Mel
25th Mar 08, 19:23
Lisa Scott-Lee - or Lisa Shentall-Lee as she now wants to be known - is best-loved as a singer in Steps, the hugely successful British pop group. Her husband, Johnny Shentall, was a dancer with the group before replacing Kym Marsh in the band Hear'Say.
Now the couple, who met nine years ago and have been married since August 2004, are proud to introduce their latest collaboration - their adorable new son.
Cradling litde Jaden in her arms, Lisa welcomes hello! into the couple's stunning,
six-bedroom house in Berkshire. "Every time I stroke his cheek, he looks at me and smiles," says Lisa, gazing adoringly at her baby bundle. "When he gazes into my eyes, he makes my heart melt"
His entrance into the world came two weeks earlier than expected - at 2.29pm on 23 February, weighing 61b 10oz. For his mum Lisa, 32, his debut in a special birthing pool was remarkably smooth and she describes the experience as sublime.
"We were the only couple in the hospital, so the entire place was quiet and peaceful," she says. "The two midwives looked after us brilliantly. To the sound of a James Morrison album playing on my iPod, little Jaden was born."
Johnny, 29, adds: "Lisa was incredible. I've never seen so much strength in my life. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. I've a new wave of respect for her. I don't think any bloke could go through with what she did. Then, when Jaden was born, I felt an overwhelming feeling of love for them both. He's brought a new dimension into our lives."
Here, the couple exclusively share the details of Lisa's pregnancy and Jaden's birth - and their joy of becoming parents for the first rime.
Lisa and Johnny, when did you realise that Jaden was about to make his appearance?
Lisa: "I woke up at 7am with contractions. I let them continue for an hour before I knew instinctively that I was actually in labour. When I first found out I was pregnant, I'd woken up Johnny with the words: 'Wake up, sweetheart. It's going to be a special day. We're having a baby.' So at 8am when I went into labour. I woke up Johnny and said, 'Sweetheart, I think it's going to be another special day!'"
Johnny: I leapt out of bed, ran Lisa a warm bath and put candles all around it I thought the warm water would ease the pain. Then I tidied the house in a mad rampage."
Lisa: "Johnny was 'nesting'. By 11am, my contractions were irregular but very strong. 'This is it,' I told him. 'But you've got days to go yet,' he replied. 'Oh no I haven't,' I said, 'I'm having the baby today.'"
Johnny: By this stage Lisa was out of the bath and was wearing a tens machine to relieve the pain. During her contractions, Lisa could hardly speak. She had to communicate with me by putting her thumbs up for a mild contraction, and down for a really bad one. When I phoned the birthing centre, at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, the midwife told me that if Lisa
had reached the stage where she couldn't speak, it was time to bring her in."
[B]What was the journey to hospital like?
Lisa: "The longest 15 minutes of my life. We kept getting stuck behind slow vehicles and then came up against a police check of cars being randomly stopped. To top it all, my waters broke in Johnny's brand new car.
How did the actual birth go?
Johnny: "I'm just relieved we picked a hospital that was close to home. If we'd opted for a hospital in the centre of London, as we'd considered in the beginning, Lisa would have been giving birth in the car on the hard shoulder of the M4."
How did the actual birth go?
Lisa: It was beautiful experience. The lovely big white birthing pool was in a relaxing room with a mirror ball on the ceiling. I wanted a water birth because I've always been drawn to water. I grew up by the sea and feel relaxed whenever I'm near it. Once I was in labour, a feeling of calm came[BREAK] over me. I think the water acted as a form of pain relief, too. I couldn't have had an epidural anyway as there is a low platelet level in my blood.
"I must have been in labour for only seven hours, and it was the most extraordinary experience. Although it was painful, I felt as if I were on a natural high. I held on to Johnny quite a bit, and dug my nails in his arm. My mum, who's had four children, lives locally so she was able to be there with me, too. She'd already advised me to file my nails before I gave birth as she knew this would happen, but Jaden came so unexpectedly that I didn't have time."
Johnny: "I hardly noticed Lisa digging her nails into me; I just wanted to do everything I could to help. I mopped her brow and whispered to her reassuringly to help keep her calm. While it was happening, I recalled Myleene Klass's fiance, Graham Quinn, telling me how he felt when he watched Myleene give birth to their baby girl Ava last August. 'You'll do anything in your power to make sure your partner and the baby are okay,' he said."
Did you know you were having a boy?
Lisa: "I felt sure it was a boy because a psychic had predicted it. I was performing in the show Dancing on Ice when she told me that I would fall pregnant in six weeks' time, and that I would have son. She was almost spot on. I discovered I was pregnant eight weeks later."
Johnny: "When Jaden arrived, Lisa and I were so overcome with emotion that we didn't even ask whether it was a girl or a boy. It was only when Lisa's mum asked, 'What is it?' that we even looked. We didn't mind as long as our baby was healthy."
Who held Jaden first?
Lisa: "When he popped out, the midwife placed him [BREAK]straight on my chest He latched on to feed straight away. Johnny and I both had tears in our eyes. It was such a wonderful moment and I'll never forget it. Putting a face to the little person I'd been carrying for nine months was amazing. He had dark brown hair and the most beautiful lips."
Johnny: "I cut Jaden's umbilical cord. It was an amazing feeling, to see our baby come out and be put on my wife's chest. A powerful sense of love swept through me and took everything to the next level for us in terms of our love for each other and for the baby."
How long did you spend in hospital?
Lisa: "Only one night Johnny had bought me a special card in case I wanted to watch TV, but instead I stared at Jaden for hours."
How did it feel bringing Jaden home for the first time?
"It was fantastic. Our families were waiting for us at home to meet him, which was an emotional time for us all. Although we didn't get much sleep that night Jaden settled into a routine straight away."
"The day we brought him home, Johnny was so romantic. He presented me with 24 red roses and a diamond eternity ring placed in die middle of one of them."
How did you choose the name Jaden?
"My nickname for Johnny is 'J' and my grandfather, Jason, who I was very close to, was also called 'J' for short So Johnny and I had planned to name him Jay, until we watched the Will Smith film The Pursuit of Happyness the night before I went into labour. The film has a little boy called Jaden it, which really appealed to us. It seemed particularly appropriate because I gave birth the next day."
When did you decide to have a baby?
"Last year. Johnny and I had always wanted children, but decided to enjoy time together for a few years before trying. We'd both done a lot in our careers and felt the time was right after I'd competed in Dancing on Ice. I was the fittest I'd ever been thanks to that show, which I believe made me more fertile."
Did you develop any cravings during your pregnancy, Lisa?
"Only cake. We had lots of birthdays in September: Johnny's, my mum's and my dad's and Johnny's mum's, so there was loads of cake for me. For the first three months, though, I went off food in general because I felt nauseous."
Johnny: "It was hard for me because it reached a stage where I told her, 'Lisa, you've got to eat'"
Did you enjoy your pregnancy?
Lisa: "After the nausea subsided, I had a lovely pregnancy. Sometimes I felt strange about my body changing and had to adjust. Having trained as a dancer, I felt self-conscious about my bump. I'd ask Johnny, 'Does my bump look big in diis?'"
Johnny: "It suited Lisa being pregnant I thought she looked sexy and gorgeous."
Did you shop for baby dungs?
Lisa: "Not for a while as we were still working and I performed during a promotional tour in China. Then Johnny and I performed in a pantomime together. We waited until we'd reached seven months before we actually bought anything, which was also partly because we were superstitious."
Did you play music to your bump?
"We always have music playing at home. But when I was on stage performing during a show I could feel Jaden kicking like crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if he's musical when he grows up."
What is your daily routine?
"Jaden slipped into one as soon as he came home. I feed him every three hours throughout the day, then every four hours at night. He turns into a gremlin at night, making all these strange noises. He only wakes up for his feeds so he's a
dream baby. Johnny and I are very much a team. He does all the cooking and cleaning, then brings me breakfast in bed in the morning while he looks after Jaden to give me a rest. I crave [soft] boiled eggs as I couldn't have them for nine months."
[B]Who does Jaden resemble?
"Jaden has the same expressions as his dad. When he yawns he looks exactly like him."
When is the christening?
"This summer. We plan to organise it the week of our fourth wedding anniversary, and have a big garden party here."
Have your brother Andy (Scott-Lee) and his Liberty X star wife Michelle Heaton visited yet?
"Yes, Andy was the first person to visit at the hospital. He and Michelle brought Jaden a beautiful soft play mat and some lovely clothes. Claire [Richards] and Faye [Tozer] from Steps also came to see Jaden at home."
Who are his godparents?
"We have lots of celebrity friends, but have chosen seven of our closest non-celebrity friends for this special job."
How has parenthood changed you?
"I used to get bogged down by all the knocks in the music industry. Now none of it bothers me. Taking time out to be with Jaden and Johnny is all that matters."
Johnny: "It's made the world of difference to me. I went for a game of snooker recency but couldn't wait to get back to Jaden and Lisa."
So would you like more children?
Lisa: "Definitely. We moved to this house to start a family and now we'd like to fill up these empty rooms."
Now the couple, who met nine years ago and have been married since August 2004, are proud to introduce their latest collaboration - their adorable new son.
Cradling litde Jaden in her arms, Lisa welcomes hello! into the couple's stunning,
six-bedroom house in Berkshire. "Every time I stroke his cheek, he looks at me and smiles," says Lisa, gazing adoringly at her baby bundle. "When he gazes into my eyes, he makes my heart melt"
His entrance into the world came two weeks earlier than expected - at 2.29pm on 23 February, weighing 61b 10oz. For his mum Lisa, 32, his debut in a special birthing pool was remarkably smooth and she describes the experience as sublime.
"We were the only couple in the hospital, so the entire place was quiet and peaceful," she says. "The two midwives looked after us brilliantly. To the sound of a James Morrison album playing on my iPod, little Jaden was born."
Johnny, 29, adds: "Lisa was incredible. I've never seen so much strength in my life. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. I've a new wave of respect for her. I don't think any bloke could go through with what she did. Then, when Jaden was born, I felt an overwhelming feeling of love for them both. He's brought a new dimension into our lives."
Here, the couple exclusively share the details of Lisa's pregnancy and Jaden's birth - and their joy of becoming parents for the first rime.
Lisa and Johnny, when did you realise that Jaden was about to make his appearance?
Lisa: "I woke up at 7am with contractions. I let them continue for an hour before I knew instinctively that I was actually in labour. When I first found out I was pregnant, I'd woken up Johnny with the words: 'Wake up, sweetheart. It's going to be a special day. We're having a baby.' So at 8am when I went into labour. I woke up Johnny and said, 'Sweetheart, I think it's going to be another special day!'"
Johnny: I leapt out of bed, ran Lisa a warm bath and put candles all around it I thought the warm water would ease the pain. Then I tidied the house in a mad rampage."
Lisa: "Johnny was 'nesting'. By 11am, my contractions were irregular but very strong. 'This is it,' I told him. 'But you've got days to go yet,' he replied. 'Oh no I haven't,' I said, 'I'm having the baby today.'"
Johnny: By this stage Lisa was out of the bath and was wearing a tens machine to relieve the pain. During her contractions, Lisa could hardly speak. She had to communicate with me by putting her thumbs up for a mild contraction, and down for a really bad one. When I phoned the birthing centre, at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, the midwife told me that if Lisa
had reached the stage where she couldn't speak, it was time to bring her in."
[B]What was the journey to hospital like?
Lisa: "The longest 15 minutes of my life. We kept getting stuck behind slow vehicles and then came up against a police check of cars being randomly stopped. To top it all, my waters broke in Johnny's brand new car.
How did the actual birth go?
Johnny: "I'm just relieved we picked a hospital that was close to home. If we'd opted for a hospital in the centre of London, as we'd considered in the beginning, Lisa would have been giving birth in the car on the hard shoulder of the M4."
How did the actual birth go?
Lisa: It was beautiful experience. The lovely big white birthing pool was in a relaxing room with a mirror ball on the ceiling. I wanted a water birth because I've always been drawn to water. I grew up by the sea and feel relaxed whenever I'm near it. Once I was in labour, a feeling of calm came[BREAK] over me. I think the water acted as a form of pain relief, too. I couldn't have had an epidural anyway as there is a low platelet level in my blood.
"I must have been in labour for only seven hours, and it was the most extraordinary experience. Although it was painful, I felt as if I were on a natural high. I held on to Johnny quite a bit, and dug my nails in his arm. My mum, who's had four children, lives locally so she was able to be there with me, too. She'd already advised me to file my nails before I gave birth as she knew this would happen, but Jaden came so unexpectedly that I didn't have time."
Johnny: "I hardly noticed Lisa digging her nails into me; I just wanted to do everything I could to help. I mopped her brow and whispered to her reassuringly to help keep her calm. While it was happening, I recalled Myleene Klass's fiance, Graham Quinn, telling me how he felt when he watched Myleene give birth to their baby girl Ava last August. 'You'll do anything in your power to make sure your partner and the baby are okay,' he said."
Did you know you were having a boy?
Lisa: "I felt sure it was a boy because a psychic had predicted it. I was performing in the show Dancing on Ice when she told me that I would fall pregnant in six weeks' time, and that I would have son. She was almost spot on. I discovered I was pregnant eight weeks later."
Johnny: "When Jaden arrived, Lisa and I were so overcome with emotion that we didn't even ask whether it was a girl or a boy. It was only when Lisa's mum asked, 'What is it?' that we even looked. We didn't mind as long as our baby was healthy."
Who held Jaden first?
Lisa: "When he popped out, the midwife placed him [BREAK]straight on my chest He latched on to feed straight away. Johnny and I both had tears in our eyes. It was such a wonderful moment and I'll never forget it. Putting a face to the little person I'd been carrying for nine months was amazing. He had dark brown hair and the most beautiful lips."
Johnny: "I cut Jaden's umbilical cord. It was an amazing feeling, to see our baby come out and be put on my wife's chest. A powerful sense of love swept through me and took everything to the next level for us in terms of our love for each other and for the baby."
How long did you spend in hospital?
Lisa: "Only one night Johnny had bought me a special card in case I wanted to watch TV, but instead I stared at Jaden for hours."
How did it feel bringing Jaden home for the first time?
"It was fantastic. Our families were waiting for us at home to meet him, which was an emotional time for us all. Although we didn't get much sleep that night Jaden settled into a routine straight away."
"The day we brought him home, Johnny was so romantic. He presented me with 24 red roses and a diamond eternity ring placed in die middle of one of them."
How did you choose the name Jaden?
"My nickname for Johnny is 'J' and my grandfather, Jason, who I was very close to, was also called 'J' for short So Johnny and I had planned to name him Jay, until we watched the Will Smith film The Pursuit of Happyness the night before I went into labour. The film has a little boy called Jaden it, which really appealed to us. It seemed particularly appropriate because I gave birth the next day."
When did you decide to have a baby?
"Last year. Johnny and I had always wanted children, but decided to enjoy time together for a few years before trying. We'd both done a lot in our careers and felt the time was right after I'd competed in Dancing on Ice. I was the fittest I'd ever been thanks to that show, which I believe made me more fertile."
Did you develop any cravings during your pregnancy, Lisa?
"Only cake. We had lots of birthdays in September: Johnny's, my mum's and my dad's and Johnny's mum's, so there was loads of cake for me. For the first three months, though, I went off food in general because I felt nauseous."
Johnny: "It was hard for me because it reached a stage where I told her, 'Lisa, you've got to eat'"
Did you enjoy your pregnancy?
Lisa: "After the nausea subsided, I had a lovely pregnancy. Sometimes I felt strange about my body changing and had to adjust. Having trained as a dancer, I felt self-conscious about my bump. I'd ask Johnny, 'Does my bump look big in diis?'"
Johnny: "It suited Lisa being pregnant I thought she looked sexy and gorgeous."
Did you shop for baby dungs?
Lisa: "Not for a while as we were still working and I performed during a promotional tour in China. Then Johnny and I performed in a pantomime together. We waited until we'd reached seven months before we actually bought anything, which was also partly because we were superstitious."
Did you play music to your bump?
"We always have music playing at home. But when I was on stage performing during a show I could feel Jaden kicking like crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if he's musical when he grows up."
What is your daily routine?
"Jaden slipped into one as soon as he came home. I feed him every three hours throughout the day, then every four hours at night. He turns into a gremlin at night, making all these strange noises. He only wakes up for his feeds so he's a
dream baby. Johnny and I are very much a team. He does all the cooking and cleaning, then brings me breakfast in bed in the morning while he looks after Jaden to give me a rest. I crave [soft] boiled eggs as I couldn't have them for nine months."
[B]Who does Jaden resemble?
"Jaden has the same expressions as his dad. When he yawns he looks exactly like him."
When is the christening?
"This summer. We plan to organise it the week of our fourth wedding anniversary, and have a big garden party here."
Have your brother Andy (Scott-Lee) and his Liberty X star wife Michelle Heaton visited yet?
"Yes, Andy was the first person to visit at the hospital. He and Michelle brought Jaden a beautiful soft play mat and some lovely clothes. Claire [Richards] and Faye [Tozer] from Steps also came to see Jaden at home."
Who are his godparents?
"We have lots of celebrity friends, but have chosen seven of our closest non-celebrity friends for this special job."
How has parenthood changed you?
"I used to get bogged down by all the knocks in the music industry. Now none of it bothers me. Taking time out to be with Jaden and Johnny is all that matters."
Johnny: "It's made the world of difference to me. I went for a game of snooker recency but couldn't wait to get back to Jaden and Lisa."
So would you like more children?
Lisa: "Definitely. We moved to this house to start a family and now we'd like to fill up these empty rooms."