* Happy news comes two years after star's miscarriage* Couple say they do not know sex of unborn child
* Child was conceived naturally
After months of speculation, Mariah Carey has finally confirmed she is expecting her first child with husband Nick Cannon in the spring.
The 41-year-old singer made the announcement on The Today Show, and admitted both she and Cannon are 'absolutely emotional' about the news.
In a sneak peek of Mariah's Access Hollywood three-part interview due to air this week, Mariah is seen saying: 'Yes, we are pregnant. This is true.
'It’s been a long journey. It’s been tough because I’ve been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy.'
The singer said she felt she had to speak out to confirm the news, adding: 'At this point, there is no choice. I either talk or I hibernate,
While Mariah refused to name her due date, she did say: 'It's still early' before continuing, 'expecting is great'.
Cannon, 30, added: 'The greatest gift on earth is a child.
'We’ve had names picked out from the first day we met and we want to stay true to that.'
The happy news comes after Mariah had a miscarriage nearly two years ago.
In the interview with Billy Bush, which will air in the US on Thursday, she said the experience had been both traumatic and painful.
She said: '“It kind of shook us both and took us into a place that was really dark and difficult.
'When that happened, I wasn’t able to even talk to anybody about it. That was not easy.'
Cannon added: 'It definitely brought us closer together. It strengthened our relationship so much… She handled it so well.'
He hailed his wife's strength for being able to laugh in front of the cameras, but later, 'crying herself to sleep'.
Bush said that Carey told him the baby was conceived naturally, and added that the couple does not know its sex.
Mariah prompted rumours that she was expecting when she stepped out in August wearing a maternity dress.
However, she quickly followed the reports with a statement from her agent Cindi Berger.
The statement read: 'I appreciate everyone’s well wishes. But I am very superstitious. When the time is right, everyone will know - even Cindi Berger.'
In August, Cannon spoke about Mariah's maternal instinct, explaining: 'She's very nurturing.
'She's nurturing with me and makes me breakfast at anytime and that's my favorite food. It would be like 3 o'clock in the morning and she will still make me waffles. She'll be the best mom.'
And asked if he would like a boy or a girl, Cannon replied: 'It's great to have a girl until she turns into a teenager. Then you have to worry about every other boy in the neighborhood and that would freak me out.
'With a boy, I'd be worrying about him breaking his arms and his legs. I was that type of kid. I was a daredevil so I'd be having to worry about that.'
At the launch of her new Christmas album Merry Christmas II You, the singer looked much fuller-faced and showed off her new curves in a blue velvet dress.
And Thandie Newton, who replaced Mariah when she had to pull out of new movie Colored Girls, also accidentally confirmed the news when she appeared on The View yesterday.
When quizzed about why Thandie took over Mariah's role, she said: 'I think she is pregnant.'
Realising the error of her ways, she stumbled over her words as she continued: 'Or something major is going on in her life, so I carried the baton for her.'
She added: 'I only had two days to make a decision to play it.'
Source:Dailymail