Stacey Solomon has announced the arrival of her baby daughter on Instagram - born on the Loose Women presenter’s 32nd birthday.
But the baby - whose name is yet to be revealed - isn’t the first family member to join the Solomon/Swash family this year.
Social media star Stacey shares much of her life on the popular photo sharing app, offering a glimpse into her life as a fiancé and a mum - as well as being a dog owner.
Her pups, Theo and Peanut, are adored by her youngest son Rex, and he’s never far behind them when Stacey posts her regular Instagram stories.
She shared a snap of Rex cuddling the tan dachshund on February 12, and wrote: “Welcome to our family little one, another little boy for us all to love. And we love you so very much.
“Sometimes things just happen for a reason and souls come into our lives just when they’re meant to.”
On Valentine’s Day, she revealed Peanut’s name to her 4.7 million followers, with a gorgeous snap of Rex, Theo and the new puppy wearing matching heart-print onesies.
She added: “The big boys won the name choice. Turns out you all thought Peanut was perfect too. And so the adventure begins. Peanut and the Pickles. Est 2021.”
Stacey moved into Essex-based Pickle Cottage in March, alongside partner Joe Swash, sons Zachary, Leighton and Rex and their two dogs.
Stacey has previously called her chihuahua-pomeranian mix, Theo, her ‘second child’. The 10-year-old dog was part of the family before Leighton was born, and is named after her son’s favourite footballer Theo Walcott.
Her pups have been by her side throughout her pregnancy, which she announced in June.
A week after announcing the joyous news, she shared a sweet image of Rex with Peanut and Theo, captioned: “It’s been a funny old week. But being home and seeing Rex back with his fur brother and sister has just made my heart happy. Theo’s face is just a mood.
“It's exactly how I feel right now to be tucked up with these three. Thank you for your loveliness all week. I love you all. Happy Saturday, I'm going to rest this bump and my swollen hoofs. I think I could sleep for a week.”
Stacey gave birth to her baby girl at home at Pickle Cottage.
A new baby in the family can be a big change for dogs already living in the home, and there are a number of things new parents can do to prepare them.
Rachel, from Nose to Trail, advises to give the dog its space by giving them their toys and enrichment items, such as a licky mat, in their bed at a distance from the baby.
She said: “A lot of the time you’ll see articles online say that it’s a jealousy issue, but the research is that we don’t believe dogs have that level of emotion.
“So it’s much more likely that it’s due to all the changes that have gone on which are overwhelming for them, such as the new noises and new smells. Their world is turned upside down.”
She also said people need to work on teaching their dogs to be separate, to try the free recordings on the Dogs Trust website of domestic life to get them used to new sounds, and to never leave their baby alone with the dog.
Calming collars have also been clinically proven to help dogs in stressful situations.
