2004

Gwen Stefani

November 23

Gwen Goes Solo

Stefani releases Love.Angel.Music.Baby, her first solo album. She tells EW that No Doubt is "taking a break, but we are definitely not breaking up." Giving the album a four-star review and naming it "the party album of 2004," PEOPLE proclaims, "It's official: Gwen Stefani is the new Madonna." The album sells more than half a million copies in the first two weeks and will top three million in sales over the next year.

2005

Gwen Stefani

September 16

Fashion Week

For her first L.A.M.B. runway show – attended by Lenny Kravitz, Faith Hill, Diddy and Ashanti – Stefani surprises husband Rossdale by playing one of his songs for the show. Stefani tells PEOPLE that her mother, Patricia, "was the one who taught me how to sew, so she's the guest of honor tonight."

December 08

Five Nods, Zero Wins

Stefani's solo album earns five Grammy nominations – Album of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration – but she leaves the ceremony empty-handed.

2006

Gwen Stefani

May 26

Hey Baby, Hey Baby, Hey

Stefani gives birth to her first child (and Rossdale's second), Kingston James McGregor Rossdale. His nursery is outfitted with $300 sheets in a black-and-white motif, and Stefani also begins designing a new line of baby clothes. The couple also pays nearly $15.5 million for an ultra-private 10,000-sq.-ft., four-bedroom Beverly Hills home that once belonged to Jennifer Lopez.

Gwen Stefani

September

Hello Dolly

Stefani announces the year-end launch of a line of limited-edition dolls inspired by her eclectic onstage styles. "The Harajuku girls and I wore such wicked costumes, we had to share them with the world again," she says in a statement.

Gwen Stefani

December 05

Stefani's Sweet Escape

Stefani releases her sophomore album, The Sweet Escape. While her first single, "Wind It Up," features Stefani yodeling to a The Sound of Music beat, it's her title track "The Sweet Escape" that really makes an impression on the charts, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2008

Gwen Stefani

August 21

Gwen & Gavin's Zuma

Stefani, 38, and Rossdale, 42, welcome their second son together, Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale. Zuma joins older brother Kingston, who turned two in May. Of juggling two sons, Rossdale tells PEOPLE, "One is one, and two is 10. That's all we know. [But] it's not so bad. We've got it down now, you know."

2009

Gwen Stefani

May 17

No Doubt’s Back

After five years apart, No Doubt reunites, kicking off their summer tour in Las Vegas. "The only reason we're doing the tour is to feel inspired," Stefani, 39, tells a crowd of 12,000 in Vegas. The tour follows the band’s acting debut on the CW’s Gossip Girl.

Photo Credits

BIOGRAPHY (top to bottom): Filmmagic; RILLORAZA/JFX IMAGES; James Devaney/WireImage; amazon.com; Dennis Stefani; Landov

Edited by Janet Mock