Howie Dorough and Wife Expecting a Baby
 Damon Tucci |
Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough and his wife Leigh, a real estate broker, are expecting their first child in June, they tell PEOPLE exclusively.
“I know she’s going to be a great mother,” says Howie. “If she can take care of me, the biggest baby in the entire world, I think she’s going to be okay with the little one coming along.” Adds Leigh: “I think he’s going to be more hands-on than anyone expects. He’s someone who will get up in the night and change diapers. He’s such a partner of mine.”
After marrying in December 2007, the Doroughs planned to travel before starting a family. “We’ve been together going on eight years, but we wanted to enjoy and adjust to living married life first,” Howie tells PEOPLE. “So for the first eight months we traveled all over the world on an extended honeymoon.”
Howie, 35, and Leigh, 34, had “an amazing time” as they hopped from Japan to Australia to Europe and back to North America on tour with his band. But tragedy struck last spring when Dorough’s father Hoke was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer. He passed away just three months later in June 2008. “That kind of put things into perspective — passing on and bringing new life into the world,” says Howie. “At that point we started focusing in on having a child. The baby is due the same month that my dad passed away last year, so it’s almost like realizing life is a circle.”
How did Leigh share the good news? Will they find out the sex of the baby? Find out below!
Leigh, whose cravings include blueberry muffins, devised a plan to break the news to Howie after discovering she was pregnant after only a month of trying. “Leigh surprised me with breakfast in bed. I knew something was up,” Howie recalls. “I looked down and saw the pregnancy test strip on the tray. The look on my face was like something from America’s Funniest Home Videos. I thought, ‘Oh my god! Here we go! This is it!’” Says Leigh of conceiving so quickly: “We were really blessed and lucky.”
The couple, who doesn’t want to find out the baby’s sex before the birth, is planning a gender-neutral nursery. “We have a home in L.A. that’s modern, a lot of wood,” says Howie. “We want to do earth tones for the nursery. We’ve been talking about a jungle or safari theme.” The Doroughs say that many on Howie’s side of the family are thinking blue — although Howie’s siblings have children, and Leigh’s sister had twins last year, there isn’t a male to carry on the Dorough family surname. “So I think everybody would love a boy,” he says. “We’re just hoping for a healthy baby.”
Howie is the third Backstreet Boy to expand his family — bandmate Brian Littrell and wife Leighanne have a 6 ½-year-old son, Baylee, while Kevin Richardson, who left the group in 2006, has an 18-month-old son named Mason with wife Kristin.
Source: PEOPLE
– Marisa Laudadio
- Posted on Jan 13, 09 at 6:45PM
- Permalink
- 30 Comments
January 13th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Oh wow!!! Congrats!!! I think Howie will be an awesome dad b/c he seems like such a caring person!!! CONGRATS!!
January 13th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Awww congrats to them both!
The other two guys better get busy
January 13th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
OMGGGGGG! I can’t believe this is official! It’s been a rumor for weeks.
YAY HOWIE AND LEIGH!
*hopes it’s another boy* Cause three makes a boy band!
January 13th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Also, @Mandy…
Nick and AJ need WOMEN before they have BABIES.
(Nick! I’m single! j/k)
January 13th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Boy band babies rock! Congrats!
January 13th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Congrats to Howie and his wife!
January 13th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Ahhhh! Congratulations to them! Aw i’m so happy, Howie is my favourite Backstreet Boy!!
AWESOME.
January 13th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Awww, I am so happy for Howie and his wife! I have been a Howie fan for 11 years, and I know he’s always wanted a family of his own. CONGRATS, it’s going to be a BEAUTIFUL baby!
January 13th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Aw! Congrats! He wasn’t my favorite BSB (I think it was his hair…) but he looks like he’s gotten soooo much better with age! I’m happy for them! That’s exciting news.
January 13th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
This is such awesome news for Howie and Leigh. And from the chat on BSB’s site tonight it sounds like he’s truly thrilled about bringing another BSB baby into the world.
Congrats to him and Leigh!
January 13th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Congratulations! wasn’t that a meaningful quote about the circle of life?
January 13th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Howie was/is my favorite Backstreet Boy! She’s so lucky to have such a cutie pie for a husband! Congratulations to them! What a blessing!
January 13th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Maybe it will be a girl, and they’ll become the next No Doubt or Paramore.
January 13th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
That is so exciting! I can’t wait for the next Backstreet Baby!
Congratulations, Howie and Leigh!
January 13th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Congratulations Howie and Leigh!!!!! I have been a fan of the Backstreet Boys for years and I think that Howie will be a wonderful father and that Leigh will be a fantastic mother. I can’t wait til the baby’s born and we can hopefully see the first official photos of baby Dorough. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
January 13th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Howie is the sweetest guy and I’m so excited for him and Leigh. I know they are a great couple and will make a beautiful family. His family is wonderful and I’m sure they’re so excited. I wish this couple nothing but the best!
January 14th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Congrats to Howie and Leigh
They will probably make great parents
January 14th, 2009 at 7:13 am
Yay! Another Backstreet Baby!! Congratulations to Howie and Leigh!! I’m so happy for them!! Loving the jungle/safari theme for the nursery too!!
January 14th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Congratulations Howie and Leigh!!!!
We fans of Brazil are very happy with the news
I’m sure you’ll be a great and wonderful father
I can’t wait for the next Backstreet Baby!!!!!
I love Howie
You’re my favorite Backstreet Boys
January 14th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I am THE biggest BSB fan EVER (and still not afraid to admit it!!! I’m so happy for Howie, what a blessing!! Congrats to them.
January 14th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Congrats to Howie and Leigh. And best of luck with the pregnancy.
I know his family wants someone to carry on the family name, but why leave it to the males? Some females can carry on the family name as well if the parents see fit to give them both last names.
Best of both worlds.
January 14th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I remember Howie told fans after he got hitched, that he hopes he would be the next BSB to have a baby… and well look it came true!!!! CONGRATS!!! (my bet its a boy)
January 14th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Congrats to them both. Any (good) BSB news makes me smile.
January 14th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
congations to howie and leigh. i am so happy for them!
January 15th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I am very very very happy for them ! What an exciting news. I bet the baby will carry his father’s name if it’s a boy. I think everything happens for a reason : his father will look upon them and the precious baby to come. Best of luck !
January 16th, 2009 at 11:00 am
This is really cool!!!
Congratulations!!!
And the safari theme… I Love it!
I am really out of word, very very happy…
Howie and Leigh deserve it all.
P.S.: Nick, A.J., Get marry!! Make babys!! This World with BSBabys is a more musical and beautifull world… LOL.
January 17th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Congratulations to Howie and Leigh for their new bundle of joy! I know they will make a gorgeous latino colored baby, and I kind of hope they`ll have a babygirl because I think after Brian and Kevins two backstreet babyboys Howie needs a little girl to protect and love. And if its a girl I`ll bet they will name her Caroline after Howies sister who died of Lupus 10 years ago. But again, as someone pointed out three little boys could make a future boyband..
Wonder what Howie meant by refering to himself as “the biggest baby in the entire world”? I`m looking forward to seeing the first photos of Howie and Leighs baby,cuz I think maybe they will do a photoshoot with People magazine. And I`m glad that soon we`ll have two backstreet kids on tour.
January 18th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Congratulations to Howie & Leigh! I’m REALLY feeling boy on this one!
January 19th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Awww, I am so happy for him!!! Even though Brian was my all time favorite, this is so great for Howie.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
nice name!!!