#38: The man just oooooooooozes awwwwwness

[Scarlett]

yeah my mom scheduled my birth to coincide with a holiday. Unfortunately after I was born they stopped making it a non working holiday..hee

Hee, Ansa. Can't figure out what holiday that was....

Apparently it's a cultural thing but really, people who have a good relationship with their specialists do ask for these things and I just want to point out there really is nothing wrong in saying that you're "hoping for 8:08" am on August 8. It might not happen -- an emergency can occur 2 hours before or even the night before, so it is a gift any way you look at it. It's not a guarantee. However if it's going to be close, why not? It's perfectly ok. A healthy baby is always a blessing and a miracle.

[claytonic]

If it was a c-section; today's date makes perfect sense...having the baby on the first day of The Olympics guarantees a minimum of coverage...the baby news was on all the entertainment shows today but with the Olympics starting...there will be wall to wall coverage on all news outlets and the baby news will be a non-issue. I think Clay had this all planned out perfectly from giving Linda the scoop from his Mother, to the blog and the date...makes for as little fuss as possible and Clay and Jaymes get all the privacy they need. Kim

Hm, that's a good point!

Princess Beatrice (the first child of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson) was born on 8.8.88 at 8.28am, via C-Section. I am speculating here when I say that I'll bet it was planned for 8am but missed that mark, so went for the closest time with an 8 in it.

[Ansamcw]

Okay, maybe the time was just luck. Actually, I hope it was. It makes it a better story for it to not be planned. I have no facts, just conjecture.

I'm just so damned happy. :twinklewhore:

Its a fun thing to speculate about though. I'm so happy too.

[playbiller]

Ok I've thought about this but does anyone else thing Where I Draw the Line could do well. Ashes is middle of the pack for me. WIDTL isn't my favorite song, but I just think it can do well.

I agree--it think it might have the broadest appeal. It's a little bit country, his voice sounds great, it's catchy. That or one of the ballads--TRM or SL or SAU. ALAWH might do well with some PR and/or a video to push the connection with Jaymes and the UNICEF work. The fan favorites I don't think would do as well, but I could be wrong. I think RCA should do some testing and find out what people like, and then the fans should support the choice.

UNICEF Ambassadors are not allowed to use UNICEF for personal publicity, that is how they weed out the famewhores from the people who want to help. The idea is to use their fame to help.

I thought I read somewhere earlier that she had a C-section. Doesn't matter though, either way I bet Clay has changed a diaper. I bet he is eager to participate in anyway he can. I think he will be a very involved parent and I am so happy for him and Jaymes. He must be on Cloud 9 today.

Probably read it on a message board - people post in very heavily knowledgable ways.

I was just surprised to hear Clay mention there was an Aiken family as well as a Parker and Foster one, unless he was talking about his grandparents and kin. Somehow it sounded as if he was talking about himself, but it is all up in the air until he blogs again.

[Ansamcw]

yeah my mom scheduled my birth to coincide with a holiday. Unfortunately after I was born they stopped making it a non working holiday..hee

Hee, Ansa. Can't figure out what holiday that was....

hee it was Jose Rizal's birthday. It used to be a national holiday until the year I was born.

Apparently it's a cultural thing but really, people who have a good relationship with their specialists do ask for these things and I just want to point out there really is nothing wrong in saying that you're "hoping for 8:08" am on August 8. It might not happen -- an emergency can occur 2 hours before or even the night before, so it is a gift any way you look at it. It's not a guarantee. However if it's going to be close, why not? It's perfectly ok. A healthy baby is always a blessing and a miracle.

I do think this would be more vital for Chinese people that put a lot of significance to the number 8. But who knows...maybe Jaymes is into numerology.

[claytonic]

yeah my mom scheduled my birth to coincide with a holiday. Unfortunately after I was born they stopped making it a non working holiday..hee

Hee, Ansa. Can't figure out what holiday that was....

hee it was Jose Rizal's birthday. It used to be a national holiday until the year I was born.

Apparently it's a cultural thing but really, people who have a good relationship with their specialists do ask for these things and I just want to point out there really is nothing wrong in saying that you're "hoping for 8:08" am on August 8. It might not happen -- an emergency can occur 2 hours before or even the night before, so it is a gift any way you look at it.

It's not a guarantee.

However if it's going to be close, why not? It's perfectly ok. A healthy baby is always a blessing and a miracle.

I do think this would be more vital for Chinese people that put a lot of significance to the number 8.

But who knows...maybe Jaymes is into numerology.

No kidding! I was with a Chinese friend of mine when we were being driven around by a real estate agent as he was looking to buy a house. When we pulled up in front of a house with the number FOUR, I looked at him and said "look at the number". He wouldn't even get out of the car to look at the front door. He told the agent to forget that house. (Number 4 is symbolic of death, and he was a doctor!)

ETA: The Chinese are highly supersticious. Amongst other things:

- Never tell new parents their baby is beautiful. It would jinx the child's life

- Always include the colours red and gold when giving a gift to a traditional Chinese.

- Never point your pinky finger when using chopsticks, this is considered bad manners.

- If you burp after eating a meal, this indicates you are well satisfied with the cooking.

- If you see a bunch of shoes at their front door, REMOVE yours before you enter their house. (Unless they tell you that it is okay to leave your shoes on)

- When visiting your Chinese friends, always greet the oldest members of the house first. Same with leaving their house, seek out the oldest family members and say goodbye to them first.

... Just a few things that quickly come to mind!

[playbiller]

FYI - I posted some part time work at home jobs in the money thread.

[wandacleo]

I have to say that this is the most amazing Olympic opening ceremony I've ever seen.

I'm sitting here thinking what a wonderful celebration of Parker's birth.

[wandacleo]

FYI - I posted some part time work at home jobs in the money thread.

Where's the money thread? I can't find it.

I have a friend who wants to work at home.

[playbiller]

Well, you could always do view new threads or click on personal chitchat

There are lots of different helpful threads here.

[annabear]

Ok I've thought about this but does anyone else thing Where I Draw the Line could do well. Ashes is middle of the pack for me. WIDTL isn't my favorite song, but I just think it can do well.

I think WIDTL could do really well. Of course, I thought LNM would be a good single choice, but I'm not the executive producer Clay listens to....

Just popping in from a Clack/pizza/chocolate party to see what's happening.

[jmh123]

UNICEF Ambassadors are not allowed to use UNICEF for personal publicity, that is how they weed out the famewhores from the people who want to help. The idea is to use their fame to help.

Good point. I was thinking it would be good for UNICEF as well, but you're right. Gotta keep those distinctions.

I was just surprised to hear Clay mention there was an Aiken family as well as a Parker and Foster one, unless he was talking about his grandparents and kin. Somehow it sounded as if he was talking about himself, but it is all up in the air until he blogs again.

Doesn't he have lots of Aiken relatives? He chose that name because he identified with that family IMO.

What about Lover All Alone as a single?

[wandacleo]

Well, you could always do view new threads or click on personal chitchat

There are lots of different helpful threads here.

Thanks!

I looked almost everywhere but "chitchat." Naturally. LOL

I always forget about "New posts."

[cha cha trusty]

I did some research and found the quote from an interview with People back in Sept 2006, when he said this:

On the future: "I want to be a father so badly. I want (kids) one day. Not now. … I would love to adopt. There's an orphanage not too far from my house, and I've been up before with church. I always thought, 'What happens to those kids who have the potential to go to college but just can't afford it?' I've been thinking a lot lately about finding a way to pay for one of those kids to go to college."

Yep - he'll be a great father...

eta: good news - no Clay mention in Leno's monologue.

I can't say the same for my email group. They are tearing him apart. It is beyond me how they can find such fault with the man. I chalk it up to ignorance. I will not comment.

[Gibby]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Just got home from a couple of days in the mountains, and found out about little Parker.

YAY!!!!!!!!

Congrats to the happy Mom and Dad. :laola0: :laola0: :laola0:

I'm beyond thrilled for Clay, who has wanted this for so long.

And it confirms why he wanted to get the album out - for us - before being distracted by this little bundle of joy.

I don't expect to hear much from Clay for awhile. He deserves this time with his baby, free from career distractions.

[keepingfaith]

Am I the only one who thinks that Quiana is there helping out?

I think Quiana may well be named Parker's godmother. And, it occurs to me that she and Chamberlin actually may have been shopping in a furniture store with Clay recently. Maybe he's been refurnishing/rearranging his home --- for some reason.

I'm a total Falling fan at the moment -- he gives me chills with that killer voice. I love the inflections, holding out the notes, the depth of his sexy delivery, and the contemporary sound. I adore the raw emotion in The Real Me and I love David Foster's piano. The Real Me hits me hard. There are no words for the powerful intricacies of As Long As We're Here. I often think Weight of the World is the best track on the whole CD. Forget I Ever Knew You is a consistent repeat and a song I already know that I'll be listening to permanently. I can't be still during Everything I Don't Need, and in the last section of that song Clay is teaching a voice clinic. Sacrificial Love is deliciously haunting. But, the one song I didn't believe was commercial at first, Something About Us, I now think may actually be his best shot at big success on adult radio, because Clay is fairly consistently identified as a crooner and this is a crooner's tour de force. Clay blows it away with such smooth control. I think it's a remarkable recording and could become a standard if given half a chance. That song is light years away from the type of music I normally listen to, moreso than anything he's ever done. So if I think it's addictingly gorgeous and swoonie ...... swooney?

Also, I think it would be masterful for Clay to make another round of appearances on the talkers, discuss the baby, and sing Something About Us. I think that right now that would be playing to his best crooner strengths. It's another part of his great big entertainment package. I love that it sounds like it's already a classic, with a simple structure and beautiful lyrics, that Clay delivers with flawless understatement -- just the kind of vehicle known to knock down doors.

Now, for something completely different, I was thinking all day about the name Parker and Parker Stevenson kept popping in my head and then remembering Kirstie Alley's acceptance speech at the Emmys when she thanked him for "giving her the big one."

[wandacleo]

I completely don't understand why anyone would "tear" Clay apart for being a father. What small-minded mean-spirited people.

[cha cha trusty]

I completely don't understand why anyone would "tear" Clay apart for being a father. What small-minded mean-spirited people.

precisely.

night night

[claytonic]

I completely don't understand why anyone would "tear" Clay apart for being a father. What small-minded mean-spirited people.

Probably because they couldn't think of something/someone else to tear down at that precise moment.

I find it very amusing to see posts in various places, condemning certain reality shows as a waste of time and that viewers of those programs need to get a brain or get a life. Yet they themseves needed to watch those shows and read the online blogs and posts in order to have the "knowledge" they profess. Then they have the time to thrash the blog posters etc. LOL I laugh about it on YouTube, the people making comments about how terrible the performer is.... yet they took 3 minutes out of their life to watch the vid and then another 3 minutes to type a comment. WHATTA life they have!

[PermaSwooned]

I read my name!! You called?

I am exhausted. so I don't want to track down the info at this particular point in time....maybe tomorrow. What I mainly remember from my research on advanced maternal age and first time births was that the babies were most often delivered a little bit early, most frequently by C-section. The reason given was that the placenta tended to age a bit faster with higher maternal age. Vaginal delivery was more stressful for the BABY, and if there was some placental insufficiency it could pose a serious risk.

Time out for one tiny poor.me.whine. I took my DH to the airport this morning. I helped him drag his duffels that held his clothes, a combat helmet, a flak jacket and a kevlar vest. Also his dental records. He's going to be on the other side of the world where bad things happen to Americans, and I won't see him again until November, at the earliest. So I was feeling kinda sad this morning.

Until I heard the big news!! I wish every joy to Clay and Jaymes, and little Parker. What a wonderful blessing for all of them.

I believe that all babies are miracles, but some births are a bit more miraculous than others. I know that Clay believes in Divine Providence, but in this case he must also believe that God helps those who help themselves. I am so thrilled that something they both obviously wanted very badly has had such a wonderful outcome.

You know, life takes some pretty unexpected twists and turns sometimes. Five years ago neither my husband nor I would have pictured him working in such a hostile environment and spending such long periods away from home. But life doesn't always go the way we plan.

Five years ago Clay probably did not envision that he would become a father in quite this way. But I am very happy for him that he was able to make that dream come true with someone so incredibly dear to him. Because he refused to comment when the news was leaked, I felt pretty sure that it was true. But I figured that he wasn't going to comment even if they held a gun to his head until that baby was safely born. Tempting fate indeed. I think having Faye call Linda Loveland was the perfect media contact. I think that Clay's blog was timely and perfect.

1. "My son was born today and these are the particulars"

2. "I couldn't say anything until the baby was safely born"

3. "I am the father of this baby, and I am proud and pleased to claim him."

4. "We are a family and all of our extended families are delighted today"

5. "I am not going to shut you all out from this wonderful part of my life".

It has quite a bit of a take-it-or-leave-it tone to it.....but done very nicely. He invited all the fans to share in his joy and excitement. If anyone didn't want to....their choice. But it was clear that he didn't plan to go into the why's and wherefore's. Good for him.

Thankful4Clay, you are definitely not alone in your thoughts regarding Jaymes not being willing to tie Clay to a commitment. I had (and expressed) that thought to several friends. Pure speculation, but I know a lovely couple that fit that exact scenario almost to a T. They've been together quite a while, and did have a child together. The age difference is really starting to make itself felt now, but he's still just as devoted as ever. She never would marry him, though. A great, but stubborn lady.

You know, I was just thinking about Clay's confronting FBM at the M&G last December. He had to know about Parker by then. It makes you wonder if he wanted to state on video and in front of witnesses that he had no children at that point, and to hear FMB say that she was not claiming that he was the father of any of her kids. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

:F_05BL17blowkiss: Clay, I love you, and Jaymes and Parker, and I love that you let us all share your joy.

OK. It's been a long few days. See y'all tomorrow.

[claytonic]

Parker Foster Aiken

The little man is ... as loud as his daddy

Thread titles?

I think Quiana may well be named Parker's godmother.

... unless Jaymes has a close female friend or relative.

Some Christian denominations allow 2 godfathers for a boy ... I guess David Foster and Brett Parker will be front runners.

[claytonic]

Already updated at Wikipedia:

Aiken has a son, Parker Foster Aiken, who was born at exactly 8:08 am on 08/08/08 (August 8,2008) and conceived via in vitro fertilisation[13] with Jaymes Foster, a record producer. Foster, who is 50, is the sister of record producer David Foster and has been the executive producer of Aiken's last 3 albums. Parker is the surname of the singer's stepfather. Aiken and Foster are not a couple but plan to raise the child together.

[ausdon]

Time out for one tiny poor.me.whine. I took my DH to the airport this morning. I helped him drag his duffels that held his clothes, a combat helmet, a flak jacket and a kevlar vest. Also his dental records. He's going to be on the other side of the world where bad things happen to Americans, and I won't see him again until November, at the earliest. So I was feeling kinda sad this morning.

Until I heard the big news!! I wish every joy to Clay and Jaymes, and little Parker. What a wonderful blessing for all of them.

I believe that all babies are miracles, but some births are a bit more miraculous than others. I know that Clay believes in Divine Providence, but in this case he must also believe that God helps those who help themselves. I am so thrilled that something they both obviously wanted very badly has had such a wonderful outcome.

You know, life takes some pretty unexpected twists and turns sometimes. Five years ago neither my husband nor I would have pictured him working in such a hostile environment and spending such long periods away from home. But life doesn't always go the way we plan.

Five years ago Clay probably did not envision that he would become a father in quite this way. But I am very happy for him that he was able to make that dream come true with someone so incredibly dear to him. Because he refused to comment when the news was leaked, I felt pretty sure that it was true. But I figured that he wasn't going to comment even if they held a gun to his head until that baby was safely born. Tempting fate indeed. I think having Faye call Linda Loveland was the perfect media contact. I think that Clay's blog was timely and perfect.

1. "My son was born today and these are the particulars"

2. "I couldn't say anything until the baby was safely born"

3. "I am the father of this baby, and I am proud and pleased to claim him."

4. "We are a family and all of our extended families are delighted today"

5. "I am not going to shut you all out from this wonderful part of my life".

It has quite a bit of a take-it-or-leave-it tone to it.....but done very nicely. He invited all the fans to share in his joy and excitement. If anyone didn't want to....their choice. But it was clear that he didn't plan to go into the why's and wherefore's. Good for him.

{{{Perma}}}

and btw WORD to your post :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

Bridal Shower today, I am excited, nervous and freaking out a bit, it is starting to hit me big time that my daughter is actually getting married...it doesn't seem all that long ago that I was planning my own wedding.

70 days until The BAF Gala!

BTW, CV is back up!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[Cotton]

Perma! :thbighug-1: I seriously don't know what I'd do if DH were in YChrome's shoes and I in yours!

There aren't enough :thbighug-1: . There just aren't.

:F_05BL17blowkiss: