Thalía and Tommy Mottola Expecting a Baby

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Mexican singer Thalía is expecting her first child with her music executive husband Tommy Mottola, peopleenespanol.com reports.

The pregnancy was announced in a statement on Thalia.com, which reads in part: “Yes, it’s confirmed! Thalía is expecting her first baby, who will be born in a few months. Her pregnancy is going well and she is healthy, very happy and full of energy, as usual.”

Earlier this year the 35-year-old singer told PEOPLE EN ESPAÑOL: “This year, I’m going to be a mom… I swear it’s happening this year. I’m ready; as a woman I feel it’s the ideal time, the ideal time in my career. I want it and I am going to be [a mother].”

Asked about Mottola’s opinion about expanding the family, Thalía said that her husband, 57, has wanted to have kids together for years. “If it had been up to Tommy, I would have had children from the first day we married. I would already have three or four,” she said.

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Jetsetting Isabella Damon

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Matt Damon and his wife Luciana scoot daughter Isabella around downtown New York City on Sunday, the day before her 1st birthday.

Matt told PEOPLE magazine last week that Isabella is quite a world traveller. She has already racked up 11 stamps on her passport, which is more that Matt had at 30.

She’s still working on mastering her walking skills. Matt says that “She stands up and then realizes she’s standing and down she goes. It’s fun.”

Isabella rides comfortably in the Bugaboo Cameleon

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New Study Finds That A Bump Or Scrape Is Okay

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We often protect our kids from getting hurt or breaking any bones. It’s like that T.V. commercial where the mom childproofs the kid and the stroller just to see him fall right in front of her as he walks by. I sometimes wonder if it’s okay to let them take a spill every once in a while so that they will toughen up a bit.

Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is saying today that parents should let their children climb trees and play outdoors, and not be worried about them getting cuts and bruises.

Children learned vital “life-long lessons” when they took risks playing in a natural environment and any injuries they suffered were all part of growing up, it added in a report.

The message comes a week after Britain’s Children’s Society found in a survey that parents were stopping their children going out to play on their own because they were worried about their safety.

A total of 43 percent of parents in that survey thought children should not go out unsupervised until they were 14 because of fears they could be hurt or even targeted by predatory pedophiles, a precautionary attitude perhaps, but one which the study said could affect their development.

“We need to ask ourselves whether it is better for a child to break a wrist falling out of a tree, or to get a repetitive strain wrist injury at a young age from using a computer or video games console,” RoSPA said.

“Parents and children must not be frightened about venturing outside,” said Peter Cornall, RoSPA’s Head of Leisure Safety.

“When children spend time in the great outdoors, getting muddy, getting wet, getting stung by nettles, they learn important lessons — what hurts, what is slippery, what you can trip over or fall from,” he said.

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Ariz. Sextuplets Breathing On Their Own!!!!

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Doctors shows Jenny Masche one of her sextuplets, baby E, born Monday, June 11, 2007, in Phoenix, Ariz.

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Sextuplets born in what their father called a surreal moment were breathing on their own Tuesday after five were removed from ventilators.

New dad Bryan Masche, 29, said he and his wife, Jenny, 32, had tears of joy as their three girls and three boys were delivered by Caesarean section.

“It was unbelievable,” Masche said on NBC’s “Today” show. “The team was just incredible. Everyone moved like a symphony, an orchestra. Really amazing. I almost felt like I was outside of my own body — looking in on the entire thing. It was amazing.”

The sextuplets were almost 10 weeks premature and weighed between 2 pounds, 1 ounce and 3 pounds. The couple, who used artificial insemination, had the first successful sextuplet delivery in Arizona.

Five of the babies were immediately placed on ventilators to help them breathe for their first day. The doctors “have assured me that all the babies are doing really well,” Masche said.

“They’ve also had their first meal and had to have their first diapers changed already,” he said.

The babies will be named Bailey Elizabeth, Savannah Jane, Molli Grace, Cole Robert, Blake Nickolas and Grant Williams, but Masche and his wife, Jenny, had yet to decide who gets which.

The Masche sextuplets were one of two sets of sextuplets born in different states less than a day apart, a rare occurrence but one that fertility experts say could become increasingly common as more couples seek artificial methods of conceiving babies.

Brianna Morrison, 24, who used fertility drugs, gave birth just before midnight Sunday in Minneapolis, about 10 hours before the Masche babies were born.

“It is something that we’re going to be dealing with more and more,” unless doctors learn how to reduce the risk of women having four or more babies, said Dr. F. Sessions Cole, a pediatrics professor at Washington University in St. Louis.

 

The fact that all 6 of these babies are breathing on their own is an absolute miracle. Brian should be very proud of Jenny for getting these babies to 30 weeks. She did a great job. Grand Canyon University has already stepped up and offered scholarships to all six babies when they are able to attend University. The anticipated tuition hit of $1.2 million for Bryan and Jenny Masche of Lake Havasu, Ariz., may be too much for them to bear. With the generous gift of full scholarships for all six children from Grand Canyon University, the burden of paying for college tuition for the Masche children is completely covered.

Related Articles:

• One Of The Minnesota Sextuplets Dies
• Arizona woman gives birth to sextuplets
• Pregnant With Triplets…Would You Chose A Reduction?
• Quintuplets Born To A Couple In War Torn Gaza Strip

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Keisha Castle-Hughes Talks About Motherhood at 17

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Keisha Castle-Hughes has opened up about becoming a mom at 17.

“I just didn’t expect [the media attention],” the Whale Rider Oscar nominee tells the New Zealand edition of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

“Absolutely everyone in the country had something to say about it. I thought, ‘At the end of the day, I am going to be the one looking after this baby in the middle of the night and it doesn’t affect you.’ ”

The actress, who turned 17 in March, and her boyfriend of four years, Bradley Hull, 20, welcomed daughter Felicity-Amore in April. She admits: “Yes, I was scared when I found out I was pregnant. But if I got pregnant when I was 27, I would have been scared too because it is a huge step.”

At a week past her due date, she began three grueling days of labor. But when she was finally able to hold her daughter, “it was just the most amazing moment,” she says. “For the last three days I had been in the worst agony of my life and right then I forgot every single minute of it. I just thought, ‘I’d do this all over again.’ ”

These days, she’s like any new mom: sleep-deprived. “I’d be up checking, checking, checking, being paranoid,” she says. “I remember when one of my friends had a baby she said it was like that in the first few weeks. And I said, ‘If I had a baby I would just sleep the whole time and I probably wouldn’t even wake up for it.’ But it’s so true because this little person relies on you and I know if anything happened, it would be my fault.”

This family looks adorable together. Felicity-Amore is very cute.

My only issue with getting pregnant at such a young age is that you can’t go back. You should be with your friends hanging out and building a strong educational base for your future.

Keisha already has a career, that pays her well. She is able to afford help if she needs it. This is a luxury that a regular 17 year old doesn’t have.

SOURCE, PHOTOCREDIT

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Antibiotic Use Before First Birthday Linked To Asthma Later In Childhood

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Children treated with antibiotics in their first year of life appear to have a significantly higher risk of developing asthma compared with babies not given the drugs, a Canadian study suggests.

The study, published in the June issue of the journal Chest, found that the risk for asthma doubled in tots receiving antibiotics for non-respiratory infections, as well as for youngsters who received multiple antibiotic courses and who did not live with a family dog before their first birthday.

“Antibiotics are prescribed mostly for respiratory tract infections, yet respiratory symptoms can be a sign of future asthma,” said lead author Anita Kozyrskyj of the University of Manitoba. “This may make it difficult to attribute antibiotic use to asthma development.”

“Our study reported on antibiotic use in children being treated for non-respiratory tract infections, which distinguishes the effect of the antibiotic,” Kozyrskyj said in a release.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Manitoba and McGill University in Montreal, is not the first to link an increased risk of asthma to early antibiotic use. Last year, a University of British Columbia analysis of seven studies involving more than 12,000 children found a similar doubling of risk.

The Manitoba-McGill researchers analyzed prescription records for more than 13,000 children from birth to age seven, zeroing in on antibiotic use prior to a child’s first birthday and the development of asthma by age seven.

Antibiotics were prescribed for various conditions, including lower respiratory tract infection (bronchitis, pneumonia), upper respiratory tract infection (otitis media, sinusitis) and non-respiratory tract infection (urinary infections, impetigo).

The study showed that six per cent of children had asthma at age seven, while 65 per cent had received at least one antibiotic prescription during the first year of life – 40 per cent for otitis media (middle-ear infection), 28 per cent for other upper respiratory tract infections, 19 per cent for lower respiratory tract infections and seven per cent for non-respiratory tract infections.

Results showed that antibiotic use in the first year was significantly associated with greater odds of asthma at age seven. The likelihood of asthma rose with the number of antibiotic prescriptions: children given more than four courses of the drugs had 1.5 times the risk of asthma compared with children who received no antibiotics at all.

When the researchers looked at reasons for antibiotic use, it appeared asthma at age seven was almost twice as likely in children receiving an antibiotic for non-respiratory tract infections compared with children who had not received the drugs.

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Update: St. Louis Park Mom Delivers Sextuplets

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I just updated this story on Sunday with optimism that Brianna Morrison was going to be able to hold on to at least her 26th week to deliver her sextuplets.

Unfortunately, they were delivered yesterday, the same day that Jenny Masche delivered her 6 babies at 30 weeks gestation.

Brianna’s babies arrived at just 22 weeks weighing between 11 ounces and 1 pound, 3 ounces, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

“The babies arrived sooner than we’d hoped for, but we are optimistic,” father Ryan Morrison said in a statement. “Brianna is doing well. Thanks to all who are praying for our family. We are very happy to be parents.”

The girls are named Lucia Rae and Cadence Alana. The boys are named Bennet Ryan, Tryg Benton, Lincoln Sean and Sylas Christopher.

Children’s Hospital said the couple planned no further public statements for the time being.

The Morrisons, both 24, spent more than a year trying to conceive before Brianna Morrison started taking fertility drugs, according to the couple’s personal Web site.

Upon learning Brianna Morrison was carrying sextuplets, doctors advised the couple to opt for selective reduction, in which women carrying multiple fetuses reduce the number of viable fetuses to two.

“However, we knew right away that this is not an option for us,” the couple wrote. “We understand that the risk is high, but we also understand that these little ones are much more than six fetuses. Each one of them is a miracle given to us by God.”

I don’t feel good about how the weight and gestation of these babies. 22 weeks gestation is not long enough in the womb, I should know…My son was born at 24 weeks and that was definitely NOT long enough.

My prayers are with Brianna and Ryan. Many miracles are performed in the NICU everyday, let’s hope the babies are strong enough to make it through the next few weeks.

Related Articles:

• Arizona woman gives birth to sextuplets
• Update: St. Louis Park Couple Expecting Sextuplets
• Pregnant With Triplets…Would You Chose A Reduction?
• Quintuplets Born To A Couple In War Torn Gaza Strip
• New Test Reduces Risk Of Multiple Births

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Larry Birkhead’s Interview With Greta Van Sustren

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Greta Van Sustren’s interview with Larry Birkhead and Dannielynn aired last night. Greta touched on most subjects focusing mostly on his relationship with Dannielynn and the transition from bachelor to full-time daddy.

Here is an except from the interview:

G – Any fatherhood surprises?
L – The long hours.

G – 24/7?
L – For the most part. I have someone helping me. If she needs me I’m available 24 hours for her, but she is a good baby. She is a great baby. Happy.

G – She is…she bounces a lot.
L – She Loves to Bounce, she loves music.

G – Could she dance?
L – Well she tries to. Do you want to try to dance? (To Dannielynn)

G – She’s just about standing with help?
L – She needs a little help, but she loves…if there is any music going she will definitely go to the music. She’s got a rhythm.

G – How much fun is it to wake to her smile?
L – I love it in the morning. She is a really happy baby, she’s always just just in a great mood. She love to be – she loves attention, she loves pulling on my hair. She loves uh, she loves to beat me up sometimes.

G – (about bracelet) she’s been holding this since we arrived.
L – She loves things. Sometimes she just grabs on and won’t let go.

On Leaving Dannielynn even to go for dinner:
L – Now that I have her, I just can’t see separating from her.

Was the it worth the fight?
L – Oh yeah, yeah yeah. She’s my little princess.

It is easy to see that granting custody to Larry was definitely the right decision. He appears to be very attentive to Dannielynn’s needs and has grown to know what makes her happy. Hopefully her mom is watching down, pleased with what she sees. I love watching the two of them together.

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Nancy O’Dell and Keith Zubchevich Welcome Baby Girl

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Congratulations to Nancy O’Dell and Keith Zubchevich on the safe arrival of their baby girl, Ashby Grace.

The girl was 7 lbs., 9 oz. and born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“We are beyond elated and look forward to appreciating today and every beautiful day to come with our new daughter,” O’Dell says in a statement. “It is even more special given she is named after her great-grandfather and was born on my father’s birthday. She made for quite a birthday present to her new grandfather.”

“Also,” O’Dell adds, “I love epidurals.”

O’Dell, 41, and Zubchevich, 38, wed in 2005 after meeting on a security line at Burbank’s Bob Hope airport in 2004.

In December, they announced they were expecting. This is the first child for O’Dell; Zubchevich has two sons from a previous marriage: Tyler, 11, and Carson, 8.

Ashby is named after O’Dell’s late grandfather; her middle name comes from the church where O’Dell’s parents were married, Grace United Methodist Church in Union, SC. Grace is also a name in Zubchevich’s family.

I hope that he was able to have her foot cast removed before she went into labour. Nancy has been confined to her home for the last couple of weeks after injuring her right foot.

We wish her well. She is going to be a great mom.

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