Do you think Tom Cruise and Katie Homes knew that their daughter’s name “Suri” means ‘turned sour‘ in French when naming her? It sounds like a perfectly good name to me, but Suri also happens to mean ‘pickpocket‘ in Japanese and ‘horse mackerels‘ in Italian.

Soon-to-be parents interested in checking global translations before choosing a final baby name might be interested to know about name audit services offered by Today Translations. For 1,000 British Pounds (approximately $1,627 USD) 2,6000 linguists will run your prospective baby names in 100 languages. Humm…I wonder what “MOZ” means in Estonian?

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> tip thanks to Springwise

Expecting parents are often shocked to find that your average stroller can cost well over $200. That’s not to say that you’ll actually need an expensive stroller with all the bells and whistles, but you just might be surprised at how many features they have. From bottle holders and built-in

diaper bag systems to adjustable handles (so dad won’t need to hunch over), the only limit is your wallet. Before going to the baby store with credit card in hand, I recommend learning the fundamentals with Joie Tamkin of Baby Earth. She’ll walk you through the basics from “travel systems” to wheel-types, and the info just might save you a little dough when you are ready to buy.

Have a great weekend!
Dr.MOZ

> also see:

Stroller 101 (Part 1): Choosing Strollers and Safety Tips

Stroller 101 (Part 2): Choosing Quality Single and Double Strollers

Strollers for Triplets: Baby Jogger Q Series and Peg Pergo Triplette SW

Dear Dr.MOZ,

The receiving/swaddle blankets I received at my baby shower all seem to be made from the same thick flannel and I’m worried that they’ll make my baby too hot. Do you know of any brands that offer blankets made from lighter fabrics for warmer

temperatures?

Thanks Doc!
Expecting Mom Terri

Hi Terri

You might want to visit a local baby store and ask for receiving blankets made from “jersey” fabrics. They’ll be lighter and will have a little more stretch than standard cotton blankets. Satsuma Designs offers a popular line made from 100% bamboo fabric, and you might also like the ergococoon by ergoPouch (seen above). Ergococoons are one-piece sacks made from light, organic knit  fabric. They are machine washable and have built-in zippers (zipper top covered with fabric) which makes swaddling as easy as can be.

Readers may have blanket recommendations as well, so check back in a few days for additional tips in the comments section Terri. Thanks for writing the moose M.D. with your swaddle question!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> also see: Tips to Help Soothe a Baby with Colic,

and The GoodFather’s Swaddle Blanket and Wrap Favorites

If you are a breastfeeding mom in search of an easy way to collect breast milk while staying drip-free, I think you’ll love Milkies milk-savers. Simply slide the slim milk-saver in the bra-cup on the non-nursing side before you breastfeed, and it collects the
breast milk for future use. Not only does this help reduce the use of disposable nursing pads, but Milkies are also BPA and phthalate-free! (test results, pdf download)

What do you think moms? Would this have been a useful product when you were breastfeeding? Click on the bubble above to open the comment box below.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

If you’re a regular baby blog reader, you’ve probably run across Bloom’s Alma crib. Like all Bloom products, Alma is well-designed with modern styling and a hefty price tag of $400. So, how does Alma differ from a similar-looking crib from IKEA’s Hermelin which sells for $129? See the feature comparison below:

Alma by Bloom
- Price: $400
- Includes: Crib only. Mattress and bedlinens are sold separately.
- Materials: Solid birch wood, low VOC baby-safe finishes.
- Colors: Gala Green or Coconut White
- Dimensions and Weight: 37.25″ x 19.5″ x 32.75″, 50 pounds
- Assembly: Requires assembly, Allen Wrench included
- Key Features: Bed base can sit at two different heights. Compact-fold for easy storage and four lockable castor wheels which can be removed. Special attention to nontoxic materials.

Hermelin by IKEA
- Price: $129
- Includes: Crib only. Mattress and bedlinens are sold separately.
- Materials: Solid beech, tinted clear acrylic lacquer, fiberboard, molded beech plywood.
- Colors: Blue as shown above
- Dimensions and Weight: 53.5″ x 29.5″ x 32.75″, 52 pounds
- Assembly: Requires assembly, Allen Wrench included
- Key Features: Bed base can sit at two different heights. Crib can be converted to a daybed (by removing guardrail, conversion kit included) when the child is old enough to climb in and out of crib.

I’d love to hear your personal reviews of Bloom’s Alma or IKEA’s Hermelin if you’ve used (or reviewed) either one! To leave a comment, simply click on the comments bubble to open a text box below.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

You might have the photography chops to take great pictures, but do you have the adorable baby photo props? Fear not new parents, now you can shoot impossibly-cute baby photos just like the pros thanks to Milk Money by Sonia! From custom stocking caps ($15) to handmade knitted bowls ($40), Sonia has you and your newborn covered. Visit the Milk Money Etsy shop to see more cuteness, or follow the Twitter link to speak directly to  Sonia!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

I’m often asked by expecting parents for stroller recommendations and my answer has everything to do with (1) how it will be used, and (2) much they would like to spend. I found a fantastic deal on a high-end stroller today, so I thought I’d share the recommendation because you simply can’t go wrong with the Mutsy Urban Rider stroller. It goes from a

simple frame to an adjustable stroller (position baby facing front or back), and it has a car seat feature with every accessory you could imagine. You’re not done yet because it also holds a bassinet, a duo seat can be added for a second rider, and did I mention that it collapses down to a perfectly flat cube for storage?

Quite frankly, the Mutsy Urban Rider stroller has too many features and accessories to mention in a single post so I’ll just let you see it for yourself. If you’re looking for a quality stroller that will last through multiple kids and has everything but the kitchen sink, head over to Mercantila.com which currently has the best price I’ve ever seen at $575 with free US shipping in the lower 48 states. Now that I think about it…it does have a dinner tray, but I’m not yet aware of a kitchen sink feature in the US model.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

The top 1,000 baby boy and baby girl names of 2008 have been tallied and were officially released by the SSA this morning. The 10 most popular names of last year include:

• Top Ten Male Names: (1) Jacob, (2) Michael, (3) Ethan, (4) Joshua, (5) Daniel, (6) Alexander, (7) Anthony, (8) William, (9) Christopher, (10) Matthew
• Top Ten Female Names: (1) Emma, (2) Isabella, (3) Emily, (4) Madison, (5) Ava, (6) Olivia, (7) Sophia, (8) Abigail, (9) Elizabeth, (10) Chloe

It looks like traditional names are still dominating the top 20 list, although we are seeing many new names jumping into the top 1,000. According to the SSA, the biggest jump in popularity was “Khloe” (spelled with a ‘K’) which moved up 469 spots in 2008 to it’s current position of the 196th most popular female name. What do you think folks, any surprises from the 20 listed above?

Have a great weekend!
Dr.MOZ

(Photo above from The GoodFather gift CD-ROM’s “Baby Name Book” by Dr.MOZ)

The BubLuv SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) monitoring device is a concept design by Queensland University of Technology student Michael Geedrick that we’re all hoping makes it out onto the market one day soon. When the baby sleeps, the BubLuv reads her carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations using a co-oximeter in the ankle bracelet and

alerts parents when dangerous situations arise by transmitting warning signals to a bedside monitor. 

Perhaps the BubLuv will prove to be the first step towards similar “smart cribs” and related sleeping garments one day as well. I’ll keep an eye on BubLuv developments and will be sure to let you know if/when they are available for purchase.

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> thanks to Tuvie!

I’ve only featured a few of the many baby blogging platforms for new and expecting parents over the past few years (see below), because some just aren’t designed to well enough to make parents’ lives easier. Every now and then I’ll see one that really gets it, which leads to today’s feature Baveo!

They’ve only been open to the public for a few weeks now, but I think they’re the blogging platform to watch based on the easy-to-use features and partners already assembled. Not

only does Baveo make it easy to invite family and friends to share photos/video/text updates, it also provides a registry tool used for sharing information from twelve major retailers. Want to use a custom domain name? Baveo allows it. Looking for the ability for users to subscribe for updates by SMS, email, and RSS? Baveo can do that as well. What about privacy, can parents limit access to their Baveo pages by password? Yup.

So, you’ve probably decided that a service like this is going to be way too expensive. Actually, it’s 100% free and you won’t see ads in your baby pages either. You’ll see a few graphic ads in the set-up pages, but it’s not like you’ll see a Dr.MOZ ad on your baby’s head or anything…unless you want to, maybe we can work something out (kidding). Check out www.Baveo.com to set-up your baby blog in 60 seconds or less, and don’t forget to come back and let me know what you think!

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ

> also see: Wee Web Facebook for Baby,

and TotSpot and Kidmondo

If you’re a Hello Kitty fan, you’ll be happy to know that the world’s first Hello Kitty themed maternity ward recently opened in Taiwan. By “Hello Kitty themed“, I mean absolutely everything in the 30-bed hospital is draped in Hello Kitty including the

rooms, elevators, walls, maternity staff, even the birth certificates!

I think it’s fair to say that Hello Kitty has one-upped the Disney crew, but something tells me that Mickey has a trick hidden in those strange white gloves of his. You know, like a Disney maternity cruise ship. What do you think folks, if you were forced at gunpoint to choose a kid-related theme for a hospital…what would it be?

Have fun and stay healthy,

Dr.MOZ

> first spotted at Gizmodiva

When I first heard about the new online service Wee Web, I was quick to dismiss it as another online scrapbook. After receiving a few answers from someone at Wee Web, I learned that it would be better described as a Facebook for parents. Wee-Web.com’s features in a nutshell:

• Parents can share with the family and friends they invite, so only those with permission can can see the content
• Your content could include pictures, videos, and/or a quick note
• A micro-blogging feature notifies the parents’ network when the child’s page is updated
• Family and friends can control how frequently they are notified about updates
• It’s currently free for new users

I’ve got to say, the Wee Web team could be onto something here. Not every burp or gurgle justifies a detailed explanation, but you can bet that grandma and grandpa want to see the new gurgle video. A small Twitter-like caption will do the

job for many of your baby pictures, and crazy Uncle Dave will appreciate the fact that Wee Web gives him control of how many baby update notices he receives. It’s a low-pressure service for busy parents who may not have time to write lengthy blogs, and a no-pressure way for friends and family to take part on their own time line.

Is anyone out there in Mozville already using Wee Web? If so, please click on the comment bubble to share your Wee Web review.

Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ