Matt & Luciana Damon- A Daughter

Actor Matt Damon, 37, and wife, Luciana “Lucy”, 32, added another daughter to their growing family on Wednesday, August 20^th. She was born in Miami, Florida just slightly overdue, with a due date of August 16^th reported previously. The couple named their new baby girl Gia Zavala. According to their rep, “Everyone’s doing great. She is a healthy baby girl.”

Matt is surely outnumbered now, with four females in the house. Let’s hope he doesn’t mind the color pink! He joked with USA Today saying recently, “I’m so outnumbered down here [at his home in Miami], it’s crazy.” He added that he will be, “taking the rest of the year off.” That is, after Green Zone re-shoots are complete.

The couple first met in 2003 while Matt was filming Stuck on You and Luciana was a bartender. They reportedly met at the bar where she was working, in Miami. Matt and Luciana were married in December 2005 during a private ceremony at City Hall in Manhattan. Little Gia joins two big sister Isabella (2) and Alexia (10). Alexia is Luciana’s daughter from her previous marriage.

Ricky Martin- Twin Sons

Latin pop singer, Ricky Martin, 36, is the proud father to twin boys. The babies were the result of a surrogate pregnancy and their birth quite a surprise to Ricky’s fans worldwide. Ricky is presently unmarried and no partner’s name has been released. The twins names and birthdates were also not released.

On the Official Ricky Martin Site a spokesperson for the Latin superstar announced Wednesday, August 20^th, with a posting titled, “A new day for Ricky“. It goes on to say, “In recent weeks, Ricky Martin became a proud father by the birth of twin sons. The children, delivered via gestational surrogacy, are healthy and already under Ricky’s full-time care.” The spokesperson added, “Ricky is elated to begin this new chapter in his life as a parent and will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children.”

Back in 2006 and 2007, Ricky, who is best known for such hits as “She Bangs!”, “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “Shake Your Bon-Bon”, spoke of his desire to adopt underprivileged children. He was quoted saying, “I believe that at some time in the future this house will be full of colored crayons strewn over the floor and the walls will be covered with scribbles. There are a lot of kids out there in need of a home.” He also said he wanted to adopt a child, “from each continent.” Ricky is a long-time supporter of children’s causes, as an ambassador for UNICEF, as well as through his Ricky Martin Foundation.

Singer and daughter of the late Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley, 40, and husband number four, music producer Michael Lockwood, have confirmed they are expecting not one, but two babies this fall. During an interview a few months ago with Entertainment Tonight, Lisa Marie slipped up about the twins before she was ready to make the double-delivery announcement. According to her blog on MySpace, “I stuck my foot in my mouth and said that I was having twins by accident.” She went on to write, “I begged them to edit that out and not say anything yet as I wasn’t ready for it to be out there then, but that when I was, I would give it to them exclusively. They really could have ran with it but they said they would not.” They kept their word, which Lisa Marie said she found, “so refreshing, I couldn’t believe it.”

Looks as if twins just plain run in the family. Lisa Marie’s father, Elvis, was a twin himself and also her mother, Priscilla, has younger brothers who are twins. The two new additions to the Presley-Lockwood family are fraternal and said to be due at the beginning of November, but more than likely will arrive by Halloween.

Although not confirmed, the twins are rumored to possibly be a boy and a girl. There are also reports already of possible name choices for the babies. According to new reports, the baby boy will be named “Jesse”, after Elvis’s identical twin brother who was stillborn. The girl will reportedly be named “Gladys“, after Elvis’s mother (Lisa Marie’s grandmother). Lisa Marie is said to have ordered monogrammed playmats with those same initials on them. During an interview with ET this month, Priscilla said her daughter’s biggest craving has been watermelon. She also said despite carrying two babies at once, Lisa Marie’s pregnancy has been an easy one so far.

On her MySpace blog, Lisa Marie wrote about the twins, “We are beyond thrilled and blessed, elated and saturated in happiness.” Also during her August 8^th post, she shared, “I am not recording at the moment as there isn’t much room for breathing and singing right now, most of that area has been taken up and I cant really sing a line without running out of air halfway though.” She added, “Writing and recording will resume when the little occupants in there have decided to join the outside world.”

Lisa Marie has a daughter, Danielle Riley (19) and a son, Benjamin Storm (15) from her marriage to Danny Keough. She has no children from her marriages to Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage. The twins will be the first children for Michael, as well as the first between the two of them.

After being rated third in 2007, obesity is now rated by adults as the number one health problem for children in America, according to an annual report by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Smoking and drug abuse outranked childhood obesity last year, but now those concerns have been pushed lower on the list, followed closely by bullying, internet safety, child abuse and neglect, teen pregnancy, alcohol abuse, AD/HD, sexually transmitted infection, chemicals in the environment and not enough opportunity for physical activity.

The poll included participation from 2, 064 adults (aged 18 and over), who were asked to rate 20 different health problems for children living in their communities. Approximately ¾ of the households surveyed included children. Director of the National Poll on Children’s Health, Matthew M. Davis, M.D., says, “The National Poll on Children’s Health report clearly shows that adults in America are very concerned about the problem of childhood obesity and its causes. While recent studies have suggested that the childhood obesity epidemic may be leveling off, the results of this poll reveal that adults in the U.S. are still very much concerned about this issue.”

1. Childhood obesity
2. Drug abuse
3. Smoking
4. Bullying
5. Internet safety
6. Child abuse and neglect
7. Teen pregnancy
8. Alcohol abuse
9. (Tie) Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and sexually transmitted infection
10. (Tie) Chemicals in the environment and not enough opportunities for physical activity

To read the full report,

visit http://health.med.umich.edu/workfiles/npch/20080714-topten-report.pdf .

Do you agree with the list or do you think there’s a bigger concern for children than obesity?

We’re excited to introduce our next giveaway, a Pink Canon Powershot with memory card and carrying case. To enter, register in our new “Mom” community. If you are already a member, for every point you acquire by inviting friends to join the community, posting on forums, blogs and other areas of the community, you gain an entry into the contest. So the more you contribute to the community, the higher your chances of winning (by gaining points). We give these gifts away every month to one of our new moms, so don’t fret if you don’t win this time. Just try again, next month. As the community continues to grow, we will be adding additional prizes. Good luck!

A recent press release from The Ohio State University Medical Center urges expectant moms to steer clear of early scheduled C-sections, unless there is a clear medical reason. Early, being defined as, “before completing 39 weeks of pregnancy”. Scheduling an early C-section or induction due to normal third-trimester pregnancy discomforts is not a good reason afterall, even though it may feel that way. Planning an early delivery for visiting family or because your health care provider will be out of town as your due date approaches are not valid reasons, either. Sorry.

According to maternal-fetal medicine specialist at The Ohio State University Medical Center, Dr. Celeste Durnwald, “Certainly, a medical problem with the mother’s health or suspected fetal jeopardy can sometimes necessitate a delivery earlier than otherwise anticipated. Maternal hypertension and poor fetal growth are common reasons.“ In such cases, the benefits of an early C-section or induction obviously outweigh the risk of waiting for your baby’s due date. When healthcare providers and parents-to-be are weighing the risks and benefits they need to realize, “ there are potential complications for a newborn. Even though those last few weeks can seem like months to the patient, I try to emphasize the importance of delivering at a gestational age when the baby gets to go home with the mother and does well in the nursery,” says Dr. Durnwald.

The health of your newborn may be at risk if delivered even a couple of weeks prior to his or her due date because babies’ development is still occurring. “That includes the accumulation of fat tissue that helps the baby regulate their temperature after birth, there is also maturation of the intestinal system to make feeding easier,” Dr. Durnwald points out. Babies born just a “little” early can have problems with premature lungs, jaundice, feeding, breathing when sitting in their car seat and they are much more likely to spend extra time in the hospital than babies born closer to their due date.

Out of my five children, my oldest is the only one who decided to make his way into the world early- a full three weeks early that is- and I had no complaints. I was more than ready for him to be here, especially after losing my first 2 pregnancies, I just wanted to hold him safe in my arms. He struggled with jaundice for the first week and he had to be readmitted to the hospital for an additional two-night stay, after spending only one night at home. He had feeding problems and ended up being my only child I couldn’t breastfeed. He threw up continuously until his first birthday. If I could do it over again and had a choice, I would have chosen for him to keep growing and developing for another 2-3 weeks. My four full-term babies never got jaundice, never had extended hospital stays and none had feeding or digestive problems. I know his problems were all just from him being a mere three weeks early. Those final weeks really do matter afterall.

Broadway/TV/film actress and former Dancing With the Stars (season six) contestant Marissa Jaret Winokur, 35, and her husband, King of the Hill writer Judah Miller are the proud parents of a baby boy. Their brand new son, whom they named Zev Isaac, was born on Tuesday, July 22^nd. Baby Zev weighed 8 lbs, 7 oz and measured 21 inches in length. Marissa shared, “He’s got a Winokur face and a Miller body,” adding, “my little miracle baby is here and I can’t believe it. He is so perfect.”

Zev is Marissa and Judah’s first child. A surrogate carried Zev (the couple’s biological child) for them, after being implanted with Marissa’s own fertilized egg. Marissa’s ordeal several years ago with cervical and uterine cancer left her unable to carry a child, following the removal of her uterus and part of her cervix. According to reports, both Marissa and Judah helped with the delivery.

Along with being the third runner-up on last season’s Dancing With the Stars, Marissa won a Tony in 2003 for her performance in Broadway’s Hairspray. Marissa also has her very own daytime talk show in the works for next year. Judah recently received his first Emmy nomination for his work as a comedy writer on King of the Hill.

Marissa’s former DWtS professional partner, Tony Dovolani, and his wife Trendalina will also be adding to their family very soon. They are expecting boy/girl twins in September, which will make three children. Tony and Lina’s daughter, Luana, is 2 ½.

Congratulations on your sweet little miracle baby, Marissa and Judah!

According to Jennifer Garner’s former co-star from Alias, they are! Victor Garber, who played the role of Jennifer’s father on Alias (and now stars on ABC’s Eli Stone), reportedly slipped up by making the announcement during an interview with US Magazine. When answering the question of whether or not Jennifer was expecting a second baby with husband, Ben Affleck, Victor replied, “Yes, she is.” Although now he’s saying those words were taken out of context. Victor’s slip didn’t actually start the pregnancy rumors. In fact, within the past few weeks many photos have surfaced of Jennifer dressed in much looser-fitting clothing, sporting a fairly obvious baby bump! Back in May, when questioned about whether he would like to direct his wife in a film in the future, Ben told the UK’s Times newspaper he would love to. He added, “And we’re going to have another baby soon, now that we’ve figured out how to do it. We want lots of kids.” Not to mention the couple was reportedly spotted at an obstetrician’s clinic in LA this week. Sounds like a baby-on-the-way to me!

Jennifer, 36, is rumored to be approximately five months along in her pregnancy. If the reports are true, the couple’s newest addition will join big sister, Violet (2). Jennifer and Ben married in June 2005 in the Turks and Caicos islands, with Victor Garber officiating the ceremony.

Photo Credit: X17online.com

Actor/writer/film director Ethan Hawke, 37, and his author wife Ryan Shawhughes, 28, are not just newly-weds, but also the proud parents to a brand new baby girl. Their daughter, named Clementine Jane Hawke, was born Friday, July 18^th, according to Ethan‘s rep. She made her way into the world at a New York City hospital.

Ethan and Ryan met when she was hired as a nanny for his two children with ex-wife Uma Thurman, with whom he was married to from 1998-2004. The couple went on to marry in New York City during a very intimate ceremony just this past June.

Baby Clementine Jane is Ethan and Ryan’s first child together. She joins an older sister, Maya (10), and brother, Levon (6 ½), from Ethan’s marriage to Uma, who has some excitement going on in her own life right now. It was recently announced that she is preparing to marry her Swiss multimillionaire boyfriend, Arpad “Arki” Busson, who happens to be the father of former supermodel Elle Macpherson’s two sons.

We’ve decided to do another giveaway! Due to participation by so many who registered for the Starbucks giveaway, we will be giving away $25 Target Gift Cards to two of our special readers, as our July promotion. Pass the word along! In addition, we are giving away $10 Target Gift Cards to the first 20 moms who register on our new Mom Community. Why not be one of the first?

UPDATE: We are moving this back up to the top to help promote the giveaway.

It appears that even one peanut butter and jelly sandwich a day could be a negative thing if you have a baby-on-the-way. According to a brand new study from the Netherlands that appeared in July’s second issue of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, eating nut products every day through the course of your pregnancy may increase the risk of your baby developing asthma down the road. The increased risk is more than 50 percent, when compared to women who very rarely (or never) eat nut products during pregnancy.

The study, conducted by the Dutch government, looked at close to 4,000 pregnant women’s dietary questionnaires and asked them about their consumption of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, eggs, milk and milk products, as well as nuts and nut products during the previous month. Their babies’ diets were also tracked and assessed when they were 2 years old. Any asthma and allergy symptoms the toddlers had were assessed yearly up until they turned 8 years old. This gave researchers data to study on 2,832 children and their mothers.

Out of all the mothers involved in the study, 6 percent had consumed nuts or some type of nut products daily. Researchers found that these women’s children were much more likely to have wheezing, shortness-of-breath and use steroids for asthma, than the women who rarely consumed nuts and nut products during their pregnancy. As for the expectant women who rarely consumed nuts and nut products (or even ate them regularly; up to six times a week), there was no increased risk of asthma in their children, according to the study.

Lead author of the study, Saskia M. Willers, M.Sc., said, “it’s too early to make recommendations of avoidance,” but she added, “it’s important for pregnant women to eat healthily, and what is true for many foods is that too much is never good.” After reading the study, I believe eating nut products on a daily basis may not be such a good idea. Moderation seems to be the key. But, really, who eats nut products that much anyways? If you do, you should probably cut back until after delivery to avoid possibly having a child who suffers from asthma.