I can't say I've ever really had much of an opinion about Rachel Stevens, other than she was the most pretty one in S Club 7.  She's popped back into the public arena, briefly, on Strictly Come Dancing Series Something-Or-Other-I-Can't-Remember-Which-There've-Been-So-Many, and then she disappeared off again and became a mum.

Apparently she's only really reminded of her S Club days when she goes to kiddies parties, where various party mix CDs are played that feature the odd S Club 7 'choon'.

"Whenever it comes on everyone looks at me to see how I’ll react,' she says. "I think it’s brilliant that people are still playing our music. But all that stuff feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed."

Rachel's daughter, Amelie, is two now (where did THAT time go?!) and Rachel admits that the early months of motherhood were not so much fun for her.

"The first three months of having a newborn baby was a complete shock to the system.  I'm a bit of a control freak but suddenly I had no idea what I was doing. I remember having an absolute meltdown when Amelie had been crying all day. I think all mums go through that. All you hear about motherhood is how amazing it is – and it is amazing – but no one tells you how hard it is. It’s so overwhelming."

Rachel says that taking time out to just focus on being a mum has shown her that life isn't about being perfect, it's about being yourself.

I can vouch for the fact that 17 November is a GREAT day to have a baby - I did it twice, although the Teenagers don't thank me for it, they dislike sharing their birthdays with each other. Anyway, it's their own fault as one was early and the other one late, both deciding to arrive on the 17th.

So my two oldest babies now share a birthday with Rachel Stevens' first baby.

Her name is beautiful - Amelie - and she was born at 2.05am at the celeb' mums hospital of choice, The Portland Hospital.

Her publicist announced the news yesterday (wot no Twitter?!  Although, I haven't checked so you never know)...

"Rachel Stevens and Alex Bourne are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter Amelie.  She arrived this morning at 2.05am. Mother and baby are both doing really well."

Right the way through her pregnancy Rachel said she didn't mind whether the baby was a boy or a girl, but that most people said she was carrying a little girl - well, those 'most people' were spot on!

I wonder if I'll be spot on in predicting there'll soon be a mini-rachel x baby clothing range out soon..? Along with a 'happy families roasting by the open fire' Christmas glossy magazine exclusive!

PAH! I KNEW IT!

Rachel Stevens isn't normal like the rest of us! With just nine weeks to go before her due date, she's looking lovely as ever - I don't think I like her anymore *grin*

AND you just know the baby's going to be one of those picture perfect angel looking creations, rather than a squashed creature that looks like a pink Yoda!

Rachel was spotted, out with her mum, looking effortlessly glamourous and sophisticated; she's also enjoying her maternal journey so far, saying, "My body's going through lots of changes and I love having a bump."

(I'm mildly amused that in this photo, her car keys could, if you use your imagination enough, look like a cigarette - can you IMAGINE the outcry! Not funny? Maybe it's just me then...)

The sex of the baby is known only to the sonographer, both Rachel and hubby have decided to wait to find out whether they have a boy or girl until the day of their grand arrival - when angels will probably sing and any clouds in the sky will clear.

"Neither of us mind what we have but most people think that I’m having a girl, but I really don’t know," at least she didn't go on to add the usual 'as long as it's healthy' line, that irritates me!

Apparently she has lots of exciting projects planned for the Spring - a baby clothing range perhaps? And most definitely the obligatory happy families photo shoot for Hello! or one of those other magazines I never buy (but have to flick through in Tescos when I'm there!).

Whatever it is, you can pretty much guarantee that it'll turn to gold as soon as she touches it!

In today's celebaby we take a look at how Rachel Stevens is coming along with her first pregancy and Lily Allen's morning sickness.

Six Months Gone

Is it just me or do other people's pregnancies always go SUPER fast?!

It only feels like a couple of weeks ago that we were talking about the big announcement of her impending motherhood, and now all of a sudden she's six months gone and still looking fantastic.

I wish I knew how people do that - I just looked shocking from start to finish. And I can pretty much guarantee that she'll looke super-fantastic straight afterwards too.

Rachel's been keeping a pretty low profile, in the grand scheme of things, and was snapped out and about running errands in London this week. She has always openly admitted that she's wanted children for a very long time.

I've always known that I wanted children. I love children and I feel really calm around babies.

Rachel has also revealed that she has cravings for pizza and Big Macs!

I love margarita pizza at the moment. I also crave Big Macs - I hadn't eaten McDonald's for about ten years but every time I pass a McDonald's sign my mouth starts watering.

I really hope that motherhood lives up to all her expectations, even the times where you are that tired you can't even remember your own name or what on earth you are meant to be doing from one minute to the next. She seems so lovely, it would break my heart to think of her beng disillusioned.

Sick Lily

Don't mention pizza or Big Macs if you happen to bump into Lily Allen though, ok?

The poor girl is suffering with hideous morning sickness and I'm sending her a ton of sympathy. The only way I can describe morning sickness is this: you're on a boat in rough weather and you feel like you're going to throw up at any second.

You don't know whether to lie down or go and hang your head over the side; you wonder whether eating something might help and it does..for about 20 minutes and then you're back to feeling queasy.

The thing is, if you're on a boat then you have a pretty good idea when the journey is going to end and that you'll feel better when you get off. With morning sickness (which isn't just confined to the mornings by the way) you can't get off! You have no idea how long it's going to last for and there have been occasions where I thought I couldn't stand another day of feeling that way, regardless of the reason why and the little bundle of joy that would arrive at the end.

She's been tweeting about how she's been feeling this week, on Tuesday she said...

Sorry, I am being grumpy today. Morning sickness, toothache, tiredness and gossip commentators trying to stir up s**t don't mix very well.

And on Wednesday...

Car sick, morning sick, sick sick sick sick

I hope the media are going to go a little easy on Lily if she's a little less friendly than usual for a while; feel better soon Lily!

Sandra Bullock on adoption and divorce and Rachel Steven's preggars announcement are the topcis of today's celebaby edition.

Secret Adoption for Sandra Bullock!

I really like Sandra Bullock; she seems to be one of those down-to-earth celebrity gals who you feel you'd be able to just sit and have coffee with.

She's finally had enough of hubby Jesse James' antics, revealing that she's filed for divorce along with the fact that they adopted a baby back in JANUARY!!!  I've no idea how they managed to keep that one under wraps; don't tell me you can't keep secrets in Hollywood because I won't believe you!

"He's just perfect, I can't even describe him any other way," Sandra revealed exclusively to PEOPLE magazine, "it's like he's always been a part of our lives."

Louis Bardo Bullock is three-and-a-half months old and was born in New Orleans and I have to say he's a little smasher!  Sandra is now finalising the adoption as a single parent and I reckon she'll do a great job.

Baby Annoucement for Rachel Stevens

How can Rachel Stevens be 32?!  I still see her as being about 20 with all the other youngsters of SClub7!  But no, she's all grown-up and got married to long-time boyfriend Alex Bourne back in August last year.

Earlier this week Rachel was quoted as saying...

"We’d absolutely love to have children. I think having children is the most amazing thing. I don’t think I can tell what kind of mum I’d be until I go through it. It’s such a life-changing thing."

Then THE announcement was finally made on Thursday through Rachel's spokesperson:

"‘We are delighted to announce that Rachel Stevens and her husband Alex are expecting their first baby later this year."

November in fact; so that's both Rachel and Kelly Preston due just before Crimbo - watch out for lots of cute family magazine photo shoots taken under the Christmas tree and in front of roaring fires then!