Moms & Babies

Celebrity Baby Blog /

Jun 12 2009 06:10 AM ET
Comments (120) Permalink

Madonna Wins Adoption Appeal in Malawi

Jackson Lee/Splash News Online

Madonna‘s family has just gotten bigger, now that the pop star has legally won the right to adopt a daughter from Malawi.

“I am extremely grateful for the Supreme Court’s ruling on my application to adopt Mercy James. I am ecstatic … My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her,” Madonna said in a statement through her spokesperson Friday.

Preparations are already underway to bring Chifundo ‘Mercy’ James, 3, from the African country to America private jet, after the singer stayed up throughout the night hoping for a courtroom victory.

“It’s the early hours in New York now but my client has been awake all night waiting for this,” Madonna’s Malawi lawyer, Alan Chinula, tells PEOPLE. The attorney spoke to his client as soon as the ruling was made official, at around 2 a.m. her time Friday. “She was ecstatic when I broke the news to her. She said, ‘Thank heavens.’ “

Chinula says he is “now awaiting instructions from New York to start preparing travel arrangements for Mercy. I have to be there for her passports and everything.”

It is likely to take three to five days before the paperwork is ready and the child is able to leave and join fellow adoptee David, also 3. He was formally adopted in 2008 after some controversy and legal challenges.

Madonna, 50, is not expected to fly out to Africa from New York, but Philippe Van Der Bossche, director of her Raising Malawi charity, has been asked to arrange a private jet as soon as possible.

It is believed that Mercy may, in the short term, be moved to the Kumbali lodge where Madonna stays when she is Malawi.

The ruling – by Malawi’s highest court – was made after a lower court had turned down Madonna’s first bid to adopt Mercy in April. That court had said the singer had not spent enough time in Malawi.

Source: PEOPLE

– Raphael Tenthani

Click below for the original post.

Read More

Filed Under:
Jun 12 2009 06:00 AM ET
Comments (6) Permalink

Features Reminder: Add CBB to Facebook, Put a Photo on Your Comment and More!

Now that we’ve moved to WordPress, we’ve added a few new features to CBB that we’d like to make you aware of (if you haven’t already noticed them yourselves)!

Celebrity Baby Blog's Facebook Page

1. Facebook/Digg/Email toolbar — Along the bottom of each story, you’ll now find options to share the post in a number of different ways. If you see a photo you love or can relate to celebrity quote in one of our writeups, it’s easy to pass the link along to a friend or add a favorite image to your Facebook page — just click the appropriate button on the toolbar and you’ll be prompted for the next step. (PS – if you’re on Facebook, please become a fan of the Celebrity Baby Blog!)

2. Subscribe to comments — Ever leave a comment on CBB, only to forget to check back later to see how people responded? Next time you comment on a post you want to keep up with, check the “Notify me of followup comments via email” checkbox below the commenting box before submitting your thoughts. You will receive an email notification every time someone else responds to the post.

3. Add an image to your commenting handle — You may have noticed some readers have photos next to their name when they leave a comment. If this interests you, add your own by following these steps: a) Sign up at Gravatar.com b) Enter your email address and click the link in the email they send c) Follow the directions to create a profile d) Make sure you’re logged in when you comment on CBB for the first time after enabling the feature. From then on your image will automatically appear when your comment is published.

4. Follow us on Twitter — Get our headlines and more on our Twitter feed! Click here to get started.

Enjoy the new features!

Filed Under:

Advertisement

Jun 11 2009 06:00 PM ET
Comments (82) Permalink

Gwen Stefani Says Her Priorities Place Family First

Courtesy Elle

As parents guide their children through some of life’s biggest lessons, the act of teaching almost instantly becomes a two-way street. With Gwen Stefani now full-swing into the toddler years with her first son Kingston James McGregor, the songstress has picked up a quick lesson on the demands of a child.

“It’s one thing when you have an infant, but when you have this two or three-year-old going, ‘Mommy, what’s the deal?’ it’s harder,” she reveals in the July issue of Elle. Sharing that the 3-year-old is passing through an “I need, I need” phase, Gwen maintains her faith for the future.

“We’re just hoping for the best and that he’s not going to turn out to be a freak, but we’ll see.”

That said, despite the trials and tribulations that accompany parenthood, Gwen firmly states she will never reach the breaking point with her kids and resort to spanking. However, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t taken on Kingston in a wrestling match now and again! “I’ve gotten my muscles out on him, that’s for sure,” she says. “He’s in that really challenging phase, but what I’m learning is it’s all phases.”

Currently on tour with her band No Doubt — after a five year hiatus — Gwen makes it clear that her priorities have shifted in recent years and for the proud mama, there’s no going back. “I always referred to No Doubt as a marriage, because that’s what it’s like to be together for so long and go through what we’ve been through,” she says of her bachelorette days.

Now, married to rocker Gavin Rossdale, the mother-of-two notes that she “can’t really have that relationship … anymore,” as her heart now belongs to three very special guys. “My priorities are always going to be my husband and my family now,” she says.

The band has agreed to forgo a new album for now and instead head out on the road for some much needed inspiration from their fans. The decision, however, has not gone without repercussions: a nervous Gwen wonders if she will ever gain back her songwriting talents. “I’m so screwed. I might never be able to write another song. Who knows?” she confesses to Elle.

“But then I think, what I’ve gone through is major, right? I got married and had two human beings come out of my body — plus two albums and two clothing lines that were born during the same period. I’m still nursing! I’m a little sucked dry. Like, maybe once I sleep through the night, maybe I’ll be able to write a song.”

Gwen and Gavin are also parents to 9-month-old Zuma Nesta Rock.

Courtesy Elle

Source: Elle; July issue

– Anya

Filed Under:
Jun 11 2009 05:00 PM ET
Comments (18) Permalink

Anja Mazur Catches the Camera!

James Devaney/WireImage

Hi Anja Louise! The 9-month-old cutie — sporting a purple bow in her hair! — was captivated by paparazzi photographers taking her picture after a lunch date with mom Alessandra Ambrósio in the West Village on Wednesday.

Dad is the Victoria Secret Angel’s fiancé, Jamie Mazur.

Ramey

Anja wears Bonpoint’s Anishali Jumpsuit in Striped Turtledove ($125).

Click below for a second photo! Read More

Filed Under:

Advertisement

Jun 11 2009 04:00 PM ET
Comments (34) Permalink

Kendra Wilkinson: Counting Down the Days Until Christmas

Denise Truscello/WireImage

With six months to go until Christmas, both Kendra Wilkinson and her fiancé Hank Baskett are already looking forward to their present: a baby! Revealing that she is 12 weeks along in her pregnancy and due on Christmas Day, the expectant mama tells E! that the couple was delighted to discover — at the airport, nonetheless — that their wish for a June 2010 baby was to be granted early! “Hank was like, ‘Hey, why don’t we do a test to see, just real quick,” recalls Kendra.

“I did it and we found out and we just sat on the baggage claim as everything hit us at once.”

Once the pair got over the initial shock, the former Girls Next Door star was ready to break the news to former boyfriend Hugh Hefner. “I called Hef because I had to tell him right away,” she says. “He was like, ‘Oh my God!’ and then he cried.” While it’s obvious Hef holds a special place in Kendra’s heart — the couple will be tying the knot, after a few ”changes in the bust” to the wedding dress, at the Playboy Mansion on June 27th – the future parents hope to make their appreciation of the 83-year-old quite clear. “Godfather!” Kendra laughs. “Hef will be, ‘The Godfather!’”

As she looks forward to finding out whether they will be welcoming Hank Randall Baskett IV or being forced to choose between Arianna and Kianna for a girl, the excited mama-to-be admits she would be thrilled with either. “Whatever comes out of me, we’ll love,” she notes. As for Hank, he says he’s more than willing to step up to the plate and surpass Kendra’s expectations.

“Being a loving husband and father is what I’ve always described as the definition of a successful man.”

Despite her busy schedule, until now, Kendra’s focus has been on keeping her limos clean! Battling severe morning sickness while craving fuit and noodles, she admits her drivers have had much better passengers. “God, they hate me right now,” she jokes. “I’ve thrown up in almost every limo that has taken me out in the last week.” Hopefully, if things all go according to plan, Kendra can at least anticipate a smooth delivery. “I’m getting an epidural, everything they can give me,” she reports.

“That’s the one thing I’m nervous about the most. Everything else is so fun, but I have visions of my vagina tearing, and that sucks.”

With months still to go until they welcome their first child, Kendra and Hank are already planning baby number two! “We definitely want another kid right away because we want the two kids to be close in age,” she says. “We want four, but you know, we are taking it one step at a time. We’re concentrating on our first child and seeing where things go from there.”

Although she is yet to sport a baby bump, Kendra, who turns 24 on Friday, can’t help but lovingly pat her belly.

“Right now you can’t see it, but it’s there.”

Source: E!

Thanks to CBB reader Monika.

– Anya

Filed Under:
Jun 11 2009 03:00 PM ET
Comments (0) Permalink

Save 30-50% on Rain or Shine Kids' Blankets, Bibs and Burps

Rain or Shine Kids, maker of one of our favorite all-weather blankets, is having its big annual summer sale, offering 30-50% off everything they sell. It’s the perfect time to pick up a protective blanket for your kids, try their awesome bibs or stock up on truly unique and useful shower gifts. Their two-sided blankets — which have water-resistant nylon fabric on one side and cuddly poly fleece on the other — are perfect for the beach, as a play mat at the park and a great extra layer on cool morning walks. It’s the only blanket you’ll find in our stroller year-round.

Some of the items included in the sale include the B Blanket (reviewed here), regularly $36, now $25, WooBee Velvet Blankets (reviewed here), regularly $70, now $49 and WooBee bibs, regularly $20, now $14.

Tiger Woods and family just graciously received the all weather WooBee line in classic cream and urban sky to keep their sweet baby boy protected from the elements while hitting the course with his family. Other celebs who have WooBee blankets include Laura Leighton and Doug Savant‘s daughter Lucy, Ming Na who commented that the clever stroller ties on the blanket would prevent her son Cooper from kicking off the blanket, Angie Harmon who thought the blankets would be great at football games and Gabby Reece who is probably using her WooBee blankets on the beach!

Hurry up — the sale ends Sunday, June 14!

– Danielle

Filed Under:

Advertisement

Jun 11 2009 02:00 PM ET
Comments (23) Permalink

Nicole Sullivan's Registry Run

Jen Lowery/Startraks

Nicole Sullivan, due August 25th with her second son, takes an Orbit stroller for a spin while choosing items for her baby registry at giggle in Pasadena, Calif. on Wednesday. (Check out our review of the Orbit stroller system here.)

Baby boy will join big brother Dashel Pierce, 2, the Rita Rocks star’s first child with husband Jason Packham.

She also registered for:

  • Giggle Better Basics Layette
  • MobiCAM AV Monitor – check out our review in July!
  • Beaba Babycook – check out our review here!
  • Erbaviva bath and skincare products – check out our review here!
  • Boon Frog Pod bath toy holder, bath toys and Scrubble bath squirters – check out our review here!
  • Skip Hop Splash bottle-drying rack and Mate feeding plate – check out our reviews here and here!
  • Skip Hop Triple Bottle Bag and Pacifier Pocket
  • Thinkbaby BPA-free baby bottles
  • HALO SleepSack organic wearable blankets – check out our review here!
  • Giggle Better Basics organic teething toys
  • Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of the Beatles
  • Supreme Snuggle Nest
  • Trumpette Monkey baby socks

Filed Under: