The 33-year-old Scrubs star, Sarah Chalke, was seen out in Los Angeles last Friday sporting a nice round baby bump.  This has been the first outside appearance of Chalke since her pregnancy announcement in August.  The baby is due this winter.  This is the first child for Chalke and Jamie Afifi, an entertainment lawyer.

This baby will need plenty of receiving blankets and tons of love as the cold of the winter season slowly approaches.  Also, a nice pair of wool mittens will make the baby much warmer when traveling to relatives throughout the holiday season.  Congratulations to the couple!

It’s alarming to think about, but pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death among children under the age of eighteen.  This disease has taken more lives of children than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS combined.  It’s sad to think, but each day there are 36 children diagnosed with pediatric cancer.  There has not been a new drug developed specifically for pediatric cancer since the 1980s and the survival rates are starting to plummet to an all-time low.

These numbers may be scary to any of us, but mostly to parents.  This is why Joan Cusack, a mother of two, has taken the initiative to combat this disease for her children and children around the world.  Cusack has partnered with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to raising funds for pediatric cancer research.  These people go about accomplishing this goal by doing something that almost every person has done before: baked. If you would like to be a part of this growing effort to increase research of pediatric cancer, just plan and organize a bake sale in your area and recruit friends, co-workers, and family to participate.  Then, go online to register your sale at Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.  After you’re finished, send your profits to their headquarters in New Jersey. This is an easy way for everyday people to get involved with such a big effort to reduce pediatric cancer in our children.  And, to make the deal even sweeter, Glad Products Company has offered to match all funds raised by the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer up to $100,000.

Since Glad is also a reliable company to keep each of the participants treats fresh, Glad has offered to supply a free package of GladWare containers to each registered bake sale. If you’re not too sure how to go about planning your bake sale, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer can help.  On their website, they provide a four-step process which helps you get started.  There is a sample press release, a permission to use location letter, and even a donation jar sign.  If you want to bake new and exciting treats, there’s a list of possibilities.  If you’re not that great in the baking department, you could always secure a monetary donation as well. Joan Cusack will be participating in the Cookie Stop bake sale on November 10th in New York City.  She is the mother of Dylan John, 12, and Miles, 9.  She is married to Dick Burke.

Samantha Lemole, actress in Saw V, was recently seen at the Saw VI premiere in Hollywood, California wearing a little black dress and showing off her growing baby bump!  According to sources, the due date and gender of the baby are still unknown.  Let the suspense keep building!

In the meantime, those attending a baby shower for Lemole should stick with the baby basics: stroller, car seat, diapers, etc.  It would also be a great idea to get bottles for the baby as well.  Don’t forget the cute clothes – unisex would be the way to go in this case!  If a registry is already completed, definitely take a look at that, but maybe you’ll think of other things that the new mommy may have forgotten to put on.  Either way, it’s easy to shop for new moms, just think of the essentials!

The Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback, Donovan McNabb and wife, Roxie, are expecting their fourth child together.  The baby is due sometime in December, a time McNabb knows all too well.  Last December, he and Roxie welcome two beautiful twins into the world, Sariah and Donovan Jr.  The new baby will also be welcomed by big sister, Alexis, who is 5.

The announcement of the pregnancy was also included in another announcement made by the couple.  The McNabbs plan to donate over $100,000 to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Virtua Voorhees, the hospital in southern New Jersey where each of the McNabb children was born.  Their donation will aid in the construction costs of the project – expected to open in 2011.  They also pledged to raise an additional $2.5 million from outside donors.  The unit is planned to be named the McNabb Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  

It seems like the McNabb family knows what to expect when it comes to pregnancy!  Best of luck to the couple and maybe this one will take after Dad with football.

Chad Lowe and wife, Kim Painter, took their excited little girl, Mabel Painter Lowe to the pumpkin patch in West Hollywood, California.  Mabel, 5 months, is the first girl to be born in the Lowe family in over 72 years.

Lowe joked, “You can imagine the position she’s in — she is the only girl,” he said. “She’s got a lot of doting uncles and cousins. She is beloved.”

Also spotted was Lowe’s baby gear, a Baby Bjorn Baby Air Carrier in Gray/White.  This carrier works great for those parents who are on-the-go and need their hands to complete tasks, but also want to keep their baby close.  The carrier also includes special ventilating fabrics that keep baby and carrier much cooler while on-the-go.

After months of waiting, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have released family photos featuring Harlow Winter Kate and Sparrow James Midnight together for the first time. The photo shoot was done for People magazine. Nicole told People, “I couldn’t be happier. The only thing you want is for your kids to be healthy and happy, and they are. I’m right where I belong.”

To check out more photos of the family, purchase the new issue of People and see for yourself. The family seems happy, healthy, and excited that Sparrow has finally arrived. I can’t wait to see this family out walking with the stroller when the warmer months come closer and I hope Nicole gets a bigger diaper bag because she needs all the room she can get with two children!

The world can now welcome Georgia Gracie!  Amy Ryan gave birth to Georgia on Thursday, October 15^th in New York City.  Her and baby are both doing well and excited to be home.  This is the first child for Amy and fiancé, Eric Slovin.  Amy is known for her most recent role on The Office as Michael Scott’s love interest.

I hope the nursery is ready for the new baby girl.  Lots of pink and purple clothes will fill her closet and the car seat and stroller are also probably as girly as her crib.  Congratulations to the couple!

Member of the country duo Big & Rich, John Rich and wife, Joan, are expecting their first child together.  The couple has kept out of the limelight, secretly dating for five years and marrying just last year.  Joan is a former model and now owns a private modeling agency in Houston.

Since the announcement of the pregnancy has just been made, let’s hope the couple is already planning what they’ll need for the nursery.  All I know is they’ll never have enough diapers.  Congratulations to the couple and best of luck for the future. 

Welcome to the world Lou Sulola Samuel!  The fourth child of Heidi Klum and Seal was born on Friday, October 9^th in the early morning. 

Seal had written a statement to Us magazine prior to the birth of Lou, “Anyone who has a family will tell you this. Where will one find that extra love? If you love your existing children with all of your heart, how then can one possibly find more heart with which to love another?”After the birth, Seal had an answer to his own question, “the answer to this question came in the form of our fourth child and second daughter… From the moment she looked into both of our eyes it was endless love at first sight. She is beautiful beyond words and we are happy that she chose us to watch her grow over the coming years.”

Congratulations to the couple and many happy wishes to them  – I’m sure they have all the baby essentials ready because they’re experienced parents  – the crib, diaper bag, and car seat most certainly are ready!

Remember when you thought your life was vastly different from those of celebrities?  Well, guess again!  Just like those of you who are Starbucks junkies, Jennifer Garner and daughter, Violet, were recently seen leaving Starbucks and enjoying some mother/daughter bonding time. 

The pair was bundled up in winter coats and Violet was keeping warm with nice wool mittens.  When your child reaches the walking stage, make sure you have the perfect footwear for your little ones.  Play shoes are great for roaming near home outside and also for in the home.  Dressier shoes work best for formal occasions.  And, for winter, boots are always a good idea to avoid slips and trips in the ice and snow!

Congratulations to NASCAR driver, Carl Edwards and wife, Kate, who are expecting their first baby, a girl, in mid-February of 2010. 

Carl joked that they couldn’t have planned the pregnancy any better as it will be near the time of the start of the 2010 NASCAR racing season.  “Perfect timing, we’ll name her Daytona,” added Edwards.

Edwards even admitted to a few emotional moments as he and his wife viewed the ultrasound of their first baby.  “It was sitting there, and all of the sudden then she started moving, and I almost passed out. It was just wild.”The couple, already excited for wild rides, will be taking part on the new ride to parenthood.  Let’s hope they’re ready with everything on the registry!

Just announced, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook are expecting their first child together in March of 2010.  The parents are very excited and eager for March to quickly approach. 

The new baby will have plenty of playmates come tour time – other band members Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet have two children together – Daisy Pearl, 2, and Penelopi Jane, 21 months. Registry planning and nursery furniture buying will be in the future for the couple – congratulations!!

Philip Sweet, Kimberly Roads, Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook of Little Big Town

They’ve been spotted… well, Dannielynn was anyway!  Sporting a painted black and white spotted face, Dannielynn Hope and dad, Larry Birkhead, were seen picking pumpkins at Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch in West Hollywood, California. 

For those of you who don’t remember, Dannielynn Hope is the daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith – and is looking like her more and more each time we see her! 

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch is also where we found Christina Aguilera and her son, Max, picking some pumpkins as well.  Dad, Jordan Bratman, was in charge of carrying them to the car.  Keep your kids bundled warm when it’s time to go pick those pumpkins with a footmuff or even a set of woven mittens and a hat!

Jeffrey Tambor, known for his role on Arrested Development, and his wife, Kasia, welcomed twin boys into the world on Sunday, October 4^th.  The boys were named Hugo Bernard and Eli Nicholas and the couple is “thrilled and healthy.”  The twins will join two siblings, Eve Julia and Gabriel Kasper, and also Jeffrey’s adult daughters from previous relationships.

Preparing for twins is a hard obstacle and having two of everything can be a bit pricy, but when shopping smart for baby, you’ll enjoy the savings.  Some double strollers are actually a great bargain and made by reliable brand name manufacturers.  Also, some pack n’ plays are created for twins, making it easy to lay each baby down for a nap in a convenient cradle-like crib that are close in proximity.  Best of luck to the couple & fun-filled days to come!

It has been confirmed that SNL Star, Bill Hader welcomed a little baby girl into the world on Tuesday, October 6^th.  This is the first child for Hader and his wife, Maggie Carey, who were both excited about becoming first-time parents!  Bill Hader was very optimistic about the birth of his first child saying, “I think it’s going to be awesome.”  The couple has been preparing for the little one to arrive, purchasing nursery furniture, bedding, and a car seat or two!