C.J.: Broadcasting baby news for Betker, Renner and Brundidge

There are confirmed "baby bumps" on KARE 11 meteorologist Laura Betker and KSTP-TV reporter Kate Renner.

A little peplum number Betker wore, I think it was last month, caught my eye.

Then on July 6, Donna of Maple Grove, Robin of Burnsville and Janet each fired e-mails my way.

After the first one, I went to Twitter to ask Betker: Is there an announcement you'll make anytime soon?

Betker was silent, until she tweeted "I assume you saw the news ... there is a baby bump!"

Asked to e-mail what she shared on Facebook, Betker sent this: "It's true, we're having a baby! Some of you have already noticed my growing baby bump. My husband, Bryan, and I are so happy to announce that we are expecting our first little one come January 2015! Due date is Jan 9."

Last week, I was watching KSTP-TV news when I noticed something about Kate Renner, so I asked via Twitter.

That wasn't as clear as Renner's usual reporting style, so I asked again to make sure we were talking about the same thing.

"Yes, I'm due in December. We're really excited!" wrote Renner.

I also asked Renner if she is related to former KSTP reporter Jackie Renner, because they share that strong reporter gene.

"I have been asked that question about Jackie Renner a lot. But it turns out I'm not related to her and have never even met her. She sounds like a good reporter though," wrote Renner.

Congrats to Betker, Renner and a former Hubbard Broadcasting staffer, Sheletta Brundidge.

I had no idea what the assignments editor at Houston's ABC 13 was talking about Wednesday when I asked if she was far enough along for me to write about her latest collaboration with hospital executive husband Shawn Brundidge. D Baby?

"Yeah, our kids are named in alphabetical order: Andrew, 8, Brandon, 2, Cameron, 1, aka C.J. Jr., and this is the D Baby. It's something Shawn started doing. He doesn't let me in on everything," she said.

How far are we going down the alphabet?

"I'm just amazed at people saying things like that: Are y'all done now?" said Brundidge who, I must remind readers, has worked as a stand-up comedian.

"There was a time people had nine or 10 kids. Now you have four kids and everybody wants to tie your tubes! Tie your own damn tubes," she said exasperatedly. "People had seven, eight kids and they didn't have laundry rooms — they had clotheslines and they were just fine. They also didn't have cars back in the day. We've got a laundry room and eight seats in that damn van, and, Lord willing, I plan to fill them. OK, we've got to come up with D names for a little boy that are ethnically neutral and résumé-friendly."

I am not a proponent of the weird names for black children, either, but whenever I get into disagreements about résumé-busting names, I am reminded that Oprah has done very well.

"An Oprah like that one is not going to happen but once in a millennium," said Brundidge.

Ran into Pioneer Press sports columnist Charley Walters when I was doing interviews Sunday at the All-Star Game.

He looked fine, but I asked what was going on because reader Mark asked me to find out why Shooter's column seemed not to be so regular.

"Curtailing," said Walters. "Thanks for asking. Cutting back to Sunday columns."

C.J. can be reached at cj@startribune.com and seen on FOX 9's "Buzz." E-mailers, please state a subject; "Hello" does not count. Attachments are not opened.