Victoria’s Secret model Adriana Lima has given birth to a baby girl, her first with NBA star Marco Jaric of the Memphis Grizzlies. They have christened their daughter with the name Valentina Lima Jaric. A representative for the couple has announced that “Mother, father and baby are all doing well.”

Valentina is a popular Latin America name which means ‘healthy and strong’. Mexican actress Salma Hayek also chose the name for her daughter two years ago.

So will Mom walk down a Victoria’s Secret catwalk weeks after giving birth like VS alum Heidi Klum? And will Valentina choose to walk down a runway or down the courts of the WBNA when she grows older? Only time will tell.

Adriana 28, and husband Marco, 31, met in 2006, got engaged two years later, married back in February and announced the pregnancy soon after the honeymoon.

“We are so excited!” she announced back in May. “We wanted this. We were ready.”

Congratulations to the couple!

Source: Celebrity Babies

Postpartum depression can affect anyone regardless of social status or wealth. The list of celebs who have had to gain control of this very real part of pregnancy and childbirth continues to grow. The latest celebrity to admit to having suffered from postpartum depression is singer Marie Osmond.

Reports published recently online revealed that in 1999 following the birth of her son Matthew she had the worst case of the baby blues ever. While admitting that she had baby blues in previous births, with Matthew it was bad and became more than just that. In an interview published online at the Daily Mail website, Osmond said, “Then one day, she snapped. I remember walking down the stairs and putting Matthew in the arms of the nanny. I can’t stay here, I told her. There is something wrong, really wrong with me. I have to leave until I figure it out.”

Thankfully, her husband and mother helped her seek treatment and she got better. Osmond said she was shocked to know her own mother had also had her own battle with the demon of postpartum depression.

Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

It is important to identify the symptoms of Postpartum depression so that help can be found before disaster strikes. Some of the most commons symptoms include:

• Thoughts of suicide

• Thoughts of harming the baby or even others

• Extreme anxiety

• Elevated levels of stress

• Change in sleep pattern

• Desire to stay in bed

• Loss of appetite

The feelings of Postpartum depression are far more elevated than those of baby blues which affects many new moms. If you or a loved one is pregnant, start learning about this potentially serious condition before the birth so as to be prepared.

Other Celebrities Who Battled Postpartum Depression

Another celebrity who has had to deal with the condition is Brooke Shields. She was lambasted by Tom Cruise for talking about using prescription medication to deal with postpartum depression. Shields went on to write a book which she hoped would help other women, Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression. Others include Gwyneth Paltrow, actress Gena Lee Nolin formerly of Baywatch who had the condition with all three of her children; Angelina Jolie, Courteney Cox-Arquette, Amanda Peet and Lisa Marie Presley.

Tiffani Thiessen (she dropped the Amber a long time ago Saved by the Bell fans) is expecting her first baby in May along with husband of 4 years, actor Brady Smith.

In a statement released by the couple, they share:

“We are over the moon! It’s something we’ve wanted for a long time and we are thrilled that it’s actually happening.”

Will Tiffani’s pregnancy be written into her new role as the wife of an FBI agent in USA Network’s White Collar? Only time will tell, although she recently stated in interviews that her and husband’s plans of pregnancy had been delayed by her work on the show and that “I don’t want to spring a pregnancy on a brand new show that I just got on.” She went on to add: “We’re going to wait and try to figure out when the best time is.” Well, USA Network, that time is now.

Tiffani, beside her long-running role in Saved by the Bell also had a role on the original 90210.

At only 27-years old, pop princess Britney Spears has lived a lifetime and then some. The young mother of two has been married and divorced twice. She has won many awards for her music, but she has also been belittled and chastised over her parenting skills.

Thankfully, the downward spiral which Spears was on is taking a turn for the better in many ways. She has lost the weight that made her a hot topic of discussion and derision. She is also making a comeback with her music.

Most importantly for Spears is no doubt the ability to once again spend quality time with her children, 4-year old Sean Preston and 3-year old Jayden James. During the time of her divorce, Spears was going through obvious emotional and mental problems. Ultimately, the boys’ father, Spears ex, Kevin Federline was awarded custody in 2008 much to her distress. Thankfully, she took control of her life and was eventually given shared custody of the boys.

Spears must be thrilled to be named the Best Celebrity Mom based on the result of a recently released poll. The poll conducted by UK-based company, Park Christmas Saving saw 74% 0f the votes going to Spears. The poll surveyed approximately 7, 000 people who were asked to name the best mothers in show business.

The Top 10 Moms Are:

• Britney Spears

• Christina Aguilera

• Angelina Jolie

• Jade Goody

• Katie Holmes

• Madonna

• Jessica Alba

• Jennifer Garner

• Nicole Richie

• Victoria Beckham

While some readers may not agree with the list, there is no doubt that Spears has cleaned up her act. She is clearly bouncing back in all areas of her life and this poll must be a welcomed boost to the singer.

Former Victoria’s Secret model and Project Runway host, Heidi Klum gave birth to her fourth child on October 9th.  Proud musician father Seal, and Mom couldn’t help but release a touching tribute regarding the birth.

“It’s difficult to imagine loving another child as much as you love your existing children,” Seal writes. “Anyone who has a family will tell you this. Where will one find that extra love? If you love your existing children with all of your heart, how then can one possibly find more heart with which to love another?

On Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, at 7:46 p.m., the answer to this question came in the form of our fourth child and second daughter,” he continues. “Lou Sulola Samuel was born, and from the moment she looked into both of our eyes, it was endless love at first sight. She is beautiful beyond words and we are happy that she chose us to watch her grow over the coming years.”

Quick check on Google didn’t return any hits for possible meaning or origin of  the unique moniker “Sulola” but I myself like it.  What do you think of the  name?

Lou Sulola joins older siblings Leni, 5, Henry, 4, and Johan, 2 1/2.  We hope to get a glimpse of this cutie soon!

Another high profile adoption case, another celebrity runs into adoption problems due to certain legislation. This time it’s the British rock singer songwriter Elton John who is having problems. John met 14-month old Lev during an AIDS charity foundation trip in the Ukraine. While visiting an orphanage specially set up for HIV- positive children John fell in love with the boy and decided to adopt him. Unfortunately, according to Ukrainian law, John is not eligible to be an adoptive parent. As we know, John is not the first celebrity to run into problems when it comes to adoption.

So what are the reasons that could stand in the way of adoption?

Parental consent

Lev is not an orphan. His mom Marina is a still alive but was deemed incapable of taking care of her and another older sibling because she, too, is HIV positive and has an alcohol problem. Marina declares she is determined to get her life together and get Lev back.

Madonna’s first adoptive child David also wasn’t an orphan. He still has a father who unfortunately, couldn’t, provide for him. The pop star was severely criticized for taking the boy away from his family and homeland.

Marital status

It is not Lev’s mom that stands in the way of John’s adoption plans. It’s his marital status.  Adoptive parents must be married. John is married to his partner David Furnish. Ukrainian law, however, doesn’t recognize same sex marriages.

The Puerto Rican star Ricky Martin reportedly also considered adoption but resorted to surrogacy to avoid the legal hassles due to his single status. Martin is the father of fraternal twin boys Mateo and Valentino.

In fact, many countries do not consider single parents, male or female.

Age

In addition to his unacceptable married status, Ukrainian officials also think John is too old (he is 62) to be an adoptive father. The maximum age limit for adoption in the country is reported to be 45. In some countries it is 60. If there is a maximum age limit, there is also a minimum age limit. In many countries, people under the age of 35 are not eligible to adopt.

Residency

Many countries only allow residents to adopt. Madonna made headlines earlier this year in her efforts to adopt 3-year old Mercy from Malawi. She was denied the right to adopt due to her non-residency status. She eventually won after an appeal.

Health status

Many countries also consider health status of adoptive parents (local or foreign) a major criterion for giving approval. There have been cases of court rulings against adoptive parents who are overweight or obese. A complete medical history may be required from prospective parents.

Other criteria

Aside from the aforementioned criteria, criminal records, financial status, and psychological readiness are also taken into consideration. Rightly so, for the welfare of the adoptive child.

What are the options?

Some celebrities may opt for surrogacy. Other Rumors have it that John and Furnish are considering adopting a child from another country with less restrictions but this still has to be confirmed.

It is advisable for those who plan to adopt to check the adoption laws, whether locally or foreign, before making a decision. This will avoid legal hassles, disappointment, or even heart break.

Sarah Michelle Gellar & Freddi Prince jr.

I was thrilled to find out months ago that Sarah Michelle Prinze, the actress from my favorite TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and husband Freddie Prinze, Jr.24, were expecting after six years of marriage.  I was even more thrilled to find out that Sarah and Freddie welcomed baby girl Charlotte Grace Prinze last Sunday, Sept. 19th.

No quirky names for this little girl; the Prinzes must be fond of classic names.  The couple’s rep has announced that the Prinzes are “over the moon” about their daughter.  I wonder if we’ll see any playdates between who’s set to join the cast of Charlotte, Satyana (Alyson Hannigan’s daughter) or even David Boreanaz’s daughter Bardot Vida in the future?

Ellen Pompeo & Chris Ivery

As for Grey’s Anatomy star, Ellen Pompeo, and music producer husband Chris Ivery, they welcomed their own baby girl on Tuesday, Sept. 15th in Los Angeles.  The couple kept the birth under wraps and no official announcement was made until yesterday.  The baby’s name? Also on the side of “normal”: Stella Luna Pompeo Ivery.  Stella will have plenty of playmates if mom brings her to work on set: Katherine Heigl’s Naleigh, and Chyler Leighs’ Anniston Kae.

Julie Chen &Les Moonves

Breaking the baby girl trend, TV show host Julie Chen and CBS’ CEO Les Moonves, welcomed son Charlie at 9:40 a.m. in Los Angeles on Thurs, September 24th.  Charlie (another classic name!), was due on October 4th.  He is a little premature by a few weeks, but at this stage of development, his is considered a safe birth.  Charlie joins half-siblings Adam, Michael and Sara, Moonves’ children from a previous marriage.

Congratulations to the new parents!

Source: People.com and Celebrity-babies.com

Eighteen months after giving birth to her daughter Jada, Kim Clijsters is back in the tennis circuit, fitter and better. The funny thing is, the Belgian tennis Mama, who used to be the world number 1 and winner of several titles, entered the US Open tournament without a ranking (a real wildcard) after a 2-year hiatus that included marriage (she is married to American basketball star Brian Lynch) and maternity. She is now up from nothing to 19^th in WTA rankings, beating Venus and Serena Williams to win the US Open woman’s title.

Mother and Champion?

At the beginning of the year, Clijsters was just a mom of a 1-year old toddler and a has-been tennis star. She decided to come out of retirement and return to the WTA tour in March when she went for an exhibition match in Wimbledon. The 2009 US Open is just Clijsters 3^rd tournament since her comeback in August this year.

Clijsters is 26 years old, not that young by tennis’ standards but still young enough to make it back to the top. However, going back to professional tennis after childbirth is not easy. Tell that to the likes of Chris Evert Lloyd and Lindsay Davenport. According to CBC sports, Clijsters is the first mother to win a major title in almost 30 years. The last tennis Mommy to do this was the Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley who won in Wimbledon in 1980.

Clijsters herself was not sure how she could manage things on and off court, including traveling with a baby. With this title, she proved to herself and to the world that it is possible to be a mom and a champion at the same time.

Naptimes and matches

According to Telegraph UK, part of Clijsters’ preparation for her final match was to arrange her daughter’s naptime schedule so the little one could watch her Mommy play. Sounds familiar?

This really paid off because little Jada was in real good spirits and delighted the crowd as she shared the center court (and eventually upstaged) her mom! But tennis Mama didn’t mind. She had 2 trophys – the silver cup and her daughter – and she knew which one was the most precious.

For Clijsters, it’s back to nappy changing, playdates, and naptime schedule till her next major – the Australian Open in early 2010.

Fatherhood and tennis

Fatherhood, on the other hand, never seemed to have stopped male tennis players from pursuing a career. Think of John McEnroe and Andrei Agassi. It definitely wasn’t a hurdle for Roger Federer who became “double” dad to twin girls last July although he lost the US Open finals to the Argentinian Juna Martin del Potro.

The sculptor Daniel Edwards always like controversial subjects. I mean, remember the nude statue of Britney Spears giving birth to her son Sean Preston? Or Suri Cruise’s baby poop in bronze? Or Paris Hilton’s unborn twin fetuses?

This time it’s Angelina Jolie and her twins who inspired Edwards. If you remember, Jolie posed for the cover of W magazine last year while breastfeeding her then newborn twins. Inspired by that photo, the latest piece is called Landmark for Breastfeeding, depicting a life-sized nude Jolie sitting on a park bench and double breastfeeding two babies. According to this ABC report, Edwards depicted one baby as African-American and the other not. Sorry, I can’t confirm this. I can’t really tell from the photos. But I can tell that Jolie is breastfeeding the babies using the so-called “football hold”, something which I’ve tried with my twins, too (not very comfortable for the mom, believe me).

The work is supposedly on display at the Mainsite Contemporary Art Museum in Norman, Oklahoma starting September 11 but will be traveling to London soon for an exhibition

According to Edwards, his new work is meant to raise global awareness of breastfeeding and encourage women to breastfeed in public. Edwards claims to be a social activist, using his works as social commentaries. But he also loves controversy, thus choice of celebrity subjects.

What do you think?

Do you think Edwards is sincere about supporting breastfeeding? Do you think the sculpture is serving its noble purpose?

Annika Sörenstam may be retired from the sport of golf, but she has now moved on to another great role, that of being a mom. She gave birth to a baby girl on Tuesday, September 1, at 3:30 AM. The baby’s name is Ava Madelyn and she weighed 6lbs. 10 oz.

A statement she posted on her official website read, “Mike and I are happy to announce that I gave birth to our little girl at 3:30AM this morning. Ava Madelyn McGee is six pounds 10 ounces and 19 inches long. We are all doing well and we truly appreciate the support we have received. We are VERY excited about our new addition and will keep everyone posted in the coming weeks. Thanks!”

‘Mike’ is her husband and business manager Mike McGee. They made the announcement that they were expecting on March 19 of this year and revealed to the media in June that they were expecting a girl.

Sörenstam is one of the most recognizable names in the sport of golf. She has over 72 LPGA tour wins and has taken the Player of the Year award 8 times. In fact many have referred to her as the Tiger Woods of women’s golf. Sörenstam was inducted into the Golf World Hall of Fame in 2003.

On May 13, 2008, Sörenstam announced her retirement from the sport that made her famous. She said she would quit competition at the end of the 2008 season.

She has parlayed her success on the green into her own little empire. Her ANNIKA brand oversees a number of ventures including a clothing line, a signature fragrance and a wine label. Perhaps the jewel in her crown is The ANNIKA Academy at Ginn Reunion Resort which opened in April 2007. Her wanna-be golfers can learn to perfect their swing and golf game.

She is also involved in designing golf courses. Perhaps fittingly, the first one she worked on was the Annika Course, located at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzen, China. She is also working on projects in the USA. Her business ventures are said to take in the things that she cares about most, namely golf, fitness and charitable involvement.

Congratulations to this great representative of the sport of golf on the birth of her first child. I wish her continued success as a mother and as an entrepreneur. I’m sure she and her husband will enjoy being parents to a little princess.

The wait is over for actor David Boreanaz as his wife Jamie Bergman has given birth to their second child. A healthy baby girl was born on Monday. Her name is Bardot Vita Boreanaz. Their first child, seven-year old son Jaden Rayne now has a little sister that he can help take care of and protect. Little Bardot Vita entered the world at a healthy 7 lbs. 14 oz.

Lat month in an interview with People.com, Boreanaz spoke about his concerns about being away from his pregnant wife. He was quoted as saying, “I must maintain a 20-mile radius. I cannot travel beyond that. If I do, I’ll freak out – I have to be there when the baby comes.” His wife Jamie Bergman in speaking to People recently said, “We’ve been trying to have another baby for a couple of years now so we are beyond excited. We’re over the moon.”
Boreanaz decision to maintain close proximity had to do with more than just a devoted dad being there for the birth. It was revealed in the news that Bergman had been placed on bed rest in the weeks leading to the birth.

Bed rest during pregnancy is not uncommon. It is usually recommended by doctors to ease the effects of pregnancy complications. In some cases the woman’s doctor may recommend it early on because of her medical history. It is important that pregnant women placed on bed rest not be worried as this will place undue stress on her and the baby.

Reasons for Bedrest

•    Premature labor
•    Carrying multiples
•    High blood pressure
•    Gestational diabetes
•    History of premature or stillbirth

Thankfully, the outcome was a happy one for Bergman, and no complications were reported during delivery. Boreanaz can be expected to report to the set of his hit TV series Bones a little worse for wear, but I am certain he wouldn’t have it any other way.

So will his Bones co-star Emily Deschanel start to feel a tugging at her maternal heart strings and want to have her own bundle of joy soon? I guess we will know soon enough, as many celebrities are not shy about revealing their family plans.

Congratulations to David Boreanaz and his wife Jamie Bergman on the latest addition to their family.

Actress Nicole Sullivan is now a happy mom to two boys. Thirty-nine year old Sullivan gave birth to her second son on Monday, August 31 in Los Angeles. The newest member of the Packham family weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces.

Sullivan and her husband, actor Jason Packham named the latest addition to their family Beckett Edward Packham. Their first child is two-year old Dashel Pierce. During her pregnancy she was quoted by People magazine as saying, “Dash is thrilled to have a partner in crime…”  Sullivan and Packham has been married since 2006.

Sullivan is no doubt remembered for her stints on Mad TV and the sitcom The King of Queens. Most recently she has been seen in the Lifetime series Rita Rocks. She plays a working mom who started a garage band with her neighbor. In a case of art imitating life, her pregnancy was written into the show. Interestingly, during her stint on The King of Queens, her co-star Leah Remini became pregnant and the crew had to come up with creative ways to hide that fact.

The new season of Rita Rocks will premiere in October. My guess is that writers will probably draw on some of her life experience to add more essence to her character. The idea of the working mom trying to hold things together never gets old.

Coincidentally, her Rita Rocks co-star Tisha Campbell-Martin is expecting her second child later this year. Aside from saying that she is certain that this baby will be her last, 40 year old Campbell-Martin also said, “Every moment, every nauseous moment, everything that is good and not so good about being pregnant, I’m enjoying.”

Sullivan certainly seemed to have taken advantage of her pregnancy to indulge a bit. She was quoted as saying during her pregnancy, “…and I am enjoying all the eating that comes along with being pregnant.” She had a baby shower on Saturday August 8 that was sponsored by Happy Heinys, the makers of reusable diapers. Sullivan also got gifts from Orbit Baby and Skip Hop among others.

Congratulations to Nicole Sullivan and Jason Packham on the birth of their second child. Hopefully her stressed out mom from her TV show won’t be in any way similar to her real life. Good luck to her with her future projects.

Actress and reality TV star Tori Selling has become the latest celebrity to launch a children’s clothing line. According to reports published online she recently revealed the new line, Little Maven at Bloomingdale’s in Century City. The new brand will offer clothes for children up to the age of four. The prices range from $26 to $88. At the launch, Spelling with her daughter Stella in tow, signed autographs and chatted with fans.

Spelling has said that with Little Maven she wants to incorporate style and comfort, as well as the bright colors that usually appeal to children. As the daughter of the late TV mogul Aaron Spelling, she had to endure suggestions of nepotism when he helped her early in her career. Now she seems to be forging ahead on her own in the wake of his passing. Nicole Richie, the daughter of Lionel Richie has also come out of her father’s shadow to star in a reality series and launch her own line of maternity clothes for A Pea in a Pod.

Spelling was previously married to Charlie Shanian, but the marriage ended in April 2006. She has been married to actor Dean McDermott since May 2006. Aside from the aforementioned Stella who is one, they have two-year old son, Liam. Spelling’s reality show was originally titled, Tori & Dean: Inn Love for its first two seasons. This was changed to Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood for its third season. The first episode premiered in March 2007 on the Oxygen Network. Recently Spelling’s mother Candy Spelling, with whom she has a strained relationship, accused her and her husband Dean of using the children as “props’ in their show in an open letter to Tori which was posted on TMZ.

I wish Tori Spelling luck with her children’s clothing line, as well as her future career plans. Here’s hoping too that she and her mother will be able to reconcile. After all, the grandparent – grandchild relationship is important too.

After a brush with preterm labor last month, Dustin Pedroia’s wife, Kelli, delivered a healthy baby boy on Tuesday, August 18th.  This is the first child for the couple.  The boy, whom they christened Dylan weighed in at 7 lbs.

Dustin Pedroia is the second baseman for the Boston Red Sox.  There were concerns he wouldn’t be able to make it to the birth but he made it just in the nick of time with a last-minute flight back from Toronto to be at his wife’s side.

His teammates have all been supportive.  Says Kevin Youkilis:

“I think it’s great for him after everything she’s been through [referring to her brush with preterm labor], Dustin’s been through mentally. It’s going to be a great thing for Dustin.”

Manager Terry Francona has put no pressure on the new Dad’s return, saying: “I told him his first responsibility is Kelli and that child.” Wish all bosses would show the same support, eh?

Congratulations to the new parents!

She was asked during the interview if she had plans for any more children and she responded, “Everybody keeps asking me that. But three boys? That’s a lot.”

It seems that Victoria Beckham has her hands full. At least that is the impression she gave in a recent interview with Ryan Seacrest on his radio show. This is a bit of a turnaround for the former Spice Girl. In the past she has openly spoken about her desire for a girl. According to the latest reports however, she has decided that three is enough.

She was quoted online as saying,  “I get up early in the morning, get the kids ready for school, take them to school. Then while they’re at school I manage to get my work in. I have to be done by 3pm so I can pick up the kids.” Victoria Beckham and her husband, soccer star David Beckham’s three boys are Brooklyn, 10, Romeo, 6, and Cruz,4.

While any parents are likely to scoff at the suggestion that Victoria Beckham has her hands full, remember dealing with one child can be sufficiently taxing. It all depends on the situation. For Beckham’s part, it’s possible her current career track could be influencing her family plans. She recently landed a guest judge stint on the popular talent search show American Idol. She also has her hands full with her Autumn/Winter dress collection.

At any rate, the decision to expand a family is not one that should be taken lightly. It’s possible also that she just wants to keep her future baby plans a secret. I certainly couldn’t fault her for that one, given the intense scrutiny celebrities generally endure.

Whatever her future plans are, I certainly wish her luck. Her hubby David Beckham seems to be having a rough time on the football field lately, so his future with the Los Angeles Galaxy does not seem as certain as it once did.

The most news hitting the web is that singer Celine Dion is pregnant. The 41-year is expecting her second child with husband, 67-year old Rene Angelil. Their first child Rene-Charles is eight years old. A spokesperson for the couple confirmed the news is true. The couple is understandably “very happy” the rep said.

Dion has never been shy about revealing her desire for another child. Her plan was to hopefully to try to conceive after wrapping up her tour in Las Vegas. This was thrown into jeopardy after Angelil was diagnosed with throat cancer. Dion took a break from her work to support him, and thankfully he recovered.

In talking about her baby plans, Dion was quoted as saying, “We’ll give it a try after my tour. Hopefully we will be parents again. If not, that’s fine. We have our miracle baby.” The ‘miracle baby’ in question Rene-Charles was conceived through in vitro fertilization. The couple had tried for six years to conceive before being blessed with their son. Last December, according to reports, she revealed when asked about her baby plans that they had a frozen embryo waiting to be implanted.

This process, called frozen embryo transfer (FET) involves the freezing of embryos not implanted during an in vitro fertilization cycle. A viable pregnancy can result after the embryo is thawed and placed into the uterus. The uterus of course would have to be properly prepared beforehand. This is usually done through the use of hormones. If any abnormalities are discovered in the uterus, these are corrected surgically before the embryo is implanted.

Researchers determined in 2006 that even embryos frozen for over ten years could still lead to a viable pregnancy. Wonderful news to couples experiencing infertility issues. There is no evidence that FET has a negative impact on the fetus or child. Dion is likely to draw more attention to this method as often happens with celebrities.

Celine Dion’s Las Vegas Show

Her Las Vegas tour ran from 2003 to 2007. During its run, she performed five nights a week in a 4000 seat arena. The show was constantly sold out, despite audiences complaining about ticket prices, which reportedly ran as high as $320. The success of the show resulted in it being extended for an undisclosed amount of time and Celine has not discussed her career plans after the birth.

Now that she is getting ready for the birth of her second child career considerations are likely not at the forefront of her thoughts. Her fans however are probably eagerly awaiting her eventual return to the stage. I wish her the best of luck with her pregnancy, and hope she continues to enjoy good health throughout.

Bounty hunter and reality show star Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman is a grandfather once again. With his dangerous job and tough-as-nails persona, it may be difficult to think of him as Grandpa, but this is actually his fourteenth. Instead of a rocking chair or some other stereotypical image, just think black suits, big SUVs and mace.

Actually Dog is just one example of the changing image of grandparenting. Many older people are quite active, and continue to work in their respective fields. Chapman first found fame after the capture of fugitive Andrew Luster. He had actually been in the bounty hunter business for years before that. His arrest by authorities in Mexico for not turning Luster over to them turned out to be a boon for his career. It led to the TV show Dog the Bounty Hunter on the A&E Network, and the expansion of his bail bonds business.

Chapman’s daughter Lyssa gave birth to a baby girl she named Madalynn Grace Galanti. The baby was born on Friday August 7, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The baby weighed six pounds, 15 ounces at birth. Lyssa Chapman-Galanti has a seven-year old daughter, Abbie Mae. She is also stepmother to her husband’s four-year old daughter. In fact, she is a licensed bounty hunter as well and works with her father.

The hit series was temporarily derailed after Champan was caught on tape using racial slurs. A&E stopped production in November 2007. He apologized and received support from the show’s fans as well minority leaders.

Here’s to “Dog” and all the other rocking Grandpas out there. I imagine that this baby will have a lot of love right from the get go. Congratulations to mom Lyssa Chapman-Galanti on the birth of her daughter. Dog frequently talks about his love for his family on his show. This new granddaughter will be yet another chance for him to show that love.

Could we have the next great Spanish thespian on the way, or a future reality TV star? According to online reports Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and Kourtney Kardashian are both expecting. This is so far shaping up to be another bumper year for celebrity births.

Penelope Cruz to be a Mom

Cruz, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona is in a relationship with Javier Bardem. Bardem himself is also an Oscar winner, taking the prize home in 2008 for his supporting role in No Country for Old Men.

A source was quoted online as saying of the pregnancy, “Penelope is about four months pregnant. She’s really healthy now and will be a great mother.” Based on comments Cruz made in an interview in Marie Claire magazine in 2007, this is just the beginning of parenthood. She said she also intends to adopt as her “life wouldn’t be complete” otherwise.

We could be looking at the next Spanish acting dynasty. Bardem is the youngest of a family of actors that has been involved in Spanish film since its early days. He won his first role at age six. Aside from her Oscar winning role Cruz has also appeared in the films Blow with Johnny Depp, and Sahara with Matthew McConaughey.

First Pregnancy for Kourtney Kardashian

For Kourtney Kardashian this baby news comes just before the premiere of her new show Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami. This is a spin off of the popular E! reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. When the news broke, it was revealed that the father was her ex-boyfriend Scott Disick. She confirmed this during an appearance on the Today Show. According to some reports found online, they have since reconciled after learning the happy news.

Kourtney apparently forgot to take her birth control pills, which is what led to the pregnancy. She was quoted online as saying, “…this sounds probably so dumb but there’s so many times I’ll forget to take my pill and just don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I’ve done that several times and never really thought about it. It sounds so stupid.” She has a due date of December.

She also hinted at a bit of sibling rivalry with her younger and probably more famous sister Kim. In an interview she was quoted as saying, “I don’t think she’s envious. Who knows though – Kim gets mad if I get the car that she wants… she like freaks out! But she definitely thought it was going to be her first, trust me!”. For her part Kim Kardashian seems to like the idea of making her mother a grandmother many times over.

Congratulations to both Kourtney Kardashian and Penelope Cruz and their respective partners. I look forward to the news of the births of their babies.

Co-host of The View Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Patrick Wilson, one of the stars of Watchmen, are both on top of the world right now. According to reports published online, they have become the latest celebrities to welcome new additions to their families.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck Gives Birth to a Boy

Married to former professional football player Tim Hasselbeck, they already have two children together; a four-year old daughter named Grace, and a 21-month old son, Taylor Thomas. Reports indicate that she gave birth to another boy on Sunday in New York City. The baby’s weight was put at seven pounds, seven ounces. Her elated husband was quoted as saying, “Elisabeth and Isaiah are doing great and we’re excited about the addition of another baby boy into our family.”

The two were college sweethearts and were married on July 6, 2002. They welcomed their daughter in April 2005 and their first son in November 2007. Hasselbeck first came to public attention as a contestant on the reality show Survivor: The Australian Outback where she placed fourth. Initially she wanted a job behind the scenes but her agent encouraged her to audition for The View.

She has had some memorable moments on the show, most notably her arguments with former co-host Rosie O’Donnell. She took over the spot vacated by Lisa Ling in 2002. Hasselbeck suffers from celiac disease which is a disorder of the small intestine. She has written a book about living with the condition called The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide.

Patrick Wilson’s Welcomes His Second Son

For actor Patrick Wilson this is baby number two and his second son. His wife Dagmara Dominczyk gave birth on Sunday as well. A source was quoted as saying, “Mother and baby are both happy and healthy. Everybody’s great!” The baby’s name is Kassian McCarrell Wilson. Their first child, Kalin Patrick is three years old. Wilson and Dominczyk were married on June 18, 2005 and they both graduated from Carnegie Mellon University.

Patrick Wilson’s early career got a boost when he was praised for his work in the HBO mini-series Angels in America. After that he went on to appear in such films as The Alamo and The Phantom of the Opera. Most recently he played the role of Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II in the long awaited Watchmen.

Congratulations to both couples on the birth of their babies. There will be some adjustment to their growing families, but most likely they will adapt more quickly than first time parents tend to do. It’s always good when you have done it all before, of course that never makes the situation predictable.

Many people say that Jennifer Hudson became a winner after losing on the popular reality show American Idol. This would seem to be true considering that she already has a hit album and an Oscar win under her belt. In fact, Hudson has achieved more than even those who have won the American Idol title. Now she has become a winner again by giving birth to a baby boy.

Introducing David Daniel Otunga, Jr.

Hudson reportedly gave birth on Monday night. The baby, named David Daniel Otunga, Jr. after his father weighed seven pounds, 14 ounces. Hudson is engaged to marry David Otunga, a former lawyer turned professional wrestler. A rep for Hudson was quoted as saying, “The baby is beautiful and perfect. His parents are ecstatic.”

It would seem that the new parents did not know the baby’s gender. An unnamed source was quoted on the Daily Mail website as saying, “Jennifer and David Sr. did not know the sex of the baby in advance. They bought blue and pink clothes, just in case.” Like so many celebrities seem to be doing these days, Hudson did make her pregnancy public. In fact she was said to have neither confirmed nor denied reports of the pregnancy.

There was no hiding the baby bump however when she appeared at the memorial for the late pop star Michael Jackson. Hudson performed the song Will You Be There. She also had a baby shower at the home of a relative in Chicago.

Death in the Family

This will of course be seen by many as a welcome event in Hudson’s life after suffering an almost unimaginable tragedy. She lost her mother, sister and nephew in Chicago last October when they were murdered. Hudson seems to be on her way to healing.

Reality show fans may remember her fiancee from the second installment of I love New York. The show revolved around New York’s attempts to find true love. He went by the name Punk, and as it turns out, luckily he was not the guy New York eventually chose to be with.

Hudson’s relatives were reportedly a bit wary when she began dating Otunga after dating for only six months. He has accompanied to her to numerous events, and they are frequently photographed together. Congratulations to this talented lady and her fiancee on the birth of their baby. I am sure this baby will bring into her life a lot of well deserved joy.