Adele pregnant with first child. Did you ever put career on hold for a baby?

Hugely successful British singer Adele has just announced she is having her first baby.

The singer's representative confirmed that the 24 year old is expecting a child with boyfriend Simon Konecki. The message was posted on her official website:

"I'm delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we're over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time," she said on the site.

So, looks like a new album is on the backburner then?

[Not that we have careers like Adele, but...] When have you put your careers plans on the backburner due to a pregnancy? Did you ever get back on track once your baby/babies was/were born? Share your story here...

Kids and iPhones – it’s all about balance, by Jo Abi

I really enjoyed this post, by writer Jo Abi - about kids and iPhones. It most certainly resonated with me, as my twins have been obsessed with my iPhone since they could walk. Now they have iPads and I try to limit the time they spend on there. We paint, we draw, we rough and tumble, we go outside, we blow bubbles [really... I'm not just saying that. They are easily entertained!]

Mind you, my son's iPad was purchased with FaHCSIA funding and all we have are autism-specific apps, though he is definitely enamoured with YouTube-ing kids' cartoon videos [visit my Twitter page and see - he has somehow worked out how to post various YouTube links... to my Twitter page! I don't even know how he does this!]

I also enjoyed Jo's appearance on 'Breakfast' yesterday morning [see link, below]:

Here's an excerpt from Jo's piece:

My eight-year-old completely freaked me out with an “Your iPhone Screen Looks Broken” app a couple of weeks ago, my four-year-old is obsessed with the bowling app and my two-year-old girl plays the Dora Memory Cards game. I’m not proud and I am aware that their time on my iPhone needs to be monitored and limited. In an effort to ensure the next school holidays isn’t a tech-free-for-all I dusted off the games I purchased before the last school holidays – Twister, Monopoly, Guess Who, Uno and Cards. I even found Jacks!

This school holidays I am determined…my kids will not spend more than an hour a day TOTAL on computers, iPhones, iPads or any device with the word “Nintendo” on it.

This is going to be a massive task.

As was pointed out to me this morning, parents are busy. It takes time and effort to engage with your kids and make sure they are indulging in a variety of activities and Winter is the worst time for this. Please don’t rain during the school holidays!

We also have chalk to draw on the concrete out the back, water paints and my husband bought them new soccer balls which I plan to kick around the park with them.

To read the rest of this blog post, go here: http://joabi.com.au/2012/06/25/kids-and-iphones-its-all-about-balance/

And you can watch Jo's TV appearance here: http://tenbreakfast.com.au/video.htm?movideo_m=200486 

So, what do you think? Time limits on techy gadgets? Or let them dictate? Do you... gasp... use tech things as a babysitter sometimes?

Leave your comments below.

Breastfeeding in uniform – why is this considered offensive?

Have a look at this photo - do you find it offensive?

It seems that some do.

Crystal Scott, founder of the American breastfeeding support group called ‘Mom2Mom’, and a military spouse, was behind the photo as part of a campaign to help support National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in the US.

In the photo, two Air National Guard members are nursing their babies in uniform, and it has garnered lots of attention globally.

"A lot of people are saying it's a disgrace to the uniform," she told the US Today show. "They're comparing it to urinating and defecating [while in uniform]. It's extremely upsetting. Defecating in public is illegal. Breastfeeding is not."

Terran Echegoyen-McCabe is the mother breastfeeding her 10 month old twin daughters in the photo, along with fellow breastfeeding mum Christina Luna, and she says she was surprised by the negative reaction to the photo. 

"There isn't a policy saying we can or cannot breastfeed in uniform," she has said. "I think it's something that every military mom who is breastfeeding has done... I think we do need to be able to breastfeed in uniform and be protected."

While there is no policy about breastfeeding while in uniform, an Air Force spokesperson, Captain Rose Richeson told Today that that "airmen should be mindful of their dress and appearance and present a professional image at all times while in uniform."

Okay, fair call… but is this photo as controversial as it has been made out?

As a former twin breastfeeding mother – yes, sometimes at the same time – I find this image beautiful, natural, and it brings back memories of such lovely, bonding times with my little babies.

What do you think?