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February 3, 2006 18:28 - Baby Shower For 5 Babies?

Having five babies is expensive and risky. How about throwing a baby shower for the parents-to-be who are expecting quintuplets?

Don't be surprise, here is what I found at Macon.com today, and the headline is...

Community rallies as McRae couple gets ready for quintuplets

MCRAE - Throughout this rural, south Georgia town, an ever-widening show of support for a local couple expecting quintuplets is blossoming.

And since Kory and Kaydee Smith, in a family tradition, plan to give each baby a name that starts with the letter K, it was easy for friends to name an upcoming community event: the 5-K baby shower. It's a Saturday for friends and strangers to make the Smith's joy, and responsibility, their own.

What started as a shower for family and friends now has sponsorship from churches, civic clubs and businesses in and around McRae, estimated population 3,876, soon to be 3,881.

"I get a little emotional talking about it, how much people care," Kaydee said.

Kory is a sheet metal mechanic at Robins Air Force Base. His wife works at a physical therapy clinic in downtown McRae but started maternity leave Friday.

Two years ago, she had a miscarriage. Now, all five members of the "K-pack" are healthy.

"Every day," Kaydee said, "is a milestone."

She's 18 weeks along, and the plan is to deliver by Cesarean section at 32 weeks or so. Pretty soon - hopefully not before the Feb. 25 community shower - she'll go on bed rest as a precaution. That's pretty much 24 hours a day in bed, making a scrapbook of the ultrasounds and the well wishes.

Having five babies is expensive and risky. Thirty-two weeks is a goal, not a guarantee, and it's still eight weeks shy of full term.

"(We need) lots of prayers to get us as far as we can go," Kaydee said. "We're just everyday people that have been blessed with a pretty big job."

Kory sold his motorcycle almost immediately. His truck is for sale, too. They need something with room in the back for two strollers - one triple and a double.

Two of their three bedrooms will soon be nurseries, with an extra bed for grandmas. At the moment, one room's pretty much a pile of car seats, clothes, stuffed animals and Huggies.

They'll need a bigger dining table, a bigger dining room, a bigger house. Five tricycles, five bicycles, five of everything.

How will they handle this?

"I don't know the answer to that," Kaydee said. "We just put our faith in God."

Added her husband: "She just took the words out of my mouth."

So far, McRae and the surrounding area has come through.

"It's exciting. It's phenomenal," said Wendy Lee, a family friend and 5-K organizer.

Strangers have promised to help. A local church organized a Valentine's Day dinner, with the proceeds going to the Smiths. There's no telling, Lee said, who will show up at the shower and what they'll bring.
Meanwhile, Kaydee eats every two hours and said she's gained 20 pounds. Everyone in town, she said, "is trying to fatten me up."

There's the local meat-and-three where they load her up at lunch and Kory's trips to pick up meatball sandwiches, with extra pickles. He doesn't have to ask for pickles anymore. The lady at the shop just knows.
Kaydee took some fertility treatments to get here. For about a week, she says. On a low dose.
"The day we found out ... the doctor was absolutely speechless," she said.

Various online estimates put the chances of having quintuplets between 1 in 47 million and 1 in almost 66 million. The Smiths say their doctor put it at 1 in 57 million and said their chances of getting struck by lighting were better.

The babies' sexes are something of a secret for now, though the little things, like the baby clothes Kaydee's bought, offer clues. A couple of the kids are shown sucking their thumbs in the ultrasounds, which Kaydee has dozens of in a little Belk shopping bag.

One girl they call the "drama queen" because of the way she draped the back of her hand across her forehead in the pictures.

The K names are a family tradition on Kory's side, though his parents are named William and Wanda. He just happened to marry another K in Kaydee, who he met in high school.

The couple is sifting through at dozens of K names in search of the perfect ones. Kevin, Kristina, Kayla, Kim, Kimberlyn, Kade and Kesleigh are taken by various cousins, a sister, a niece and a nephew.

"This is our life," Kaydee wrote in an e-mail last week. "These babies are our life. I want the people who read this to feel our joy. I want people to be informed about our babies because like I said, they are a miracle and this doesn't happen very often."

By Travis Fain
To contact Travis Fain, call 744-4213 or e-mail tfain@macontel.com.

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February 5, 2006 22:08 - 8 Survival Strategies for New Parents of Twins

Imagine when a soon-to-be-mom receive a RSVP phone call saying, "You're so lucky to have twins!"

At that moment, she is having doulbe happiness. But does it all about twins parenthood?

Look, when she realize that she can't share morning cuddling with her newborns while dealing with the flurry of activities, the domestic combat, the long nights and even longer days, rasing twins is harder than she expect.

So, while that two bundle of little joy are still on their way, print out these "8 survival strategies for new parents of twins" from IVillage.com as a special gift to attend the twins baby shower.

These are really good and practical advice.

If you are a future or new parents of twins, triples, or multiples, go for this article.

(Read More...)

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February 11, 2006 00:16 - Stuff I Love: Great baby shower gifts to indulge the soon-to-be-mom and Valentine's Day gift for new baby.

It's almost the season to celebrate love, and put a little spring in your step for a romantic coed baby shower.

And because this type of baby shower party is about little hugs and kisses, why not simply crave oatmeal penut butter chunk cookies and heart-shaped baby shower foods (yes!)?

Whether how you plan to celebrate this season for that little sweet-heart, I've got five heart-y gifts for hot mamas to indulge in.

The first one is Lady in red.

The wrap-dress: Ever popular, always flattering and very comfortable - especially when you're expecting. The perfect chic outfit for a romantic dinner for two, this flirty number has a sexy neckline, a fluid skirt and a side-tie that adjusts to fit your expanding middle. The Wrap Dress, $130 at IsabellaOliver.com.

And don't forget to celebrate this season of sweetness with these lovely baby shower gifts handpicked with your little lovebug in mind.

The cutest one: Bootie beauty

From the top of her head to the tips of her toes, your funny Valentine is full of love, and it shows with these mini moccasins from ShooShoos. Before you know it, she'll be donning high heels for the prom. So, in the meantime, continue to kiss those teeny toes - and dress them up in cute booties - as often as possible. White Shoes with Red Hearts, $15.99 at ShooShoosUSA.com.

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February 15, 2006 22:17 - Choli - A Indian Style Party to Celebrate the Pregancy (not a baby shower!)

If you're curious about how indian people celebrate a women's pregnancy (GULP! it's a 200 people's event), here is something interesting that I found at Toronto Star.

Who knows? Maybe you're just about to attend your next baby shower for a Indian family.

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MIRAJ, INDIA - The impending birth of a child is celebrated with great fanfare in India.

About 200 people, including aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends, have gathered for the pandemonium-filled choli -- observed in the seventh month of a woman's pregnancy - of my cousin Prajakta.

PRITHI YELAJA/THE TORONTO STAR Prjakata and Arun Kurne at their choli.

In the Hindu temple where the choli is being held, children are running everywhere, oblivious to the rituals.

Next to the temple, S. Shebande and his dozen-member crew are busy cooking lunch for us in an open-air kitchen -- frying up puris in a huge vat of oil, stirring pots of potato-and-peas bhaji, rice, dahl and gulab jamun.

The occasion is extra special for Prajakta and her husband, Arun. Married 11 years, they have finally conceived a child with the help of a very expensive fertility specialist. Miraj, located about 20 kilometres from Ichalkaranji, where Prajakta's mother lives, is renowned for its medical facilities.

The choli is not a baby shower. That's a barsa, which is celebrated only after the baby's birth. It's considered bad luck to give baby gifts before a child is born.

The choli is more to pamper and celebrate the parents-to-be, and the pregnant. Prajakta revels in all the attention. She looks radiant in a green silk sari embroidered with gold that, following tradition, her mother has bought her for her. Fresh flowers adorn her hair and her arms are covered with a dozen green glass bangles. The sari and bangles worn by the pregnant woman for her choli are always green, a colour that represents fertility and is considered auspicious.

The lunch menu features the favourite dishes of the mom-to-be.

After an arthi to bestow blessings on the expectant couple, everyone lines up to present them with gifts -- saris for Prajakta and shirts or pants for Arun, as well as coconuts, which are always presented on auspicious occasions.

The two sit patiently for hours, first to receive gifts, then to take photos with all the relatives. Finally, after everyone has eaten, they sit down for lunch.

Prajakta has three more months to go before her due date, but her belly is humongous. I jokingly ask her if she's sure she's not expecting twins. No, the ultrasound showed only one baby, she says. Unlike most Indian couples, they didn't ask to know the baby's sex.

They want to be surprised. And after waiting for so many years, they don't care whether it's a girl or a boy, so long as it's healthy

By PRITHI YELAJA
STAFF REPORTER of TONRONTO STAR

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February 16, 2006 23:46 - Baby Showers, the Filipino Way

SAN FRANCISCO, California - The world is truly round¡ªand small¡ªand gets smaller every day. We spent the long weekend in Southern California¡ªOrange County, to be exact¡ªcramping memorable experiences and recalling never-forgotten ones in a 72-hour flyover visit with best friends Jean and Ed Fabian and Belinda and Art Gapasin and their families.

My primary reason to visit was the baby shower hosted by Jean and her daughters Bonggay Ampil, Tippi de Roos and Vec-Vec Cinco for youngest sibling, Michelle Mallari, who is delivering her baby girl next month. But that was on a Saturday, and I had flown on Thursday evening and so had a Friday morning to hit the malls with Belle and participate in evening Bible study at the home of Rey and May Santos, as a tag-a-long of the Fabians.

The weekly Bible study brings together a closely-knit group of born-again Christians, among them Ed (who was the leader that night) and Ligaya Nibut, Don and Juliet Marla, Nimfa Veneracion, Fred and Tess Aldanese, and Cita and Tony Pezzotta. The topic that evening was parenting and each one had amusing personal insights to contribute. As a footnote, all of the participants were born, raised or had worked in the Philippines. May is a Changco, whose family owns banana plantations in General Santos; Fred (a nurse) is the son of the well-known Manila brain surgeon; Nimfa is a single mother and medical technician, and Tony Pezzotta, a former priest, used to head the Don Bosco Seminary.

More than 60 family and friends attended the baby shower for Michelle, who at age 28, is already a director of Valiant Pharmaceuticals in Orange County. Michelle and her mom Jean migrated to the States 21 years ago. At every American school she attended, Michelle was always at the top of her class.

While husband Gary de Roos watched over the kids (Matthew and Kristina) eldest sister Tippi baked the salmon and decorated the Fabians¡¯ lanai. Vec contributed the baked ham, Belle the pancit bihon, Blanquita Marin the roast beef, and Jean the delicious turkey. For a while, we thought the fabulous buffet dishes would run out, but there was just enough even for "take-home," a tradition at every Filipino party!

Among Michelle¡¯s and Dino¡¯s guests were Corazon and Norberto Mallari (his lolo and lola) and family, Angie Eloriaga and her daughter Mabelle, Joy and Jerry Cinco, Peachy Sevilla and Winnie Abary (visiting from New Jersey), twins Choppi and Bochi Ampil (whose mom used to be with the Peninsula Hotel¡¯s banquet sales office), Roberto Taruc (grandson of former Huk Leader Luis Taruc), the Marin family including Rica and Toti, Tito and Maricel, Jojo and Venus, and mom, Blanquita, who had arrived the previous night from Manila where she attended her 50th high school golden jubilee celebration.

The shower was also occasion to enjoy a happy mini-reunion with Lydia Espinosa-Webster and Fae Brown-Henson, formerly of the Department of Tourism during the term of Joe Aspiras. Fae was one of Aspiras¡¯ Special Events ladies, who were vaunted for their beauty and brains. Lydia was secretary of then-PTA general manager Rudy Cacdac. After DOT, Fae and I moved to Alfa Textiles-Jazzie Ready-to-Wear owned by Ramon Lee and Tony Lacdao.

Over dimsum on Sunday, Art Gapasin related how his 90-year-old aunt Felisa Gapasin-Roux managed to be issued a US visa. In Sydney as in Manila, American visas are difficult to get, but Tia Felisa did it by telling the consul why she really wanted to go to America:

"I would like to see Disneyland before I die," she said. The American consul quickly approved the visas for the Filipino Australian green cardholder, as well as for her son Manolo Roux, his wife Rita, and their children Judica (18 years old) and Jessie Nicky (age 9).

Tia Felisa and her family are now on a three-week vacation visiting nephews and nieces in America and Canada. And yes, she is going to Disneyland¡ªand the San Diego Zoo¡ªboth famous California landmarks.

To end our Southern California adventure, we drove some 40 miles from Tustin, to check out the Gapasins¡¯ beautiful second home in Corona. Art, a systems engineer of the Federal Aviation Authority, is from Bauang, La Union and is one of the pillars of the La Union community in Southern California. He and his kababayan (many of them live closer to Corona) regularly use the house for their association meetings and get-togethers.

It was with a heavy heart that we drove back to reality, a flight to San Francisco and farther away from dear friends. But then, there is always another three-day weekend to look forward to!

By CARMEN C. HERNANDEZ

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February 20, 2006 23:26 - Board Books: A Perfect Baby Shower Gift For Adoptive Families

While surfing around the Adoptive Families website, I came across this great article below recommending board books which help teach kids about diversity and adoption.

And I recommend the Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born, by actress Jamie Lee Curtis -- it's a great book that you can give to your adopted child when he/she come home to you.

Read the article and have some fun with your baby shower for adoption.

The Joy of Board Books - Nurture your child's love of reading with tales that shine a light on diversity and adoption.

By Kathleen Odean

Reading a board book to your newly adopted baby or toddler is a wonderful way to bond with her. Fashioned for small hands and made of durable materials, these little gems provide your child a perfect entree into the world of books. Today there are hundreds of board books available, some of which celebrate diversity and --a few--adoption. Which ones will appeal to your child?

What to Look For

The first thing to consider is a book's accessibility. Some board books were first published for older children, in a large hardcover format, and have since been adapted to the small, cardboard version. Such books, featuring pictures and stories designed for older kids, don't usually work as well for babies and toddlers. Other board books are commercial tie-ins to TV shows and videos, and have crowded pictures and long tales. They are too detailed for little ones, possibly making their first experience with books a negative one.

The best board books have an "open" design, with large print and simple illustrations, typically set against a solid background. They often feature bright, contrasting colors that appeal to young children. A handful of books have black and white illustrations, which are especially good for young babies, whose vision is still developing.

A straightforward, short text works best. Just a few words per page will entertain babies, while toddlers are ready for a bit more. Look for books that use rhythm and rhyme in a way that sounds good to you. Young children enjoy books about subjects they know, such as babies, parents, siblings, toys, and pets. (And if the baby, parent, or sibling looks like the young reader, all the better!) Animals of all sorts interest little listeners as well. So go ahead and make animal noises, and encourage your child to make them, too. It's part of the reading fun!

Kathleen Odean is former chair of the Newbery Medal committee, is the author of Great Books for Babies and Toddlers: More Than 500 Recommended Books for Your Child's First Three Years (Ballantine, 2003).

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February 23, 2006 22:10 - It's A Baby Shower Or A Breast-feeding Training?

If you're looking for a baby shower theme that can throw a big party of a group of mom-to-be, here is an article I found at Timesheraldonline.com, which talks about a community baby shower about "Breast-feeding" - in fact, it turn out to be a intensive breast-feeding training.

Breast-feeding is theme of community baby shower at Revival Center Ministries

Encouraging expectant African-American mothers to consider breast-feeding will be a key goal Saturday of the More Excellent Way Community Baby Shower at Revival Center Ministries.

Sponsored by the Black Infant Health Coalition and the University of California, Berkeley, this free event is actually the kick-off to an "intense breast-feeding intervention," said Monique Sims, the coalition's chairperson.

The rate of infant deaths for African-Americans in California in 2003 was 12.3 per 1,000 births, the Center for Health Statistics reports, That compared to 5.2 deaths for Hispanics and 4.5 for whites.

Sims said breast milk's has more than 300 properties and, its multitude of healing properties help fight asthma, colds, ear infections, childhood cancers and other diseases. "Formula has not been able to replicate those factors," she said.

Sims, a certified lactation educator and public health registered dietitian, said black women in Solano County are lagging behind all those of other ethnicities in initiating breast-feeding.

After formula was introduced in the early 20th century, all breast-feeding rates fell, she said. But, then the infant mortality rates rose. Then, Sims said, a link was discovered between breast-feeding and improved infant mortality.

"The education has reached other races more than it has blacks. We have not recaptured in our population the art, the science, the knowledge about breast-feeding. That's what this intervention is trying to do," she said.

At Saturday's program, couples will be invited to a more intensive breast-feeding training where they will be paid $40 for their participation, she said.

Already, she said, 75 couples have enrolled. "We are hoping that the word gets out to every African-American woman and that if they don't attend, it's only because they didn't choose to - not because they didn't hear about it," Sims said.

Women are welcome to attend alone, but the organizers want their partners to know they are welcome.

The Men's Department at Revival Center Ministries has designed a program in conjunction with Black Infant Health to promote responsible fatherhood; that is, being there for the child whether or not the man intends to remain with the baby's mother. Men will be offered tips on dealing with the new mother's mood swings and how to be helpful during the delivery and aftercare.

Childcare will be available, featuring an effort to help the kids understand "their new role as brother and sister." There are segments on: "What's happening to Mommie while she's pregnant; Mommie is going away to the hospital; and my mama needs me." The children will create a small book to read to their little brother or sister and receive cautionary tips like "don't give the baby food" or "Don't try to stand him up."

African-Americans are disproportionally represented in the ranks of pregnant teens, Sims said. As such, the church's youth department and Pastor Van Waller have developed a ministry specifically for teen couples.

The mothers-to-be will receive information on how best to prepare for the birthing process. If they are not receiving pre-natal care, there will be service providers available representing Women Infants and Children and Black Infant Health to help link them to the county's Health and Social Services.

The Responsible Fathers Program will be on hand to help the baby's fathers of women who receive public assistance understand their role as fathers; and give them information, peer support and educational assistance, Sims said.

Spirit of Revival Choir will offer songs celebrating life.

"We'll have a continental breakfast and soul food for lunch - chicken, greens, corn bread and traditional soul food," Sims said.

Some local businesses and vendors have contributed diapers and other useful items to aid these women, she said. If anyone else wishes to donate to the effort or has questions about the event, they should call A More Excellent Way at 648-1247.

- Robert McCockran can be reached at 553-6829 or at robertm@thnewsnet.com

If you go ...

What: Community Baby Shower for pregnant, African-American women and their partners

Where: Revival Center Ministries at 910 Tennessee St.

When: 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday.

Cost: Free

By ROBERT McCOCKRAN, Times-Herald staff writer

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February 26, 2006 22:25 - Why A Dad-Friendly Baby Shower Is Important?

If you are a soon-to-be-dad, how about take a chance to host a baby shower for yourself and your buddies?

You may give me a rather confused look...but you won't do that again after you read the article below by David Moye, who is a La Mesa-based writer who is looking forward to introducing his as-yet unborn son to such manly rituals as playing Frisbee golf, listening to KISS CDs and eating fatty foods when mother isn't around.

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Where's the Manly Baby Shower?

I'm happy to be all man but there are a few times when I think women get the better end of the deal -- like with baby showers.

Some of my wife's friends and family threw her a baby shower this past weekend and she came home in a happy mood with all sorts of cool gifts for the baby (and tons of diapers).

I must admit, I felt a little sorry for myself. How come my wife's friends and family are willing to throw her a party where she gets to open presents and I get the shaft from my guy friends? Those same guys who put their greedy paws out for cigars the minute Owen slips down that birth canal and starts screaming like a banshee.

I tried to explain my feelings to my wife and, incredibly, she felt I was being selfish.
As she explains it, I'm not the one going through nine months of pregnancy with swollen feet, an upset stomach and a self-absorbed hubby who gleefully reacts at every irritating aspect of her pregnancy by saying, "Hey, maybe that's a column.''

Plus, she added, the gifts weren't actually for her but for our new son, Owen (middle name pending).

I'm not sure I agree with that logic. Owen -- who is due March 17 -- will just be a blubbering blob for the first three months and will not appreciate that his "onesies'' are blue or green or if they have monster trucks on them.

But my wife will. Plus, she got to open the gifts while I got diddly squat.

Of course, I shouldn't be mad at her or her friends or my sisters. I'm mad at a patriarchal system that allows guys to ignore important rituals in their male friends except for bachelor parties.

Maybe it's because guys don't really think a kid exists until they're holding the child in their sweaty palms for the first time. That's how it felt for me with my daughter, Alexandra. Until she was actually looking at me with those grayish blue eyes that all newborn babies have, the idea I was going to be a father never really hit me.

Some guys -- like Kevin Federline -- never realize it.

There are some guys who try to be thoughtful when their friend is having a baby but it's more verbal and not tangible. For instance, a guy's idea of a baby gift is to hand over a six-pack and say, "Dude, you're never going to sleep again. And forget about sex.''

Somehow, it's not as thoughtful as a party like my wife had, with lots of gourmet salads and female fellowship from multiple generations.

I hinted to one guy friend that we were registered at Babies R Us but all he could say was, "Is that like Toys R Us? Are they still misspelling the word 'are' as the letter? I hate that. I hate bad spelling."

I imagine if he reads this, little Owen will be getting a dictionary.

Now, if I were getting married, I'm sure these same "friends" would be gladly throwing a bachelor party because, as I've learned, those aren't really for the bachelor, they're for his married friends.

Plus, a bachelor party is supposed to represent a single man's last attempt at "freedom,'' so how do you explain a male baby shower?

How about this? Since a baby represents the ending of truly restful sleep for the rest of your life, why don't guys throw a huge slumber party for their buddies who are about to enter the world of parenthood? It could include party favors like sleep masks, Lunesta and a tryptophan-laced Thanksgiving turkey.

On second thought: I'm not planning on having any more kids so I won't get to benefit. Maybe we should just stick to the current manly manner rule of merely saying, "Congratulations. Guess you won't be getting any sleep or any sex.''

Old traditions die hard.

By DAVID MOYE, Friday, Feb. 24, 2006, www.voiceofsandiego.org

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