Michelle Williams and daughter Matilda Ledger braved the rain this morning during their stroll to school.

For the last few weeks Michelle has been in the high desert outside Burns, Oregon shooting the movie Meek’s Cutoff.

The pair just returned to NYC on Sunday.

To stay warm and dry, Matilda wears a Pair of pink Hunter wellies and a Petit Bateau Raincoat .

{INFphoto.com and Splash}

Jessica Alba and daughter Honor visited Mr. Bones Pumpkin patch yesterday.

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch is one of West LA’s most popular Halloween traditions. The patch brings fresh pumpkins, Halloween merchandise and carving tools, and loads of fun activities to the Beverly Hills area year after year. Halloween giants, the jumpin’ pumpkin, a straw maze, facepainting, and even pony rides keep the crowds (and celebrities) coming back.

Honor looked like a natural little country girl with her plaid shirt and jean jacket on.

{wenn}

A lucky California toddler is alive after falling 30 feet from an apartment window and landing on concrete and rocks.

Contra Costa County Fire Capt. Charles Thomas says the 22-month-old boy was alert and crying after the three-story plunge yesterday that left him with just a cut on his abdomen, a bruised lung and a bump on his head.

He appeared to have climbed onto a table near an open window and fell after pushing against the screen. He landed on concrete and a bed of rocks.

Doctor said that because the toddler was so young, his bones have not fully developed and are maliable. This may have helped him ‘bounce’ causing a better outcome.

Other Amazing Toddlers:

• Toddler Survives Being Pinned Under SUV
• Toddler Rides His Toy Truck 8 Miles Down The River

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A interesting study published on bmj.com yesterday reports that more than half of unexplained sudden infant deaths occur while the infant is sharing a bed or a sofa with a parent (co-sleeping). In addition, it may be associated to parents drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

The term sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) was introduced in 1969.  It is supposed to be a recognized category of natural death that carried no implication of blame for the parents.

In June of 1994, the Back to Sleep campaign was launched to “educate the medical field, parents, grandparents, and care givers about the importance of putting babies to sleep on their back to significantly reduce the risk of SIDS.” In addition to back sleeping, the SIDS Alliance has pointed out that soft bedding and overheating were also significant risk factors for SIDS and accidental infant deaths.

But it is unclear which risk messages have been taken on board in different social or cultural groups. Moreover, little is known about the coming out of new or previously unrecognized risk factors.

In order to find out more, a team of researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Warwick studied all unexpected infant deaths from birth to two years in the southwest region of England from January 2003 to December 2006.

They examined the potential link between SIDS and socioeconomic deficiency. They compared these deaths with a control group at ‘high risk’ for SIDS which were young, socially deprived mothers who smoked, as well as a randomly selected control group.

Shortly after the death, parents were interviewed. Information on alcohol and drug use was collected. Trained professionals conducted a detailed investigation of the scene and circumstances of death.

They analyzed a total of 80 SIDS deaths. More than half (54 percent) occurred during co-sleeping compared to a 20 percent co-sleeping rate among both control groups.

The authors say it appears that much of this risk may be explained by the combination of parental alcohol or drug use prior to co-sleeping with 31 percent compared with 3 percent random controls. The high proportion of co-sleeping deaths on a sofa with 17 percent compared with 1 percent random controls.

Additional Findings:

• 20% of SIDS infants were found sleeping with a pillow when they died
• 25% were swaddled

The researchers also found:

“Some of the risk reduction messages seem to be getting across and may have contributed to the continued fall in the SIDS rate.” However, the majority of the co-sleeping SIDS deaths occurred in a hazardous sleeping environment.

They recommend that:

• the safest place for an infant to sleep is in a cot beside the parental bed in the first six months of life
• parents never put themselves in a situation where they might fall asleep with a young infant on a sofa
• parents never co-sleep with an infant in any environment if they have been drinking or taking drugs

In an associated editorial, Edwin Mitchell, Professor of Child Health Research at the University of Auckland comments:

“We have learnt that SIDS is largely preventable. It is important to monitor parents’ knowledge and infant care practices to inform health education and promotion.”

He says in closing: “Implementing what we already know has the potential to eliminate SIDS, the challenge now is how to change behavior.”

The biggest issue that most new parents don’t understand is that someone who is sleep-deprived will not realize they have rolled onto their baby if they are in a deep sleep.

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Whether you think your kid could become the Food Network’s ‘Next Big Star,’ or he finds stirring the batter a tall order, former Wall Street financier turned Cupcake Kids! entrepreneur, Jessi Walter has just the class for your pint-sized cook in training. With appealing themes for both girls and boys ages 2 and up, Cupcake Kids! classes combine the fun of cooking with lessons on nutrition. And if you’re stumped for what kind of birthday party to throw for you mini Paula Deen, Cupcake Kids! offers amazing, all-inclusive party packages too!

With the holidays approaching, Cupcake Kids! current class offerings are seasonally inspired: Happy Halloween: Scary Snacks, Thanksgiving Feast: Yum Yum, Ho-Ho-Ho Gingerbread House, and Holiday Cookie Creations. Parents attend classes with children ages 2-4 years, so moms and dads can brush up on their culinary skills alongside their tot!

The popular party themes offered at Cupcake Kids! will make parents wish they were young again! Star Wars Adventure, Make Your Own Pizza, Late-Night Treats, Pinkalicious Cupcake Make Bake and Decorate are just a few of the inspired options for kids wishing to celebrate their birthday cooking in good company. And if home is where your child’s heart is, Cupcake Kids! will bring all the fixings for a foodie fiesta to your house!

Cupcake Kids! is based in NYC; and the Big Apple is also home to the Food Network. So lucky Manhattanites, get your kids cooking and they may actually turn out to be the next Bobby Flay!

Being a mom usually requires swapping the treadmill at the gym for sing-along time at Gymboree; and most moms proclaim, “I don’t need to work out. I chase after my kids all day!” in response to whether or not they’re getting enough exercise. Besides, collapsing in an exhausted heap at the end of the day means you’ve clearly exerted yourself enough physically, right? Not according to a recent study…

“In a study of 58 women with children under age 6, only about a third of the mothers got an average of 30 minutes or more a day of moderate or greater intensity physical activity. And yet overall this group of women, most of whom also worked outside the home, believed they were getting upwards of an hour of activity daily.”

This wake up call shouldn’t cause moms to feel the need to join the local gym; but it is a healthy reminder that we need to step up our game and take care of ourselves. There are countless ways to turn “chasing after your kids all day” into a verifiable workout. Moms of young babies may join a stroller exercise group and tote their babe along, incorporating the stroller into the calorie burning routine. Another easy ‘mom’ workout is to turn up the tunes and have an aerobic dance fest in your living room with your kids. If your kids still take naps, do an exercise video while they slumber. I for one am going to go dust off my yoga DVD and teach my tot how to say “Om.”

– Beth Shea, Staff Writer

A mom has come forward to tell her story of giving up the son that she adopted because of “attachment issues.”

“The first time I considered giving up D. I was lying alone in my oversized bed. It was about midnight, my children were asleep and my husband was deployed. I was so taken aback by my thoughts that I bolted upright, ran to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. It was dark, but I could see my silhouette in the mirror and I stared to see if I was looking at a demon instead of D.’s mother. “

I ran to D.’s room, afraid that he was already gone. But he was there, lying on his Thomas the Train sheets, sucking his thumb and breathing evenly. I caressed his cheek with two fingers and he exhaled.

“I love you little man,” I whispered, and kissed his forehead, swallowing down the knot in my throat. I went back to my room and sobbed into my pillow.”

D. was found on the side of a road so doctors were unsure of his age, however guessed that he was just under a year old. When he was taken to his pediatrician there were some expected medical issues and developmental delay.

D. also suffered from coprophagia which is eating ones own feces. However their pediatrician said that most children grow out of this by age 4.

Mom says that the physical and developmental issues were not the problem. D just didn’t seem to be attaching to them as a family and especially to her as “mom”.

“His social worker, his pediatrician and his neurologist all told me that he had come a long way, and that attachment issues were to be expected with adoption. But D.’s attachment problems were only half the story. I also knew that I had issues bonding with him. I was attentive, and I provided D. with a good home, but I wasn’t connecting with him on the visceral level I experienced with my biological daughters. And while it was easy, and reassuring, to talk to all these experts about D.’s issues, it was terrifying to look at my own. I had never once considered the possibility that I’d view an adopted child differently than my biological children. The realization that I didn’t feel for D. the same way I felt for my own flesh and blood shook the foundations of who I thought I was.”

They went through some attachment therapy but she still struggled.

“My thoughts and emotions were disjointed and came in waves. One moment I was determined to keep D. because I loved him. An instant later, I realized that I wasn’t the parent I know I could be, and that I should place D. with a better family, with a better mother.”

The social worker she dealt with called one day and said that she found a wonderful family for D. They had learned of his situation, saw pictures and fell in love. Over a period of several days D got to know his new mom and then when they felt ready, he left with her.

“In our last moments together, I stared into his eyes and told him that I loved him and that I had tried to do my best. His new mom would love him so, so much; my little man would be OK.”

This is really sad. I wonder if perhaps his delays have anything to do with his attachment issues? I don’t know if I could do what this mom did. You spend so much time/effort and money on adoption only to have nothing in the end. I hope this little boy is happy in his new home and getting the attention and love that he deserves. – Shannon, Staff Writer

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PHOTOCREDIT:SPLASH

It’s getting messy! Kelly Rutherford has been granted a temporary restraining order against her ex-husband, Daniel Giersch.

According to documents filed in L.A. County Superior Court, the “Gossip Girl” actress claims Daniel has repeatedly harassed both her and their nanny, which she claims forced the nanny to quit.

“Daniel has begun to follow me, my mother, my nanny and he shows up unexpectedly to threaten and scare us,” Kelly states in the documents.

It is also claimed that Daniel “has harassed [my nanny] with questions about me virtually every time he sees her … last week Daniel’s harassment of [the nanny] led to an actual threat that he is going to file a lawsuit against her.”

Kelly says the nanny handed in her pink slip after that, causing her two kids — Hermes and Helena – to lose someone they “love and trust.”

Kelly’s mother, Ann Edwards, is also quoted in the documents, claiming the German businessman once arrived at a restaurant where she was eating with the couple’s two-year-old son, Hermes, and blocked them from leaving the establishment.

The restraining order requires Daniel to stay 100 yards away from Kelly, her mother, the nanny, and Kelly’s home, job and vehicle – “except for brief & peaceful contact as required for court-ordered visitation.”

Last month it was agreed that both parents would attend co-parenting counseling sessions and would share joint legal and physical custody of the two kids.

Related Articles:

• Kelly and Helena On The Set Of Gossip Girl
• Kelly Rutherford and Daniel Giersch Reach Agreement in Court on Potty Training Son

SOURCE

While at ABC last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Ringley, an organic teething company.

Ringley is the original Canadian natural teether that combines two efficient teething tools: untreated Maple wood and 100% organic cotton terrycloth.

I like that this supersoft baby toy provides two very different textures to soothe tender gums. During my son’s latest round of teething, I noticed that he preferred hard stuff to chew on, as opposed to the last time where he was chewing on my t-shirts.

The Ringley’s terrycloth base is also great for soaking up the drool that is constantly accumulating inside a teething baby’s mouth.

*Made free from dye and without harmful chemicals.

My two year old daughter stopped taking naps at 18 months old. Any parent who just read that sentence is likely shaking their head in disbelief. But since my toddler acts as though she is the offspring of Richard Simmons and the Energizer Bunny, I had to take naps out of her repertoire to have any chance of getting her to sleep before midnight.

A recent study shows that ‘keeping kids active really does help them sleep.’ While this seems like common sense, many parents are enabling their kids to lead a sedentary lifestyle, opting for video and computer games over supervised outdoor play. There’s much to be said for tiring out your tot so he/she will welcome the chance to fall asleep at night. I went from having a child who would throw a screaming and crying fit at bedtime to one who happily nuzzles into her bed and falls asleep after one lullaby. By not putting her down for a daytime nap, and filling her day with physical activities she loves, she became a happy sleeper who ended up tacking on her nap onto her overnight sleep to get all of her required zzzz’s.

Want to keep your child’s nap in tact? Then fill their day with adventure. I opt to let my toddler walk around the entire zoo as opposed to being strapped into her stroller. I take her to the park nearly every day, and she has mastered her coordination skills on all of the equipment. And I’ve even been known to borrow the neighbor’s giant backyard trampoline so she can jump until her heart’s content and giggle her way into exhaustion. Sweet dreams!

-Beth Shea, Contributor

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