I think both are good cameras; most people advise going to a store and holding each to see which feels better to you. I decided I wanted a Nikon before I went to the store, so I didn't hold the Canon! I got a Nikon D40x, very similar to the D40. I think I just had more friends at the time with a Nikon, but Canon owners are very happy too.
The only caveat I would give you about the Nikon D40 is that it is unable to autofocus certain Nikon lenses. Not long after I got my camera, I got an f/1.8 50 mm fixed lens which is my go to lens for indoor shots. It was very hard for me to manually focus that lens, and with a toddler, you need to focus fast. Maybe some of the Canon owners can speak about this, but I think the Rebel XT can autofocus this type of lens.
Good luck with your choice, digital SLRs are just wonderful!
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Amy
my gallery
My stuff: Nikon D700; f2.8 24-70mm, f4.0-5.6 55-200mm VR, and f1.8 50 mm lenses; Photoshop CS5, iMac, MacBook
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