Dominique Moceanu and Carmen Noel in People

With the birth of daughter Carmen Noel on December 25th, new mom Dominique Moceanu tells People that she "doesn’t think any Christmas can be topped now!" Although a favorite activity of the 26-year-old Olympic gold medal gymnast and her husband Michael Canales, 30, is to watch their daughter sleep — "We just stare at her. We can’t believe she’s ours" — they are amazed by her strength when awake. At only four weeks, Carmen started rolling from back to belly, a feat occurring in most babies after the two month mark and occasionally as late as 6 months.

D: It’s pretty amazing she’s so strong already. It takes two of us to hold her down to change her diaper!

M: I think she’ll be a great gymnast. But if she wants to play piano, that’s fine with me.

D: [But] coaching her would be the ultimate dream.

Carmen, as know as Gummy, because "when she smiles it’s just a mouthful of gums" is now 10 weeks old. Dominique, who gained 41 lbs while pregnant, says she has lost half her baby weight by using a treadmill. Still, she’s dealing with the bane of every new mom’s existence — the flabby belly.

This pooch is hard to get rid of!

Source: People, March 17th issue, p. 84

Photo by Jeff Sciortino.

Comments

OMG look at all that hair, shes a beauty!! like her mom, I LOVE Dominique!! Always have !!

- Sara Watson on March 7th, 2008

She certainly is a beauty, just like her mother!

p.s. That is one big rock on Dominique’s ring finger!

- Elyse on March 7th, 2008

Oh, how cute! I won’t be able to get enough of this little family.

- Steph on March 7th, 2008

The fact that this girl is married and a mother makes me feel old old OLD! Best wishes to this beautiful little family.

- robin m. on March 7th, 2008

I grew up in spring, texas and lived in the neightborhood right next to the gym that she use to train in. It is named after her now. She is great and her daughter is beautiful. Congrats!

- allison on March 8th, 2008

What a sweetie Carmen is!! Adorable.

We used to call our son ‘Gummers’ for the same reason Dominique and Mike do.

About the pooch, sorry Dom, but it may be there to stay! Mine is.

- Pam on March 8th, 2008

Thanks you guys, for posting an updated pic. Carmen has gotten so big! And being the child of 2 former gymnasts, I’m not surprised by her innate strength lol! I think she looks like her dad. I remember seeing pics of Dominique as a baby and toddler, and Carmen doesn’t quite look like her. But she’s still quite the cutie. Can’t wait to see pics of her as she grows. I’m sure Dominique is waiting for the day to teach her some somersaults lol! I’ve been a fan of Dominique and gymnastics in general for the longest, and I’m happy for her and her family. Motherhood seems to have matured her in the most positive way. And like someone else said, I also feel old seeing Dominique married with child lol! It was like yesterday she was this little bitty thing competing in gymnastics and now look at her

- Mary on March 9th, 2008

Just a question- when women say they’ve lost half their baby weight, are they referring to the excess weight still left after they had the baby, the uterus shrank down to size, they lost the extra blood and fluid retained for pregnancy, etc., or are they talking about half the weight they gained in total for the pregnancy? If it’s the latter, then no surprise people can lose 20 lbs so soon…

Sarah’s note: Weighed gained in total. The difference in weight before pregnancy and on the day they delivered.

- Jennifer on March 10th, 2008