Beyonce and Jay-Z’s name choice for their little princess caused some of us consternation yesterday, when the birth and the baby name was announced. Sources claimed the baby girl was named either Blue Ivy or Ivy Blue Carter. At this point, it’s pretty much confirmed that the name is Blue Ivy… which… okay, I understand why people are rolling their eyes about it, but just think for a minute about how bad the name could have been. When compared to my guess of Princess BeyJay Déjà Vu Knowles-Carter, Blue Ivy sounds rather nice, right? So, what significance does the name have? Allegedly, it’s all about Bey and Jay and what’s significant to them. Unless you believe that Jay named his baby after an ex-girlfriend. He dated Blu Cantrell before Beyonce! But that’s not the official story.

Beyonce and Jay-Z’s baby girl Blue Ivy Carter arrived Saturday, and while little girls are customarily pretty in pink, this baby is also being surrounded by touches of blue.

This was the case over the holidays, when, in anticipation of the baby’s birth, the parents-to-be sent pals blue Christmas gifts, a source tells PEOPLE.

Sources and fans suggest the couple chose the name “Ivy” because of the number 4 or Roman numeral IV, which is significant in Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s relationship.

Beyoncé’s birthday is Sept. 4, while Jay-Z’s is Dec. 4; the two married on April 4 in 2008; they reportedly have matching “IV” tattoos on their wedding fingers; and Beyoncé named her latest album 4.

And the significance of the baby’s first name, Blue? Well, Jay-Z has three albums with the word “blueprint” in their titles: The Blueprint was released in 2001; The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, in 2002; and The Blueprint 3, in 2009.

In lyrics, Jay-Z has rarely been coy about proclaiming himself the best rapper ever. “I’m the Blueprint, I’m like the map for ‘em,” he said in “A Star Is Born,” from The Blueprint 3.

Fans have also chimed in on the name. “Blueprint was the hottest album ever sold by Jay-Z! their child’s name makes a lot of sense!” Tweeted @kisssmyDIAMONDS

And Tweeted @omgitsralph: “There’s a meaning in Ivy Blue. IVy = a roman numeral for 4 which is Beyoncé’s favorite number and BLUE for Jay-Z’s Blueprint albums. Wow.”

Perhaps at some point the parents will make clear why they chose the name.

Until then, there’s one thing the family is clear about, as proud aunt Solange declared on Twitter on Sunday. Blue Ivy, she said, is “the most beautiful girl in the world.”

[From People]

Once again… I don’t hate the rationale for naming the kid Blue Ivy. I almost get it, if they really did name their baby after a color that has had significance to Jay, and after “IV” for “four”. At least they have an actual argument based on their shared history for the baby name. Unlike, say, Apple Martin or Pilot Inspektor or Kal-el Cage/Coppola. I’m just saying, there’s a lot of be critical of regarding this whole “birth” thing, so I’m not spending any of my eye-rolls on the baby name.

Meanwhile, Solange totally tweeted about her new niece, “the most beautiful girl in the world.” It will definitely be interesting to see who the baby takes after, Jay or… the surrogate? A “family friend” tells Media Takeout that the baby has Jay’s nose, ears and mouth.” Aw, that’s kind of cute. Dame Gwyneth Paltrow also deigned to tweet about her BFF’s baby, writing, “Welcome to the world, Blue. We love you already!” Us Weekly also reports that Jay was seen walking the halls of Lenox Hill Hospital looking “happy.” And Bey’s parents Tina and Mathew were seen at the hospital as well, holding “flowers with pink balloons and silver and black ribbons.” My Conspiracy Radar is still in overdrive. Anyone else? This one chick claims that Beyonce’s surrogate had the baby last month. Fascinating.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

On Friday, INF Daily sent us the link to their exclusive photos of Beyonce still pregnant (or still “wearing the pillow”), which were taken Thursday night. It was a photo op designed to show us that Beyonce is still preggo, and to keep us on our guard that the birth could go down at any moment. Well, it did. It happened last night, and the news was first reported by E! News. It was a girl! They named her… Blue Ivy Carter. Blue Carter. Baby Blue.

We were so ready for this belly, and now we’re so psyched to meet this baby!

Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed a daughter Saturday night in New York, the little one’s arrival coming via scheduled C-section, mutliple sources confirm to E! News
And the pop ‘n’ hip-hop princess’ name? Drumroll, please…

Blue Ivy Carter! (At least that’s what Jay-Z is telling pals at this point—the couple’s reps have not immediately responded to calls seeking comment.)

Friend and music mogul Russell Simmons was among the first to celebrate the arrival, tweeting the new parents: “congrats to my good friends Beyonce and Jay-Z.”

Rihanna gave baby Blue a warm welcome, tweeting: “Welcome to the world princess Carter! Love Aunty Rih.”

Hey, we’re happy to find out this much, considering Blue’s parents didn’t even confirm to the world that they were married until…Wait? Did they ever really confirm it? (Public records ultimately told the tale.)

Anyway, the “Crazy in Love” duo tied the knot in April 2008 after roughly six years of dating. Considering they waited another three years to have a baby, you can tell this is one couple that thinks things through!

Beyoncé memorably revealed that she was pregnant onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

And her hubby certainly seems to be in the right head space, telling E! News in November that he hoped to be the kind of father whose children could talk to him about anything.

“Your child could come to you and have any type of conversation. I always hope for that kind of open relationship,” he said.

Just imagine the rap sessions father and daughter will be having a few years from now!

[From E! News]

I was kind of meh on this report’s accuracy, but People Magazine is reporting it too, so I think the “scheduled C-section” actually did go down last night. People also reports that Beyonce gave birth at Lenox Hill, and she had checked into the NYC hospital on Friday. Just this past week, the rumors were surrounding Bey giving birth at St. Luke’s, so I don’t know what to make of the hospital switch-up. I wonder if Beyonce was wearing her special birthin’ weave? I wonder if the surrogate is happy and healthy too?

UPDATE: Some media outlets are reporting the name as “Ivy Blue Carter”. I honestly don’t know which one is right.

Photos of Beyonce from November 2011, courtesy of PCN & WENN.

I really am surprised that Beyonce hasn’t given birth (“given birth”) this week. Of course, the day isn’t over, and she could totally pull a Perry-Brand and announce the miraculous birth late today, a Friday afternoon or evening. Is that Bey’s style though? No, she wants to dominate the news, and announcing something late on a Friday just doesn’t feel domination-worthy. I also have a theory that we haven’t heard anything about Bey this week because there’s only so much magic that can be done with pillows, you know? If Beyonce is seen, she needs to look ready to pop at any moment. And that ain’t happening.

In Touch has a great/hilarious/ridiculous story about Beyonce’s other preparations for the birth. She and Jay have apparently booked a special “luxury birthing suite” which includes a private kitchen. Which I think it gross. Why are you thinking about food when you’re supposed to be birthin’ a baby? Placenta and paella don’t mix. But the best part of the story is totally the bit about the birthin’ weave.

Leave it to Beyonce to put the glamour in giving birth. In preparation for the arrival of her first child, Beyonce and Jay-Z have booked a private luxury birthing suite at New York’s St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, complete with a flat-screen TV and a private kitchen where gourmet meals can be prepared for the picky pair.

According to an insider, Beyonce meticulously planned out every detail just as she would one of her onstage spectaculars – even having a hairpiece designed just for the delivery!

“She wanted to look spectacular for her biggest performance ever,” the insider says.

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

Is it wrong that I totally believe that? Yes, I believe that Beyonce had a special weave made just for the birth of her child. She will wear this special weave when she picks the baby up from the surrogate, I guess. Anyway, I have my fingers crossed that Bey keeps her legs crossed (and the surrogate does the same) until Monday. Gift us with a baby during regular business hours, Oh Great and Powerful Beysus!

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Last week, I think most media outlets were on high alert that Beyonce would be “giving birth” at any moment. The idea was spurred by actual reporting at first – legit outlets claimed that Beyonce had checked into a NYC hospital, and then they took it back and claimed that one hospital’s maternity ward was on lockdown, preparing for Throne Watch or whatever. And then later last week, things got silly. Twitter went crazy, claiming that Bey and Jay had given birth to a baby girl and that they had named her Tiana May Carter. First, that didn’t happen. Second, Tiana May? You know the baby name is probably going to be awful, but I don’t see anything of the “Tiana May” variety. Please! The name is going to be, like, Princess Nairobi Déjà Vu Knowles-Carter, something like that. Something regal for the first couple of hip-hop.

Anyway, Beyonce hasn’t given birth. Yet. (Or ever.) I’m starting to believe Lainey’s theory that everything will go down on the 4th, because Bey and Jay are so obsessed with “4” as their lucky number. Which means that media outlets will probably be on lockdown on Wednesday – and trust me, when Beyonce “gives birth,” People Magazine will break the story, not Twitter. In the mean time, Page Six had this little story about how Bey and Jay spent New Year’s:

A heavily pregnant and beautiful Beyoncé celebrated New Year’s Eve over an intimate dinner with Jay-Z in Brooklyn. Dashing Web rumors that she gave birth last week, a still expecting Beyonce — in very high heels — ate with Jay at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens. Beyoncé dined on fried chicken and Jay ordered oysters, but there was no Champagne for the expecting star. The happy couple left before midnight, perhaps to join the party at her sister Solange Knowles’ house.

[From Page Six]

Media Takeout claims that although Jay and Bey were partying on New Year’s Eve at Solange’s house, Bey’s family was pissed off that Jay had flown to Kentucky earlier on Saturday to scout for the New Jersey Nets (Jay is partial owner). I would say that Jay shouldn’t have abandoned Beyonce when she’s so far along, but I suspect that Jay knows what’s up and he “knows” that Beyonce won’t be “giving birth” until later this week, right?

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Last we heard from Beyonce, she was nine months pregnant and she had flown to Vancouver, where she was partying her pillow off with her husband. While in Vancouver, there were a few photos of Bey, and she totally looked more “authentically” pregnant than ever before – go here to Dlisted to see one of the latest Bey photos. Her face totally looks heavier, and for a brief moment, I was like, “Oh, okay. Maybe all of the conspiracy theories were totally wrong. Maybe Bey has just had a really crazy pregnancy where her bump collapses and goes up and down constantly BUT she really is preggo.” Of course, there’s a blind item that covers Bey’s weight gain too:

It’s coming down to the wire, folks! Just a few weeks to go. There’s one problem, though. She was looking too thin to be convincing. Thankfully, she found a solution that doesn’t include eating a single bowl of ice cream. It’s called Prednisone. Taking excessive amounts of corticosteroids over time can result in some serious effects, including hypertension and cataracts. Another side effect is gaining weight, especially in the face and neck and abdomen. She knew this because it happened to her before. Last time it was accidental and was upsetting for her. Now, though, it’s purposeful, and is a solution to her problem.

She started taking Prednisone a couple of months ago, so she should be plumping up pretty soon. Fat face and neck coming right up! She not worried, though, because she’s been told that the weight will drop quickly once she tapers down below 10 mg a day. Followed, of course, by claims of how hard she worked to take off the weight.

[From Blind Gossip]

Yes, it’s just a blind item. No, I can’t verify its accuracy or even WHO is having the ‘roidy fake-pregnancy. But… but… but…

Anyway, Page Six has this interesting little blind item for all of the conspiracy theorists out there:

While St. Luke’s Hospital was reportedly on high alert last night, piquing suspicion that Beyoncé might give birth there, the pregnant singer apparently stopped by one more party before she went into labor.

On Friday, she and husband Jay-Z were spotted at SoHo hot spot W.i.P. for a bash celebrating youth arts program Creation Nation and its Creators Club, which will meet weekly in the space. Beyoncé — who reports say is nine months pregnant — and Jay-Z were spotted sitting tight in a VIP booth and fielding greetings from friends. Beyoncé was overheard saying that her pregnancy was “the best Christmas present possible.”

Our witnesses report that the rapper “was very attentive to his wife, at one point getting up to get her some water.”

[From Page Six]

Of course I have moments of doubt. Of course I stop every now and then and say, “What if she’s really pregnant? What if this isn’t some huge conspiracy? What if she really has the energy to party and fly to Vancouver in the last days of her pregnancy? What if she really can balance on sky-high heels even in the third trimester?” I don’t have anything to add to that, really. Your guess is as good as mine. I think there’s enough evidence and “common sense” wisdom to make a case for the pillow baby theory, or for the “real pregnancy” theory.

Photos from September, October & November, courtesy of WENN.

I read yesterday that Beyonce had accompanied her husband, Jay-Z, to his tour stop in Vancouver. I didn’t think much of it, not even sure if the story was true – turns out, it is. There were even photos of a very full-bodied-looking Beyonce backstage at the concert. So, it happened. And I started to wonder… is it weird that Bey flew to Vancouver at this late stage of her pregnancy? On September 23, she said she was six months pregnant. Which means that three months later, she’s coming up on full-term, correct? And she’s repeatedly said she’s “due” in January, meaning she’ll be “giving birth” within the next month, probably.

Considering I’ve never been pregnant, I asked Bedhead and CB what the general rule is for flying while in your third trimester, and I got mixed responses – various doctors say different things, but it definitely seems like Bey is cutting it very close. That is, she’s cutting it close if she’s really pregnant. Have detachable pillow, will travel. Apparently, when she was in Vancouver, she also did some shopping too:

While hubby Jay-Z is busy working on his Watch the Throne show with Kanye West, Beyoncé spent her time shopping in Vancouver. The pregnant pop star and her entourage arrived at upscale department store Holt Renfrew where they were met with more security, who ensured fellow shoppers didn’t snap photos or harass Beyoncé. She, meanwhile, stopped at several cosmetics counters, then made her way to the fragrance department. Despite the security, Beyoné went relatively unnoticed, a source says. “She looked so comfortable and quite pretty,” the source tells us, adding that she was “super friendly” with the staff.

[From People]

You can see some of the shopping photos here – I just don’t get how she’s more than eight months pregnant, and the only part of her that’s “showing” is her bump. I know, I know, all women are different, all women will carry differently, but this is just the strangest pregnancy ever. It’s right up there with Katie Holmes’s pregnancy (I do think Katie was pregnant, she just lied about when she gave birth) and Nicole Kidman’s pregnancy (never happened).

Photos courtesy of Fame, WENN, PCN.

Have you seen some of the latest blind items having to do with Beyonce and her Deflating Bump of Conspiracies? Go here to Dlisted to read some of them – I mean, they are “allegedly” about Beyonce, but… they certainly fit, right? Still, Beyonce is on track to give birth… soon. Like, within the next month, apparently, considering she claims she was six months pregnant on September 23rd. Meaning she’s past the eight-month mark right now. Which means that surrogate is probably ready to bust. One of the blind items claims that Beyonce is making all kinds of deals behind the scenes to profit from her pillowy pregnancy, including a Jessica Simpson-style “How I Lost the Baby Weight” magazine spread shortly after “giving birth”. Allegedly, Bey is still going to be selling this pillow until we’re all sick of it. So… here’s a preview. Us Weekly has a story about how Bey has gone on a “partially vegan” diet (???) and Jay-Z has joined her in pillow solidarity or something.

Jay-Z is eating like a pregnant woman! The 42-year-old dad-to-be is supporting Beyonce by dieting with her. A source tells the new Us Weekly — on stands Friday — that the duo are maintaining a “partially vegan diet.” (Think stir-fried vegetables and tofu, made to order by a private chef.)

“Jay’s trying to be disciplined, and he needs the energy to support her,” a source adds.
Beyonce, 30, isn’t going to let herself go just because she’s expecting! “I’ve been really conscious [about food],” she told 20/20. “I’ve been trying my best not to lose control!”

Meanwhile, Beyonce has been resisting temptation, including favorites like fried chicken and doughnuts.

Jay and Bey’s commitment to healthy living seems to be paying off. A source tells Us that Monday night the duo were “dancing up a storm” at Hollywood’s Spare Room club.

“They were loved up and sweet together [and] partied until 4 a.m.!”

The next night, Beyonce and Jay-Z partied once again! This time, the couple hung out with Serena Williams, Kanye West and friends at Watch The Throne’s after party.

[From Us Weekly]

WTF is a “partially vegan” diet? Is that “eating your vegetables as part of a balanced diet that includes ham and chicken and steak”? So we’re not just supposed to buy the pillowy pregnancy, we’re also supposed to buy that Bey is maintaining a partially vegan diet, and that Jay-Z is dieting with her? Here’s an honest to God question: Is Beyonce just making this up as she goes along? Did she have an actual plan to fool people, and is this the plan? Because if this is the plan, Bey can afford to be getting much better advice.

Photos courtesy of Fame, PCN and WENN.

Beyonce appeared on 20/20 on Friday to promote her new live album and, of course, to talk about her Bump of Mysteries and Conspiracies. Thus far, Beyonce – through her rep – has only bothered to comment on all of the conspiracy theories once, when just after Beyonce’s bump “collapsed” on an Australian television show, the rep said the conspiracies were “stupid, ridiculous and false.” In this new 20/20 interview, Bey tells Katie Couric that, “You know there are certain things that are so far, it doesn’t even affect me. I am cool, it is so ridiculous and over the top.” Here’s the full video interview and some quotes from the piece:

Since announcing her pregnancy to the world back in August 2011 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Beyonce fans have eagerly been on baby bump watch. But in October the singer sparked rumours that she was wearing a prosthetic belly after her stomach appeared to collapse as she sat down during a live TV appearance in Australia.

Now the 30-year-old star, who has branded the stories as ‘ridiculous’, has spoken out for the first time about how she feels about the reports. In an interview with Katie Couric for ABC’s 20/20, she said she treated the stories like water off a ducks back.

‘You know there are certain things that are so far, it doesn’t even affect me,’ she said.
‘I am cool, it is so ridiculous and over the top.’

In fact the Love On Top singer revealed that it was her mother, Tina Knowles, that needed to be calmed down the most.

‘She’s like “no one is going to talk about my gran-baby.”‘ she said. ‘I was like calm down mom, it’s OK.’

In her interview with Couric last night, Beyonce was certainly more eager to discuss other things. She talked openly about her pregnancy in detail and her new DVD Live At Roseland. She also explained why she decided to reveal her pregnancy on stage at the MTV Awards, the moment in which she stripped off her jacket and rubbed her belly after performing her hit song, Love On Top.

‘News that is that big… it is hard to keep to yourself,’ she explained to Couric. ‘I felt so liberated and I could breathe and be happy. I went straight off the stage, I hugged Jay and I hugged my mom’ she explained.

Beyonce told Couric that she would soon be taking time off to prepare for the birth of her baby, and then afterwards to care for the tot and also to lose her baby weight. ‘I am not looking forward to that because I am having a good time!’ she said.

‘I’ve been really conscious [about food],’ she told Couric. ‘I’ve been trying my best not to lose control. Because I’ve met so many people that say, “My second baby, my third baby, I’ve learned my lesson,”‘ she explains of other mothers who struggled to lose their baby weight. ‘So I haven’t been going crazy. I know it’s important that I don’t lose myself.’

Beyonce told the 54-year-old TV journalist that she couldn’t wait to get her hands on her bundle of joy.

‘I am so anxious I want to hold the baby!’ she laughed. ‘The best thing is knowing that my favourite person in the world… I haven’t met them yet. It’s exciting.’

And she revealed that her husband Jay-Z was equally waiting with anticipation, when Couric asked about his no doubt huge excitement.

‘You can only imagine and multiply that,’ she said.

In the interview Couric also tried her hand at getting the singer to reveal the sex of the baby.

‘Should I get you a pink baby present or a blue baby present?’ she asked.

But Beyonce only coyly put her finger to her mouth and replied: ‘Hmm…’

However Couric pressed, telling her that her bestfriend Kelly Rowland had already let the sex of the baby slip.

‘Really?’ Beyonce asked.

‘She said that you were going to have a girl,’ Couric laughed.

‘Did she?’ the singer hummed, once again holding her finger to her mouth.

[From The Mail]

Yeah, I don’t even know at this point. Apparently, she’s eight months pregnant, and her bump keeps going up and down, up and down. I had my conspiracy theories all locked up a few months ago when I thought she was genuinely pregnant, but I’ll admit that at this point, I kind of doubt she’s even pregnant.

By the way, did you hear that Beyonce’s 4 got snubbed by the Grammys? Every one of Beyonce’s solo albums has been nominated for Album of the Year and Best R&B Album of the year – two categories that 4 wasn’t nominated for. Probably because the album blows?

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News, Fame.

Here are some new photos of Beyonce and her bump in NYC yesterday. I don’t even know. Do you really want me to start in on this? Because I will.

Recently, Beyonce released a short behind-the-scenes video of her video shoot for “Countdown” – the music video where she plagiarized a Belgian choreographer. In this video, Beyonce identifies the date as September 23rd, and she claims she’s six months pregnant. UM, WTF?!?!?!?

That means she more than eight months pregnant right now. Is this how a eight-months pregnant lady looks? And that means she’s due in the beginning of January? Which means…? Jesus, it’s too early in the morning for Beyonce’s never-ending bump conspiracies. Speaking of conspiracies, Bey also released an “alternate” version of the “Countdown” video, this time without the blatantly plagiarized choreography. This is how Bey rolls – don’t acknowledge the plagiarism, just sweep it under the rug and act like it never happened:

And I’d just like to add more fodder that I haven’t seen discussed thus far: in all of Beyonce’s music videos from 4, Bey hasn’t been “showing”. Does this mean that she filmed all of her music videos over the summer? Or does it mean she just detached her pillowy bump so that she could dance awkwardly for strange men whilst fanning her vadge?

Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

You know how in Gwyneth Paltrow’s mind, she and Beyonce are super-tight and total BFFs? And in reality, Beyonce is like, “She’s okay, but she’s a little clingy”? Well, it seems like Gwyneth’s husband Chris Martin thought he could casually exploit (not really) his wife’s relationship with Beyonce – Chris wrote a song for Beyonce, and asked her to record it with Coldplay for their latest album, Mylo Xyloto. Beyonce (through her people!) refused. So Chris wrote another song, this time for Rihanna, and Rihanna sang it and now Chris thinks that Rihanna is his favorite. And everything Chris learned about being a bitchy high school girl, he learned from Gwyneth.

Maxim: So how did the Rihanna collaboration on Mylo Xyloto, “Princess of China,” come about? Because you’ve name-checked Beyoncé so many times in the past, we would have expected her to turn up on the album.

Chris Martin: Well, I did write a song for Beyoncé, but it got rejected by her A&R people. And the one I wrote for Rihanna didn’t get rejected. It was when she was doing Rated R, but it took so long—there’s still this tribalism in music where we’re rock and you’re pop and you’re hip-hop, and it sometimes takes a while to get across those barriers. Whereas a 14-year-old doesn’t even see those barriers. So once we started thinking like that, it was, “Who cares if we used to be shelved in different places in Tower Records?” She’s f–king rad, and I love listening to her. It’s my favorite real singing on the album, ’cause it isn’t me.”

[Via Maxim]

So why didn’t Gwyneth intercede on behalf of her husband to get her super-duper BFF 4 EVA Beyonce to sing on his album? Is it because Goop and Bey aren’t really that super-duper close? Is it because Beyonce thinks she’s too good to appear on a Coldplay album? Is it because Bey is surrounded by sycophantic yes men? Who knows? But I like the idea that Chris is Pro-RiRi and Gwyneth is Pro-Bey, and THAT is the biggest fight they’re having during this holiday season.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.