Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey's husband, has given up his radio show on the advice of his medical team.  He was admitted to hospital over Christmas with mild kidney failure.

Now it's been discovered he's got blood clots on his lungs, and part of his heart is enlarged - I imagine this is rather scary, and will bring you up a bit short, especially when you've got little kiddies at home!

"I have been in the hospital since Friday, and actually, it's quite serious. I didn't even know. I was actually trying to downplay it a lot - even in my own mind - not go to the hospital because I was having a lot of pain in my back and I thought it was the typical kidney pain that I had been experiencing, but I thought it had been a little bit heightened.

Because of the blood clots in my lungs, I also had an enlarged ventricle in my heart. My antibodies [in] my immune system were attacking my organs and it made my body even weaker.

"I always took a lot of pride in working so hard and never taking a day off. But I'm learning that it isn't the wisest thing all the time, especially being a new father.  Not only wanting to spend more time with my children, but wanting to be there for my children."

Talking of his little kiddies, I suppose we should start bracing ourselves for the EPIC production that will be Moroccan and Monroe's first birthday celebrations - they're nine months old already (where did THAT time go?!) and we can be sure that preparations are already well under way (along with a signed and sealed mag' and TV deal too, I expect).

Today's Celebaby is about 'cats and kidneys' - Lily Copper's mum has let the proverbial cat out of the bag and Nick Cannon (Mr Mariah Carey) has kidney failure.

Ethel May Cooper

It's funny how you don't realise things until you're told them - had you noticed that still some five, or so, weeks after Lily Copper's daughter arrived safely in the world we still didn't know what she'd been called?

I mean, it's one of the first things you ask (or want to know) along with how much the new arrival weighed - at least they are the things I want to know.

Well, after keeping the little girly's name under wraps for so long (whether intentionally or not, who's to say) Lily's mum accidentally revealed her granddaughter's name on Facebook (whether intentionally accidentally or not, who's to say!) when writing to a friend.

So Ethel May Cooper is her name - some people like it, some people loathe it and predict a trip to the deed poll office the moment she hits 16 and can legally change her name sans parental permission.

What do you think - good name, bad name or just downright ugly?

Nick Cannon

I'm mildly amused by the fuss that's erupted over, what's been described as, the  'mild kidney failure' that struck Nick Cannon down over Christmas, although I'm not sure I should be.

I think it's because kidney failure is serious and for some reason, in my (perhaps) warped mind, both Mariah and Nick tweeting photographs of him in the hospital looking pretty okay have made it seem not so serious. I also can't help thinking maybe he just had kidney stones...?

Joking aside, any unexpected hospitalisation of a loved one isn't funny, especially when their stay is on an intensive care ward there are new babies at home - all of a sudden our mortality is thrust into the spotlight and all the worst case scenario 'what ifs' will rush through everyone's minds.

Well, the good news is Nick seems to be okay; he's out of intensive care, he's been transferred to a hospital in Los Angeles - he was originally admitted to hospital in Aspen whilst on holiday - has had an operation, which he was awake for (I know this because Nick told 'us' so on Twitter) and a couple of hours ago he said he's recovering and about to be stronger than ever.

PHEW!  I can sleep soundly in my bed again at night now knowing all that!

Unless you have a heart of stone you can't fail to smile at the utter JOY that motherhood is giving to Mariah Carey.  Yes I know she can be a bit over the top and, yes she probably doesn't live on the same planet as the rest of us, but parenthood is a wonderful leveller (well, on the whole it is).

I must confess to have been a little surprised by the quietness that's surrounded the Carey-Cannon family since Monroe and Moroccan were born earlier this year.  There was SO much fuss and hype surrounding their arrival - once Mariah and Nick put everyone out of their misery with their eternal, it seemed, riddles and cloaked comments hinting at a possible pregnancy - that I fully expected there to be have been 'more' immediately after.

Natalie Cassidy

Natalie Cassidy has discovered the effects of the stress diet.

Your life torn apart and splashed across the papers for all the nation to read, fear for your own safety and that of your daughter is all you need to rapidly lose three stone of baby weight.

Poor Natalie, I know she's not everyone's cup o'cha but I must confess to having a soft spot for her.  She thought she'd found true love with Adam Cottrell but it all went sour a couple of months ago when he turned violent.

"I wanted me and Adam to be a family forever. I wouldn’t have chosen to have a baby with someone if I didn’t think it would be forever," she told the Daily Mail recently.

Adam Cottrell pleaded guilty to assault and criminal damage and is now subject to a restraining order; he still sees his daughter, Eliza, under supervision.

Despite everything that's happened, Natalie feels it's important that her daughter's father maintains a role in her life and upbringing.

Nick Cannon suggests more babies

It's all been a bit quiet on the Mariah Carey front since the twins arrived, but Nick Cannon (Mr Mariah Carey) has recently been speaking about the new additions to their family.

He says that although they're still small, they're already showing their personalities.

"My son Roc lives up to his name. He’s a tough guy. He’s already crawling. And then my daughter, she’s just a diva."

Crawling..? Already? At no more than three months old...?  I don't THINK so!

He also spoke about the possibility of adding more babies to the Carey-Cannon clan.

"I want some, but I think my wife’s done. I tried to say, ‘Yo, let’s go for another round!’ and she’s like, ‘I’ll kill you!"

So that's that then, as we all know who wears the trousers in THAT household!

The Carey/Cannon twins are finally at home and several expectant celeb' mums dress their bumps in pretty summer dresses.

Carey Twins Go Home

Moroccan and Monroe have finally left the hospital and are at home; I really must stop calling them the Carey twins as their surnames are Cannon.

I have no concept of what it must be like to have a baby and then NOT be able to take it home with you; my youngest was born at home so I avoided hospital completely with him.

I do remember how I felt when I was allowed to go home with my eldest; nervous doesn't even come close to describing it and Nick Cannon (Mr Carey) is feeling the same way too,

Speaking to Access Hollywood on Saturday evening, he said, "My twins came home today,I didn't even want to leave, but I had to because I've got to be here."

He went on to say, "It's the first day to have my children at home so I've been loving that.  There's no hospital rooms and there's no nurses, it's just us.  So it's real; a lil' scary at times, but we're handling it."

Keep your eyes peeled for the happy families pictures in all the glossy magazines, we shouldn't have to wait long.

Blooming Bumps

Ok, I know Victoria Beckham isn't in a pretty summer dress - what IS it with her and black? Jeez, girl go for broke and put some colour on!

I suppose wearing a dress and NOT covering her bump with a handbag that could double up as a three-man tent is a step forward though.

She's seven months preggars now and is rumoured to have already hired trainer-to-the-stars Tracy Anderson to help her lose 20 pounds (that's a stone and a half) in four to six weeks after the baby has arrived; I'm all for staying in shape but that's MAD.

In contrast, just look at how amazing Tori Spelling and Selma Blair look in their colourful and floaty maxi-dresses.

Both are 38; Selma Blair's expecting her first baby any day now - there seem to be lots of 'any day now' babies waiting to arrive at the moment - whislt Tori Spelling, who's expecting her third, has a little while longer to go.

She has a son and a daughter already, so both her and her husband (Dean McDermott) have decided to wait until the baby arrives to discover the gender.