Golfer Jarrod Lyle, and his wife Briony, welcomed their first child on March 10, and have named their new daughter Lusi Joy. Lusi Lyle was born at a hospital in Shepparton, Victoria at 11.19 pm, weighing 3.6 kg (7 pounds 13 ounces).

Jarrod is from the regional city of Shepparton, and began playing golf at the age of six. He turned professional in 2004, and won the Mexican Open and the Knoxville Open in 2008. He scored a hole-in-one at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2011, winning $25 000 for charity. It was the first time anyone had got a hole-in-one at the 16^th on that course for nine years.

Briony (nee Harper) is also from Shepparton. Jarrod and Briony were married in the backyard of Jarrod’s grandparents in Shepparton in December last year.

Last week, Jarrod was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia after he sought treatment for an infection contracted from an insect bite while he was playing in Mexico. Lusi’s birth was induced so that he could spent time with her before being driven to Melbourne to begin four months of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants.

This is Jarrod’s second bout of leukaemia – at the age of 17 he was diagnosed with the same disease, and spent nine months in bed while undergoing chemotherapy. Doctors told him that his fertility could be affected by the treatment he underwent, so was thrilled when Briony became pregnant. The papers are assuming that Lusi’s name is based on the “light and joy” she is bringing into their lives.

Jarrod’s manager reports that he is in good spirits and pretty resilient. Messages of support, and congratulations on the birth of Lusi, have been flooding in to the popular golfer known for his sense of fun, and we can only add to them by wishing Jarrod a speedy recovery and the best of health.

Pop star Guy Sebastian, and his wife Jules, welcomed their first child on March 3; a boy they have named Hudson James. Hudson Sebastian weighed 2.7 kg (6 pounds) at birth. Guy has revealed that they chose the name Hudson after the Hudson River, as they love New York and its river is their favourite thing about it.

Guy was born in Malaysia of Sri Lankan, British and Portuguese descent, and moved to Australia as a small boy. He sang and taught music in his Pentecostal church choir, and his career took off after he won the first series of Australian Idol in 2003. He has released six top ten platinum or multi-platinum albums, eight top 10 singles, including five number ones, and four of his singles have gone multi-platinum. His song Angels Brought Me Here was the highest-selling song in Australia in the past decade, and he has won six ARIA Awards. Guy has performed for Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth II, and Oprah Whinfrey. Amongst his charity commitments, he is an ambassador for World Vision Australia, Golden Stave, and the Australian Red Cross. He has been a mentor on It Takes Two, and a judge for The X-Factor.

Guy met his wife Jules at church when they were both teenagers, and they have been dating since his university days. They were married after a lengthy courtship in 2008.

Jules’ pregnancy became the worst-kept secret in show business when Guy’s fellow judge from X–Factor, Ronan Keating, accidentally blabbed it to the media. Guy was reportedly furious, but I’m sure by now he’s forgiven him.

Federal Labor MP Michelle Rowland, and her husband Michael Chaaya, welcomed their first child today, February 23; a daughter named Octavia Susan-Marie. Octavia Chaaya was born at 6.29 am this morning at Norwest Private Hospital, weighing 2.93 kg and 46.5 cm long.

Michelle won the seat of Greenway in 2010, having been a local councillor and deputy Mayor of Blacktown. Her background is in corporate law, and she was a director of the Western Sydney Area Health Service for several years.

Michael is a partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth law firm, and specialises in financial services reform and regulation, working closely with many government bodies. He was awarded the Australian Centenary medal for service to the law, youth and community in 2003 and is currently a director of the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre.

As Michelle is on maternity leave, she will not be able to take part in the ballot on Monday morning, when Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd are expected to vie for leadership of the Australian Labor Party, and leadership of the nation. Michelle’s absence means that Julia Gillard will have one less supporter, and raises the remote possibility of the ballot ending in a tie.

Still catching up:

Channel 7 television presenter Sally Obermeder, and her husband Marcus, welcomed a baby girl in late October last year named Annabelle Grace.

The day before Annabelle was born, Sally received harrowing news: she had aggressive stage three breast cancer. She is currently writing a personal memoir about her battle with cancer, which will be published in November. Tonight she is hosting a fundraiser, with proceeds going to help people affected by the same disease.

Sally is a journalist on current affairs show, Today Tonight, and a travel reporter on Sydney Weekender. She is also a regular on The Morning Show, where she covers celebrity gossip. Away from the cameras, she is a personal trainer and Pilates instructor, and also works as an MC.

Marcus runs his own finance broking business and is a member of the Bondi Icebergs swimming club. He and Sally have been married for ten years.

Recently, Sally was told she would have to undergo a further three months of chemotherapy, and last month had to be hospitalised with an infection.

We wish Sally all the best with her treatment and recovery.

I still seem to be catching up with celebrity babies of 2011:

Fashion buyer Yasmin Sewell, and her partner Kyle Robinson, welcomed a son in October last year named Knox Rocket Robinson. Yasmin and Kyle discussed names for the entire pregnancy, and after their son was born, spent a few days narrowing it down from a very diverse list. However, they now feel Knox Rocket is absolutely right for him.

Yasmin is regarded as the most powerful fashion buyer in London. Her London boutique was patronised by celebrities, and she has worked for both Brown’s and Liberty’s. Currently, she writes a blog for Vogue and has her own consultancy. Last month she received Britain’s Young Australian of the Year Award, at the same Australia House dinner where Barry Humphries got the main prize. She was briefly married to Australian-British actor Rufus Sewell; her name before that was Yasmin Abdallah.

Kyle Robinson is a fellow expatriate Australian, and owns a fashion showroom called Paper Mache Tiger. Yasmin and Kyle were married shortly before Yasmin’s prize-giving ceremony.

Another fashion story from 2011 that I seem to have totally missed, so oblivious am I to the world of style:

Sydney fashion PR boss Roxy Jacenko, and her fiancé, stockbroker Oliver Curtis, welcomed a daughter named Pixie-Rose in August last year. Roxy has since become (in)famous for taking three hours maternity leave, being attached to her Blackberry that soon after giving birth.

Roxy is the head of fashion PR company Sweaty Betty, which once employed Geoff Huegill’s wife Sara (oddly enough I first heard about this PR firm on Elea’s blog, British Baby Names). Roxy recently wrote a glossy-type novel called Strictly Confidential, in which all the characters are thinly-disguised portraits of Sydney identities.

Oliver is the son of multi-millionaire Nicholas Curtis, the founder of Sino Resources and executive chairman of the Lynas Corporation. Last year Oliver was investigated for insider trading, but no charges were laid against him. However, his best friend who passed him the tips and who made 1.9 million dollars in illegal profits has been gaoled for 4 and a half years.

Roxy and Oliver are set to marry next month.