JJ Ghatt's Old Stuff

Here are the articles I've written in the past

GG is in Boobie Rehab

June 5, 2009 by JJ

GG’s off “the sauce”. Yup, she’s in boobie REHAB! I started weaning her cold turkey yesterday. She’s had a good run and I think 17 months, the longest than any of my three children, is a good length of time to have been nursed.

While I’ve enjoyed being able to pass on my anti-bodies to her and being able to nurse her in emergency situations, lately I’ve been using it as a crutch and substitute for finding more creative ways to console her when she’s cranky.

And!!! I need my body back…Daddy wants it back too! ha!

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Your Baby Can Read

June 4, 2009 by JJ

I was away on business and while running on the hotel gym treadmill, I watched infomercials. I’m such a sucker because I bought two items being peddled on Saturday morning infomercial TV: P90x extreme exercise DVD set and the Your Baby Can Read system. I’m going to check these out and see if they work. I’ll let you guys know.

Anyone has a testimonial they’d like to share?

Post Pregnancy Tummy Tuck Alternative

June 3, 2009 by JJ

We all know that the Mommy MakeOver, the post bab(ies) breast lift, liposuction and tummy tuck, is all the rage these days. Some moms go as far as getting vaginal reconstruction or “genital rejuvenation” as they describe it on A Mommy Makeover.com to make “like new” what the pregnancy and child birthing process changes. Simple diet and exercise changes cannot make your body snap back as it was before babies. Contrary to what is said, there’s no amount of cocoa butter in the world that will reduce the wrinkly tummy moms get post pregnancy.

Now that I am officially done with having children, I have been exploring non-invasive options. Certainly, high profile celebrity deaths under the knife such as Olivia Goldsmith and Dr. Donda West, Kanye West’s mom, have scared plenty of women to just give up on the idea of getting their pre-baby bodies back. Recently, R&B star Usher Raymond’s wife had a heart attack while under the knife in Brazil.

That is why I am seriously considering Thermage. Aaaah Vanity, eh?

Anyway according to the folks at Thermage.com,

Thermage uses unique radiofrequency (RF) technology to heat the deep layers of your skin, while cooling the surface of your skin to keep it intact during the procedure.

This deep heating stimulates your body’s natural skin renewal process, which helps tighten existing collagen and form new collagen. Over time, sagging or wrinkled skin is replaced with smoother, tighter skin; improved tone and texture; and an overall younger looking appearance.

Check out this Before and After and Video Testimonial from Amy

To complete the non-surgery Mommy Make over, I suppose if one has the problem with stretch marks, one could get Laser Stretch Mark removal and then rely on Lipodissolve™ and mesotherapy as non-surgery alternatives to cellulite removal. Nothing to be done about sagging boobs except getting cutlets or water bras to fake the reappearnce of perky boobs once again.

Aaaaah narcissism! ha

Check out this cynical cartoon trying to discourage moms from going under the knife for the sake of vanity. Click to enlarge and read.

Jennifer Hudson is probably 8 months pregnant

June 2, 2009 by JJ

and had a baby shower this weekend with close friends and family, despite reports that she isn’t pregant, that’s what all the gossip and celeb rags are reporting these days anyway. Don’t take my word for it, check out this bump!

Looks like the rumors were true! Grammy-winning singer and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson is in fact pregnant with her first child. Felicia Fields, a longtime pal of Jennifer, confirmed to the paper that Jennifer’s baby shower was held on Saturday.

Per Chicago Tribune:

“It was a baby shower, a quiet gathering of friends and mostly family,” says Fields of Saturday’s get-together in a relative’s home. “They’re really trying to keep it kind of quiet… It was a nice time that we had,” Fields said of the shower. As for whether Hudson received blue or pink gifts, Fields said, “They don’t know [the gender]. More yellow.”

Fields didn’t want to get into when the baby is due, but speculation is that Hudson is many months along – maybe even close to seven months pregnant. Jennifer has been giving the “no comment” answer on pregnancy questions since the spring while her manager and publicist has previously denied that she is pregnant. Hudson got her career started by appearing in season 3 of “American Idol.” She is engaged to former reality TV star David Otunga, a graduate of Harvard Law School who appeared on “I Love New York 2” and is currently pursuing a career as a pro wrestler.

Kimora Lee Simmons Births Baby Boy!

May 31, 2009 by JJ

Kimora Lee Simmons has given birth! She and boyfriend Academy-award nominated actor Djimon Hounsou have welcomed their first child together, a baby boy!

She tweeted the experience of going into labor…
At around 9pm Friday night Kimora Twittered the following: “It’s time !! No turning back! At hospital in labor right now!!” Around the same time she posted the photo above to her TwitPic page. Shortly after that she added: “Having contractions now! Ooo- wee! It’s like WHOA!” I love TWITTER and technology man!!

Pregnancy Blog Spotlight: His Boys Can Swim

May 31, 2009 by JJ

Today, we highlight His Boys Can Swim Pregnancy Blog: Chronicles of Life After the Plus Sign.

Why? The blog’s author Jane is a fellow AllTop Pregnancy site. She’s commented before on Bellyitch. She’s funny. She’s candid and open and provides week by week preggers belly shots! whoa mama! This one is worth the peek! I even started to follow

ER’s Dr. Neela Had a Baby Boy!

May 28, 2009 by JJ

ER actress Parminder Nagra has given birth to her first child

Parminder, who made her name in Brit flick Bend It Like Beckham, gave birth to Kai David Singh Stenson Tuesday, May 26. Kai is the first child of husband James Stenson and the 33-year-old actress, who cemented her position in Hollywood after playing Neela Rasgotra in medical drama ER.

GG and her First Doll

May 27, 2009 by JJ

I couldn’t resist and could not wait any longer! Even though most dolls start for children ages 24 months an up, I felt GG was mature enough to appreciate a doll. I had waited my entire momhood to be able to buy a doll for my baby girl. So I picked up a “starter” doll that didn’t seem too heavy from Target. First off, imagine that they have “starter” dolls that don’t come with all the peeing crying bells and whistles as the other doll options. Perfect.

I bring it home, call GG over and show her the box. She immediately gets excited and starts to do a little dance and shows excitement as I struggle to untwist the ties binding her tiny doll hands and feet to the box she called home since being packaged and shipped to Target from China. Poor Penelope, my name for her (ha), was probably eager to get out too.

GG figures out quickly that the toy pacifier goes into the hole in the baby’s mouth. Too cute. She hugs her new doll and seems interested in it …er for like 12 whole minutes! ha!

What I did find cute and quite endearing was later that night she and I were hanging out in the basement while her daddy watched the Boob Tube and I pointed out how Penelope was laying on the floor lonely. GG gets up, grabs her doll and then sits it neatly in front of her dad to watch TV with Daddy! She then toddles back to continue playing with me! I thought that was the cutest thing ever!

Tragic Passing of Mike Tyson’s daughter

May 27, 2009 by JJ

Tyson From ModernMom.com
So sad…
Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter, Exodus, died Tuesday after being found hanging from a cord on a treadmill. Exodus was playing near exercise equipment while her mom was cleaning in a different room. Exodus’s 7-year-old brother found his sister on a treadmill with a cable around her neck. The girl’s mother unhooked her daughter, called 911 and attempted to revive her. She was rushed to St. Joe’s Hospital. She was on life support and in”extremely critical condition” yesterday. The police called it a “tragic accident.” Tyson was in Las Vegas and flew home to Phoenix immediately. My prayers are with him and the family. This really messed me up today. So tragic…

Creative T’s for Stopping Folks from Touching your Pregnant Belly

May 26, 2009 by JJ

Every pregnant woman can attest to having some stranger come up to her randomly to rub her belly. Many do not mean any harm by it, it’s just that many people feel that pregnant women are public domain and everyone owes her a belly rub, some unsolicited advice etc etc. They mean well. I used to tell folks who ask to touch my belly, “well, you see this part right here (rubbing my under belly) that is where my pubic area usually is and I usually need to know you a little longer before I let you stroke me there!” ha. I usually got a shriveled eyebrow, upturn lips and an “ewww, never mind!”

If that doesn’t work, you can try the not-so-subtle-but-overt-conversation T-shirt approach. (click the photo to be taken to the site that sells each T)

“Maternity Wardrobe $2,408
Nursery Furniture $1,317
Touching my Belly $5
Some things money can’t buy.
For everything else, you need cold hard cash.”

Here’s a pretty cute blog post on the topic by Pregnancy.etc and another by Stages In Pregnancy.