I’ve been very busy and got behind with the celebrity babies, so it seems like a good time to do a quick catch-up.

NRL player Gareth Widdop, and his fiancee Carley, welcomed their daughter Harper Rose on September 30, just hours after Gareth’s team, the Melbourne Storm, won the NRL Premiership. She was born unexpectedly in Bowral as they were travelling between Sydney and Melbourne. Harper joins big brother Brayden, aged 2. Gareth is originally from Yorkshire, in England, and moved to Melbourne as a teenager. He has been signed with the Storm since 2010, although he played for several years in their Under 18s and Under 20s programmes. He has also played for England internationally.

Actress Madeleine West, and her husband Shannon Bennett, welcomed their daughter Xanthe fairly recently. Xanthe joins big sisters Phoenix and Xascha, and big brother Hendrix (a real X-theme there). Madeleine became a household name on soapie Neighbours, and regularly appears in other television series. Shannon is the restaurateur at Vue de Monde, recently named Restaurant of the Year by The Age Good Food Guide.

NRL player Anthony Cherrington, and his on-off girlfriend, bikini model Monique Mears, welcomed their daughter Christine not long ago. Christine Cherrington joins big brother Moses, aged 17 months. Anthony is originally from New Zealand, and plays for the Sydney Roosters, but has been sidelined by injury since 2010.

Paralympian Erik Horrie, and his fiancee Michelle, welcomed their son Lewis in early September during the Paralympic Games; they already have two daughters together. Erik was in a car accident at the age of 21 which left him with paraplegia, and he started out playing wheelchair basketball. Last year he took up rowing, and he won a silver medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

NRL veteran Steve Menzies, and his wife Suyin, welcomed their son Harper Mackie on August 22. Harper Menzies was born at at 4.24pm at Royal North Shore Private Hospital weighing 2.79kg (just under 6 lb). His middle name is after his great-grandfather, Mackie Campbell, a pioneer with the Manly Sea Eagles. He joins big sister Miller, aged 2. Steve played for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles from 1993-2008; he then played for the Bradford Bulls in England, and is currently with the Catalans Dragons in France. Yep, two NRL babies named Harper – one male, one female.

Netball champion Sharelle McMahon, and her husband Brek Mansfield, welcomed their first child on August 30 and have named their son Xavier Gaz. Sharelle is the former captain of the Melbourne Vixens, has played for the national team, the Diamonds, and has won three gold medals and a silver at the Netball World Championships, and two gold and two silver at Commonwealth Games.

Dating show contestant Jenny Blake, and her husband Mark Geppert, welcomed their son Angus – Gus for short – back in the autumn [pictured]. Angus Geppert joins big sister Olive, aged 2. Jenny is one of the few female farmers to have appeared on rural romance reality show, The Farmer Wants a Wife. Although love didn’t work out for Jenny on the show, she soon became engaged to Mark, who she’d been friends with for years, but considered slightly too young for her. The happy Geppert family now live on their farm in southern New South Wales.

Comedian Julian Morrow, and his wife Lisa Pryor, welcomed their second child early in the year and named their son Ed. I’m not sure whether Ed is short for Edward/Edwin/Edgar/Edmund etc, or if that’s his whole name. Ed Morrow has a big sister named Anna, aged 3. Julian has been a comedy staple on television for many years, and is best known for his work with the satiric and sometimes controversial show, The Chaser. Lisa is a former journalist who is now training in medicine.