As her due date draws nearer, pregnant teen star Jamie Lynn Spears has been risking getting chased by paparazzi and attracting more media frenzy by going out and taking time to see some of her pals back home in Louisiana.

“She's making a real effort to get together with her friends,” a friend of Spears, who stars in the Nickelodeon tween series Zoey 101, told Us magazine.  “She seems really happy.”

The 16-year-old actress was spotted at a local baseball game in Louisiana on Sunday, clad in a high school homecoming T-shirt from 06-'07 and jeans.  Photographs reveal a slight baby bump.

Jamie Lynn Spears, who plays the titular character in Zoey 101, announced her pregnancy last December.  Since then, she has been trying to keep a low profile, declining to speak publicly about her condition.  She, however, put her down time to good use by studying, and in January, earned her GED.

While Spears has yet to reveal the gender of her baby, reports are circulating that the actress is expecting a boy.  She and older sister, Britney Spears, were seen purchasing blue baby items, including pajamas, organic blankets and towels, at Petit Tresor in Los Angeles last month.

"Britney originally said the items were for her two sons Jayden James and Sean Preston, but it appeared to be a cover for Jamie Lynn. None of the items could have been for the two kids Britney already has - they were for a small baby,” a source told MSNBC.  “Britney and Jamie Lynn were only in the store for around 20 minutes but they bought several items that were light blue in color."

Jamie Lynn Spears is expected to give birth in late spring. It has been reported that that the Zoey 101 star plans to marry the baby's father, Casey Aldridge, and go back to college to continue her education.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Us Magazine, MSNBC
(Image Courtesy of Us)