Benedict Cumberbatch to be a dad!

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

2015 is shaping up to be a very big year for Benedict Cumberbatch.

The British-born star recently announced his engagement to director and actress Sophie Hunter, he's garnering plenty of award season buzz for his role in The Imitation Game and now it's been confirmed that he's going be be a dad!

"They're over the moon," says a source close to the expectant parents, with Benedict's rep also confirming the happy news.

They're not the only ones. The 38-year-old actor, who seems to have taken up the title of everyone's imaginary boyfriend these days, recently admitted that he was feeling the pressure to start a family. “Oh, my God. Well, my mother is also waiting for Cumberbabies," he revealed.

It's unlikely we'll be hearing any Hollywood-esque baby names from Benedict and Sophie, who sweetly announced their engagement in a low-key way, posting the news in the births, deaths and marriages column of The Times.

The Golden Globe-nominee has said he tried unsuccessfully to convince his agents that he should change his own unusual last name: “I was going to be Benedict Carlton. I said, ‘[Cumberbatch] sounds a bit like a fart in the bath. It’s clumsy.... When people started suggesting I’d made it up, I was like, ‘Well thank you for crediting me with that much imagination. I don’t think I could possibly make up a name as stupid as the one I was born with.'”

Congratulations to them on the baby on the way!

A look back at some of the strangest celebrity baby names of 2014...

Photo: REX USA/Erik Pendzich

New mom Zoë Saldana reveals twins' names

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

It's a boy - and another boy! - for actress Zoë Saldana and her husband Marco Perego!

Christmas came early for the Guardians of the Galaxy star, who welcomed twin sons on November 27 in Los Angeles. Amazingly, the 36-year-old beauty managed to keep the very big news undercover until this week, when she finally took to Twitter to announce the births of babies Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio Perego-Saldana.

“Our boys Cy and Bowie are finally here. Marco and I wanted to thank you for your beautiful wishes and for your patience,” Zoë Tweeted on Friday. “Happy #2015! Starting our New Year with a full house.”

The actress' rep also released a statement confirming the news, saying, "Mother and sons are happy and healthy. Zoë and Marco are so grateful to all of the fans for their incredible support and beautiful wishes."

It comes as no surprise that the Book of Life star chose to keep her baby news to herself for a while - after all, despite her growing bump she remained mum on her pregnancy for many months. She did eventually open up about her post-baby plans, revealing that she'll be in no rush to return to her busy work schedule.

“It’s nature! Like, you just cannot do it," Zoë mused. "What kind of mother would I be? There’s no choice. It’s like, ‘What, you want me to leave my newborn so that I can work 16 hours on your set? He’s only a month old, are you out of your mind?’"

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How did you feel about working after your baby was born?

With the arrival of babies Cy and Bowie, Zoë joins the club of Hollywood parents of multiples. Take a look!

Photo: REX USA/Picture Perfect

11 strangest celebrity baby names of 2014

by

Carolyn Robertson

posted in Celebrities

Oh, Hollywood. When it comes to coming up with wild and wacky baby names, you never seem to let us down. The star-studded town that has brought us such gems as Diva Thin Muffin and Zuma Nesta Rock gave us a few new doozies to mull over in 2014.

To be honest, I really don't have anything against unusual baby names. Some of my favorite celebrity name picks of the year won't be found on any top 10, or even top 100, list: Robert Downey Jr named his daughter Roel Avri, which is lovely. NBA pro LeBron James went with Zhuri for his baby girl, another beautiful choice. Some names from the past year, though, seem to go well beyond unique.

That being said, baby names are nothing if not subjective. This list of the worst may include some names that all of you are crazy about. So take a look at these 11 names and see if you agree.

So, are there any names on the list that just make you cringe? Perhaps a few that you actually kind of love?

There are a few typical Hollywood head-scratchers, like Summer Rain and Megaa, but I think Elizabella is the one that gets my vote. It reminds me of reality star Trista Sutter's baby name mash-up from a few years back, when she named her daughter Blakesley.

Let's face it, when it comes to baby names, everyone has an opinion. When I told an old family friend that I'd named my daughter Amelia Elizabeth her response was along the lines of, "Oh, that's a mouthful, isn't it? Poor baby." I can only imagine what she'd have said if I'd introduced her to little Reign Royal.

As Chris Martin, who as dad to Apple and Moses knows a thing or two about unusual names, concludes, “People make a big fuss over names. Names of babies, names of albums, names of bands. There’s nothing weird about calling your baby Chewbacca if that’s what you want to call your baby. It’s no stranger than Sarah. A name is just a noise, and if you like it, then f–k what everyone else says.”

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What famous baby names stood out for you in 2014?

And a look back at some of my personal favorite names from the past year...

Photo: INFphoto.com

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