At an intimate show in his hometown of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, February 9, Blake Shelton offered the crowd plenty of their favorites — including his girlfriend, Gwen Stefani. “Gwen sat in the stands and was grooving along,” a concert-goer says in the new issue of Us Weekly. “Blake sang a lot in her direction.” At one point, he even shared a sweet detail of their home life, says the witness: “Their dog was having puppies and they couldn’t wait to get home!”
For now, those furry family members are serving as surrogates of sorts. “Blake and Gwen have decided to put plans to have a baby on hold,” an insider shares in the new issue. “Their feeling is if it happens naturally, great. But they’ve decided to not focus on it for the time being.”
Stefani, 48, and Shelton, 41, have been trying to conceive for over a year, the source reveals. But the one blessing of their struggle is that it’s made them stronger than ever. The source says Shelton is “absolutely devoted” to Gwen’s sons, Kingston, 11, Zuma, 9, and Apollo, 4: “Blake is extremely attentive, loving and doting towards Gwen and the boys.”
Shelton’s devotion is part of what made the couple try for a child together. “Blake has always wanted children,” explains a friend. “And he’s great with Gwen’s kids, which prompted them wanting their own.”
The No Doubt singer was all in — but not anymore. “Not because of a change in her love for Blake,” explains the source, “but because she feels as if it might not be meant to be.” The country star is on board with her thoughts. “He is completely at peace with the prospect of not having any biological children of his own,” shares the insider.
With no baby, they’ve also put their wedding plans on hold. Says the source, “Gwen is very traditional and wouldn’t want to be pregnant without being married.”
Still, things are hardly cooling off for the Voice coaches. “Their relationship has grown and matured into a stable, loving union,” explains the source. “The need to get married and have kids isn’t the priority it once was.”
When the duo first announced they were dating in November 2015, they were both going through emotional divorces. Stefani split from the father of her boys, Gavin Rossdale, after being married for 13 years, and Shelton had recently ended his four-year union with Miranda Lambert.
Now, the pair have settled in to an “easy, effortless love” together, says the source. That includes spending plenty of time on Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch — something the glamour girl surprisingly adores! Another favorite activity? “Gwen loves hanging out with Blake’s friends and wives,” says the source. The low-key loves enjoyed a couples’ trip with pals in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, this January.
For more on the couple’s decision to put their baby plans on hold, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.
