Country music singer-songwriter Brooke McClymont, and her husband Adam Eckersley, welcomed their daughter Tiggy Heart on November 21. Tiggy Eckersley was born in Newcastle Private Hospital at 3.50 pm, weighed 3.18 kg (7 lb), and was 51.5 cm long. Tiggy has a big brother named Harry, aged 5, from a previous relationship of Adam’s.

Brooke has been performing in public since she was 11, when she won a local talent contest, and has written songs for Kate DeAraugo and Olivia Newton-John. Her first song, I Can’t Wait, was released in 2002, and was covered by Hilary Duff for the Disney show, Lizzie McGuire. In 2006, Brooke formed a band called The McClymonts with her sisters Samantha and Mollie, and they have been performing together ever since.

Adam made the finals of the 2009 season of Australian Idol, after already winning several awards for blues/roots music. This year he signed with his first major record label. Brooke and Adam were married on Adam’s parents’ country property in the country music capital, Tamworth, in 2009. They honeymooned in Tasmania.

Brooke and Adam were considering the name Tiger for their baby girl, but went with Tiggy instead as a bit of a spin on it.

(Story from this week’s New Idea; magazine has full story and photos)

Ironman Wes Berg, and his wife, Jade Sutcliffe, welcomed their daughter Billie seven weeks ago. Billie joins big sister Mila-May, aged 22 months.

As well as competing in Ironman, Wes is trainer to some of the best surfers in the country, including Joel Parkinson and Bede Durbidge, and head coach at the Burleigh Surf Lifesaving Club. He featured in the documentary One Touch this year.

Jade is a former professional Ironwoman, which is how she and Wes first met. After retiring, she became a sports manager in NRL football and surfing, and at point was the “Lady Luck” interviewer on the NRL Footy Show. She and Wes are the owners of Berg Boards. Wes and Jade were married in 2007.

The article which mentions Wes Berg noted how there was an abundance of daughters amongst Ironman champs, and quotes an old wive’s tale to the effect that the fitter a man is, the more likely he is to be the father of a girl rather than a boy.

I must confess to not hearing this before, but I do keep track of celebrity babies by their parents’ professions, and have noticed a heavy preponderance of daughters born to NRL footballers compared to sons. Radio hosts, who literally sit down on the job, have had many more baby boys than girls this year.

Of course, as Wes wisely says, “Girls or boys, they are all wonderful”.

(Photo of Wes and Jade shows them about to welcome their first child; from the Daily Telegraph)

Media personality Antonia Kidman, and her husband Craig Marran, welcomed their son Alexander Norman on December 3. Alexander Marran was born in the early hours of the morning, weighing 3 kg (6lb 7oz). He joins older siblings Lucia, 13, Hamish, 11, James, 9, Sybella, 5, and Nicholas, nearly 2. The eldest four children are from Antonia’s first marriage to Angus Hawley.

Antonia has worked in television as a researcher and news reporter, and hosted her own popular parenting shows. She has also co-authored two books on parenting and family life, and writes for parenting websites. She is the ambassador for a vitamin company, and involved in charity work. Antonia is the younger sister of actress Nicole Kidman.

Craig is an Australian-born banker who has lived for more than a decade in Hong Kong and Singapore. He and Antonia were married in 2010 while on holiday in South Africa, and the family now live in Singapore together.

(Picture shows Antonia and Craig with several children; photo from the Herald Sun)

Musician and singer-songwriter Bernard Fanning, and his wife Andrea Moreno, welcomed their son Freddie early this year. Freddie Fanning joins big sister Gabriella.

Bernard was the lead singer of rock band Powderfinger, which formed in the late 1980s and broke up in 2010. The band gained both commercial and critical success, winning many awards, and enjoying great popularity. Since 2005, Bernard has also pursued a solo career, with his debut album, Tea and Sympathy, released in 2005. He is currently recording his second solo album in Los Angeles.

Andrea is from Spain, and she and Bernard met while he was writing and recording his first solo album in Europe; they were married in 2007. The family lived in Madrid for 18 months together, and plan to move to Brisbane next month once the album is complete.

Freddie’s birth was only recently announced in the press.

NRL player John Morris, and his wife Michelle, welcomed their son Taj Daniel in late October. Taj Morris joins big brother Cruz.

John has been playing rugby league professionally since 2001, and signed with the Cronulla Sharks in 2010. He was selected for Country Origin in 2002 and 2003. John is currently completing a Masters degree in coaching, and his favourite TV programme is Dora the Explorer.

Taj was featured on the blog as a name which only charts in Australia, and makes a very surfie sibset with Cruz, suitable for the seaside suburb of Cronulla.

(Photo of John from the Cronulla Sharks website)

AFL star Daniel Kerr, and his wife Natasha Pozo, welcomed their daughter Ruby June on November 26. Ruby Kerr weighed 3.16 kg (6lb 15oz). She joins big sister Lola, aged 1, whose birth was announced on the blog last year.

People were quite fond of big sis’ name, Lola Violet – how do you like Ruby June as a match for it?

(Photo of Daniel and Lola from Perth Now)

Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell, and his wife Erin, welcomed their son Archie Hudson on November 14. Archie Maxwell joins big sister Milla, aged nearly 2. Milla’s birth was mentioned on the blog last year.

Alan Didak, and his partner Jacinta Jellett, welcomed their first child in early September, and have named their daughter Indiana Willow.

(Picture is of Archie Maxwell)