Hometown Babies: Nashville
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Meet the Tour Guides
"Last year's flood really shook up Nashville, but our town united," Laura Rouse says. Her son Owen's preschool (and her family's basement) had to be rebuilt. "But being a parent in such a big-hearted city lifts your spirits. We help each other trough."
The guides: Laura Rouse, 30, with Owen, 3, and Macie, 5 months
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Fine Tuning
Hello, Music City! Downtown, you can find live shows nightly.
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Design 101
After she had Owen, Laura started her site RouseHouseKids.com. Choose from a slew of fabrics and styles to create clothes like this reversible romper ($50).
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Make a Splash
Public pools with slides and shooting fountains, like this great Maryland Farms YMCA, are where local kids spend the summer. Cool!
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Smooth Sailing
At the Gaylord Opryland Resort, you can ride a boat inside the hotel, which is full of flowers and trees.
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Rock Out
"We play 'band,'" Rouse Says. "My husband on harmonica, Owen on a tiny guitar, me on piano, and Macie with a rattle."
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Paparazzi-Free Zone
"I've taken kids' classes with Nicole Kidman and Sunday Rose, and Sheryl Crow and her son, Wyatt," Rouse says. "Celebrities love to live here because they can give their kids a normal lifestyle."
Originally published in the June 2011 issue of American Baby magazine.