Joey McIntyre Talks About His Son’s Hearing Loss

New Kids on the Block singer Joey McIntyre opens up about his three month old son Rhys’ hearing loss.

According to Joey, “there’s always music in the house,” but his son Rhys doesn’t get to hear much of it. Rhys, who is Joey and his wife Barrett’s second son, failed his newborn hearing test after being born on December 13. Follow-up test done at UCLA showed that the newborn had severe hearing loss.

Barrett says, “What’s wild is we will never really know how [anything] sounds for him.” She also revealed, “We went through a full range of emotions. As a mother you want to protect your kids. I thought, ‘How could I let this happen?’ I felt responsible.”

Joey adds, “You’re just shocked, and your stomach gets in knots. It feels like you’re holding your breath. And that feeling lasted for a few days, until you get educated. You go from, ‘Oh my God’ — fearing that someday my son might be walking into the street and I’m calling after him and he’s not going to hear me — to ‘It’s going to be okay’ to ‘It’s going to be amazing.’ Rhys’ hearing loss is part of who he is. His life is going to be as special as Griffin’s. There’s just work involved.”

Doctors say that Rhys’ condition will not improve as he gets older but how he can process the sounds can be improved. We’re being totally proactive about the situation,” Joey notes. The couple has already signed their son up for speech therapy and he was fitted with a hearing aid for both ears at only a month old.

Rhys undergoes weekly therapy and Joey says, “It does enrich your life.” Mom and dad were definitely emotional the first time that he recognized their voices. “He knows our voices now,” says Barrett. “He’s a sweet, responsive baby. He’s doing all the things he should be for a baby his age, and that’s beautiful. It’s all of the things you take for granted.”

The couple won’t if their son will need cochlear implants until he reaches one year of age. For now the couple remains optimistic. “He’s really easy-going; he has that chill vibe,” she says. “Rhys’ hearing loss won’t stop him from doing anything. That’s not to say his first day of school or when he goes to high school, I won’t be sick; It’s hard enough to go to school with curly hair and a zit. But he’ll be so cool that hopefully he won’t have a problem with it.”

         

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Amy Winehouse Wants to be a Mum

Can you picture singer Amy Winehouse pregnant or carrying a newborn around? Well according to her dad that may just be happening sometime in the future.

Friends of the singer as well as her father Mitch have revealed that Amy wants a baby with her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

Her father says, “She’s become so broody. She loves kids - especially all our little cousins. She’s been talking about having a baby and is now at the age where she wants to have a baby. But I can’t see her settling down with 15 children just yet.”

Amy recently revealed that she has reconciled with her husband Blake. She wrote on her Twitter feed, “i love my husband Blake an it aint wrong! marry for life. miss kissing ya s-a-i-l-o-r,”

         

Is Beyonce Really Pregnant?

There are rumors circulating once again that singer Beyonce and her husband, hip-hop mogul Jay Z are expecting a baby.

Ever since Beyonce and Jay Z married two years ago (and even before then) there seem to be rumors just about every few months that Beyonce is pregnant, so are the recent rumors true? Accordint to Medaitakeout.com, they have “learned from a rock solid source, that the pop superstar’s expecting, is doing fine and resting (for now).” The same source says Jay Z is “extremely happy to be having his first child with Bey.”

Beyonce and Jay Z has always kept their relationship out of the spotlight, although Beyonce has made it known that she would love to have children one day. She has said in the past, “I’m very loyal. I want a whole bunch of kids - but after I’ve got certain things out of my system first.”

A spokesperson for the couple told OK! magazine, “We don’t respond to private matter issues.”

So, do you think this time the rumors of Beyonce being pregnant are true? I guess we will know for sure in the coming months.

         

Baby sling manufacturer Infantino recalls more than one millions slings

Infantino recalled more than one million of its slings in Canada, the UK and the US, following several warnings that they could kill infants.

Baby sling manufacturer Infantino has followed up on several warnings and recalled many of its slings, according to news out of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Wednesday.

On March 10 the U.S. government announced its intention to issue warnings about baby slings, and did so several days later. The Infantino Slingrider sling was under particular scrutiny by independent rating service Consumer Reports, which was calling for CPSC action on the sling.

“Infantino is announcing a voluntary replacement program for the Infantino SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo infant baby carriers to address concerns raised by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),” Infantino said in a company statement. “One million of these infant slings are being recalled in the United States and 15,000 are being recalled in Canada.”

Different products are being recalled depending on where consumers live. The easiest way to determine if an Infantino product is being included in a recall is by visiting their Customer Service Center online or calling 866.860.1361 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific time (U.S.) Monday through Friday.

The customer service Web site breaks down recalls by Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. After selecting your region, choose the option “Help me determine if my product is included in this recall.”

In the U.K., Rebecca Ward of the Consortium of UK Sling Manufacturers and Retailers responded to the news in a statement, saying: “We are pleased that steps have been taken to ensure that using a baby sling is a safe way to carry your baby. If you are using a ‘bag style’ baby carrier and have concerns, we urge you to contact the manufacturer.”

“The majority of baby carriers and slings are still safe to use if they hold baby in proper alignment and fit snugly by design and instruction. These safe designs of sling include shallow pouch-style slings, ring slings, soft carriers and wrap slings.”

The CPSC posted diagrams on its site demonstrating how to properly use a bag-style soft baby sling.

         

Noel Gallagher and Sara MacDonald Expecting Second Child Together

The former Oasis member Noel Gallagher and his partner Sara MacDonald  are expecting their second child together later this year.

According to the Daily Mail, the couple are “thrilled to bits” to be expecting their second child. Sara and Noel are have a 2 year old son named Donovan and Noel also has a 10-year-old daughter named Anais from his previous marriage.

A friend of the couple says, “Noel and Sara are over the moon. They’re so happy that little Donovan will have a little partner in crime to play with.”

It’s being reported that the couple recently went to their 3 month scan which would make the baby due in the fall.

         

Nicola McLean Welcomes Her Second Child

It’s another boy for I’m a Celebrity Star Nicola McLean and her husband Tom Williams.

The couple’s second son was born early this morning at 1:07am. He weighed in at 7lbs 4.5oz. The couple has not decided on a name for the baby yet.

A rep for the couple announced, “Both Nicola and Tom are absolutely over the moon with the new addition to their family and delighted to have a brother for their other son, Rocky, 4. Nicola and the baby are happy and healthy, and will be spending the next few days resting in hospital.”

Tom and Nicola married on the television show Four Weddings last year.

         

Sex hormones during pregnancy could reduce spatial memory

The sex hormones that circulate through the body during pregnancy could be responsible for anecdotal evidence of memory loss.

While many women have complained of memory loss during pregnancy and beyond, little research has been done to determine what may cause such a condition.

However, a new research study collaborated on by researchers at the University of Bradford and the Bradford Institute for Health in the United Kingdom has taken a small step in that direction.

“Women in general have been the butt of jokes that we have trouble finding our way around, navigating, and that has been a negative stereotype which I’ve always found to be denigrating,” midwife and head researcher Diane Farrar told CNN.

“I wanted to find out if there was scientific basis for the negativity where it concerned pregnant women.”

The study focused on 23 pregnant women and 24 non-pregnant women. A computerized spatial memory test was given to all participants, and a variety of attention, mood and anxiety tests were performed. Finally, hormonal levels were regularly checked. All tests were extended three months after the pregnant women gave birth.

During spatial testing, the pregnant women did significantly worse, especially during the second and third trimesters. The memory deficiency still lingered three months after delivery. Lowered mood and higher anxiety were more prevalent among the pregnant women, though those levels normalized three months after child birth.

“We know for sure that sex steroids at high levels can have damaging effects on neurons,” Farrar told LiveScience. However, Farrar cautioned that the study didn’t allow the researchers to draw direct parallels between the two.

“We can’t really check to see what’s happening, so it’s pretty difficult really,” she said. “We can only speculate that it could be the sex steroid levels that are affecting cognitive function.”

While the team recognized that depressive mood during pregnancy could have triggered memory loss, they noted that the pregnant women’s moods rebounded three months after birth yet their memory did not. LiveScience pointed out that such an indicator could signify neuronal damage by sex hormones that has yet to be fully repaired.

Though the study represents a small sample size, a clearer picture could be gained with further research. “It’s an area that needs looking at more, just to make things clearer to women,” Farrar told LiveScience.

The study results were presented during the Society for Endocrinology BES conference in Manchester, England last week.

         

Monica Bellucci Shows Off Her Bare Baby Bump on the Cover of Vanity Fair

The actress bares her baby bump on the latest cover of Italy’s Vanity Fair and talks about motherhood.

Monica, 45, who is due with her second daughter this spring, talks to Vanity Fair about having a child so late in her life and how her pregnancy is going so far.

The Matrix actress is already mom to 5-year-old Deva and she explains why she waited so long after her daughter to have another child. She says, “They told me to have a second child just right after Deva, but I didn’t feel ready. And when I felt ready, I was hoping to have it quickly. But children are not movies that you can organize around a table with a director or a producer.”

Monica reveals that despite her age, she conceived both of her children naturally. “I didn’t need [fertility treatments and surrogate mothers]. Who knows, maybe my grandma having a child at 47 has something to do with it. It’s about luck. I know women ready to cross the desert on their knees to have a child. If I had problems [with conceiving], I’d be one of them”

When it comes to her husband Vincent Cassel she says that he is “helping.” She adds, “The more time passes by, the more I love the man he has become. When I met him he was a 28-year-old boy, now he’s a man with a great sense of responsibility who makes me feel good. Deva needs him as she needs me. I always think that if something happens to me, Vincent is gonna be with our daughters. A woman can say ‘I’ll have kids on my own,’ and lots of women do it, but having a partner beside enriches both us and the children.”

         

Katherine Heigl Leaving Grey’s Anatomy to Be With Her Family

The rumors have proven to be true as Katherine Heigl confirms to Entertainment Weekly that she is leaving Grey’s Anatomy.

Katherine reveals that it has nothing to do with a busy acting career but she wants to be able to spend more time with her family. Last year Katherine and her husband Josh Kelley adopted a little girl, whom they named Naleigh.

The actress confirmed that she is in fact leaving 18 months before her contract is up. She says, “I am done. We just finalized our agreement. Everyone had been working really hard to find an amicable and gracious way of letting go and moving on. It’s sad but it’s what I wanted.”

Katherine says that her family was the reason for her leave. “I started a family and it changed everything for me,” says Katherine, who took a 3-month leave from Grey’s this season to bond with her newly-adopted daughter. “It changed my desire to work full-time.”

As for fans of Izzie, her last appearance was weeks ago and she will not be appearing anymore on the show even to finish this season. Katherine says, “I know I’m disappointing the fans. I just had to make a choice. I hope I made the right one.”

ABC Studios releases a statement saying, “By mutual agreement, Katherine Heigl has ended her successful run as Dr. Isobel Stevens. The studio wishes her well. Everyone at Grey’s Anatomy is now focused on delivering a shocking season finale and a great show for seasons to come.”

         

Actor Oliver Hudson Welcomes His Second Son

Oliver Hudson and his wife Erin Barlett welcomed their second son on Friday, March 19.

The news was announced by Oliver’s mom Goldie Hawn on her Twitter account. She wrote, “Hurray! Baby BOY born to my son Oliver and his beautiful wife Erinn TODAY. So happy! A new life! I’m Dancin my happy dance!”

The pregnancy was announced back in October.

The couple are already parents to Wilder Brooks, 2.

         

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