Alicia Keys welcomes baby boy - find out his name!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

It's another boy for singer Alicia Keys!

The Grammy-winner and her husband of 4 years Swizz Beatz welcomed their second son together on Saturday, December 27 - just a few days ahead of her New Years Eve due date. The baby was born at 1:52am weighing 6lbs 5oz.

The couple, who are already parents to 4-year-old Egypt Daoud, took to Instagram to share their happy news, both sharing a photo of two tiny footprints along with the caption, “The joy of joy is joy!! It’s a boy. We are so grateful!! #blessings!!”

The birth announcement also revealed their new son's name: Genesis Ali Dean. Hopefully big brother Egypt isn't too heartbroken that they didn't go with his suggestion of Prince Eric or Ariel!

Genesis tends to be more popular for baby girls than boys, but it works for either gender. No word just yet on what prompted Alicia and Swizz's pick, but it sounds like the 'Girl on Fire' singer is drawn to names that she has a strong personal connection to. Explaining why she chose the unusual name Egypt, she's said, “I took an important trip for myself to Egypt. There were a lot of things that needed to change. I was not as experienced then, so I felt close to a breakdown. I went to Egypt, and I went alone. I sailed down the Nile and I saw the temples, the tombs, and the pyramids. It was powerful. It was very Cleopatra. When we found out I was pregnant, my husband said, ‘Egypt was such an important time for you. That really changed your life. Wouldn’t that be amazing as a name?’ Once he said that, I was like, ‘Yes.’ ”

We'll have to wait to find out what inspired the musical mama to the name Genesis. In the meantime, though... do you like their pick?

A look back at some of our favorite celeb baby names of 2014...

Photo: Gregory Pace/BEImages, PR Photos

Alicia Keys' son picks trendy baby name

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

With her due date just days away, 'Girl on Fire' singer Alicia Keys is busy getting ready for the arrival of baby #2.

The 33-year-old, who has revealed that she and her husband Swizz Beatz are expecting their second child together on New Years Eve, won't share her top baby name picks, but she does say that her 4-year-old son Egypt has cast his vote.

It turns out that the preschooler is partial to names inspired by Disney's The Little Mermaid: “He’s like, ‘What about Prince Eric or Ariel?'" says Alicia.

Egypt could be onto something. After all, just last month Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen named their new baby Briar Rose, after the Sleeping Beauty princess. New mom Eva Mendes admits that she and Ryan Gosling's baby name pick, Esmerelda, was inspired by the Victor Hugo novel turned Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

When I was pregnant with my second baby, my then 4-year-old was very insistent that we name the new baby Rosalina. She loved that name so much that I actually considered using it - briefly.

Did your child have a name in mind for the new baby, too?

We'll have to wait and see if Alicia takes her son's advice and joins the Disney-themed baby name trend. Just in case, here are a few of our favorites...

Photo: PR Photos

Best of 2014: 9 celebrity pregnancy reveals we loved

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

The Hollywood baby boom continued in 2014!

From royal pregnancies to rock star ones, from first-time parents to "been there, done that" pros, there was plenty of baby news to celebrate over the past year.

While famous mamas like Gwen Stefani and Eva Mendes chose to simply letting their growing bellies do the talking, others got creative with their big reveals. Cool pregnancy reveals are a super hot trend these days, so it came as no surprise to see some of our favorite celebrity moms-to-be join in on the fun.

Here is a look back at some of our favorite pregnancy announcements from 2014...

I love Carrie Underwood's cute reveal. Dogs in funny T-shirts? You can't go wrong. However, I think Alicia Keys gets my vote for the best of the year. That photo showing off her growing bump for the very first time just exudes pure joy. Beautiful.

Of course, celebrities aren't the only ones coming up with fun ways to share their happy news. If you're in need of some inspiration, check out these great pregnancy announcement ideas from BabyCenter mamas.

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So... how did you announce your pregnancy to the world?

Photo: Cultura/Rex/REX USA

Kourtney Kardashian reveals her baby's royal name

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

The Kardashians are reality TV royalty, so perhaps it's only fitting that Kourtney Kardashian and her partner Scott Disick gave their new baby boy a name fit for a king.

One week after welcoming baby #3, Kourtney took to Instagram on Sunday to share a first - of many, no doubt - photo of the family's new addition. The 35-year-old, who is already mom to Mason Dash, 5, and Penelope Scotland, 2, posted a sweet shot of her newborn son's tiny hand in hers. She also shared his name with her 12 million followers, writing, "Madly in love with my little Reign Aston Disick."

Reign Aston? No doubt Scott - aka "Lord Disick" - was routing for this particular moniker, but I have to admit that its royal appeal is lost on me. I love the couple's first two baby names: Mason ranks #4 on BabyCenter's annual list, while Penelope has been steadily rising through the ranks. Neither of those popular picks would ever be included on the long lineup of Hollywood's "unique" baby names. Reign Aston, though, will likely join his cousin North West on that infamous ranking.

I may not love Kourtney's latest baby name pick, but I do admire her confident, hands-on approach to parenting. Since the birth of her first son Mason - who shares a December 14th birthday with his new baby brother - she has been an outspoken advocate for attachment parenting practices such as co-sleeping and extended breastfeeding. Even though the rest of her family thinks she's "insane," the oldest of the Kardashian sisters recently revealed that she plans on sticking to that path with her third child.

“I love doing everything myself at the beginning,” Kourtney recently told Fit Pregnancy magazine. “I’m not getting a baby nurse. I take two months off and no one is allowed to bother me or talk to me about anything work-related — or maybe three months this time.”

We can't wait for our first real glimpse of little Reign. In the meantime... what do you think of Kourtney and Scott's baby name pick?

Photo: PR Photos

Best of 2014: 7 awesome celebrity mom confessions

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

When a celebrity is snapped pumping their own gas or - gasp! - eating a hamburger, the tabloids love to claim that she's "just like us." The reality? That's probably a bit of a stretch. Jennifer Lopez has a $1,200 diaper bag. I got mine at Target for $34.99. Enough said.

Motherhood tends to level the playing field in some ways, though. Your baby doesn't care how rich and famous you are: She will blow a diaper out on you without thinking twice. I guess the only difference is, if you're dripping in hundred dollar bills you can always get someone else to clean it up for you.

Even so, I always love it when a celebrity mom gets real about child-raising, when they say something that makes me think that maybe, just maybe, they totally get it after all.

From Emily Blunt's horrifying breastfeeding revelation to Kourtney Kardashian's pregnant carb-loading, here are some of the motherhood confessions we loved the most in 2014...

I love these! I may not know much about red carpets, but I'm kind of an expert at the mind-boggling ups and downs of motherhood. Diaper mishaps? Been there. Engorged post-baby boobies? Done that. Middle-of-the-night BabyCenter baby board visits? More times that I can even count.

I guess it just goes to show that bringing up a baby is nothing if not humbling - no matter the size of your bank account balance.

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Can you relate to any of these?

Celebrity moms get real about motherhood...

Photo: PR Photos

Kourtney Kardashian welcomes baby #3 on son Mason's birthday!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

December just got even busier for brand new mom-of-three Kourtney Kardashian.

According to reports, the reality star and her longtime love Scott Disick welcomed their third child, a baby boy, on December 14 - the very same day that their oldest son, Mason, turned 5 years old. The new baby also joins the couple's 2-year-old daughter Penelope Scotland.

A source close to the Kardashian clan reveals that Kourtney and Scott are thrilled by their kids' shared birthdays, telling E! News, "The family is freaking out with joy. What an amazing coincidence."

The baby news comes less than a month after Kourtney bared her pregnant belly - and more! - in Du Jour magazine. While some expectant moms may shy away from showing so much skin, the 35-year-old says she will be proud to one day show her new son the bold pics and tell him, "This was you inside."

Unlike her sister Kim Kardashian, who recently attempted to "break the internet" with her nude photo shoot, however, Kourtney says she probably won't strip down for a post-baby session: "I would never say never, but I don’t think so, no," she mused. "What appeals to me is celebrating the shape of my body being pregnant and capturing that time in my life."

Though Kourtney has yet to Tweet the arrival of her new son, she did send out a sweet message to her first-born earlier today, writing, "Happy birthday to the coolest little boy in the entire world. You teach me so much every single day and changed my universe the second I met you. You have taught me what life is all about and I am truly blessed and honored to be your mommy."

I've often heard parents talk about how tricky it can be having kids' birthdays so close to Christmas - it will be twice as tough for Kourtney, having two children born on the very same day! My two girls' birthdays are about one month apart, and even that feels too close at times, when I'm scrambling to throw together two parties.

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Are your kids' birthdays quite close together? Do you have any advice for Kourtney when it comes to planning parties?

Photos: REX USA, PR Photos

Merry Christmas! 3 cute new holiday pics of Prince George

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Christmas just got a whole lot cuter!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared three new official photos of their son Prince George this weekend, just in time for the holidays. The photos show the soon-to-be big brother sitting on the steps of Kensington Palace, clad in a Christmas sweater and looking absolutely adorable.

If these sweet shots are any indication, Kate and William's toddler likely keeps them on their toes - check out that mischievous little smile!

Prince George may be royalty, but it sounds like he shares the same interests as many toddlers around his age. During a recent visit with tech execs in New York, Prince William revealed that his almost 17-month-old is no stranger to technology: “He told me that his son George has been playing iPad games and loves them," reveals one guest. "And that this was a good way to teach him the inner workings of electronics."

Right, the inner workings of electronics. And as many parents know so well - despite the "no tech before 2 years old" advice - it's also not a bad way to keep a busy child out of your hair for a few minutes! It won't be too long before George has a permanent play mate at the palace, though - Kate and William are expecting baby #2 in April.

The Duke and Duchess' quick, kid-free trip to the United States also included meetings with President Obama and Hillary Clinton, a visit to a Harlem children's development center, a glamorous evening gala and a court-side chat with Beyonce and Jay-Z during a Brooklyn Nets game.

Take a look at some of the highlights...

Photo credit: Images embeddable on The British Monarchy via Facebook

Why Maya Rudolph says 'hell no' to another baby

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

If you're eagerly awaiting another pregnancy announcement from funny mom Maya Rudolph, it's probably time to stop.

Asked if she and her husband, director Paul Thomas Anderson, are hoping to add another baby to their family, the 'Bridesmaids' star's answer seemed pretty definite: “Hell no!" she said at this week's LA premiere of Inherent Vice. "I would be a crazy person if that happened! I would be a crazy person!”

No doubt Maya, 42, already has her hands full with the four kids they already have: Lucille, 5, Pearl, 9, Jack, 3, and Minnie, 16 months. Revealing that her littlest baby is now up and on the move, Maya admits that with that big milestone behind them they see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“We have all walking children now,” she explains. “It’s sad that the baby days are over, but it’s also like, ‘Okay, everybody’s healthy, we did it.’ Now we’re chugging.”

I only have two kids, but I definitely understand how she feels. Each one of my kids' "lasts" feels a little bittersweet to me. First words, first steps, first day of preschool: My heart aches a bit for the babies they used to be, but each passing milestone also makes life that much easier. There's so much more we can do now that the days of diapers and naps and 10-lb diaper bags are just about behind us.

As for Maya, she seems happily immersed in raising her busy brood: “I don’t remember anything before motherhood,” she laughs.

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Can you relate to Maya's thoughts on motherhood?

Take a look at Hollywood's biggest families...

Photos: PR Photos

Best of 2014: 7 celebrity mom breastfeeding moments

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

2014 was a big year for breastfeeding in Hollywood.

From newly minted mom-of-three Gwen Stefani to attachment parenting advocate Alyssa Milano, many of our favorite famous moms took to social media to join the "breastfeeding selfie" movement, sharing some sweet snapshots of them nursing their little ones.

Breastfeeding also made the leap to high fashion this year when actress Olivia Wilde was shown nursing her adorable baby Otis in a super chic photo shoot for Glamour magazine.

Looking over the past year, there were no shortage of celebrity breastfeeding highlights to choose from. These are the ones we really loved.

Of course, celebrities weren't the only moms making breastfeeding headlines in 2014. Plenty of us "regular" moms pushed nursing into the spotlight, too. Whether it was mothers being banned and shamed for breastfeeding their babes in public places or others leading the fight to normalize nursing once and for all, this was definitely one of the year's hottest parenting topics.

Stay tuned for our round-up of those very clickable stories, it's coming soon!

Which other famous moms have spoken out about breastfeeding? Find out!

Photo: PR Photos