Girl's With Boy's Names

I'm tempted to use this entire post to discuss all the tabloid/legal gossip that came out this week about Real Housewives cast members - there's just so much.

There was the sentencing of Teresa and Joe Giudice after their guilty plea to a number of financial crimes back in March. USMagazine.com has a nice little article quoting the sentencing judge who informed Teresa that because she is almost completely devoid of any morality, he couldn't bring himself to give her just probation. So he didn't. She got a year and a half and her better worse half got over three years. In prison. Federal prison. Well, orange is the new black...

Before I move on to the real topic of today's rare post, I also feel compelled to discuss Bethenny Frankel's legal shenanigans. She was told by the judge in her ongoing divorce and child custody case to stop wearing her daughter's pajamas. You may (or may not, if you're me) have missed it this summer when Bethenny posted a photo of herself wearing her four year old's pajamas on Instagram. She caught a lot of slack from fans and haters alike. Well, this week, she also caught slack from a Manhattan judge who told her, in sum, to knock it off.

I'll let you be the judge whether this is "knock it off" type behavior
Image source: Bethenny Frankel Instagram

Okay, onto today's topic: Girls who have boy's names. Specifically, Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher and Lincoln Bell Shepard.

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher had a daughter a few days ago (congrats to them, if they happen to read...) and they named her Wyatt. In March 2013, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard named their daughter Lincoln. Wyatt and Lincoln. They name of two very important, very masculine figures in American History. Of course I'm referring to Wyatt Earp and the 16th President of the United States. Is this the start of a new wave of boy names making their way to the girl's side?

I admit that this "trend" has been trending since...forever. Allison was originally a boy's name. True story. People love naming their daughters Charlotte and Alexandra for the sheer joy of calling them Charlie and Alex. Elliot and Cameron have been very popular crossover names in the past decade. There's Evan and Dylan and Hayden and Rowan and Taylor. The examples are too numerous to list. So, maybe the only thing different about Lincoln and Wyatt is that they're the first of their kind and in a decade or two, they will be obvious adds to the list. Maybe Ashton Kutcher is a formerly unrecognized innovator and, at last, deserves some credit...

Thoughts? Anyone in your circle who has used a crossover/unisex name? 

Do you like the trend? Hate it?

When is Drew Barrymore Due?

I guess Mondays are becoming tough post days for me. Sorry for giving you zilch yesterday. I have no one to blame but myself...and Matthew McConaughey...and Woody Harrelson. Who else has been watching True Detective? Wow. It gives me nightmares, but I'm addicted.

When is Drew Barrymore due? It feels like she's been pregnant forever. At least a year and a half.

According to E!Online, Drew just had her baby shower and Cameron Diaz attended (they're besties). This brings up another question: why do celebrity moms get a baby shower for every baby? The rule about baby showers is that you get one for your firstborn and that's it. No baby shower for your second born. The reasoning behind the rule is that you're gifted the essentials at your first round baby shower and you're expected to reuse those essentials for all subsequent rounds. You just don't need multiple infant bathtubs. The most annoying part of this blatant rule breaking by Drew and other famous folks is that they're the last people who need to be gifted more baby stuff. They're loaded and can buy all the baby stuff they need and they're always getting free stuff from brands begging for high profile publicity. I'm not suggesting that second born kiddos don't deserve some new, special items of their own. If Drew's aunt Myrtle (she doesn't actually have an aunt Myrtle) wants to knit a new baby blanket that's totally cool. But a full-on baby shower? I object.

Despite my original belief, this photos is not from Drew's baby shower. It's from an event she attended.
(image source)

One last question, according to the same E!Online article, Gwyneth Paltrow was also in attendance at Drew's illegal baby shower. Here's the question: since when are Drew and Gwyneth friendly? Right? Is Gwyneth just mixing up her circle of friends because her current social life is being impacted by her conscious uncoupling? I'm far off topic.

Happy Tuesday. And if you happen to know when Drew is due, I'd love to know.

The New SSA Top 1,000 list is Coming...

Mother's Day is around the corner. For New Englanders like myself, winter just ended (last week), so this news is quite shocking. But, we're already a week into April and Mother's Day is May 11th this year. This means that the Social Security Administration will be posting the Top 1,000 names of 2013 on Friday, May 9th...a month away! Back in 2012, I learned from a savvy commentor that the SSA posts the prior year's most popular baby names on the Friday before Mother's Day.

In anticipation of this upcoming and major event, let's take a peak at last year's Top 1,000 names. I'm specifically interested in the least popular of the most popular. I'm here to make a few predictions on which of last year's less desirable names are on the move to more popular pastures.

Ladies First - Tess, Geraldine, Esme and Leona. These names fell somewhere between 900 and 1,000 and Tess barely made the list at all (though her cousin, Tessa, was up at 235). These slightly quirky, yet traditional names are right on trend. I'd like to see them rise in ranks and think they will. What I know will make big waves are Monroe and Everly. These names also fell into 900 and 1,000 range last year. But, thanks to their celeb association, I have no doubt that this is the very beginning of their rise.

The Cannon/Carey family, including Monroe and Morrocco.
(image source)

Everly Tatum - too cute.
(image source: Channing Tatum Facebook)

Gentlemen Next - Anders, Briggs and Foster. The last name as a first name trend started a while back with Harrison and Grayson. It has remained a naming trend for so long because it conjures strong, masculine names that feel classic. The added consideration to this trend, which is an added consideration to all name trends these days, is uniqueness. These three boy names fit the bill. And Bodhi. Definitely Bodhi. It's going to get much bigger thanks to Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox's new son.

What were all your friends naming their babies last year? 

What are your predictions for big movers and shakers on the SSA Top 1,000 list?

Apollo, ScarJo and Celebrity Baby Soccer Tournaments

It's Friday again (NICE) and it's again time for a weekly summary of celebrity gossip, baby style. My last roundup can be found here, in case you missed it.

Our week started, on Saturday (3/1), with the birth of Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale. Apollo is the third son for Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale. Between all three of their boy name choices, this one is only moderately unique. Their first born, Kingston James McGregor, is the most standard, their second born, Zuma Nesta Rock, is the most creative (obviously) and Apollo sits in the middle, leaning toward standard. Gavin Rossdale's Twitter birth announcement and explanation of the name's meaning is...confusing, upon first read. Does Apollo have more than one mother? Does Gwen Stefani have more than one maiden name? No and no. Bowie is Rossdale's mother's maiden name. Flynn is Stefani's mother's maiden name. I'm guessing most of you figured this out right away. I didn't.

Scarlett Johansen is pregnant. She may not have beaten Ryan Reynolds to marriage number two, but she is officially going to beat him to baby number one. Unless I've missed the news that Blake Lively is pregnant as well? I'm interested to watch this one progress. I can't picture her pregnant, though I'm guessing her bra is going to give Kim Kardashian's bra a run for its money. And I wonder what kind of baby namer she will be. Will she bend to the Hollywood pressure and try to find the last unique name in the world or will she surprise us with an Emma or Jacob?

Last, but certainly not least, Fraser is going to be a father for the sixth time. He will be officially even with the Jolie-Pitt squad, except that the age range of the Grammer brood is significantly more expansive. There will be a 21 year difference between the oldest and the youngest. In a couple years, when baby Grammer is walking, they should do a Grammer versus Jolie-Pitt soccer game or something. 

Happy almost weekend.

Xtina, Bodhi and the Kardashian Trio

It's Friday, so let's keep it light.  How about a week in review of celeb baby news?  Let's do it.

For starters - Xtina is preggers again!!  This is definitely worthy of the double exclamation point.  Her son, Max, with her ex-hubby is already 6-years-old.  So, she hasn't done this in a while.  It's certainly a sprinkle appropriate occasion, although I think celebs have a full blown baby shower for every baby.  Just one of the many ways that the rules don't seem to apply to them.      

Megan Fox and David Silver welcomed their second son, Bodhi Ransom.  Not long ago, I told you that I was excited for all these celebs who are expecting baby boys.  And this is why.  Hollywood has not been disappointing with boy name choices as of late.  Bodhi is not nutso, but it's unusual.  We're all familiar with the name Bode, thanks to Bode Miller kicking it in Sochi.  Bode and Bodhi are different spellings of the same name.  And, believe it or not, Bodhi has actually been in the top 1000 US names since 2010.  It's at the bottom of the list, but it's there.  Now Ransom, let's be real - nutso.  I mean, not completely and utterly nutso, but standard nutso.  It was actually popular at the turn of the 19th century (circa 1915), making this name a mashup of modern and vintage.  I love it, in a I-would-never-name-my-kid-this-name kind of way.

The real star of the real Beverly Hills 90210.
image source

The Kardashian sisterhood announced their baby fashion line.  Yawn.  Jessica Simpson also has a fashion line for everything ever, but she doesn't make such a big deal about it.  Why do they have to announce everything?  Why do they have to be such attention...needers?  I say all this, but then I also On Demand the 2 part episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians when Kanye proposed to Kim.

Thoughts on Christina Aguilera's pregnancy news?  How about the name Bodhi Ransom?  Will you buy clothes from the Kardashian fashion line at Babies R Us?

Two Under Two - The Pros

Whenever a family has two children who are both under the age of two, it seems to put them in a special category.  Rather than referring to these families as simply having two kids, there's the added mention that both children are under two.  It seems that two years is some sort of marker to be considered in family planning.  Side note: I hate the term family planning.  It brings me back to freshman year in high school when I was in "Decisions" class, watching in horror as my teacher waved a condom in the air and asked for volunteers to identify it.  Rather than expand on this memory, I'd like to get to the bottom of the "two under two" mystique.

So, let's focus on the positive (no need to join the haters club), and brainstorm all the reasons we can think of as to why it would be awesome to have two kids under two.  I'll go first after we look at some gratuitous celebrity pics.

The youngest of the Spelling/McDermott brood (Hattie and Finn) are fifteen months apart.
(Photo source)

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler will be the proud parents of two under two later this year
(Photo source: Kristin Cavallari Instagram)

Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green are expecting their second any day now.  Their first was born fall 2012.
(Photo Source)

1.  You're already used to lack of sleep.  Chances are, with one child being fifteen months or younger, you're not getting a solid eight hours on the regular.  Your body is used to shorter chunks and has adapted relatively well (by now).  A return to night feedings isn't going to rock your world. 

2.  They're bound to be besties.  Whether the same gender or different, the fact that your two babes will be so close in age means that they're going to experience life at a similar pace.  They're going to have shared experiences, (probably) shared interests and (possibly) shared clothes.  This is the stuff that forever friends are made of. 

3.  No need to unpack all the baby stuff because it's already on your living room floor.  Your first born is probably too young for you to have put most stuff in storage.  Sure, there are a couple rubbermaids in the attic, but a lot of baby stuff is already where it should be.  

4.  Built in socializing.  No need to stress about engaging your children in social situations that will build sharing and compromising skills.  There will be plenty of socializing, sharing and compromising right at home.  Morning, noon and night.

Your turn.  What else can be added to this list?

Time for a New Blog Title

Before I return to being a somewhat regular blogger, I need to address a foundational issue.  The title of this blog is Next Stop Baby, but the figurative train reached the figurative next stop back in 2012.  I arrived.  I'm a parent.  I have a baby...actually, I have a toddler.   So, "Next Stop Baby" is a bit of a farce.

I thought about it (for a minute or two) and came to a quick conclusion.  For me, the logical transition is from "Next Stop Baby" to "Next Stop (Another) Baby".  When I started Next Stop Baby, I was considering the idea of considering the idea of starting a family.  Now, I'm considering the idea of considering the idea of expanding my family.  So, the new title makes sense, right?  Having another baby is on my radar, but I'm not there.  

That's where we're at.  Ready yourself for discussions on the timing, the money and the space required for a second bambino.  I will attempt to tackle the hot topics of double diaper duty and two under two from all perspectives.  Maybe I'll even do some research on parenting techniques as they relate to birth order (I'm making this up as I go).  And, of course, there's always my favorite topics of nursery decor and baby names.

Speaking of, I'm already excited about Drew Barrymore's second baby...what will Olive's younger sister be named?!  And Olivia Wilde is pregnant, which is another name I'm eager to learn, especially because it's a boy.  Hollywood has been producing some especially interesting boy names as of late - Axl Duhamel and Kaius Jagger Berman...which I constantly say in my head as Kallus...like a callus on your foot.  

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?

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.

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 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.

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.

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?

Name That Bump 3 - Revealed

On Monday, I showed you the photo below and asked for guesses as to who the perfectly round bump belonged to.

Reveal time:

It's our favorite German-born model, Heidi Klum!  Ms. Klum, host of Project Runway, is mother of Helene ("Leni"), Henry, Johan and Lou.  The latter three are Seal's biological children and Leni is the biological daughter of Flavio Briatore.

Name That Bump 3

Alrighty.  It's the 3rd go at Name That Bump.  This gorgeous mama hosts a television show and has multiple children by more than one man (oh my).  Name that bump!

Name That Bump 2 - Revealed

After tons of comments (or not) and tons of anticipation (by WW), I'm finally revealing the person who belongs to the headless bump from Name That Bump 2.  One more time, here's the headless bump:

And, at last, here's the full photo:

It's Gwen Stefani!!!  Woohoo.  Exciting stuff.  As hinted, she's the lead singer of No Doubt (who's coming out with a new album after all these years) and mother of two boys, Kingston and Zuma.

Despite the fact that Name That Bump still hasn't picked up a ton any traction, I'm not willing to give up.  I'm giving it at least 3 strikes.  So, look for a new headless baby bump on Monday with the reveal coming on Wednesday. 

Name That Bump 2

Okay, let's try this again with some hints.  The mama-to-be in the photo below is a singer and has two children.  Name That Bump!  

Stuff People Google 66 (and Name That Bump)

WOOHOO - Stuff People Google is back this week with the following slightly bizarre phrase:

cute photos of childs on balcony

There's the obvious grammar issue and there's the weird substance.  Why would one want cute photographs of children on a balcony?  I can't think of a reasonable answer to this question.  What I do know is why the typist landed on Next Stop Baby - a photograph of Michael Jackson holding his son Blanket over the edge of a balcony from a past post (here).

Now - Let's also talk about Tuesday's preliminary edition of Name That Bump.  Let's first review the headless photo first:

Now, here is the reveal:

Nicole Richie!!! 

I got some feedback via comments and offline conversation (with friends and family who called and said things like - that's such a weird headless photo, who the hell is that, there's no way I could tell just from the photo).   Going forward, I'm going to incorporate "Name That Bump" editions as a Next Stop Baby staple (haven't decided how often that will happen).  The photo created intrigue, if not a bit of frustration, which is a good thing.  But, I'll also include a couple hints to give everyone a realistic chance of guessing the momma-to-be.

Have a great weekend.

   

A Farewell to Stuff People Google?

So, you may have noticed that for the first time since my April trip to the Caribbean, I didn't post a weekly edition of Stuff People Google last Friday.  That's because I didn't have a phrase to post!!!  I haven't come across something fun and interesting in a while and I didn't want to post something totally boring like "rainbow baby nursery" or "how much to spend on coworker baby shower".

It was a quagmire that I wrestled with all last week.  Then Friday was upon me and I had zero plan of action.  So, Friday came and went and I didn't even address it.  Not a highly professional way to deal with the issue.

What's worse is that I still haven't come across anything interesting to post for this Friday....or any future Friday to come.  I'm hoping some weird people find Next Stop Baby over the next couple days.  If not, I'm temporarily putting Stuff People Google on hold.  I have no other option!

Meanwhile I'm considering a new weekly series of posts.  The front runner of the moment is "Name That Bump".  Here's how it will work: I post a photo of a headless pregnant lady, you guess the pregnant lady.  Exhibit A:

Do you know who this lady is?  More importantly, would you be interested in participating in this fun game once a week?

Stuff People Google 66

At first, I wast a huge fan of today's edition of Stuff People Google.

pregnant women are rude

In my experience, people are rude to pregnant women and not the other way around.  People are especially rude to pregnant women on the subway (more on that here).  But, there are two sides to every story, yes?  So, I racked my brain for an example of a particularly rude pregnant woman.  BAM - Gisele Bundchen.  If my memory serves me, Mrs. Tom Brady was full of misguided quotes during her first pregnancy, which included an assertion that it should be illegal not to breastfeed.

How else are pregnant women rude?  Do they swing their bellies around like weapons?  Steal snacks in the office place?  Cut ahead in long lines?  I thought line cutting was primarily occupied by a sector the senior population...yes, I've gone ahead and said something colorful about the senior population once again.  I wonder if there will be a backlash like last time.  For those who don't remember the last time I said something remotely unkind about the senior population (here), I suffered the wrath of one very angry commenter.