I'm not at all inclined to believe any of the flotsam floating around out there about the state of Angelina Jolie's twins' health. I am inclined to believe, however, the bits about Angelina suffering from post partum depression (PPD). Ange is a mom just like the rest of us, and, like most new moms, she is probably experiencing it on some level.
According to reports, Angie is in a tither over the health of twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon and is depressed. She is crying throughout the day and exhausted from sleepless nights. Well, welcome to early motherhood! Birth is a big deal, however you do it. Between the act of giving birth and all the pregnancy hormones flowing in and out of your body, crying is probably the least of it. Some women get PPD so badly they impart harm to themselves, their spouses and their children. Ange will be lucky if she gets away with just crying.
Having been through a milder form of PPD myself, I can say that sometimes the crying seems as if it will never end. The sadness seems insurmountable and the lack of control overwhelming. But, hope is around the corner--women and their doctors are more aware of PPD and how to treat it. Even superwomen/supermoms like Angelina Jolie are not immune to PPD or other post-natal symptoms. Let's hope that's all it is, and that she is able to get the help and understand--and support, especially from Brad--she needs in order to get better!
Don't mess with the material mom. I think we all know the consequences of that. But what about when you're her daughter? Lourdes is probably just as headstrong as her mommy and may even like to follow in her mother's big footsteps someday. Says Madonna, though, Lourdes is forbidden from acting.
Nevertheless, the acting bug has allegedly bitten little Lola. Many celebrity kids either attempt or succeed at following in their famous parents' footsteps, especially when it comes to acting. And many of those celebrity parents have said they don't want their kids acting or being in the profession at all. The stress, the drama, the lies of the media and the unbelievable pressure to be perfect are too much, they feel, for their kids to go through (yet they continue to do it).
Madonna is no exception. She is a mom, after all, and she wants to protect her family. According to a "source" Madge has banned her daughter, 11, from being in a new movie and has nixed Lola being involved in the craft until she finishes high school. I wonder how she feels about Lourdes going to college--Madonna dropped out, and it didn't seem to bother her career aspirations in the slightest!
Ok, who knows if this is really true, but it's certainly cute. According to Victoria Beckham herself, she cooks for her family. Many moms accomplish this task, but I'd wager few are as busy as Posh Spice, who spends her time running her fashion lines of jeans and clothes as well as modeling and being a fashion plate in general. Posh also recently released yet another fragrance she's been promoting.
Posh, who is vegetarian (perhaps that is how she keeps her trim figure?) says she makes a good mincemeat pie though. Posh also says she cooks dinner every Sunday for her family, which consists of husband David--international soccer star and megahottie--and three sons, Romeo, Cruz and Brooklyn. The menu includes Yorkshire pudding and Dora the Explorer cakes--I'm guessing those are David's favorite???
Victoria was under recent speculation that she might be adding to her family but has done her best to quell those rumors by wearing tight fitting clothes and telling everyone she is too busy to consider another child at this time. Part of the reason she is so busy is spending some time suing magazines for claiming she takes dieting pills. Maybe she just doesn't like mincemeat pies!
OK, is it me or is a national convention no place for a baby? As was widely covered (yet not as much as the Democratic National Convention, interestingly), the Republican National Convention showcased many of Sarah Palin's children (and a would-be teenage groom). Among them, Palin's infant son, Trig. I thought it was a lot to take my newborn to the local diner when he was born!
Now, while the Republicans seemed a little more calm and collected than their boisterous Democratic opponents, they were still a relatively rowdy bunch. The whole point of a convention is to get people riled up for the cause, and there was a lot of that going on, especially from Palin herself. It was a loud, crowded, noisy place, which, to me, is no place for a baby. Babies need stimulation and interaction with the social world, I'm sure, but the RNC is a far cry from what good old Doctor Spock imagined. I am sure that kid was terrified. He seemed ok in the arms of family members as the rest of the RNC wailed on, but I couldn't help but think he should have been home with a nanny or a sitter.
Of course, the whole point of having her family there was to drive home the point that she's a mom and that she is a working mother, too. And, naturally, rather than focusing on real issues that truly matter to the election, the focus was all on her family. Trig has down syndrome. Bristol is pregnant. Levi will we her. Both Palin and the press have done their best to constantly remind us of these things--things which matter, sure, but they shouldn't be a part of the race for the White House. Should they? Palin and her people say keep the children out of it, yet there they were, even the littlest one, at the convention. Obama was no better--he trotted his kids out for the cute factor, no denying that.
Thoughts? Should we keep candidates' kids out of the political spotlight? If so, shouldn't they NOT be on television?
Actually, that statement may not quite be true. The actor, known for his roles in the Bridget Jones movies as well as the new Mama Mia, has three kids of his own but finds small children "loathsome" at times. But, the hottie's words may have been slightly taken out of context (can you imagine???).
Firth has three sons ranging in age from five to eighteen, so he has plenty of experience with children and being a father. To clarify, Firth says kids are just people who haven't lived very long yet, and while he tends to be affectionate toward the younger set, if they're annoying upon meeting then generally they're annoying period, regardless of age--and hence the loathsome business.
I guess Colin is referring to first impressions, and perhaps there is something to that. I've always heard, however, that you're only as good as your last impression. It's interesting that someone with three kids of his own freely admits children can be loathsome, but I'm not so sure I can agree. All kids, just like all people, have bad days, right? That doesn't make them bad kids!
Yes, you read that right. A little early for Halloween, sure, but this is one of those stories too weird--and creepy--to not be true. A Greater Manchester man who police and family thought was dead re-entered their lives after his son spotted him on television. The man, John Delaney, was believed to have died in April of 2000. Police accidentally misidentified a body as his and his family had a funeral for him, cremating the body of what they believed to be the patriarch in 2003.
Delaney had actually suffered a head injury and been admitted to a hospital days later. He suffered amnesia and was unable to give medical professionals his name. He was transferred to a home and stayed there for eight years before his son identified him while watching a show about missing people.
The son, John Renehan, said that while his father had been cremated, he "knew" the man he saw on television was his father. And he was right. Goes to show you have to trust your instincts sometimes. Now the family is happily reunited in what is truly an amazing story for the books. Sadly, the body of the person who was believed to be Delaney and subsequently cremated, has yet to be identified.
Saturday Night Live alum David Spade is a father, thanks to the miracle of science. According to DNA tests, he is the daddy of ex-girlfriend Jillian Grace's new baby. Although Spade and the model are no longer an item, he did not deny her claims he was the father of her unborn child.
Spade had previously noted that if the DNA tests came back positive for the new tot he would accept responsibility. Well, David, welcome to the wonderful world of (celebrity) parenting. Few other details are known of the baby, who was born August 26th. Looks like Spade is taking the high road on this one and keeping his child out of the spotlight.
The Rules of Engagement star kept in contact with Jillian during the pregnancy and plans to see the baby during breaks in filming. Let's hope he does more than that--I want to see Spade in a sling, or at least a bjorn!!!
Many of you will be saddened to hear this, or at least slightly nostalgic. Bill Melendez, who voiced the Peanuts character Snoopy, has died. Melendez, who was also in charge of most of the animation, was ninety-one! He is survived by his wife of sixty-eight years and two children.
The mustachioed man may not have been known by many in person, but we all knew the voice of our beloved Snoopy. Whether portraying the Red Baron or Charlie Brown's best friend (besides Linus), Snoopy was honestly the most adult of the Peanuts characters. He also lent his talents to the Met Life insurance company.
Melendez was a true talent, being both Oscar-nominated and an Emmy winner. He was set to celebrate his ninety-second birthday in November. He is responsible for animating A Charlie Brown Christmas, and my personal favorite cartoon ever, It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Wipes. Once you have a child, it seems impossible to get away from using them. They're everywhere and made to use for everything baby related. And there are so many different kinds to choose from, you find yourself sampling until you find the "right" wipe for your family. Some prefer the all-natural variety, some prefer antibacterial. Others prefer the sensitive skin version, and some just go for whatever is cheapest. Heck, you can even make your own baby wipes at home.
But, are wipes all they're cracked up to be? Are they really safe for all the uses for which they are available? I use them to wipe up during a diaper change. And I use them to wipe my hands. And I use them to wipe down the table after my son has his meal. And I've been known on occasion to use them to wipe his face after said meal. I've used them to wipe his nose instead of traditional tissues because they keep the skin on his nose from drying out.
My husband came home from Costco with a box of 700 wipes. Yes, 700. And all for the low cost of like $17. But are they good for the environment? Do they disintegrate or pile up in a landfill somewhere like everything else? Is it worth it for the convenience? And what about the organic versions versus the regular kind? Is there any real advantage to using chlorine-free wipes as opposed to generic ones? So many questions, so many wipes. They're invaluable when it comes to diaper changing duties, but other than that are they really worth it? I come from the cloth napkin world where little is thrown away or not reused, but I love the cleanliness and simplicity of the wipe. Is there any middle ground?
What is your favorite type of wipe, or have you found a way to get things (and your kids) clean without them?
According to a new report, actress Leighton Meester was essentially born in prison. The Gossip Girl star's mother was allegedly in prison serving time in federal prison in Texas for drug-related charges when her now-famous daughter was born.
Mom was allowed to live in a half-way house until little Leighton was three months old, but then had to serve out the rest of her sentence behind bars. The report appears in the questionable if anything Star magazine, where it is noted Leighton was raised by a relative until mom was released.
The magazine also claims other members of Meester's family, including her grandfather, spent time in the slammer, again for drug-related charges. Do we believe it? Sure, why not--plenty of women have had children while in prison. Can't stop mother nature. Do we care? That I'm not so sure about. With Gossip Girl's second season opening to its largest audience ever, I doubt the show needed such a publicity stunt, but they got one anyway!
Kate Moss seems to have a few tricks up her designer sleeve when it comes to getting her daughter to eat her vegetables. The supermodel tells Glenn O'Brien in September's Interview magazine that she bribes her child into eating the less desirable foods by promising her access to her wardrobe when she's older. Seems ironic for the woman who was constantly at the center of a rumor tornado surrounding her alleged eating disorder.
Moss freely admits she "blackmails" daughter Lila Grace, 5, into eating the vegetables by telling her she'll get what Kate no longer wears when she's older. Can you imagine what this woman's closet looks like? I'd eat broken glass to get even a fraction of it! Moss tells her daughter if she doesn't eat her vegetables and finish her dinner she won't grow and she won't get the clothes. It's a deal I guess Kate can easily afford, being one of the most famous of the supermodels out there. I certainly couldn't promise my children much more than a couple of hairy dogs and a lot of well-loved maternity wear.
Both bloggers and commenters have long debated whether or not it's appropriate to bribe children into doing things that are good for them or that we want them to do. Eating vegetables is no exception. I'll tell you right now that, if I could, I would immediately bribe my seventeen-month-old into eating his vegetables--well, into eating anything other than fake sausage links and pirate booty. I can easily see how parents give in to it as a last resort. Question is, if it starts out as a last resort, how long before it becomes the standard?
Suicide rates among the nation's youth continue to climb. Many experts fear the reason for this is due to fewer antidepressants being prescribed. After a fifteen-year decline the rates are climbing--what was seen as a possibly random increase in 2004 was repeated in 2005. The outcome of the study of 2004 and 2005 tracked outcomes based on actual instances from 1996 through 2003. After more than a decade of decline, suicide rates among those from 10-19 years of age skyrocketed by 18% in 2004, the largest increase in a one-year time period over fifteen years. Researcher Jeff Bridge feels, based on this study, that we could be on the verge of a public health crisis.
Bridges sites possible reasons for the increase, including online and social networking as well as returning from deployment overseas in Iraq along with the controversy over giving youth antidepressants. In a 2003 a public health advisory was issued noting children who were prescribed SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, were more likely to attempt suicide or engage in suicidal behavior. The result was the black box information on such medicines as well as doctors being less confident in prescribing them. In another study, however, Bridge noted that such treatment could be beneficial for children in the short-term.
According to Diana Zuckerman, National Research Center for Women & Families, children may be more likely to attempt suicide now due to the lagging economy, the stress of not having enough money for college and because those with depression go undiagnosed. She also noted a factor could be that families aren't spending enough time together.
Television and film star Rebecca Romijn has opened up about her pregnancy cravings. The Ugly Betty actress recently announced she and husband Jerry O'Connell are expecting twins, and the cravings brought on by them can't be ignored.
According to Romijn, she is craving lemonade and, of all things, soy cream cheese. Says Romijn, it can't be regular cream cheese--it has to be the soy version. This makes total sense to me only because I am pregnant too. The things your body desires when you're with child have no bearing on rationality! At least lemonade and soy cream cheese are relatively healthy options, compared to, say, cupcakes and pork rinds.
Romijn is among the latest celebrity parents expecting twins. Perhaps she can get in touch with Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and Julia Roberts to figure out whether it's best to fight the cravings or just give in to them! I say give in, especially with the lemonade. In fact, there is some lemonade in my fridge right now. I have that SAME craving.
Children born to men who are older than the ripe old age of 30 are more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder, according to a new study. The results of the study, published in the Archives of General Psychology, suggest that the risk increases as the age of the father increases. Bipolar disorder is more commonly known as manic depression. Symptoms of the disorder include periods of extreme happiness offset by mood swings of severe depression and hopelessness.
The reason for the connection? According to Emma Frans of Sweden, who led the study, it could be that older men have more degraded sperm. The Swedish research team used a national medical registry of 14,000 who had the disorder along with five people without the disorder for each person in the registry to uncover the connection. After factoring for the mother's age, the results indicated that those with fathers over 30 had an 11% increase in risk and those with fathers as old as 55 had a 37% increased risk. Frans was quick to point out that the results shouldn't keep older men from fathering children all together, but that they should be aware of the increased risks.
Older fathers have also been linked to autism and schizophrenia.
A recent article regarding birth order and relationships on AOL's Personals site got me thinking of a conversation I'd recently had with my mother. We were talking about how many kids I wanted (I have one with another one on the way). I'd said ideally I'd love to have three someday, and then the topic of the middle child--and middle child syndrome--came up. Is it really true that middle children behave a certain way? They're neither the oldest, firstborn, nor are they the baby in the family. And, just perhaps, that birth order of being in the middle has an affect on their relationships when they get older.
According to the article, written by the folks at eHarmony Advice, firstborn children make good mates because they're reliable; of course, they can also make poor mates because they're not given to spontaneity and like to maintain control. Middle-born children are more likely to be laid back, which everyone enjoys, but they're also not inclined to deal well with conflict, avoiding it at all costs. This can be both good or bad for a relationship. And the youngest, the baby of the family, can be the most fun and exciting in a relationship, but that can also translate to not being accountable for actions and abuse of power.
What about the only child? According to the article they act much like the oldest child, and make great communicators who've been around adult relationships their whole lives. Expectations are the downfall for the only child, as is moving too slowly. Is this a load of hogwash, or is eHarmony on to something here? Does birth order really affect how an adult treats his or her mates in a relationship? Or is it more a matter of nature AND nurture--how the parents treat a child regardless of birth order? I'm going with the latter on this one, as it seems to easy to pigeon-hole someone into a type of behavior based on his/her birth order. Still, some say it's as real as anything else psychology has to throw our way. What do you think?
I'm not at all inclined to believe any of the flotsam floating around out there about the state of Angelina Jolie's twins' health. I am inclined to believe, however, the bits about Angelina suffering from post partum depression (PPD). Ange is a mom just like the rest of us, and, like most new moms, she is probably experiencing it on some level.
Kate Moss seems to have a few tricks up her designer sleeve when it comes to getting her daughter to eat 
