People magazine is reporting that Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise "have welcomed their first child together."

The couple "joyously welcomed the arrival of a baby girl, Suri, today. The child weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces and was 20 inches in length. Both mother and daughter are doing well."

Yes, folks, little Suri shares the same birthday as Brooke Shields' kid. How's that for ironic?

Finally!  I can stop waiting by the computer for news of TomKitten's arrival. I have a life again!

[Photo credit: Amanda M. Park]

Thanks, Tipster Elizabeth.

As San Francisco, the city in which I live, marks the 100th anniversary of the Great Earthquake of 1906 today, I've been thinking about how to prepare for a disaster. Luckily I don't have to think too hard because the city of San Francisco Office of Emergency Services has put together an excellent website telling me exactly what I need to do to prepare for an earthquake, flood, fire, power outage, or act of terrorism.

The site outlines exactly what should be in your disaster preparedness kit. Following the links on the site you can plan a kit for each member of your family including your pets. It also tailors kits for children and seniors.  Once the kit is done, the site offers guidlines on how to get involved in preparing your community and also spells out exactly what to do in case of specific disasters.

The site doesn't just benefit San Francisco residents. Check it out and see if you're prepared. We found out we really weren't. At all. Kudos San Francisco for a job well-done!

Oregon mother Chris Musser was discouraged from nursing in her local supermarket so like any mother would do nowadays, she decided to start a blog about it.

Musser had just sat down on a bench at the Gateway Fred Meyer to nurse her three-month-old when she was approached by the store director. She says he walked up to her with a "weird look" on his face and said, "Oh, good. You're getting a blanket."

He told me there had been complaints about my nursing, not that he minded, but that some people were offended. I was so stunned I couldn't think of what to say, except to remind him that Oregon law protects a mother's right to nurse in public. I felt absolutely humiliated. His comments left me feeling like I'd been doing something lewd.

Later, when she spoke with a regional manager, "he supported the store manager's claim that I should have been more 'discreet' and that three people had complained." Musser says, "I'm outraged that Fred Meyer's corporate policy supports legitimizing the complaints of those offended by mothers who nurse in public, rather than the legally protected right of mothers who are trying to take care of their children."

So what is she doing about it? Find out after the jump.

San Francisco Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier made history this week, "becoming the first elected official in San Francisco to give birth while holding office."

Alioto-Pier delivered a healthy baby girl. Adding an amazing twist to the story, just minutes before the supervisor gave birth, she became acting mayor for 24 hours, subbing for Mayor Gavin Newsom (a mayor known for his bold moves) who was out of state.

Alioto-Pier is "not expected to take maternity leave...She has introduced legislation that would allow a city supervisor or commissioner to participate and vote in meetings via teleconference if the official is pregnant or has just given birth." Explaining why she introduced the measure, Alioto-Pier explained:

Women should never be in a position where they must choose between the health and safety of their unborn child or performance of the duties of their elected position...Women will never break through the glass ceiling and achieve real equality if they cannot hold office and have a child at the same time.

Right on, sistah!

[source: SFgate; thanks tipster szander!]

 

Is this the longest pregnancy of all time or what?

Things have been quiet on the internet. A little too quiet, don't you think? No Katie sightings in recent days... The gossip sites are strangely devoid of any TomKat stories...

I'm betting money that she's already "had" the "baby" or she'll "have it" this weekend. Why this weekend? Because it's a holiday weekend around the world and perhaps TomKat are banking that anyone who cares is off dying eggs.

Let's take bets. When will the alien be hatched? Winner gets...the satisfaction of knowing she or he was right!

O how I hate to hear these kind of stories, especially from a company that I like. Dave Caolo at our sister site, The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), reports on Apple's seemingly harsh dealings with a young girl who had an idea and wrote a letter.

The third-grade girl in the article had a suggestion for an improvement to her iPod so she wrote Apple telling them about it. (Go, girl!) Caolo writes:

She received a reply...from Apple legal. The letter stated that Apple does not accept or appreciate unsolicited product ideas with all the warmth and humanity that you would expect from the legal department of a billion dollar company.

Caolo adds, "I don't know what this girl's teacher expected to happen, but I'm guessing it wasn't this. Apple has since apologized to the girl and is now thinking of implementing a new policy for interacting with kids."

Ya think?

[Thanks Tipster Kim!  You've been busy this morning!]

Source

Joel Arellano at our sister site, Autoblog, points us to a new report on best cars for your teenaged driver. Says Joel:

Automotive websites Cars.com and DriversEd.com (a drivers education resource) have teamed up to determine the top new vehicles for teens this year. Criteria used included price, safety, size, and 'fun factor.'

The Mini-Cooper, Toyota Tacoma, and Subaru Forester all got high-praise. Click the link to the article above for the full list.

Pretty fancy cars for a 16-year-old.

Source

Thank to tipster Kim who points out that since travel season is quickly upon us, it's a great time to talk about carseats and airplanes.  She's about to buy a new carseat and wants to make sure it will fit on the airplane.

When purchasing a new carseat, make sure that it is labelled as FAA-approved. Somewhere on the seat a label should read, "This restraint certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft." To fit into a typical coach seat, the car seat should be no wider than 16 inches. If you'd like to know more, Babycenter has an excellent article which explains everything from how to choose a seat to how to install it properly.

I do know that our Britax Roundabout has fit on United, American, and Alaska Airlines seats. We use it with our toddler. (Our preschooler sits in a regular seat and has since she was about two.) If you are a seasoned family traveller, please chime in with the kind of seat you have and if it fits on planes. If you'd like to share any problems you've had with carseats on planes, please share that as well.

Paramjit Singh, a Fremont, California man trying to cross the border to join his wife and children who live in Canada, has been detained, denied entry into the country, and cited for " attempting to smuggle child pornography" across the border on his cell phone.  The photo in question? A picture of "his own unclothed baby son, snapped a couple of years ago."

Upon investingating further Canadian authorities also found a naked photo of his baby, then three- months-old, "unclothed in his father's arms," and "another taken a couple of years later showing the boy naked after a shower."

Hear that? That's the sound of me smacking my head.

The man's wife, trying to interject some humor into the situation said, they had the photos so that she and her husband could "tease him at his wedding one day."

I'm glad she has a sense of humor all this. I would be pissed.

Read the full story here. Photo credit: Richard Lautens/Toronto Star.

[Thanks, Thordora!]

Source

I love this idea for a website. Urban Baby Runway is a product review site that is like Baby Chic 101 meets Baby Bargains with a little sass thrown in for good measure.

Mama C-ta, one of my favorite bloggers, started the site which taps into her obsession for finding "the coolest baby gear on a very limited budget." She says, "Everywhere we went we were complimented on (my baby's) style so I began to think we may actually have something going. I started to share some of my finds on my 'Mommy Blog,' Mama C-ta."

People enjoyed hearing about her finds so much that creating the Urban Baby Runway site seemed like a natural evolution. Mama C-ta tracks down the hippest clothes and the coolest gear, and thoroughly reviews each and every product. She rates each item on as five-star system based on different criteria such a price, quality, fit, and durability, and then gives each product her overall rating.

Looking for hip baby gear? Check out Urban Baby Runway!