C is for...

Cribs and carseats and cradles! It's Baby Name Tuesday at Eternal Maternal, and our names for today are Cassidy and Colin!

Cassidy is an Irish/Gaelic name meaning "curly-headed". I just love this name, and I see a mop of blonde curls whenever I think of it. Of course, I also think of singer David Cassidy because I had such a terrible crush on him as a young girl, but now I'm dating myself! Cassidy was originally popular as a surname but began finding more fame as a given name in the early 1990's. It's a beautiful name that can easily be shortened to Cassie or Cass and would be a great name for any curly-haired princess.

Colin is our boy's name today. It's a name with Irish/Scottish/Gaelic origins and is actually derived from the name Nicholas. In medieval times the name Col or Colle was a shortened form of Nicholas, and the name Colin developed from there. It means "young creature" and, while you may not envision your beautiful baby boy as a "creature", as a mother to boys, trust me, the day will come! In any case, Colin is wonderful name that, while popular, doesn't seem to be overused.

Birth Day - The Journey of Childbirth

It seems like I'm doing a lot of book recommendations lately; but, seriously, there's some really great new books out there for expecting mommies! This morning on my metro area's local morning show, Dr. Mark Sloan appeared to talk about his new book Birth Day: A Pediatrician Explores the Science, the History, and the Wonder of Childbirth.

Sloan has delivered nearly 3,000 babies over the last 30+ years and draws on that experience to further deliver, with humor and wonder, the science, history and culture of this very fundamental journey that all of us have taken.

Birth Day is put out by Random Press and, being book publishers, they have written a spectacular summary of topics covered in the book. I'm not even going to attempt to outwrite Random House, so the following is directly from their website...

Some of Birth Day’s many topics include

• The evolution of human childbirth—or, why do gorillas have it so easy?
• The first five minutes of life—scuba divers, astronauts, and the amazing adaptations that transform a fetus into an air-breathing, out-in-the-world baby
• Cesarean section—a look at its origins, its future, and how it came to be the most frequently performed operation in American hospitals
• Pain and politics—the age-old quest for painless childbirth, starring Adam and Eve, Queen Victoria, a nineteenth-century medical brawl, and the rise of today’s “epidural monoculture”
• Daddies—raging paternal hormones, hidden anxieties, and the emotional evolution of men (including the author, his father, and grandfather) as they approach fatherhood
• The five senses at birth—does light enter the womb? how loud is it in there? what is a newborn baby searching for with those first anxious glances?
• A tour of the newborn body—springy skulls, hairy ears, innies and outies, the advantages (and disadvantages) of looking like your father, and why the United States is one of the world’s most circumcised nations

So, if you're expecting or know someone who is, pick up a copy of this fabulous book. It's entertaining while still being instructive and would be a great gift for Mother's Day!

B is for...

Well, B is for baby and bump and belly and breastfeeding and so many other pregnancy related words. But, on Baby Name Tuesday, B is for Beatrice and Breckin!

Beatrice is a wonderfully traditional name that is seeing a return to popularity. A Latin name, Beatrice means "bringer of joy". What better name for a beautiful new baby girl? It has many variations - French, Italian, Spanish - and is ripe for sweet nicknames like Bea, Bebe, and Trish. One of the most notable Beatrices in history is, of course, author Beatrix (an English variation) Potter. Invest in a beautiful collection of Potter's books for your darling and they're sure to bring joy to your little bringer of joy!

Breckin is a name with Celtic and Gaelic origins. It means "freckled", and I just picture a little boy in overalls and a red ball cap holding up a frog. Breckin is a great choice for families looking for a traditional Irish name that hasn't been overused in recent years. Plus, if freckles run in your family, it's a perfect fit!

Full of Life

Just heard about yet another great new book for pregnant moms! "Full of Life: Mom-To-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant" is an easy to read, pre-conception to post partum book by Nancy O'Dell. Yes, that's the same Nancy O'Dell that is a co-anchor on Access Hollywood!

Nancy says she wrote the book because of all the things she learned during her pregnacy that weren't in any of the books she already had. She wanted to spread the word about all this new found information to moms everywhere. She says, "There were just so many things that came as a complete surprise to me that I wish someone had given me a heads up about." O'Dell holds very little back, too, even including her experience with a miscarriage.

Available on April 14th, "Full of Life" will give you a variety of tips from the importance of taking a prenatal vitamin before you conceive to preregistering at the hospital where you'll be delivering. So, if you're planning for a family in the near future or if you're already well on your way, pick up a copy of "Full of Life" next week!

Before I Was a Mom...

Got an email today from a friend that, although I'm not forwarding it to 5 people in the next 15 minutes, I liked enough to share a bit here.

Before I was a mom...

I didn't worry whether I my plants were poisonous or not.
I never thought about immunizations.
I had never been puked on; pooped on; chewed on; peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and thoughts.
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests; or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,

Before I was a Mom ....

A is for...

Naming babies is tough business. With so many options out there, it can certainly become overwhelming. To help you out, we're beginning a weekly feature on the blog that will highlight a name or two for consideration.

Because this is the very first entry in the new feature, what better letter to start with than A!

Today's name is Addison. This is a particular favorite of mine because one of my children has this as a middle name. I first heard the name years ago on TV. Yes, I'm dating myself, but it goes back to the days of Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepard. Willis' character's name was David Addison. I fell in love with the name then and, still today, it continues to be a favorite.

Traditionally, Addison was a Scottish surname meaning "son of Adam" that evolved into a given name from the Old English pet name Addie (short for Adam). In the last 15 years it has been gaining in popularity as a first name here in the US. Most recently we've seen Addison used as a girl's name rather than a boy's because of the popularity of the character Addison on the hit TV shows Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. For either gender, though, it is a terrific name with a strong heritage.

Is There Life After Children?

After baby makes three (or more!), what happens to your marriage? It's one of those things that is rarely, if ever, addressed in books regarding pregnancy and how babies change your life. Still, it's a very real issue that many men and women face every day.

I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper: Loving Your Marriage After the Baby Carriage is an honest,humorous look at and the joys and obstacles of being married with children. Authors Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile will make you laugh and, maybe more importantly, make you realize that you're not alone when you wish you could just find time for a shower sometime this week.

Let's face it, we have a lot of expectations about life after babies and, truthfully, they're not all completely realistic. We'd love to be Martha Stewart and have the perfect looking home, make our holiday cards by hand, and cultivate our own organic gardens; but, when you're really dealing with spit up, sore breasts and piles of laundry, it's easy to wonder how you ever got to that place in life.

Ashworth and Nobile let us know that it's all perfectly normal, though. Modern parenthood doesn't have to mean the absence of marital bliss. In fact, with the guidance this book offers, you may just find your life really is perfect just the way it is!