Hot on HuffPost Parents:
Susan Maushart: Digital Guilt: Mommy, Her iPad, and Me
Jim Medalia: Mentoring or Meddling - When Do You Stop Parenting?
Gifts for Baby Boy Palin Pouring Into Alaska
Filed under: Celeb Parents, In The News
Heath, 70, says boxes are piling up in the mail room of Bristol's mom, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
"I'd say from a half-dozen countries," Heath says. "In Sarah's mail room, there's 87 boxes -- big boxes of mail that we haven't even opened." He adds that there's no way the family will ever be able to answer every letter, although they are trying.
Palin Family Album
"We both love each other," Levi Johnston, 18, told the AP in a rare interview about his relationship with 18-year-old Bristol Palin. "We both want to marry each other. And that's what we are going to do."
Paul Sancya, AP
"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned," the Palins's statement said. "As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows that she has our unconditional love and support."
Robyn Beck, AFP/Getty Images
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband Todd have five children. Track, 19, Bristol, 18, (with Levi Johnston), Willow, 14, Piper, 7, and Trig, 8 months. (not pictured).
Fredy Perojo, AOL
Chuck and Sally Heath, parents of Sarah Palin. Chuck Heath, 70, says gift boxes for his newest grandson are piling up in the governor's mail room from all over the world. There's no way the family will ever be able to answer every letter, he says, although they are trying.
Charlie Neibergall, AP
Sarah Palin initially hid her pregnancy with Trig from the public, causing rumors that Trig was her grandson via Bristol.
Win McNamee, Getty Images
"Trig is beautiful and already adored by us," read a statement by the Palin when Trig was born on April 18. "We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed."
Paul J. Richards, AFP / Getty Images
Gov. Sarah Palin, her husband Todd, and daughters Bristol,16, right, and Piper, 5, at the end of a 2006 inauguration ceremony in Fairbanks. Palin, 42, is the first female and youngest governor of Alaska.
Al Grillo, AP
Then-Republican U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, her daughters, Piper, Willow, and husband Todd walk out onto the ice to drop the ceremonial first puck before a St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings hockey game.
Whitney Curtis, Getty Images
Levi Johnston called himself a "redneck' on his MySpace page.
Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Bristol Palin's new baby other grandma was in the news this year, as well. Sherry Johnston, Levi's mother, 42, pictured, was arrested on drug charges related to oxycontin in December.
Al Grillo, AP
The pregnancy of 18-year-old Bristol was a flash point during Palin's failed bid for the vice presidency, causing some to say that Sen. John McCain failed to properly vet the self-proclaimed hockey mom of five.
Heath, who says being thrust into the national spotlight has been disconcerting for the family, supports his daughter "100 percent" in all her endeavors, political or otherwise.
"All of a sudden [we] jumped into the mayhem," he recently told Grandparents.com. "We're very supportive of our daughter and her family. Very supportive. Anything she wants to do or undertake, we're backing her."
So what does he hope for his new great-grandson? That he's healthy and happy, of course.
No matter what your politics, I think we can all agree to that.












ReaderComments (Page 1 of 14)
12-27-2008 @ 2:59PM
goldie said...I WISH ALL OF THE BEST TO BRISTOL, THE NEW BABY AND OF COURSE LEVI. I WISH ALL THE BEST TO SARAH, AND HOPE SHE WILL BE OUR NEW PRESIDENT IN 2012. YOU GO GIRL. I ALSO HOPE TODD WINS THE SNOW MACHINE RACE AGAIN. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THIS BEAUTIFUL LOVING FAMILY.
Reply
12-27-2008 @ 8:06AM
Chris Kavanagh said...Congratulations to Levi, Bristol & their families. I they take, and have taken a lot of HEAT over it, and handled it with class.
12-27-2008 @ 8:26AM
cindy in Dallas said...Well other unwed teenager pregnancy, Why is it that two unwed teen is pregnant and everyone is so over joy about it? And wishing them all the best they are teens.
If they were teenagers out here in the real world peoples would be asking were are the parents for there teen daughter to be pregnant and didnt wait until she was married.
How strange that question didnt come up with SARA PALIN daughter. where is all the talk for that teen pregnancy you get no blessing here. It's still a teen pregnancy and they are no different then any other teenager.
And Levi her boyfriend his mother was arrested on drug charges well we know where she was when her teen son was knocking sara daughter up.
Sara was trying to win a election that she couldnt win and her teen daughter was having sex. This is a good topic I am going to see just how many peoples think that this is ok for a teenager to be pregnant before it was not good.
But so far goldie think its ok
12-27-2008 @ 8:53AM
nana said...one must practice what they preach. Didn't Sarah want abstinents taught in the schools. She should have taught it at home.
12-27-2008 @ 8:19AM
snocone said...This has nothing to do with politics but while everyone gushes about this 'fab family', would someone explain what Bristol did to do to deserve such attention besides get pregnant? Neither she nor Levi ever said a word publicly, so how can anyone say they showed "class"? They were paraded at the rallies and then were hushed up and put out of the way. Would be very surprising if a marriage happens and, if so, if it isn't quietly "set asunder." Just the future 'mother-in-law' (Levi's drug dealing mom) alone would be an embarrassment for the Palins if Sarah runs in 2012. This is just Britney and Miley worship with a political twist. Please people, see the mess we are in and look at someone who UNDERSTANDS and can work at trying to dig us out. It will take many years!!
Reply
12-27-2008 @ 10:02AM
Shelia said...While many try to place 100% blame on Bush or the Republicans, the president does not, nor cannot, do it alone. He HAS to have support and approval by congress. This includes the war, spending, everything.
Who did this? Both the Democrats and the Repulicans. Yes, the Democratic congress that has been in there for a while. It is a shame they have played politics and have blinded so many unlearned Americans. I hope the Democratic Congress will now quit playing to make the economy bad and will do their job. I feel they will since there will be a Democratic President in 2009. If they don't, we MUST vote them out.
I want to thank BUSH, the DEMOCRATS and the REBUBLICANS to voting to take us to war. We have remained safe on our homeland since then. I do think they should have taken bolder action to have ended this war. I am saddened, but MOST APPRECIATIVE, for the men and women to gave their lives to take care of me. I don't understand it, but I am sure PROUD of them. Those that gave their lives, and those that are still battling to keep me, my family, my friends and my fellow Amercians safe from harms way.
I hope and pray all sides, Democrats, Rebublicans and others, will work together and quit taking sides of the party. Vote for what is right not the party.
I am a registered Democrat so don't think this is coming from a Republican. I am tired of our countries' representatives playing politics and not worrying about us, our future generations and our economy. IT CAN GET WORSE no matter which party is in there. Let's just hope that everyone, even you and me, wise up and see what is going on.
May God continue to bless YOU and AMERICA, or we will see a forthcoming time like no other. It has nothing to do with political party or race. I hope and pray my next President Obama will stand firm on what it right for me and my country. Everyone needs to do the same. We also need to have the same prayer for our Congress and other political representatives. If not, we are doomed!
12-27-2008 @ 11:59AM
Kathryn sullivan said...You are just plain silly and uninformed.....
12-27-2008 @ 1:30PM
Deb said...You are sooo right!
12-28-2008 @ 8:09PM
vickidela54 said...Well I hope before Mrs. Palin decides to run for office in 2012 the truth about baby Trig will come out and who is the REAL mother of this child. I, like so many others believe that Trig is the baby of Bristol not Sarah. Check out the chronological events surrounding his birth and you will question who the REAL mother is. She was in Texas when her water broke and flew over 8 hours back to Alaska to have a baby that she knew was Downs Syndrome? Right! Sorry don't believe it!
12-28-2008 @ 8:30PM
Doc Zeremba said...Hey, snocone, it's not what this "fab family did to deserve all this attention" as you put it... It is an extremely biased media continually trying to run down that family even under the guise of "reporting news" (in this case, this article's purpose was to say this: "The pregnancy of 18-year-old Bristol was a flash point during Palin's failed bid for the vice presidency, ... Sen. John McCain failed to properly vet the self-proclaimed hockey mom of five"). But lets be fair, Obama was far from vetted. As far as a pregnant daughter goes, a very pro-abortion Obama said "If my daughter gets pregnant, its not right to punish her with a mistake" (good thing Obama's mother or father didnt consider him "a mistake" and kill him.. although Obama's father abandoned them).
. The Troopergate thing turned out to be bogus, but after the media had done its damage. And the month-long headlines about Palin's wardrobe and the alleged $150K the GOP spent on her clothes... far less money than the million dollars Obama spent to hide his true original birth records. Palin's political acheivements are far more impressive than Obama's; Palin cleaned up corruption, and has decreased spending and lowered taxes - obama has done none of that...in fact, quite the opposite: Obama has never voted to decrease taxes and has always voted to raise taxes including on the midddle class. And Obama would not support any legislation for regulation and oversight of financial institutions (FannyMae, FreddyMac, etc.) and in fact Obama was the highest recipient of payoffs from those institutions - I call that corrupt.
AOL news is perhaps the most biased of all. They made no mention of the Bible Church that Palin attends being burned down while ppl were inside. And no mention of Sarah Palin recently refusing a pay raise, even though the state law requires her to get a raise: http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9540766.
In contrast to Palin's integrity, congress just gave themselves another raise... despite our current economic crises.
12-29-2008 @ 3:03AM
Susan said...Sean Insanity stated that when Jamie Spears turned up pregnant,
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Does the same thing apply to Palin? Sarah was knocked up already when she married
Todd Palin. It all runs in the family. It's all about hyprocricy...a big plank in the Repub Party. If She is the face of the Republican Party, that is great for the Democrats!
12-29-2008 @ 4:53AM
idream said...You know Snocone, maybe by all these letters and gifts it is a show of support toward Bristol for the fact that it was a private matter concerning her pregnancy to begin with. The news came and no one tried to hide the facts of her situation as the media broke or made news of her pregnancy I believe these gifts represent people whom were ashamed of a bias media who had the audacity to make issue with the daughter of a vp presidential candidate whom was pregnant as opposed to even look at controversial topics concerning Obama which the public deserved to know. We still do not know this person. He was only a US senator for 2 years before deciding to run for the US President. I could go on about this supposed person you talk about who UNDERSTANDS. Lastly you mention of Levi's mom and her ordeals which I believe I heard something about myself but what does this have to do with Sarah Palin. This are issues that Levi's mom may be going through or went through and hopeful they did or will be resolved for the better but to claim this will be of issue for S. Palin and will embarrass her future campaign if she decides to run is lame. If anything Barack's aunt living in USA, off gov't money illegally is embarrassing. Then there is President-Elect Barack Obama himself, but I won't go there. So the gifts are for Bristol for the media's invasion of her privacy as a child and the vetting of her child's father and his family. And again this is also showing Sarah Palin that these people are very much still behind her in the future.
12-27-2008 @ 8:38AM
julie said...If I remember right Levi never wanted children what changed his mind I wonder?
Reply
12-27-2008 @ 3:36PM
JoC said...You are very naive to believethat Congress put us into the war. Bush can over ride anything that Congress passes and he has veto power over Congress, this is how we got into the war. Congress did not put us there, HE DID! Him with both Chaney and Rumsfeld, this is how we got to where we are today. This man has put this entire country into a tailspin. People are starving and homeless in this country and he put us into debt in a war we shouldn't be in. Him and his legacy will bear out what a terrible President he was!
12-27-2008 @ 3:41PM
swim chick said...what changed his mind? how about a shotgun?
12-28-2008 @ 10:13PM
ciecee said...from my understanding, the baby is not even Levi's, he belongs to a young african american who visited alaska, met bristol and the rest is history. this young man said it himself.
12-28-2008 @ 8:13AM
Corpscopp said...How about how Republicans supported Clinton?
Reply
12-27-2008 @ 8:40AM
nana said...I think the best thing the Palin family can do with the many, many gifts they are getting, is to find a place where they can donate them to young ladies who have nothing. They surely are in a position to take care of everything for her, as is his parents. And, remember the thousands of dollars they got for wardrobes, I'm sure baby items were bought too.
I still remember the fur trimmed, white outfit, with a muff, the youngest wore. I wonderful where in Alaska a little one can wear that?
It will be interesting to see if they do the right thing.
Reply
12-27-2008 @ 10:43AM
Debra Ducharme said...I agree, all the gifts should be given to NEEDY parents. After all the babies grandmother is Sarah Palin. I'm sure there are people that need those baby items MUCH worse. They can afford to buy there own. If the Palin family can't afford it, maybe Levi's mother can with her drug money. Why the hell are all these people donating to What is wrong with this world.
12-29-2008 @ 3:25AM
Doc Zeremba said...RE: nana's comment..... I am sure much will get donated to needy people by Sarah and family. And yes, I'm sure she can afford to buy her own stuff... just as many other people who receive wedding gifts and baby shower gifts can probably afford their own stuff and dont "need" gifts. I really dont understand the personal attacks on Palin. I see some ignoranuses here even condemning the gift-givers, rather than admire them for generosity.
Palin didnt ask for gifts. Hey, Obama just bought his wife a $50K ring..... and Obama spent over $4 million on ONE commercial... and he received millions and millions of $ in campaign contributions which he vowed not to do - he vowed to only accept public financing but broke that promise and accepted it all (McCain didnt), and it was all supposed to be accountable and transparent which it was for McCain but it wasn't for Obama whose campaing funds were certainly questionable and some illegal. Lets not forget the million dollars Obama spent to guard his TRUE, original records of live birth (lawyer fees, etc.) and the several million dollars Obama has received from FreddyMac and FannyMae.
Compare this: Palin refused having a chaffeur "bc it wasnt right for the ppl to pay for that" and she sold the governor's jet and gave the money back to the ppl ~ VS. ~ Obama's jet which he kept and had the American flag emblem removed and replaced it with a symbol of part of the flag lying on its side with a sun over the flag's left side - symbolic in a certain religion of which Obama was raised of "the sun rising over the West" which many scholars believe to mean that their religion will infiltrate, illuminate, enlighten and become THE religion of the West and the world.