Shakira becomes a mother for the first time after giving birth to her baby son, Milan.

'Just like his father, baby Milan became a member of FC Barcelona at birth': Shakira announces happiness after son is born

By Kimberley Dadds
PUBLISHED: 21:03 GMT, 22 January 2013 | UPDATED: 08:38 GMT, 23 January 2013

Shakira has become a mother for the first time after giving birth to her baby son, Milan.

The singer has announced the happy news on her official website, revealing that he is already to follow in the footsteps of his father, footballer Gerard Pique, stating: 'Just like his father, baby Milan became a member of FC Barcelona at birth.'

She added in the message: 'We are happy to announce the birth of Milan Piqué Mebarak, son of Shakira Mebarak and Gerard Piqué, born January 22nd at 9:36pm, in Barcelona, Spain.

New mother: Shakira has revealed to her Twitter fans that she's given birth to son Milan - her first child with boyfriend Gerard Pique

Announcement: She let her fans know she had given birth by tweeting a message revealing his name and weight immediately

'The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification...
'The hospital confirmed that the couple’s first child weighed approximately 6lbs. 6 ounces, and that both mother and child are in excellent health.'
The singer took to Twitter just four hours earlier to ask her devotees to pray for her during the birth of her first child, revealing to them that she was about to go into labour.

The 35-year-old Colombian star was admitted into hospital in Barcelona, where she was due to be induced and give birth to her baby boy with her 25-year-old boyfriend Gerard.

Ready for a new arrival? Shakira and Gerard were spotted arriving at the hospital to prepare for the birth of their first child together

 

Spotted: The pair looked slightly apprehensive about becoming parents for the first time

The 'She Wolf' singer appealed to her fans via Twitter shortly after arriving at the Teknon clinic on Tuesday, writing: 'I'd like to ask you all to accompany me in your prayers on this very important day of my life. Shak.'

She also posted the same content in Spanish and was immediately inundated with messages of support from her fans across the world, wishing her good luck.

A source previously told Spanish newspaper La Razon that the couple scheduled the birth so that FC Barcelona footballer Gerard could be present during their baby's arrival.

The insider also revealed that the singer had requested a female only medical team, who all signed confidentiality agreements, assist her during the birth.

Pregnant and proud: Just a few days ago Shakira unveiled a series of professional shots showing off her pregnant belly

New mother: The Hips Don't Lie singer has happily kept her fans up to date as she readies the birth

Updating fans: She was admitted into a hospital in Barcelona on Tuesday, where she tweeted fans before going in to labour

The blonde beauty was said to be feeling 'increasing discomfort' ahead of the birth and was complaining of 'abdominal pressure'.

Shakira has been dating soccer player Gerard for around two years and previously said he is the "best thing" to ever happen to her, until she got pregnant.

She said: 'This man is the best thing that could have happened in my life. And now the baby!'

Shakira only confirmed their relationship last year by posting a picture of them both together on Twitter and Facebook with a caption reading, 'I present to you my sunshine' in Spanish.

Happy parents: Shakira and boyfriend Gerard Pique had teamed up with charity UNICEF to create a virtual baby shower in the lead up to the birth

Last week the couple invited fans to join them at their virtual baby shower, where they can purchase essential baby gifts that will support UNICEF and benefit some of the world's most vulnerable babies.

The online baby shower engages social media fans by enabling them to join the popstar and her footballer beau in their virtual living room, where they can buy 'Inspired Gifts' such as mosquito nets, polio vaccines and baby-weighing scales that will be distributed to children and communities in some of the poorest corners of the globe.

After purchasing an 'Inspired Gift', fans will then receive a personal thank you message from the couple, and be able to view exclusive photos of them taken in December 2012 by Jaume Laiguana.

Ready for motherhood: Shakira is spotted here last week during her father's book launch in Barcelona

Google co-founder, Sergey Brin rides the New York City Subway

Was That Sergey Brin Wearing Google Glasses in the New York Subway?

By Jennifer Abbey | ABC News Blogs – 11 hours ago

Was That Sergey Brin Wearing Google Glasses in the New York Subway? (ABC News)

He’s a self-made tech mogul worth billions, but that didn’t stop Google co-founder Sergey Brin from riding the New York City subway this weekend. Brin, 39, who ranks No. 20 on Forbes’ annual list of most powerful people, may have blended in on the downtown-bound No. 3 train in his jeans and pullover were it not for his futuristic, high-tech glasses.

A tech buff said he spotted Brin, who now heads up special projects for Google, riding the subway wearing a prototype of the much-buzzed about glasses from Google's Project Glass, which are promised to overlay digital information on the physical world.

"Yeeeah… I just had a brief conversation with the most powerful man in the world. On the downtown 3 train," Noah Zerkin, a self-proclaimed "wearable computing and augmented reality enthusiast," tweeted with a photo of Brin in the glasses. “Nice guy.
Brin was wearing - or presumably testing - the glasses, which are billed as searching the Internet and showing you anything you need, right in front of your eyes, from maps of where you are to the weather forecast if you look up. You can connect the glasses to a phone via Bluetooth and use the phone's 3G or 4G connection. There's also a camera on the front that can take photos of whatever you are seeing; you can share the photos instantly.
Noah Zerkin, a self-proclaimed "wearable computing and augmented reality enthusiast," said he was the first to spot Brin.

Brin last publicly showed off the glasses in June at Google's I/O conference. He presided at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as sky divers, who were also wearing the glasses, jumped out of a plane above and streamed live video from their glasses right to a screen on stage at the conference.
At the end of the month Google will hold an event for software developers. The developers' version of the glasses, which cost $1,500, are expected to be available to software makers later this year.

RELATED: Google's Project Glass is Ready, but for Developers' Eyes Only

Pregnant and proud Shakira shows off her baby bump in a bikini top

Pregnant and proud Shakira shows off her baby bump wearing just a bikini top... alongside shirtless beau Gerard Piqué

By Amelia Proud, Donna Mcconnell and Fehintola Betiku

PUBLISHED: 16:07 GMT, 16 January 2013 | UPDATED: 18:56 GMT, 16 January 2013

Shakira and her footballer beau Gerard Piqué have released several portraits of the pregnant singer to celebrate the impending arrival of their first child.

Dressed in just a bikini top and skirt, boyfriend Piqué also whipped off his shirt in one of the intimate photos which shows their closeness as they prepare for the birth of their son.

The images which were taken by Jaume Laiguana were uploaded to the internet as the couple have decided to team up with UNICEF to host a virtual baby shower.

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Ready and waiting: Shakira and Gerard Piqué have posed for a series of intimate shots, showing off her baby bump

Shakira, 35, is following in the footsteps of celebrities such as Demi Moore and Britney Spears, who have posed nude during the latter stages of their pregnancies.

However rather than posing on a magazine cover, the Colombian born singer decided to share the candid photo on her Twitter page.

Using the social networking site to its full potential, the couple are welcoming fans and family into their interactive living room where they can purchase Inspired Gifts.

Not long now: The Colombian singer shows off her amazing pregnant shape in the snaps wearing just a pair of loose-fitting trousers and a bikini top

Pregnant and proud: Shakira and her footballer beau Gerard Pique have posed for this beautiful picture which shows the singer in all her pregnant glory

Presents such as mosquito nets, polio vaccines and baby-weighing scale can all be bought on the site with each item set to be distributed to children and communities in some of the poorest corners of the globe.

On entering the online baby shower, visitors are greeted with a personal message from Shakira and Gerard, the clip begins: 'As you all know, we will soon be welcoming our first child into the world, and to celebrate his birth we've organised a virtual baby shower in association with UNICEF.

'In lieu of receiving gifts for our baby as with a traditional shower we would like to offer support for babies who live in conditions of extreme poverty throughout the world.'

Just the two of us: The couple are seen smiling broadly for the cameras, showing their excitement about starting a family together

She looks so amazing! Shakira positively glows in the snaps

Taking over from Gerard, Sharika continues: 'Thanks to all of you, they will receive in the form of inspired gifts therapeutic food packages, vaccines, and rehydration salts which will help save the lives of hundred of thousands of babies throughout the world.

'We'd like to thank you in advance, and we are very very happy to know that we can count on your support.'

As an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sharika explained why she had chosen to give share her baby shower with the world.

What a great idea: Shakira and Gerard have hosted a virtual baby shower for a good cause

She said: 'Every expectant parent around the world shares all the same hopes and dreams for their children that we do.

'Yet many don’t share the same opportunities. Together we know we can change that.'

While the due date hasn’t been revealed to the public, the couple who live in Barcelona will soon share their new home on which building work was recently completed, with a bouncing baby.

Beautiful: In the second image, taken as part of the 35-year-old's virtual baby shower alongside UNICEF, Sharkira stands in a flowing almond gown

Such a pro: The singer popped her bump into sequins to support her father's book Al Viento Y Al Azar (At Wind And At Random)

Shakira and the FC Barcelona player met in the spring of 2010 when he appeared in the music video for her world cup song Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).
She officially confirmed their relationship on 29 March 2011 via Twitter and Facebook posting a picture of the two with a caption reading, 'I present to you my sunshine.'
Piqué who is a centre-back for FC Barcelona, the city's illustrious team caused panic by falsely announcing the arrival of their child on December 27.

The sportsman made the false announcement to dupe fans for Dia de los Inocentes, the Spanish equivalent of April Fools Day.

Her inspiration: The Hips Don't Lie singer poses with her writer father, William Mebarak, at the presentation of his new book

The Hips Don't Lie singer, who is to be judge on the next series of The Voice, is in her final stages.

Earlier this week the 35-year-old stepped out in Barcelona, Spain, to celebrate the launch of father father William Mebarak's new book Al Viento Y Al Azar (At Wind And At Random).

She has spoken about how she used to watch her father write his stories on a typewriter and asked for one as a Christmas gift.

And by the age of four had already written her first poem, La Rosa De Cristal (The Crystal Rose).

Golden pair: The couple had a quiet night in on New Year's Eve

VIDEO Shakira and Gerard Pique host virtual baby shower

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Kimberley Walsh takes Centre Stage as she unveils debut solo music video for One Day I'll Fly Away

Move over Cheryl: Kimberley Walsh takes Centre Stage as she unveils debut solo music video for One Day I'll Fly Away

By Kimberley Dadds and J J Anisiobi

PUBLISHED: 20:29 GMT, 17 January 2013 | UPDATED: 08:34 GMT, 18 January 2013


After a disappointing reunion release with Girls Aloud and Cheryl Cole's A Million Lights also failing to sell well, Kimberley Walsh is hoping to do better.

The girl band member has released a video for her very first solo track for a cover of the single One Day I'll Fly Away.

The 31-year-old looks elegant and gracious as she attempts to launch a solo career with her album of covers.

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The new star: Kimberley Walsh has released a full video for her debut solo single One Day I'll Fly Away

Pitch perfect: Kimberley looks like a classic Hollywood screen siren in her new video

Although she is without the rest of the girls, Kimberley shines in a series of sparkly and ladylike dresses and gowns.

Miss Walsh looks like a classic Hollywood screen siren in the video as she slips into a floor length gown with her hair falling gently with slight twists in it.

Kimberley started recording her debut solo album Centre Stage in Stockholm with producers Per Magnusson and David Kreuger over the summer after signing with Decca Records.

Limelight: Miss Walsh took Centre Stage in the spotlight as she hopes to secure a number one with the album

Hard work: Kimberley started recording the disc in Stockholm with producers Per Magnusson and David Kreuger over the summer after signing with Decca Records

Stage school: Kimberley has taken her love for musicals and performing and combined them for her album

She enthused: 'I've always loved musical theatre and doing Shrek: The Musical definitely re-ignited the passion in me.

'I really wanted to share the love I have for musical theatre by taking some classic songs and completely reinventing them.

'The melodies in so many musical songs are so brilliant I knew we could create something special by experimenting with the production and I really feel like we've come up with some interesting takes on classic songs.'

Kimberley's decision to release a solo disc comes after Girls Aloud's recent reunion.

Famous friends: Kimberley was backed up by professional dancer Pasha who added some finesse to the video

 

Burning desire: The pop star looked extremely classy and ladylike in her shiny dress

Stretching it out: Both Cheryl's and Girls Aloud's recent albums performed badly in sales but Kimberley could trump them

They recently scored a No.2 hit with comeback single Something New but their greatest hits album Ten only reached No.9.

The Strictly Come Dancing star has put her dancing practice to good use, while she's clearly now got a taste for glamorous dresses since being on the show.

Kimberley can be seen in an array of outfits, at one point posing in a black lace mullet dress which accentuates her curves and slender body.

Throwing her hand up in the air as she sings her track, Walsh looks every inch the pop princess.

A million little lights: The dramatic effect of falling sparks added some glamour to the video

Lights, camera, action: Miss Walsh also stunned in a black lace dress as she oozed with sex appeal

Kimberley sensually moves throughout the video as she gets used to dancing in a clip minus her four bandmates.

She even shows off her Dirty Dancing style moves as in another section she jumps in the air to be caught by Pasha Kovalev as she wears a ballerina style costume under a spotlight.

The video was shot in just one day at London's Pinewood Studios.

Perhaps better known for her pop prowess as a member of Girls Aloud, who are currently celebrating ten years with the release of a greatest hits album and a forthcoming arena tour, Kimberley has always loved Musicals, the subject of her solo album.

Chart topper: Kimberley's decision to release a solo disc comes after Girls Aloud's recent reunion

The Promise: Kimberley sensually moves throughout the video as she gets used to dancing in a clip minus her four bandmates.

In many ways this album is the ultimate for Kimberley; songs that she has been singing her whole life put together in a way that is totally her own, totally unique yet connects with everyone.

Always one to push herself out of her comfort zone, she managed to pack in six or seven hours of dance rehearsals a day for Strictly, while upholding her GA commitments and promoting her new solo album…no mean feat.

Walsh said: 'There’s a lot going on but I am loving every minute and can’t wait for people to hear these songs I’ve recorded.'

Sultry: The Girls Aloud star is releasing an album of songs from musicals and has now filmed the first video for her first track

She's had practice! The Strictly Come Dancing star wears a number of different outfits and shows numerous moves in the clip

Slender star: Kimberley managed to film the whole video in just one day at London's Pinewood Studios

 

Sex slave aged 11 'branded with initial of her abuser'

Sex slave aged 11 'branded with initial of her abuser': Child trafficker 'used a heated hair pin to mark her as his property'

• Nine men are accused of grooming and abusing vulnerable girls in Oxford
• Child sex ring allegedly abused several girls - aged 11 to 16 over eight years
• Gang member allegedly branded one schoolgirl with 'M' for Mohammed
• Group's second victim, aged 14, told a friend 'she just wanted to be loved'

By Arthur Martin

PUBLISHED: 14:12 GMT, 17 January 2013 | UPDATED: 01:57 GMT, 18 January 2013

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A girl of 11 was sold to a child trafficker who branded her with his initial, a court heard yesterday.

Mohammed Karrar, 38, also loaned her to abusers around the country for £600 an hour, it was alleged.

Over five years she was repeatedly raped by large groups of men in what she described as ‘torture sex’, the jury was told.

Seven men of Pakistani origin and two from North Africa are accused of 79 offences against six vulnerable white British girls. The charges include child rape, sexual trafficking and child prostitution.

In the dock: Kamar Jamil, Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Assad Hussain, Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar, Mohammed Hussain, Zeeshan Ahmed and Bilal Ahmed are accused of abusing vulnerable girls as young as 11 over the course of eight years in Oxford. They all deny the charges

Noel Lucas QC, prosecuting, said Karrar – known as Egyptian Mo – bought the youngest victim from an unnamed man just after her 11th birthday.

He befriended her with gifts of perfume and hard drugs but then began to beat her up and raped her, the Old Bailey was told.

He branded her with one of her hair pins, which he had twisted into the shape of an ‘M’ and heated with a cigarette lighter. It left a scar on her left buttock.

‘He regarded her as his property,’ Mr Lucas said. ‘He showed her no regard. If she had the temerity to resist, he beat her.


‘He branded her to make her his property and to ensure others knew about it.’ At the age of 12 she was introduced to Karrar’s brother Bassam, 33, who is also accused of raping her.

The girl ‘describes the Karrars as sick sex monsters’, Mr Lucas said. ‘They were always talking about sex and spoke about women in a vile manner.

‘Mohammed Karrar liked her to dress up and act out role play. Both brothers used to beat her.’

From the age of 12 the girl was sold to groups of Asian men who violently raped her in private homes and guesthouses around Oxford and elsewhere. Sometimes she was injected with heroin or given date drugs to ensure she complied with the gang’s sick demands, it was alleged.

Mr Lucas added: ‘It became routine for her to be taken to various locations, houses and hotels by the Karrar brothers so she could treat their guests. She would be made to dress up, wear very short skirts and a bikini top, do her hair and put on lots of make-up.

The jury of seven men and five women at the Old Bailey were told that the men targeted care homes and schools to find their victims

By the end of the evening she would have been sexually used and abused by all the men. She would be so drugged up as to be unable to feel the pain.’

Just after her 12th birthday the girl told Karrar she was carrying his child. He allegedly beat her up and then took her to a house in Reading where she was given a ‘backroom abortion’ using a crochet hook.

On other occasions Karrar raped the girl in the living room of her own home as her father slept in another room, it was said.

Sometimes his friends would arrive at her house and they would allegedly rape her too. The girl, who came from a troubled family, naively believed ‘Mo’ loved her and was going to marry her when she was 16, the court heard.

During a trip to the Lake District in 2007, when she was 14, she is said to have been called by Karrar on her mobile phone.

David Hughes, a social worker, answered and Karrar allegedly asked to speak to her.

When Mr Hughes refused, Karrar allegedly said: ‘If you don’t get her I’ll **** you up, I’ll **** her up and I’ll **** her mum.’ Later the girl told the social worker of ‘men who took her to houses’.

In January 2008, she told police a man called ‘Egyptian Mo’ had raped her in London nine months previously. Two years later the girl contacted her alleged attacker for an apology but was raped again, the court heard.

Kamar Jamil, 27, Akhtar Dogar, 32, his brother Anjum Dogar, 30, Assad Hussain, 32, Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar, Mohammed Hussain, 24, Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, and Bilal Ahmed, 26, deny all the charges against them.

The trial continues.

More...

• Gang of men who groomed young girls for sex drove terrified victim, 14, to the woods at night and threatened to cut her head off

Dido White Flag singer returns to the studio... with a fresh new sound

VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Dido does Dubstep! White Flag singer returns to the studio... with a fresh new sound

By Sarah Bull

PUBLISHED: 12:20 GMT, 18 January 2013 | UPDATED: 12:20 GMT, 18 January 2013



She's the White Flag singer famous for her dulcet tones.

But Dido is giving fans something new on her upcoming album - a 'fresh new sound'.

In an exclusive video, the 41-year-old singer explains the reasons behind her change, and insists there is something for everyone on the record, entitled Girl Who Got Away.

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Dido does Dubstep! The White Flag singer is back in the studio, and has a fresh new sound

She said: 'I felt really free on this record to make the music I want to make. There's a mixture of all the music I love from dance music, ambient, Dubstep, hip-hop, folk, pop - everything.

'All the things I like are on there and I guess that's why it's like a big circle, because that's really how I felt making my first record.'

She added: 'It just feels really fresh... I feel like a new artist but with confidence that I didn't have at the beginning.'

Changing moods: Dido insists that the new record is more upbeat than her last 'darker' offering

Confident: Dido says that while she has the freshness of a new artist, she has the confidence of a seasoned one

She's come a long way: Dido first made a name for herself upon the release of No Angel back in 2001

Dido's first album No Angel, released in 2001, included hit tracks including Here With Me, Thank You and Hunter.

She then followed it up with Life For Rent in 2003, and the most recent album, Safe Trip Home, in 2008.

But Dido admits that when she recorded Safe Trip Home in 2008, she was in a 'darker place' - giving her songs a completely different tone.

Speaking from London's Abbey Road Studios, where she recorded her latest album, Dido said: 'The last album was a darker time. It was an amazing time in some ways and I loved making that record but it was also a darker time - the things I was writing about were a lot darker and I would say that there's a lot more upbeat stuff on this record.'

Explaining how she writes her songs, Dido added: 'I do really feel things deeply and that's why I write songs.

'The way I see the world, I guess, hasn't changed as far as a songwriter because I see things, I feel things... When people tell me things anywhere I've always really felt them and then, you know, I'd try and transfer how I see the world into song.'

Girl Who Got Away is due for release on March 4th.

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Blonde bombshell Rita Ora

In bed with Rita Ora: Singer plays peekaboo as she slips between the sheets

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 19:06 GMT, 17 January 2013 | UPDATED: 08:42 GMT, 18 January 2013

Blonde bombshell Rita Ora invited fans into her bedroom in a playful new shoot.
The 22-year-old slipped between the sheets for Out magazine, but swapped conventional sleepwear for a kooky leotard and gold blouse.
In another frame, she kicked up her heels against a leather headboard while wearing the same silky top, but this time teamed with patterned trousers.

Sultry: British star Rita Ora posed in a sexy photo shoot for the February issue of Out magazine

Bedroom eyes: The How We Do singer paired a golden silk blouse with patterned trousers

Despite her glamorous image, the British singer admits she remains a tomboy at heart and is still getting used to high heels.
'Growing up, I would usually just be like one of the boys,' she said. 'I became kind of a sneakerhead.'

On news stands: Rita appeared in February issue of Out magazine

She also paid tribute to father figure Jay-Z for shaping her career as she prepares to launch her first album stateside.
The hip-hop mogul signed How We Do singer to his Roc Nation label in 2009 and is a key figure in the starlet's life.
She says she has thrived under the close-knit tutelage of the Roc-Nation label.
'The first thing Jay said to me was "Hey, kid!"' Ora said. "He raised me a little bit. It's very much of a family feeling.'
Ora admitted she suffered a dose of stagefright when Jay-Z and wife Beyonce showed up for her debut U.S. concert in New York last April.
'I was singing Say My Name and I was nervous because it was in front of the queen!' Ora recalled. 'She did give me the stamp of approval at the end.'
The singer's debut album Ora went to number one on the UK charts when it was released and will shortly be released stateside.
The youngster moved to the U.S. four years ago to further her career but remains close to her parents.
'My mum calls me up every once in a while and says "Are you eating? Are you sleeping?". You know, mum stuff,' she said.
Ora posed in a sexy photo shoot for Out wearing a billowy golden silk blouse paired with a floral print trousers.

Boy Who Attempted Christmas Card Record Dies

By RUSSELL GOLDMAN | Good Morning America – Wed, Jan 16, 2013 5:48 PM EST

• 
  Good Morning America - Boy Who Attempted Christmas Card Record Dies (ABC News)

Dalton Dingus, a little boy from rural Kentucky whose dying wish to set a record for receiving the most Christmas cards earned him support from around the world, has died. He was nine.

Dalton, who succumbed to a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis on Saturday, received more than 500,000 cards from all over the world, his family said.

At a funeral service on Wednesday, many of those cards decorated the Bethlehem to Cavalry Apostolic Church in Salyersvile, Ky., Kathy Smithers, a resident who attended the ceremony, told ABCNews.com.

"There were lots and lots of people there," said Smithers. "Members of the police department, and the fire department, and the sheriff. It felt like the whole town was here."

Dalton's illness, his positive attitude and his goal to set a Guinness World Record first inspired his neighbors in Salyersvile and then the world. A Facebook post asking friends to send cards to Dalton went viral, picked up by a local newspaper and then media from as far away as Israel and Ireland, South Dakota and South Korea.

In the days before Christmas, there were so many letters pouring in that a local television reporter with his own truck delivered the cards that could not fit in the mail carrier's van. Dalton's house became so filled with letters that at first neighbors and then his family's church would accept the mail and sort it.

The letters came from children sometimes younger than him in languages he did not speak and from places he never heard of.

The cards filled Dalton's home, spread out on the floor where he played with Lego blocks and painted pictures.

Miss Kentucky visited, bringing along some cards. So did a unit of Kentucky State Troopers and the star of Animal Planet's "Call of the Wildman."

The town rallied around Dalton, with volunteers working round the clock to sort and count the cards.

"The cards give him something to look forward to. Something to get excited about," Dalton's mother Jessica Dingus told ABCNews.com before his death.

Guinness was in touch the Dingus family before Dalton died to discuss applying for recognition.
As of Wednesday, the family had not made a formal application, according to Guinness.

"At this time, there has been no formal record application made with Guinness World Records for this particular attempt, so we are unable to speculate on whether or not it would constitute a new record," Guinness spokeswoman Jamie Panas told ABCNews.com

"If and when an application is made on his behalf, our records management team could then explore the topic of re-opening a designation for his feat," she said.

Guinness does not currently monitor attempts for receiving Christmas cards. However, its does have an old record on the books. As of 1992, the last official time Guinness allowed for a Christmas card category, Canadian Jarrod Booth had collected 205,120 cards.

Heath Ledger’s Parents Speak Out on 5th Anniversary of His Death

By Breanne L. Heldman | omg! – Mon, Jan 14, 2013 1:13 PM PST

 

Heath Ledger (Getty Images)Matilda and Michelle Williams (FameFlynet)

 

Can you believe it’s been almost five years since Heath Ledger’s sudden and tragic death?

In honor of the sad anniversary, the Oscar winner’s parents Sally and Kim spoke with Australian magazine New Idea (via RadarOnline) about their son’s death, as well as their adorable grandchild, Matilda, who’s now 7 years old.

If you recall, Ledger died at age 28 on January 22, 2008, of an accidental overdose, leaving behind little Matilda and her mom, ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams. But anyone who’s ever looked at a photo of Matilda would agree that Ledger lives on – she looks exactly like him.

“Matilda is indeed very much like her dad – she has long limbs and similar features,” Sally Ledger told the magazine. “However, she also possesses the beauty of her mamma – lucky girl.”
Matilda Ledger (Jackson Lee / Splash News)

“Matilda has the same walk as Heath and is such a respectful little kid – she calls us ‘Papa’ and ‘Grandma Sal,’” Heath’s father added. “Our family has the most wonderful relationship with both Matilda and Michelle. We talk frequently and visit as often as we can.”

For her part, Williams appears to be in a happy place, having maintained a seemingly strong relationship with Jason Segel for nearly a year. Back in April, a source told Us Weekly that Matilda “loves Jason” and soon after adorable pictures of the two of them playing in the park hit the Web.
Matilda stands to inherit all of her father's financial legacy.

"Our family has gifted everything to Matilda," Kim told People in 2008. "That was the plan from the moment my boy passed away. There was never any question about the fact that Heath’s estate would go to Matilda."

Needless to say, Heath continues to be missed by those whose lives he touched, but it warms our hearts to see his family thriving.