For Sex and the City devotees, this story is straight out of Season One, an episode called “The Baby Shower”. Remember when Charlotte had her future daughter’s name already picked out (“Shayla”) , and then the girls went to a baby shower in Connecticut and their pregnant friend had already “stolen” Charlotte’s baby name? Well, that totally happened to Gwen Stefani and her No Doubt bandmate Tom Dumont, only not really. This story just reminded me of that episode.

Gwen has revealed that she got her second son’s name “Zuma” from Tom and his wife Mieke. Tom and Mieke had first chosen then rejected the name “Zuma” for their two sons, eventually names Ace and Rio. Gwen claims Mieke “didn’t want” the name, so the name wasn’t really stolen. PR Inside has more:

Gwen Stefani looked to an unusual source when deciding what to call her new son – she named the baby Zuma after her No Doubt bandmate suggested the moniker.

It was reported that Stefani and Gavin Rossdale named their seven-month old tot after the couple’s favourite California beach.

But the singer has revealed her second son’s unusual name actually came from the band’s guitarist Tom Dumont, whose wife Mieke rejected it for their two sons, Ace and Rio.

Stefani tells radio show Mojo in the Morning, “I kind of stole it from him. I didn’t steal it, I mean his wife didn’t want it. It was just one of those things that just happened. I just wanted Zuma to have a little bit of a quirky name.” The couple also has a two year old son, Kingston.

From PR Inside

I actually really like the name Kingston, I think it’s really cute for a little boy. Zuma’s a bit harder to like though, even though he seems to follow in his big brother’s cuteness footsteps. How couples name their babies is always fascinating to me, probably because I spent a large part of my childhood wishing I had a different, more normal name. Gwen’s story is really cute, but Zuma’s going to feel bad when he realizes his name was someone else’s reject.

Gwen, Zuma and Kingston are shown at a park on 2/28/09. Credit: Fame Pictures

It’s a dilemma that many couples face, though not on this grand of a scale: how soon should a mom go back to work after giving birth – and if the couple is already stinking rich beyond their wildest dreams, should the mom rush to go back to work at all? That’s the situation singer Gwen Stefani is finding herself in right now, according to the National Enquirer.

Gwen Stefani is reuniting with her old band – and their summer tour plans have thrown her household into turmoil.

Those close to the 39-year-old pop singer/fashion icon and her rocker husband Gavin Rossdale, 41, fear that Gwen’s amped-up career with band No Doubt could damage the couple’s six-year marriage.

“Gwen just gave birth to their second son in late August, and she will be taking on way too much with a new album and a world tour next year,” an insider told the Enquirer. “She’s already raising the boys, keeping up homes in Los Angeles and London, working on her clothing line L.A.M.B. and wants to start recording the first No Doubt album in seven years. A world tour will put too big a strain on the family.”

Solo artist Gavin also believes that Gwen should put their sons – Kingston, 2 1/2, and 4-month-old Zuma – and him before her band, according to the insider.

“Gavin feels they have more than enough money, and he doesn’t understand Gwen’s motivation for getting back on the road,” explained the insider. “It’s not like he wants her to give up her career, but he thinks a few years focusing on their boys is what’s best for the family. He’s also worried that a lengthy world tour will cut into the quality time that their relationship needs to thrive.”

[From The National Enquirer, print version, Dec. 15, 2008]

There could be some truth to this story. I remember being very surprised after the birth of the couple’s first son, Kingston, at how quickly Gwen went back to work in support of her solo album “The Sweet Escape,” especially after all her talk in the press about how desperately she wanted to be a mom. Kingston was born in May 2006 and Gwen embarked on her world tour in December of that year, bringing hubby and baby along with her. It seemed like she and her husband were able to make it all work, though, despite the many demands of her career. But having a second child can change everything – sometimes it feels like it’s not twice the work, but exponentially more so. Still, I have to wonder how much of this could be Gavin’s “sour grapes” over the unofficial death of his own career. He had a solo album out earlier this year with a single that got a little radio play, but nothing to rival that of his wife’s success. It must be tough for him to sit on the sidelines and watch Gwen be the big star. However, Gavin also needs to realize that this is what his wife does for a living and it’s what she loves. The singer has said often that No Doubt is more than just her band – they are family to her. I’m sure the couple can hire some extra help while mom is gone on tour, and the kids will be just fine.

Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani are pictured shopping in L.A. over the Thanksgiving weekend with their youngest son, Zuma. He is so sweet! And just for fun, a photo of Gavin and Kingston playing in a park in L.A. that same weekend. Photo credits: WENN.

Gwen Stefani, 39, was seen out a park in LA yesterday with a helper, her son Kingston, nearly two and a half, and her newborn son Zuma, two months. Stefani held an adorable sleeping Zuma while her son played with the other children. It looked like a playdate or that Stefani quickly met other parents because she was seen looking a little self conscious as she was photographed in a “ring around the rosy” circle. It looked like Kingston had a great time in the sandbox and playing with the other kids and you can tell that Gwen and Gavin are trying to help him have a fun and normal childhood.

Last week Stefani released the first photo of little Zuma, who was also photographed by the paparazzi right around that time. Stefani put out a posed photo on her website that featured her holding the infant in what was assumed to have been an attempt to undercut the high price that the first photos of the baby would fetch.

Today I met a German guy who knew the photographer who scored the first photo of Madonna’s first child, Lourdes, when she was a baby. According to the guy I spoke to, the photographer received over 200,000 Euro plus ongoing licensing feeds. He went on to start his own paparazzi agency and made so much money he was able to retire to Brazil. It’s not easy being a paparazzo, though, and those money shots are few and far between. The celebrity photo market is crowded now, and with celebrities like Stefani and Britney Spears releasing their own photos it’s getting even harder to score a huge payday from a few pictures.

Thanks to Fame for these photos

Gwen Stefani has released a photo of her second child, son Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale, on her official website. The portrait is a beautiful shot of Gwen with her hair up as she holds the adorable two month old infant. Both mother and baby look to be unclothed, although the photo is a close up and only part of Gwen and Zuma’s bare back and shoulder are visible. The 40 year-old rocker had a simple message to her fans about the release of the picture:

We wanted to share with you the first photo of Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale. Gwen, Gavin, Kingston and Zuma are all doing well and enjoying being a party of four.

[From GwenStefani.com]

Zuma’s official debut happens to coincide with the first time a paparazzo was able to capture a photo of the baby out in public. Splash News has a photo of the adorable little Zuma out with his mom at a library in Beverly Hills yesterday. You might assume that Stefani was motivated to release her own picture in order to drive the value of the unauthorized candids down.

Stefani’s husband Gavin Rossdale spoke to US Weekly about how his older son Kingston, nearly two and a half, gets along with his newborn brother. He said that Kingstons sometimes interacts with Zuma for “a cuddle or slap,” but then quickly tried to take the slap part back:

“He’s amazing, he’s very sweet,” pop Gavin Rossdale told Usmagazine.com of their newborn at Us Weekly’s Hot Hollywood bash last week.

“He hangs out,” Rossdale added. “He’s got his neck together. He’s gone through with the floppy stage.”

How is Kingston as an older brother?

“He does a bit. Every day starts with a cuddle for his brother or a slap and then he moves on,” Rossdale told Us.

A slap?

“Not often, every now and again,” he said. “It’s normal, it’s natural.”

[From US Weekly]

Gavin told Hello! Magazine in an interview given shortly after Zuma’s birth that he felt bad for his oldest son having to welcome a new brother and that “[Kingston] really was the centre of attention all the time every day, as he should have been. So he’s going to have to move up a little bit and make the space.”

Kingston has been seen out with his mom and dad several times since the birth of Zuma and you can tell that his parents are striving to make a happy, loving home for their boys and to be there for both of them. It’s only natural that siblings will fight as Gavin mentioned, but Gwen probably wishes that her husband didn’t share that part about Kingston slapping Zuma.

Forget being born with a silver spoon, when your mommy is Gwen Stefani you automatically qualify for something much flashier. Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale’s youngest son, Zuma Nesta Rock, will be eating from a $4,000 diamond encrusted spoon when he graduates to solids. The members of Gwen’s former band, No Doubt, got together and decided a diamond encrusted baby spoon was the best way to spend $4K as a gift for their former singer’s bundle of joy.

A source said: “Gwen loves it. She would never buy it herself, but that is what makes it so special.”

The specially-made sterling silver baby spoon was created by exclusive jewellers Chrome Hearts.

[From STV.tv]

I’m on board for just about anything “diamond encrusted,” even saying the words feels decadent, but a baby spoon is one step too far for me. When Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was born, a crafty pacifier maker created a binky with 3 carats worth of pave cut diamonds in solid white gold in her name and the first thing that leapt to mind was how dangerous it sounded. The Its My Binky people, though, said it wasn’t actually meant to be used by a baby, so then I wanted one.

Assuming for safety’s sake that the spoon is the same kind of deal, and Stefani won’t actually be feeding her baby with it, I’ve been scouring the internet for one of my own. Or at least the knowledge of where to get one should I ever have a spare $4,000 laying around to buy a little spoon with, but I was unsuccessful. I found silver spoons with one diamond for around $1,200 but nothing encrusted for $4,000 and encrusted is the important part of the equation. Lucky Zuma.

Inset photo is of a much more reasonable Rhinestone spoon, available for $17.95 from CutiePatuttie

Gwen Stefani, her nanny, an assistant and her son Kingston are shown at the Farmer’s Market in LA on Sunday, 10/26/08. Credit: Fame Pictures

Rocker Gwen Stefani, 39 her husband Gavin Rossdale, 40, and their almost two and a half year-old son, Kingston, went to Mr. Bones’ Pumpkin Patch in LA yesterday to pick up some gourds for the Halloween season. Gwen was retro cute in a black loose dress with black flats and a black cardigan while dad Gavin was casual in a t-shirt and jeans. Kingston looked a little tired and was carried by his mom and dad. At one point he rode in a wagon along with some pumpkins. Gwen and Gavin’s seven week old son, Zuma, was not with them.

That’s cute that Gwen and Gavin took Kingston out to get pumpkins. Gavin told Hello! Magazine in an inteview published in September that Kingston needed to get used to not being the center of attention now that he has a new little brother but that “He’s an amazing kid and we’re really blessed with him because he’s healthy and he’s happy and he’s surrounded by love.” You can tell that they’re trying their best to make Kingston feel included and special now that he has some competition.

The famous family was spotted out at the park last week and Gwen and Kingston were seen at a carnival the week before.

Photo credit: Fame Pictures and revolutionpix/Bauergriffinonline.com

Kingston Rossdale is one lucky kid. Not only are his parents rich, famous, and pretty damn cool, but they also seem remarkably down to earth. Case in point: Kingston seems to get to go to the park more in his few short years than I have in my entire life. And he gets balloons.

Okay to be fair most kids get some amount of both of those, but they don’t have photographers following them around, documenting their every precious moment. Wait… okay they have parents who do that. And probably don’t yell crude questions at the kid, like I imagine most of the paparazzi do. But nonetheless, Kingston is pretty damn lucky. Plus you know he’s going to grow up to be both super hot and super cool. He will never know the pain of insecurity the rest of us are plagued by.

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale spent a busy afternoon with their eldest son Kingston Rossdale in Los Angeles on October 5, 2008. The celebrity clan enjoyed time at a park where Kingston was obviously having a blast!

The adorable celebritot expended tons of energy running around the play area, and got a hand from his dad as he scooted around on a tricycle. The family also stopped by a market to pick up some groceries and a balloon for little Kingston after dining at a Beverly Hills eatery for lunch.
Kingston certainly stroll [sic] the show from his rocker parents! If he wasn’t waving at photographers or posing with his newly acquired balloon, he was goofing off under mom and dad’s legs as they took a rest at the park!

[From Fame]

Kingston definitely seems like the kind of kid that won’t let the paparazzi get in the way of him having a good time. Though Gwen and Gavin have definitely kept baby brother Zuma sheltered from the paparazzi, they seem to have exposed Kingston to them pretty often, and as a result the tot appears to be fairly comfortable around them. And nothing makes you forget about the press following you quite like a good balloon.

Images thanks to Fame and WENN.

Gwen Stefani is one of the few celebrities out there who hasn’t just slapped her name on a brand of clothing and claimed credit for it. First off, Stefani is actually an integral part of the designing of the clothes for her well-respected L.A.M.B. fashion line. And second of all – she obviously didn’t name it after herself. Paris Hilton, you hear that?

L.A.M.B. is branching out, according to Women’s Wear Daily. The uber-trendy clothing line is going to design the uniforms for W Hotel’s female bar staff.

Gwen Stefani is adding a new initial to her L.A.M.B. empire. The smokin’ songstress has hooked up with W Hotels to design uniforms for the posh chain’s female bar staff.

Ladies toiling away in the hotels’ Living Room lounges across the country will suit up in L.A.M.B.’s wash-and-wear black jersey minidresses—with diagonal stitch detailing and a fitted, ’80s-chic vibe—starting in December or early next year, per WWD.com.

“I wanted to design a super cute dress that I would be excited to have in my own closet and approached it in the same way I think about my clothing for a tour,” Stefani said.

“We’ve designed a sexy and comfortable outfit for these women to wear out on their own stage every night.” Stefani’s style aesthetic should go smashingly with the Michael Kors-designed separates sported by other W Hotel employees.

[From E! News]

People has copies of the sketches of the dresses. They look good, but like they’re not very forgiving. Though I’m guessing the help at the W lounges probably serve as eye candy anyway, so they can probably already pull it off.

This isn’t the first time a celebrity has designed uniforms, in case you’re sitting there scratching your head. Katherine Heigl designed a line of scrubs for Peaches Uniforms creatively called the “Katherine Heigl Collection.” I don’t think they’re big promotional push of trendy scrubs (i.e. slightly less ugly than before) worked well – they’re not listed on the brand’s website anymore.

Something tells me Katherine had a lot less to do with scrub designs than Gwen and L.A.M.B. did with the W’s dresses. They definitely look very hip, but like they’re not quite basic enough to last as long as you might want your employee’s uniforms to go. The 80s look is big right now, but they could look pretty dated within a year. But that probably just means more work for Gwen.

Here’s Gwen going to a doctor’s appointment at Cedars Sinai on September 4th. Images thanks to Fame.

Hello! Magazine has a new interview with rock couple Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani, who just welcomed their second child, Zuma Nesta Rock, a little under two weeks ago. I enjoy reading Hello!’s interviews because they’re conversational in tone and more in-depth than most other celebrity magazines. The couple talks about everything from their family, children, and work to making sure that their older child, Kingston, still feels special and loved after the birth of his younger brother. There was a real theme of togetherness in their responses, with Gwen saying they work as a team to parent their children and that it has helped strengthen their relationship:

On their children and parenting

Gwen, what has motherhood meant to you?
“I feel happier now. I know every mother must feel this way but watching your child grow up and learn new things every day is one of the greatest and purest pleasures you can have.”

Did you think that having another baby would put a strain on your marriage?
“Gavin loves being a dad and he wants to have a bigger family, too. I feel we’re closer in many ways now that we’re building something together outside our own crazy relationship.

“We feel so blessed to be able to share this experience together and see how we’ve both become more romantic and caring for each other, simply because we’ve seen how beautiful it is to have come this far together and started a new chapter in our lives.”

What’s the secret to a successful showbusiness marriage?
“Our relationship is very real. My marriage is the most important part of my life and I make sure it is a number one priority. Everything else is second. Somtimes I have to say no to thinkgs because I have to be home with him on Sunday and hang out. He’s so talented, he’s good at everything and he’s an amazing cook. We have a great time together.

“Relationships are work like everything else. It’s really fun work but you still have to put the effort in. But I don’t really have advice for anyone on relationships. If you read any of my lyrics you’ll see that. I’m like everyone else – finding my way.”

Gwen on her career

Do you ever feel like you’re taking on too much?
“Sometimes I feel very stressed and think it’s insane to be having so much going on, but I know I need this kind of creative outlet to be truly happy. The simple reason I started L.A.M.B. was to have something creative in my life other than music. You never know what’s going to happen in the music business and I wanted in some sense to be prepared for the downfall. You never know whether you’ll be able to keep delivering the kind of music that will resonate with the public.”

Gavin on being a dad

Gavin, how do you think Kingston will cope with a new sibling?
“I feel a bit bad for our son because he really was the centre of attention all the time every day, as he should have been. So he’s going to have to move up a little bit and make the space and, to be honest, he’s not so good at that yet. So, he’s learning… He’s an amazing kid and we’re really blessed with him because he’s healthy and he’s happy and he’s surrounded by love; and it kind of makes you a bit… To some degree you cease to exist, because you’re just a conduit for them for whatever they need, you know?

[From Hello! Magazine, print edition, September 9, 2008]

Gavin also told a funny story about how Kingston kind of ignored him as a newborn because he was so attached to Gwen for nursing. At around nine months, though, Kingston went through a phase where only Gavin could calm him down. He said that lasted just three weeks though and it was back to mom!

Gwen is not my favorite celebrity. She kind of glorifies conspicuous consumption with her overpriced and questionably-designed fashion line. Some people really like her style, though, and there’s a demand for that type of clothing so if that’s her passion more power to her. It seems like she’s got a great husband and that she’s a very caring and devoted mom. She’s also able to balance her family life with a very successful career, and she sounds grounded and motivated. Stefani is kind of growing on me.

Here are some cute pictures of Gavin Rossdale hanging out at the beach on Sunday with his son Kingston. He met up Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. Credit: Fame Pictures

Gwen, Gavin and Kingston out on 05/10/08. Credit: Fame
Last night when the news broke that Gwen Stefani had her baby and named it Zuma but the gender wasn’t known yet the first thing I did was look up the name. Since it was listed as a girl’s name, and sounded pretty feminine to me, I made up an “it’s a girl” graphic, declared it a girl and hoped to call it a night. Then People came out with the news that the Stefani-Rossdale’s had decided to name their little boy Zuma and it became the latest addition to the ever-growing list of bad celebrity baby names. It’s certainly not the worst name, and I guess you can consider it inventive and cute, it’s just not something I would pick for a boy.

Nesta is a pretty cool name, though, and it turns out it was originally Bob Marley’s name. According to statements Rossdale gave in an interview, Zuma beach is where had an epiphany and decided to turn his life around and become successful, rich and famous. Since it worked, he’s made the decision to pass that revered name on to his second son. His first son was named after the capital of Jamaica, Kingston:

By naming their newborn son Zuma Nesta Rock, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale “have proven decisively that they’re masters in choosing names that are both highly unusual and carry a lot of personal meaning,” baby name expert Pamela Redmond Satran, co-author of The Baby Name Bible, tells Usmagazine.com.

“They’ve continued their own place-naming tradition by naming their son after Zuma Beach in Malibu,” Satran explains, citing a profile of Rossdale which said he had an epiphany that began his career.

“He was standing on Zuma Beach in the early morning after working all night as a production assistant on a music video and was quoted as saying he realized he was wasting his time,” Satran says. “He drove up the coast, slept in his car, and started making the moves that would launch his career.”

Zuma is also the name of a 1975 album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

Nesta, meanwhile, was Bob Marley’s first name before an immigration official switched it with his middle name, Robert.

“This name obviously links to big brother Kingston’s and is another nod to Jamaica and reggae,” says Satran.

Bob Marley’s son Ziggy used Nesta as a middle name for his son, as did his other son Rohan, who has a son named John Nesta Marley with singer Lauryn Hill.

The name Rock “needs no explanation,” given that the baby’s parents are rock stars, Satran says, and the fact that we’re “long overdue for a Rock Hudson-inspired revival.”

[From US Weekly]

Maybe Zuma Nesta will take a page from his namesake’s book and decide to switch his middle and first names later in life. He also has another name to pick from that’s pretty decent. It really doesn’t matter though. This kid will be so famous that he won’t have to worry about substitute teachers thinking he’s a girl as they do the roll call. There will also be plenty of other little boys named Zuma now that Stefani has set a trend. She’s been known to wear fashion that a lot of people wouldn’t be caught letting the cat out in though, and maybe her influence only goes so far before taste overrides celebrity trend setting.