakdowns felt like the perfect amount to consume in a sitting (versus weekly or by trimester).  The other half of the book is dedicated to labor and delivery.  The tone of the book is that perfect mix of straightforward information packaged in some friendly bedside manner.  And, I later learned that my doctor's office carried a copy of the Mayo Clinic book in each examination room.  That says something, right?  Though it also made me a little nervous to imagine a doctor needing it during an examination to answer a couple questions for the patient.

In addition to the Mayo Clinic book, I was also gifted Pregnancy Day by Day.

This is a pretty awesome book.  Each page is a day of pregnancy and each day there is something unique and special to read about.  There are amazing sonogram pictures on each page, so the mom-to-be has a visual of what's happening that day inside her belly.  This was especially nice in the beginning of my pregnancy when my bump hadn't bumped.  Though the cover promotes this book to contain "comprehensive advice", I wouldn't necessarily agree with that characterization.  This is a relatively light read and more about the images and novel tidbits (example - fetal hiccups) than hardcore information.

I was also gifted a bunch of other books: the Dr. Oz book, The Girlfriends Guide, What to Expect (yeah, it found its way to my book shelf), Belly Laughs (still haven't read this one...maybe next time?).  My husband was even gifted a few books including The Caveman's Pregnancy Companion.  Each book contains the same basic information, but differs in the tone (mellow versus alarmist) and the amount of information (a little and a lot).  It ended up being really nice to have a collection because it gave me variety.  Some topics I wanted to know everything about and so I could hit up that chapter in all of the books and learn it from every angle.  Some topics I didn't care as much about, so I could read about it in a less intense book and move on.  

There are a couple morals to this story.  First, you may not want to buy yourself a pregnancy book because it's a staple gift for a first time mom and you're bound to receive a few.  Second, each book provides something different and valuable so there's nothing wrong with having a collection.  Last, at some point I found myself putting the books away and relying solely on my doctor because she knew me, she knew my baby and she knew my pregnancy...unlike the authors of any of the books on my shelf.  More on this last lesson another day.  

What pregnancy books did you use?  How would you rate the books?    

  

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.

So Many Parenting Books, So Little Time

A first time pregnant lady starts her maternal education, typically, with a pregnancy book.  Makes sense.  I've previously given you a list and some reviews of not-so-serious pregnancy books (here).  Eventually the education turns to the actual labor and delivery, then parenting.  Also makes sense.  At a certain point one can become saturated with pregnancy knowledge.  A mom-to-be is naturally freaked out curious about the next step (aka the arrival of the baby) and a little knowledge can prevent curiosity from turning into anxiety.

What does a newbie mom-to-be read when she wants to learn about childbirth and parenting?  Well, turns out that childbirth is usually covered in the pregnancy books.  Easy enough.  It's the how-to-parent guides that come in separate manuals.  There are many books and many theories about the perfect techniques for helping babies smoothly transition from womb to world.  So, choosing the right guide can be a little overwhelming.

In a previous post, I (briefly) covered the method of attachment parenting (more on that here).  But even for this one parenting style there are a bazillion book choices...one of which is entitled Beyond the Sling and written by Blossom.

Side note: Blossom currently stars on The Big Bang Theory.  

Remember when Blossom was on Blossom?

Back to the topic at hand - how can you successfully sift through all these parenting styles much less all these books about parenting styles?  I have no idea.  Yeah, not the answer you were hoping for.  I can share that my circle of friends recommends The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp.  I've heard it called the sleep bible.  Apparently it helps your baby be happy (hence the title), which in turns helps your baby sleep.  

There's also Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman, which is SO hot right now.  Even if you're not a first time mom-to-be you probably know about this book because it's been all over the news this year (here, here and here).  Apparently it's the next Tiger Mom style, a reference that will only make sense to you if you remember how hot the Tiger Mom book was last year.

Starting with personal recommendations is a great tool.  General surveys work, but make sure to ask those friends whose parenting style you admire.  Peruse the reviews on Amazon.com.  People are overly detailed and often brutal in their Amazon reviews, which is quite helpful.  Use your local library to test the waters on a couple books that seem like good fits.  Or be the obnoxious person in Barnes & Noble who basically reads the book before purchasing.  Keep in mind that there's no wrong choice.  The idea is to get you excited for the next step, so if it takes a couple tries then so be it.  

If you've read a parenting book and have some solid advice - Leave A Comment!  Sharing is caring.  

    

Giveaway: What To Expect When You're Expecting

As promised last Friday, I have a giveaway for you today.  And not just any giveaway, a giveaway  from the one and only What To Expect When You're Expecting.

You know that WTEWYE (yes, I'm using a 6 letter acronym) is a book, arguably the bible of pregnancy reads.  You also know that it's a movie, a recently released movie that stars Cameron Diaz.  I still haven't seen it and the thought of Cameron Diaz with a fake baby bump still isn't appealing to me.  But that's neither here nor there.  You may not know that WTEWYE is also a website, an iPhone app and a collection of books.  WTEWYE is taking over the pregnant world.

Cameron with her fake bump for the movie.   Believable?

The WTEWYE collection of books includes the original that you know, What to Expect in the First Year and What to Expect in the Second Year.  From what I hear, the First and Second Year books are just as crucial as their predecessor, which makes me exceptionally happy about today's giveaway - the FULL collection.

Prize: What to Expect book series including What to Expect When You're Expecting, What to Expect in the First Year and What to Expect in the Second Year.
How to enter (and win): Post a comment (on this blog, BELOW) about what you expect to happen when you're pregnant or what you did expect about pregnancy before you pregnant.  Craving pickles and ice cream?  Going up a bra size?  Barfing...frequently?
Enter by: Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 5 pm (EST), no exceptions...sorry
Number of Winners: Two!!!
Shipping: US only
Winner Announcement: Two winners will be randomly selected using http://random-draw.org and posted Friday (6/29/12) afternoon.  So, check back!


So, what are/were you expecting???

Stuff People Google 44

Who's excited for the first movie in The Hunger Games trilogy?  Only a week away!!!  Today's edition of Stuff People Google was selected to celebrate next week's opening.  Someone googled the phrase below and found Next Stop Baby (you know the drill).

baby named catness

What's interesting to me is that Google is intelligent enough to link "catness" to "katniss" because I've certainly never written about anyone or anything named Catness.  I still don't know of any babies named Katniss...much less Catness.

Baby Uncrazy

What is a term for being the opposite of baby crazy?  Baby Uncrazy or Baby Sane?  Baby Averse?

How about Baby Logical.

I was gifted two very funny, very Baby Logical books this holiday season:  "Babies Ruin Everything" and "The Baby is Disappointing"

Some would probably categorize these books as Baby Averse, but I'll stick with Baby Logical.  Here's a taste of this so-called logic from "The Baby is Disappointing":

This is from "Babies Ruin Everything, which is written from the perspective of an older sibling:

Both are truly hysterical.  They're conversation starters and take all of five minutes to read.  Both are written by Matthew Swanson, illustrated by Robbi Behr and published by Idiots' Books.  Here is the website for Idiots' Books, which is a cool, small teeny-tiny publishing company.  Because the publisher is so small, its awesome books can't be found in your neighborhood Barnes & Noble.  My gift giver found them at a boutique gift shop in Brooklyn.  If you don't live in Brooklyn, fear not, you can purchase them off the website (here it is, again).

While they may not be for everyone, even certain baby crazed ladies can appreciate the sarcasm of both books.  Subtle (and not so subtle) reminders that major life changes come along with those cooing bundles of joy is not a bad thing.

Happy 2012 to the Baby Crazy people, the Baby Logical people and Baby Crazy Yet Logical people...if they exist.

A New Top 1,000 List (seriously)

Yesterday I gave my Top 20 list of the most popular girl names from 2010.  The list was based on the social security administration's statistics, but lumped all spellings of the same name together.  Today, I'm ready to discuss my Top 20 list and give you the full and newly calculated Top 1,000 girl name list.  Technically, it's not 1,000 names because after combining all the different spellings of the same name (Haley, Hayleigh, Hailey...etc.) the list was shortened to a mere 672.

First, how interesting is it that Isabella wasn't the most popular girl name of 2010?  Since May, we all (admit it) whole-heartedly believed that Twilight's Isabella Swan was an unmatched pop culture phenomenon.  Little did we know that all the Sofias and Sophias were the real dominating force.  Actually, the percentages were very close between the Top 2 names: 1.3784% of girls born in 2010 were named Sophia/Sofia and 1.3121% of girls born in 2010 were named Isabella/Izabella/Isabela.  Meaning, we can still credit Stefenie Meyer and Kristen Stewart for programming our brains enchanting our socks off.

The purpose behind this wildly tedious project was to find the true percentage of the population that chose each name, regardless of how each member of the population decided to spell it.  By combining the multiple spellings, the percentages for many names increased.  But, even the increased percentages didn't come close to the percentages of the most popular names from 100 years ago.  In comparing the newly calculated 2010 stats to those from 1910, the difference is still glaring.  The top name in 1910 (Mary) boasted %5.4454 of the little lady population.  All the Top 10 names claimed over 1% of the population in 1910.  Last year, only Sophia and Isabella beat the 1% mark.

That's a lot of math...maybe a visual aid will help?

Top girl name 2010 = SOPHIA (1.3121%)

versus

Top girl name 1910 = MARY (%5.4454)

another visual aid:

(Sophia Loren)

versus

(Mary J. Blige)

Popularity really isn't what it used to be when it comes to girl baby names.  A hundred years ago nearly 20% of the girls born were named one of the Top 10 girl names.  Last year, less than 10% of the girls born were named one of the Top 10 girl names.  Relatively speaking, Mary was a more popular name in 1910 than Sophia was in 2010 even though both were the most popular name of their year.

Next up: boy names.  By "next up" I mean in the next few days weeks.

Below is my newly calculated Top 672 girl names.  Like yesterday, where I found more than one spelling for the name, the most popular spelling is capitalized and the alternative spellings follow in order of popularity.

1. SOPHIA - Sofia
2. ISABELLA - Izabella, Isabela
3. OLIVIA - Alivia, Alyvia
4. CHLOE - Khloe, Kloe
5. EMMA
6. EMILY - Emely, Emilee, Emmalee, Emilie
7. MADISON - Maddison, Madisyn, Madyson
8. AVA - Avah
9. ABIGAIL - Abagail, Abbigail, Abigale
10. HALEY - Hailey, Haylee, Hayley, Haleigh, Hailee, Haylie, Hayleigh
11. ADDISON - Addysin, Addyson
12. ZOE - Zoey, Zoie
13. LILY - Lilly, Lillie
14. RILEY - Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie
15. LAYLA - Laila, Lailah, Leyla, Leila, Leilah
16. MIA - Miah
17. NATALIE - Nataly, Nathalie, Natalee, Nathaly
18. ELIZABETH - Elisabeth
19. KAYLEE - Kayleigh, Kailey, Kaylie, Caylee, Kaleigh, Kailee
20. KAITLYN - Katelyn, Caitlyn, Katelynn, Caitlin, Kaitlin, Kaitlynn
21. ELLA
22. ALLISON - Alison, Alisson, Allyson, Alyson
23. BRIANNA - Briana, Breanna, Bryanna
24. MAKAYLA - Mikayla, Michaela, Mikaela, Mckayla, Micaela
25. ARIANNA - Ariana, Aryanna, Aryana
26. SARAH - Sara
27. PEYTON - Payton, Payten
28. KYLIE - Kylee, Kyleigh, Kiley
29. AALIYAH - Aliyah, Aliya, Aleah, Aleigha, Alia
30. ALEXIS - Alexus
31. SAMANTHA
32. BROOKLYN - Brooklynn
33. MADELYN - Madeleine, Madilyn, Madalyn, Madelynn, Madalynn, Madilynn
34. GABRIELLA - Gabriela
35. MACKENZIE - Mckenzie, Makenzie
36. JASMINE - Jazmin, Jazmine, Jasmin, Jazmyn
37. LEAH - Lia, Lea
38. MAYA - Mya, Maia, Myah
39. ANNA - Ana
40. ALYSSA - Alisa, Alissa
41. HANNAH - Hanna, Hana
42. GRACE
43. AUBREY - Aubree, Aubrie
44. AVERY - Averie, Averi
45. LILLIAN
46. KATHERINE - Catherine, Kathryn
47. ASHLEY - Ashlee
48. EVELYN - Evelynn, Evelin
49. SAVANNAH - Savanna, Savanah
50. NEVAEH
51. VICTORIA
52. TAYLOR
53. ISABELLE - Isabel, Isabell
54. JOCELYN - Joselyn, Joslyn, Jocelynn
55. CAMILA - Kamila, Camilla
56. AMELIA
57. CHARLOTTE
58. CLAIRE - Clare
59. LILIANA - Lilliana, Lilyana, Lilianna, Lillianna, Lilyanna
60. BELLA
61. KAYLA
62. LAUREN - Lauryn
63. ALEXA
64. SYDNEY - Sidney, Sydnee
65. AUDREY
66. JORDYN - Jordan, Jordynn
67. BAILEY - Baylee, Bailee
68. JULIANA - Julianna, Giuliana
69. JULIA
70. GIANNA - Giana
71. SOPHIE
72. JADA - Jayda, Jaida
73. MELANIE - Melany
74. KAELYN - Kaylin, Kailyn, Kaylynn, Kaylyn, Kaylen, Cailyn, Kaelynn
75. ADRIANA - Adrianna
76. CARLY - Karlee, Carley, Carlee, Carlie, Karly, Carleigh, Karli
77. DESTINY - Destinee
78. MORGAN
79. ALEXANDRA
80. LONDON - Londyn
81. KIMBERLY
82. MOLLY - Mollie
83. MACI - Macy, Macie, Macey
84. BROOKE
85. NATALIA - Natalya, Nathalia
86. TRINITY
87. FAITH
88. CADENCE - Kaydence, Kadence, Caydence
89. LUCY
90. MADELINE
91. ANDREA
92. NAOMI - Noemi
93. ADALYN - Adalynn, Addilyn, Adelyn, Adelynn
94. AUTUMN
95. SCARLETT - Scarlet
96. MARIAH - Miriyah
97. SERENITY
98. KENNEDY -  Kennedi
99. STELLA
100. MARIA
101. RACHEL - Rachael
102. CAROLINE
103. GENESIS
104. EVA
105. ASHLYN - Ashlynn
106. JESSICA
107. DANIELA - Daniella
108. ANGELINA
109. VALERIA
110. JAELYN - Jaylynn, Jaelynn, Jaylin, Jaylyn, Jaylen
111. GABRIELLE
112. ANNABELLE - Annabel
113. JADE - Jayde
114. RUBY -  Rubi
115. REBECCA - Rebekah
116. CALLIE - Cali, Kali, Kallie
117. JAYDEN - Jadyn, Jaiden, Jaden, Jaidyn
118. NORA - Norah
119. PAIGE
120. CAMERON - Kamryn, Camryn
121. LILA - Lilah
122. MEGAN - Meghan
123. ELLIE
124. VANESSA
125. KEIRA - Kiera, Kierra
126. REAGAN - Regan
127. MARY
128. ALAINA - Alayna
129. JAYLA - Jaylah
130. LYDIA
131. STEPHANIE - Stephany
132. AMY - Aimee
133. MALIA - Maleah, Maliyah, Maliah
134. ANIYAH - Aniya
135. VIVIAN - Vivienne
136. ALANA - Alanna, Alannah
137. LYLA - Lylah
138. AMAYA - Amiyah, Amiya
139. KENDALL - Kendal
140. SADIE
141. JENNIFER
142. HARPER
143. NICOLE
144. VIOLET
145. JACQUELINE - Jaqueline, Jacquelyn
146. MICHELLE
147. GISELLE - Gisselle
148. ALLIE - Ali, Ally
149. GRACIE
150. SKYLAR - Skyler
151. REESE
152. JENNA
153. ALINA - Alena, Aleena
154. PIPER
155. CHRISTINA - Kristina, Cristina
156. ELIANA - Elianna
157. LESLIE - Lesly
158. VALERIE
159. ELISE - Elyse
160. CHARLIE - Charlee, Charley, Charli, Charleigh
161. ARIEL - Arielle
162. DAISY
163. CHEYENNE - Cheyanne, Shyanne
164. VALENTINA
165. JULIET - Juliette
166. SIENNA - Siena
167. KIRA - Kyra
168. CASSIDY - Kassidy
169. LEXI - Lexie
170. MELISSA
171. MARLEY - Marlee
172. ANGELA
173. KATIE
174. HAYDEN
175. JANIYAH - Janiya, Janiah
176. ELENA
177. SUMMER
178. MARISSA - Marisa
179. ELEANOR
180. MAKENNA - Makena
181. CLARA
182. JILLIAN
183. ALICE
184. ALICIA - Alisha
185. ABBY - Abbey, Abbie
186. MIRANDA
187. MILEY - Mylee
188. EDEN
189. MARGARET
190. SHELBY
191. JOSEPHINE
192. DELILAH
193. KELSEY - Kelsie
194. KINLEY - Kynlee
195. AMANDA
196. AYANA - Aiyana, Ayanna, Aiyanna
197. DIANA
198. BRIELLE
199. ANGEL
200. DANIELLE
201. TEAGAN - Tegan
202. KARA - Cara
203. CECILIA - Cecelia
204. MELODY
205. KYLA - Kylah
206. PENELOPE
207. AURORA
208. MARIANA - Mariana
209. ANNABELLA - Anabella
210. CASSANDRA - Kassandra
211. Laura - Lara
212. ALEXANDRIA
213. KENDRA
214. DELANEY
215. KATE
216. MILA - Myla
217. ERICA - Erika
218. LOLA
219. TALIA - Taliyah, Thalia
220. ERIN
221. HADLEY
222. SIERRA
223. SABRINA
224. TESSA
225. CHELSEA
226. ANYA - Anaya
227. AMBER
228. BRYLEE - Briley, Bryleigh
229. HEIDI - Heidy
230. MAGGIE
231. CRYSTAL - Krystal
232. KARINA - Carina
233. MCKENNA
234. COURTNEY - Kourtney
235. KARLA - Carla
236. PAISLEY
237. DANICA - Danika
238. ELIZA
239. TIANA - Tianna
240. ALEXIA
241. LINDSEY - Lindsay
242. EMERSON - Emersyn
243. HOPE
244. KAREN
245. NADIA
246. ALONDRA
247. HARMONY
248. QUINN
249. NYLAH - Nylah
250. FIONA
251. KAIA - Kaiya, Kaya
252. JAZLYN - Jazlynn
253. JOSIE
254. EMILIA - Emelia
255. ZARIAH - Zaria, Zariyah
256. HAZEL
257. LUCIA
258. DANNA
259. ESTHER
260. LELIANI
261. REYNA - Raina, Rayna, Reina
262. FATIMA
263. XIMENA
264. CAMILLE
265. PRESLEY
266. CORA
267. ALEJANDRA
268. GENEVIEVE
269. ANNIKA - Anika
270. BIANCA
271. MALLORY
272. ESMERELDA
273. LENA - Lina
274. ARIA - Ariah
275. BRYNN
276. DAKOTA
277. JAYLEEN - Jaylene
278. WILLOW
279. VERONICA
280. ISLA
281. IVY
282. MIRIAM
283. JOANNA
284. KELLY
285. KINSLEY
286. HALLE - Hallie
287. PHOEBE
288. TIFFANY
289. EMERY
290. JOURNEY - Journee
291. LANEY - Lainey
292. CARMEN
293. IRIS
294. NINA
295. GEMMA - Jemma
296. SANIYAH - Saniya
297. ADELINE
298. HEAVEN
299. KIARA
300. GEORGIA
301. PARIS
302. GUADALUPE
303. SELENA
304. BRAELYN - Braelynn
305. EVANGELINE
306. LIANA - Leanna
307. TATUM
308. ROSE
309. AUDRINA
310. FERNANDA
311. LUNA
312. SASHA
313. SAGE - Saige
314. ANGELICA
315. LORELEI - Lorelai
316. RUTH
317. AYLA
318. ANABELLE - Anabel
319. AINSLEY
320. YARETZI
321. RAEGAN
322. ATHENA
323. MONICA
324. TATIANA
325. GRACELYN - Gracelynn
326. ANASTASIA
327. NOELLE
328. JULISSA
329. BETHANY
330. IMANI
331. KENZIE
332. RAELYNN - Raelyn
333. JAMIE
334. APRIL
335. YASMIN - Yazmin
336. CYNTHIA
337. ALESSANDRA
338. JANE
339. CASEY - Kasey
340. ARABELLA
341. MIRIAM - Maryam
342. NAYELI
343. CAROLINA
344. JULIE
345. GIA
346. JANELLE
347. ANNIE
348. ELAINA
349. JIMENA
350. LYRIC
351. SHANIYA - Shania
352. FINLEY
353. DULCE
354. RYAN - Ryann
355. ANNE - Ann
356. ITZEL
357. HOLLY
358. ANGIE
359. ELLE
360. ESTRELLA
361. ELLIANA
362. SARAI
363. BRENDA
364. BRITTANY
365. HARLEY
366. DAHLIA - Dalia
367. ADELAIDE
368. HELEN
369. KARISSA - Carissa
370. CIARA
371. JOHANNA
372. LACEY
373. SHAYLA
374. BRIDGET
375. TERESA - Theresa
376. LILIAN
377. PAOLA
378. SERENA
379. CELESTE
380. TENLEY
381. NATASHA
382. AMARI
383. BRISA
384. DANA
385. PARKER
386. AILEEN
387. NIA
388. BRENNA
389. KIERSTEN - Kirsten
390. DESIREE
391. JALIYAH
392. ANAHI
393. DAYANA
394. KAYDEN
395. LANA
396. LUCILLE
397. IVANNA - Ivana
398. LOGAN
399. VIVIANA
400. JOY
401. PRISCILLA
402. DAPHNE
403. DENISE
404. SKYE
405. ROWAN
406. FRANCESCA
407. ELISA
408. AMIRA
409. LIZBETH
410. KENLEY
411. KIMORA
412. GLORIA
413. MELINA
414. BRYNLEE
415. LIBERTY
416. ARACELI - Aracely
417. CLAUDIA
418. MIRA - Myra
419. SANDRA
420. JAYCEE
421. NANCY
422. MIRACLE
423. ANNALISE
424. AZARIA - Azariah
425. CINDY
426. MARISOL
427. YARELI
428. ELOISE
429. ASIA
430. HELENA
431. MAEVE
432. JUSTICE
433. WHITNEY
434. OLIVE
435. MARILYN
436. CLARISSA
437. FARRAH
438. ADA
439. AMANI
440. JANESSA
441. SYLVIA
442. MCKINLEY
443. SKYLA
444. BRISTOL
445. GWENDOLYN
446. KALIYAH
447. ROSA
448. TORI
449. AYLIN
450. DYLAN
451. KRISTEN
452. MARIE
453. KIANA
454. RIHANNA
455. WENDY
456. REGINA
457. EVE
458. ROSALIE
459. SLOANE
460. AMYA
461. KATHLEEN
462. JUNE
463. ASPEN
464. ELSA
465. PERLA
466. MEREDITH
467. RAQUEL
468. SAMARA
469. RAVEN
470. VIRGINIA
471. JAYLEE
472. PATRICIA
473. SHERLYN
474. SHILOH
475. ISIS
476. LINDA
477. ANGELIQUE
478. PAITYN
479. ANSLEY
480. DIAMOND
481. MARINA
482. TABITHA
483. SELAH
484. ELSIE
485. LEIGHTON
486. HAVEN
487. AMARA
488. ARELY
489. SARIAH
490. AMERICA
491. BRINLEY
492. TARYN
493. MILAN
494. GRETA
495. MERCEDES
496. PHOENIX
497. CHRISTINE
498. ELLEN
499. VERA
500. TARAJI
501. KEYLA
502. SIMONE
503. AMELIE
504. AISHA
505. CATALINA
506. HEATHER
507. SHANNON
508. JESSIE
509. ZION
510. LUCIANA
511. ADRIENNE
512. IRENE
513. YESENIA
514. PALOMA
515. JANAE
516. JOLIE
517. AMINA
518. EVIE
519. BARBARA
520. MARTHA
521. ABRIL
522. DEANNA
523. ALANI
524. KENYA
525. SONIA
526. ZARA
527. LISA
528. ROSEMARY
529. PAULINA
530. ELIN
531. ARIELLA
532. CORINNE
533. JAKAYLA
534. CHAYA
535. CAROLYN
536. CELIA
537. EMMALYN
538. LUZ
539. ZANIYAH
540. ILIANA
541. GIADA
542. CHERISH
543. GIOVANNA
544. CAMPBELL
545. LARISSA
546. FELICITY
547. JULIANNE
548. TAMIA
549. INGRID
550. YOSELIN
551. BRIA
552. DEBORAH
553. HARLOW
554. TARA
555. FRANCES
556. JENNY
557. SAWYER
558. MORIAH
559. RYLAN
560. SANAA
561. YARITZA
562. SUSAN
563. LIBBY
564. ELAINE
565. MATILDA
566. PATIENCE
567. ANALIA
568. SHARON
569. ALIANA
570. MARITZA
571. TESS
572. KARSYN
573. CHANEL
574. ARMANI
575. AZUL
576. CHANA
577. PAULA
578. EDITH
579. ALIZA
580. AMIRAH
581. EMBER
582. LIVIA
583. LEIA
584. AKIRA
585. BEATRICE
586. EILEEN
587. IRELAND
588. KENNA
589. HADASSAH
590. DEMI
591. MALAYA
592. MICAH
593. ALAYAH
594. ALMA
595. ANGELINE
596. AYLEEN
597. CHARITY
598. NOLA
599. MAYRA
600. BELEN
601. BELINDA
602. BREE
603. KATRINA
604. MARA
605. MILLIE
606. RENEE
607. JOYCE
608. KYNDALL
609. LILIA
610. SHYLA
611. JUDITH
612. MEADOW
613. SALMA
614. TANIA
615. NEVEAH
616. RAYNE
617. SARAHI
618. BRIELLA
619. JANET
620. LANIYAH
621. STACY
622. KARMA
623. LIZETH
624. MARLENE
625. PRINCESS
626. RIYA
627. DOMINIQUE
628. ADELE
629. BRITNEY
630. ADELINA
631. DIYA
632. ESME
633. KAYLEEN
634. DIXIE
635. ROSELYN
636. YAMILET
637. ARYA
638. DAMARIS
639. JEWEL
640. MATTIE
641. YAMILETH
642. EMMY
643. AUDRIANA
644. ESPERANZA
645. JAMYA
646. KINSEY
647. KAI
648. PRECIOUS
649. KIMBER
650. LORENA
651. MINA
652. PEARL
653. WILLA
654. JASLENE
655. JOLENE
656. KAIRI
657. RIVER
658. SHAYLEE
659. INDIA
660. MILAGROS
661. ZURI
662. AMIAH
663. DEVYN
664. DONNA
665. MAE
666. PAMELA
667. XIOMARA
668. LEONA
669. LILITH
670. ALAYSIA
671. VIOLETA
672. DANIA

Lesson learned: the silent "h" is almost always the less common spelling.  Other lesson learned: this was the most difficult project I have undertaken in the name of Next Stop Baby.  So, when I wrote earlier that you could expect the boy name equivalent in weeks, make that months...

What did I miss?  Did I lump any names that you would have kept separate?  Should I have lumped more names together?

Katniss Backlash

I recently declared that Katniss is not a real name (here).  A couple major things have occurred since that post.

First, I started reading The Hunger Games.  I've only finished a few chapters, so I can't yet tell you if I love it or hate it.  But, I can tell you that I'm enjoying it much more than I did the first book of The Twilight Saga.  This has no connection to whether Katniss is a real name, but I thought it was worth following up on.

Second, I've since looked into the number of names that have been derived from written works.  There are tons.  This just makes sense.  Before there were telephones, television or internet, people communicated through writing - newspapers, poetry, letters and books.  In addition to spreading ideas and information, written communication introduced and popularized names.  While I'm not going to take back my declaration (because I'm stubborn and I wouldn't personally name my child Katniss), I will share a few details of my findings. 

Jessica.  The first documented use of the name Jessica was in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.  Who knew?  Bill Shakespeare also created the name Miranda in his work, The Tempest.  The name Pamela was invented by Sir Philip Sidney in The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia.  Poet Jonathan Swift originated the name Vanessa for his 1713 poem "Cadenus and Vanessa".

There are also a handful of names were made popular, though not invented, by a writer.  Wendy.  You've heard of this name, yes?  J.M. Barrie popularized the name Wendy in his little known book, Peter and Wendy (the story of Peter Pan).  Charlotte Bronte popularized the name Shirley in her novel entitled Shirley.  Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games, didn't invent the word Katniss, but she will most certainly be responsible for popularizing it as a name.

Katniss is a plant. 

Here is a guide on how to grow the katniss plant...

if that strikes your fancy.

(image here)

Katniss Is Not a Real Name

The title of this post says it all - Katniss is not a real name.

It's an answer to a question that I feel is plaguing my favorite baby name website, Nameberry.  I check it out on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis.  I love the witty blog articles.  I love scrolling through all the name lists like "Geezer Names for Girls" and "Nouveau Names on the Rise".  And, I love checking out the "Today's Most Popular Name" feature, which is a cluster of the most searched names on Nameberry on any given day.  It's a great website to kill fifteen minutes or two hours (click here for other websites that I kill time on).

For the past several months, Katniss has been a name featured in Nameberry's "Today's Most Popular Name".  It's always there.  Front and center, large and pink.  The larger the name the more times it's been searched.  Everytime I pop over to check out the latest in baby names I see Seraphina (thanks Ben and Jen) and Katniss.

A screenshot from Nameberry yesterday.  

You'll notice the prominence with which Katniss is featured.

For those of you who are thinking, KATNISS?  WTF?  I can explain its popularity, in part: The Hunger Games.  You've heard of The Hunger Games, yes?  It's followed in the footsteps of the Twilight Saga as the next, best, cheesy, teenage, science fiction, drama, romance series.  The heroine of the Hunger Games series, who will be played by Jennifer Lawrence when it comes to movie theaters everywhere in March 2012, is Katniss.  Just as Bella and Isabella became wildly popular baby names thanks to the Twilight Saga, it seems that Katniss is becoming a top baby name choice thanks to The Hunger Games.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss.  Fierce.
Looks like she could kick Kristen Stewart's ass.

The part I can't explain is why people have decided that Katniss is a real name (versus the name of a science fiction heroine).  Katniss is like Spock - it's a character, not a name.  People didn't have to make that distinction with Bella or Isabella, because both had been within the top 1,000 most popular baby names (per the social security website) since 1880.  Katniss has never been on the social security website's top 1,000 baby names.  Will it join those ranks in the next couple years?  If it's popularity on Nameberry is any indication, then yes.

What do you think - is Katniss a "real life" name?  Am I being a baby name party pooper?  Will I be eating my words in a couple decades?  And, more importantly, have you read The Hunger Games and how does it compare to the Twilight Saga?

Elephant Nursery

Elephants are clearly not as trendy as owls in the world of babies and nurseries.  But they are definitely just as cute, right?  Maybe even cuter?  

In addition to being adorable, elephants can also be cool, contemporary and mature.  I'm always interested in decor themes that can transcend nursery boundaries into adult design because I live in a small apartment.  A strong theme in a small apartment can over take the entire space.  Picking a theme that works for a whole space (nursery, bedroom, living room and even kitchen) is especially important when it's small.  Imagine 800 square feet full of leopard print from rug to pendant lamp.  Scary.  Elephants, on the other hand, could work.  In moderation.

Elephants work for babies.

via amazon.com

Elephants work for grownups.

by Z Gallerie

Some ideas for a baby boy's elephant themed nursery.

1. Elephant print by Pumpkin and Butterfly ($18)

2. Elephant lamp by Uncommon Goods ($20)

3. Plush striped elephant by The Land of Nod ($16.95)

4. Eli's elephant nursery bedding by Pottery Barn Kids ($24.50 - $99)

5. Elephant clock by Uncommon Goods ($29.99)

Some ideas for a baby girl's elephant themed nursery.

1. Elephant print by Galerie Anais ($14)

2. Elephant and balloon pillow by Tailorbird Designs (25 euro)

3. Stuffed toy elephant by Rabbits Moon ($38.50)

4. Pink and gray elephant crib bedding set by Carter's ($137)

5. Elephant baby blanket by Kiki Kiddos ($55)

The First Gift Was DINOmyte

Last weekend, I attended my first 1st birthday party.  It was a blast, a blast in an apple juice glass...Jersey Shore anyone?  There was cake and singing and lots of clapping.

And now, the answer you've all been waiting for...the gift.  Remember my quest to find the perfect 1st birthday gift?  If not, click here to refresh your memory and then forget about all those options because I didn't go with any of them.  They were all great, but the winning choices were even better.  That's right, choices - three gifts.  Each different and each awesome.

This is the first gift.  You know I love dinosaurs (for more on that click here and here).  

via Amazon.com

Not only is the book about dinosaurs but it's touchy feely.  Not touchy feely in the prom night sense, but in the tactile sense.  Each page features a different dinosaur with a different texture - rough, soft, slippery, etc.  One year olds are all about their sense of touch.  They are learning about and fascinated by the way different objects feel against their skin.  And, with this book, they will also learn about and be fascinated by dinosaurs.  Double bonus.  

Stay tuned (next week) for gifts two and three.

Most Unique Name Ever

Last week I came upon a great article on nameberry.com (originally posted in 2009).  It was so great that I'm going to do something I've never done before - quote directly from the article:

Unusual baby names are becoming more and more, well, common these days. A mere one percent of babies are named Emma or Jacob, the most popular names, and only about ten percent are given one of the Top Ten names.  Compare that to a hundred years ago, when FIVE percent of babies were given the most popular names John or Mary, and 30 percent of boys and 20 percent of girls received one of the Top Ten Names.  For the first time, less than half of all babies get one of the Top 50 names.  

Interesting, right?  (To read the rest of the article click here)  Turns out that even popular names aren't all that popular.  I found the article comforting.  Even relieving.  I hate strongly dislike the thought of choosing a name that will require my child to go by first name and last name initial.  The image of my kindergarten-aged child putting his coat on a hook in a cubby labeled "Joe S." instead of just "Joe" is simply unacceptable.  I want to be able to yell, "Gittem' Joe! GET HIM!!!" at peewee football games and for my son to know that it's his crazy mom getting reprimanded by the ref because he's the only Joe on the field.  The name I choose can't be common.

And yet, I don't have any interest in naming my child something wildly unique, like Katniss or Seven.  Katniss is the female heroine from The Hunger Games.  Seven is a number.  Both make me scrunch my nose and say, "really?" because I think they're a bit too far off the grid.  I want my future children to have established names, as opposed to science fiction character names or numeric digits, yet I don't want their names to be duplicated within their (and my) inner circle.  I always thought that I was asking for the impossible.  Perhaps not.  This article makes me feel like my dream is attainable, my order is not too tall.

The Hunger Games (first of the series).
Who's read it?  Thumbs up or down?

Of course I had to confirm this good news with my own eyes.  I'm Type A like that.  Next stop baby was the Social Security website.  Nameberry was spot on, not that I had a genuine doubt.  In 2010, Jacob was the most popular boy's name with 1.0756% of the population choosing it.  In 1910, John was the most popular boy's name with 5.4920% of the population choosing it.  The statistics are almost identical for girl's names.  This means that likelihood of last initial cubby identification seems unlikely in a class size of 30, even for the most popular boy's name in the country.  I just let out a sigh of relief.  And another.  For the 2010 statistics, by the time you reach the 184th most popular boy's name (Josue) and the 156th most popular girl's name (Ashlyn), the percentage of total births drops to less than 0.1% (aka less than 1/1,000).

Your chances of meeting two babies boys named Hugh who were born in 2010 is the same as your chance of being struck by lightning in your lifetime - 1 in 10,000 (according to the National Weather Service)

I couldn't (out of principal) choose the statistically most popular name.  Truthfully, I will probably steer clear of the entire Top 10.  Everything beyond that is fair game.  Thanks to Nameberry, I'm not going to worry that if I name my daughter Natalie (#14 in 2010) that she'll be one of three Natalies in her ballet class.  And I'm not going to worry that if I name my son James (#19 in 2010) that he'll be "the other James" on the science team.  When it comes to names, being popular doesn't mean it's actually popular.

Not So Serious Pregnancy Books

I've already shown you some inappropriate baby books and today I'm showing you some hilarious pregnancy books.  It's not that I think you should avoid the super serious and super educational pregnancy books, but you may want a little laughter and commiserating in between all the fluid and mucus talk.  These books are the perfect gift for a lady who doesn't want to know the nitty gritty right away (or at all) and needs to be eased into the subject.



Pregnancy Sucks.  I think that sums it up nicely.  Not every moment of the nine (...more like ten) months is glowing beauty and maternal joy.  There's something uncomfortable, unpleasant and straight disgusting moments.  There's also a husband version - Pregnancy Sucks for Men.



The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy.  If you can get over the slightly cheesy title (sorry, it just is), then you will find this wildly popular book to be a breath of fresh air.  For the holistic, birth plan type lady beware that author Vicki Iovine does a fair amount of natural birth bashing.  For those who've planned on an epidural since learning that a stork has nothing to do with the delivery...this is the ideal read.

Belly Laughs.  Okay, this is the 2nd (maybe 3rd) time that I've plugged Belly Laughs on NSB.  It's one of the few pregnancy books that I've actually read...just a little.  I truly laughed out loud.  I found a chapter about bowel movements (I love potty humor) and was sold. 

Let's Panic About Babies.  People who read this book love it.  It's written by the authors New York Times best seller The Happiness Project.  Review after review hails it to be so funny that everyone and anyone will enjoy it, not just pregnant ladies. 

Melissa Over's Seriously Funny Guide to: Pregnancy.  This one is a little bit of a mystery to me.  The title suggests that we should know who Melissa Over is, but we don't...do we?  It's a relatively new (Oct. 2010) and quick read, and it's supposed to be seriously funny.  Badumbum Ching!

Did you or do you plan to read any non-traditional pregancy guides?  

Talk about it!