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That’s exactly what happened to a mother in Germany last week, when she gave birth to an infant who weighed a jaw-dropping 13.47 pounds. At 22.6 inches long, baby girl Jasleen is Germany’s largest-ever newborn — and get this: she was born naturally. Babies Jasleen’s size are usually born via c-section, but it’s not unheard of for women to defy the odds with vaginal births that are what you might describe as above and beyond the call of duty....

A mom in Manhattan Beach, California was taking a photo of her 12-year-old son and his friend surfing in the ocean, when a shark appeared in the break of the wave behind them. She snapped a photo of the kids playing on their boards, and you can see what very much looks like a shark in the background of the picture — very close to them. Pretty frightening. More from The Stir: 7 Scary Water Dangers Every Parent Should Be Aware Of But what’s a little unusual about this situation, aside from the fact that, you know, there’s a shark near small children, is that the mom told her kids it was just a dolphin....

My least favorite thing about fall? Biting into a mealy apple from the farmers’ market. Has this ever happened to you? If so, The Kitchn offers five ways to use mealy apples. Make homemade applesauce. CafeMom’s Recipe Swap group has some great recipes for homemade applesauce (must join group to view). Bake whole apples stuffed with brown sugar, nuts, fruit, etc. Prepare a sweet-savory apple sauce for pork. I love the recipe for Apple-Glazed Pork Roast in All About Autumn…(must join group to view)....

Ultimately the relationship didn’t work out — but the fact that we had so little in common wasn’t why. Don Cole, master certified Gottman therapist at couples counseling and research center The Gottman Institute, told Revelist that there are really only two things that couples need to have in common in order to make their relationships work: having a shared meaning in the relationship, and showing interest in our partner’s interests....

You can schedule a phone call with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, or Goofy. You get to set the theme of the phone call as well as the day and time. Themes include things like finishing dinner, sharing, saying the alphabet, eating vegetables. You can also indicate whether it’s a special occasion. After you fill in all the details, you can preview the message your child will receive when he answers the phone (he’ll even be greeted by name)....

But you know what they say: When in Paris, eat fatty American staples (God, the French must love us). Although Kim maintains a strict diet, she and Kanye love chowing down at Ferdi, which is widely believed to have the best cheeseburger in Paris. A frequent diner, Kim makes special trips to the French bar gourmet and even named the restaurant as one of her favorites on “Keeping Up With The Kardashians....

Take me, for example: I eat the cream-filled chocolate cookies the exact same way every time. First, I will only ever eat two Oreos in one sitting—never more, never less. Second, there is an exact science to the cookie consumption: I twist apart the cookie, nibble out the cream center, eat the chocolate halves, repeat. The process is tidy, orderly, some would say anal—sort of like myself. Oh, and there’s absolutely no milk involved, because I detest all things soggy… CafeMom readers recently weighed in on how to eat an Oreo....

The Upper East Side princess brought New York City style with a vintage touch to her new town, and it’s no wonder everyone fell in love with her on the spot. She’s got power, charm, and allure in buckets, but even more than that, she’s likely hiding a treasure trove of beauty secrets. With Veronica, hair is never out of place, lashes are always fluttery, and lipstick is always bold....

When It’s Raining, Grab Your Slickers and: Bust out the inexpensive baking tools, because it’s mud-pie weather. Dress everyone in sturdy older clothes, since a mess awaits. If it’s a gentle shower, make rain art: Before heading outside, have your kids drip food coloring—or draw a picture with washable markers—onto a piece of heavy paper. Lay it on the ground and watch the raindrops change the appearance. Race nature-made boats in rainwater rivers....

We have a multimillion-dollar industry on our hands with people paying as much as $18,000 to ensure they get the “right” answer come sonogram time. I don’t get it. And yet, I do. I’ve been there. I have an only child because I couldn’t guarantee a girl the second time. When I got pregnant, it was with one thought and one thought only in mind: we wanted to have a baby....

And while we all help out with each other’s kiddos from time to time, playdates are usually set up in advance, and I never have to worry about kids showing up on my doorstep and expecting to come to our house whenever they feel like it. And in turn, I never let my son go over to anyone’s house unannounced, you know — because people have lives, schedules, and routines that I’d never dream of disrupting....

I’ll admit that I knew better than to watch it. I banned myself from it probably four years ago, when I was putting myself through the most vicious, self-deprecating TV lineup of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? and A Baby Story. I would be kinda sad for about an hour after they went off, so I put myself on punishment from it for an undetermined amount of time. But I thought I was over it, so I watched....

It was not one of my finest moments as a parent. But I’m willing to bear the brunt of the trolls if you’ll listen for just a moment, if you will let me spare you the pain of what came after. Last year was a rough one in our house. First grade had taken my sweet, happy little girl and turned her into someone I didn’t know. Someone who used words we don’t utter in our house....

To get started, make sure the flooring is nice and clean. Depending on the kind of flooring you have, you may need to sand it down first. If it’s a slick surface, such as vinyl, you’ll need to de-gloss it so the paint can adhere to it. You can get chemical washes for this at your local paint store. Once it’s prepped, you can then coat it with a primer, followed by the paint....

Ever since she graced the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, Graham has captured (and held) the world’s attention. With 4.8 million Instagram followers, the size 14/16 supermodel is redefining beauty standards with every selfie she posts. Who wouldn’t want to be Ashley Graham right now? As a longtime fan, I decided to try her style on for size. After searching her most-liked photos, I chose five iconic Insta-Grahams to recreate....

Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy and guest Penny Young Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, discussed the very serious “Frozen Effect.” (Dun, dun, dun.) The problem, according to Doocy and Nance, is that Frozen is a threat to masculinity — men being men (bangs chest, shouts at sky), and as Doocy said, this “effect” is “empowering girls but turning our men into fools and villains.” More From The Stir: Quiz: How Well Do You Know ‘Frozen’?...

So … I conducted my own Lemon-Lime Taste Test. I rated the three major lemon-lime sodas — 7 Up, Sprite, and Sierra Mist (nee Slice) — in four categories, worth (arbitrarily) five points each: Taste Carbonation Packaging Style Nutrition The Results: 7 Up Taste: 3 points. The reformulated version is, in a word, mild. There’s not much that separates it from, say, seltzer water. It’s refreshing, I suppose, but it’s also kind of bland....

I know. I know. It’s long overdue. You don’t have to tell me all of the reasons it’s ridiculous, and bad, and how I should have gotten rid of that thing a long time ago. Believe me, I wish I had gotten rid of it long ago. But we didn’t, and so here we are facing the date that I’ve told her (and myself) repeatedly that we will not go past without finally making the break — her fourth birthday....

It appears, however, that one brand has taken notice of this and might be doing something very big about it.

Of course I complied, slightly embarrassed that I hadn’t realized she hadn’t been going before we left the house in the morning, because hey, the morning rush is crazy, right? So it’s hard to muster sympathy for some parents that believe their kids should be allowed to interrupt class time whenever they want because they forgot to pee during break times. Mom Melissa Dalebout recently made the news by blaming Cascades Elementary School in Lebanon, Oregon for her first-grade daughter’s accident in December, because the girl didn’t want to lose any “Super Pro” bucks to use the toilet....