Britney, Preston and Jayden Do ELLE!

Courtesy ELLE

Britney‘s baaaack.

The pop star, who celebrated her 28th birthday on Wednesday, is posing for the cover of the January issue of ELLE magazine – and we have a look at the photos.

Britney walks the line between glamorous and sweet and sexy in the pictorial, which features her two sons with ex-hubby Kevin Federline, Sean Preston, 4, and Jayden James, 3.

In one photo, she peeks out from under the covers of a fluffy bed and in another she props herself on the kitchen counter as one of her sons plays in mess of cupcakes and frosting.

In her real life, things are going swimmingly for the singer, who recently wrapped the Australian leg of her Circus tour.

While sources shot down rumors of an engagement to boyfriend Jason Trawick, the couple are “very happy,” a source tells PEOPLE. And besides spending her birthday with her favorite boys, Britney got an extra special B-day gift: A Grammy nomination for best dance recording.

See two more photos from the magazine below!

Courtesy ELLE

Courtesy ELLE

Click here to see yesterday’s cutie!

Comments

Jayden looks like a little munchkin in that picture. Too cute!

- Mandy on December 3rd, 2009

Those boys are pretty darn cute! I am happy that she is doing better. Gorgeous Britney!

- Mom*of*boys on December 3rd, 2009

I love Britney! She looks great and her boys are adorable. She seems like a great mother and her boys really love her. I Hope and Pray that she stays on the right path. We’re all rooting for you Brit

- Jasmynn. L on December 3rd, 2009

I am so glad she is doing so well! Her boys are adorable and I hope that she continues to be the warm, wonderful, loving mother she is!

- Brianne on December 3rd, 2009

These pics were obviously taken awhile ago as the boys have had short buzzed heads since summer (not to mention they look really young)! But they’re very cute. And finally nice to see Britney looking healthy.

- JMO on December 3rd, 2009

I think the cover shot is adorable but the other two photos are odd. Britney peeking out of the covers with “Sexy eyes” while her baby is right next to her is a little creepy and the third shot is uber-weird with Britney looking like she just got in from the club with a buzz while her kids make cupcakes. strange.

- Rye on December 3rd, 2009

I agree with you Rye!!! The last two photos are quite strange and giving ‘bedroom’ eyes like that with your Son in the pic is just creepy. The one with the Cupcakes, she doesn’t look happy…looks like she’s trying to hide something with the shades on and the dress is not pretty.

- Doreen on December 3rd, 2009

That has to be one of the worst covers I have seen on Elle magazine in a long time! One kid looks like a marionette and the other looks…just off, I cannot quite put my finger on it…the other two pics, I totally agree with Rye on! Did they let the kids in charge of the photo shoot???

- lindaloo on December 3rd, 2009

That cover is weird. Jayden looks like a doll, as in, he looks fake.

- Jen on December 3rd, 2009

Wow, Rye, I am totally feeling you on this one! Bedroom eyes are a tad unsettling for a “family” shot and I’m seriously not getting the lingerie-y getup with the cupcakes… maybe it’s just me. The cover shot is adorable though! Handsome little dudes..

- Lin, San Francisco, CA on December 3rd, 2009

Yeah can’t say I like these photos either. The cover IS weird and the two shots shared are awkward.. I really don’t like the sexy look she is giving, is this a family photo or a sexy shoot? I remember Madonna did a bed photo with her kids and they were all just snuggled together under the covers.. no seductive stares lol.
The other one would be awesome if she wasn’t so out of place looking.

I thought there were more shots from this photo shoot and some of them looked better, pretty sure I saw them on http://www.britneys-babies.com

- Sarah on December 3rd, 2009

I’m not really sure what the person who designed this spread was going for. These pictures could have been really sweet family shots. Or, if they just wanted “sexy” photos, that could have been accomplished easily without the children. But, it’s like they were trying to combine family photos with sexy photos, and that’s weird.

Britney looks fantastic, and the boys are adorable. It’s nice to see her looking so well. Too bad ELLE magazine botched this photo shoot.

- mrsh on December 3rd, 2009

I think Britney is much more beautiful than that photo shot. Maybe too much retouching over the entire family. Something just seems off. That smile is not in her eyes either and you can tell.

- de on December 3rd, 2009

I also agree with Rye. The bedroom and kitchen photos are extremely odd. Everyone looks great, just not with this setup.

- Chris on December 3rd, 2009

Rye, I agree with you too. The first picture is adorable, but once I scrolled down and saw the other two, I really didn’t know what to say. The pictures are very odd. The sexy picture with her child on the bed is kind of strange. And why the sunglasses when you’re in the house with your own child? Very weird.

- Gabrielle on December 3rd, 2009

This looks like a photo shoot where the kids were obviously not ready or willing to cooperate – which is absolutely fine because as someone who’s had a photography job, kids are kids! They’re still cute as buttons :O) I would have done the cover shot and given up and done just Britney photos or something after that. Her children do not have to be in every picture with her. I mean really, I believe just by seeing her lately that she’s doing MUCH better. She doesn’t have to put pictures in the magazines to try and prove a point. I promise!

And I also agree with the above poster… these photos are definitely months old… maybe even from last spring, early summer. I feel like the boys have had short buzzed hair since July or August at least, and I’ve seen photos of them in the past few weeks with buzzed hair as well. If this shoot is for release in January I would have thought they could do a newer, more recent shoot?

- Rachel on December 3rd, 2009

I think all of the pictures look playful and fun the kids look happy what more can you ask for…

- t. on December 3rd, 2009

Most fashion magazine spreads leave me scratching my head. They rarely ever make sense.

- meghan on December 3rd, 2009

Totally agree Rye! that is bizarre to say the least! I would not want to pose with my son like that its just icky and weird. The awful one of them in the kitchen is strange, it doesnt look like a nice mother son shot at all! why isnt she wearing more casual clothes, lose the sunnies, and then look more like she is interacting with her son instead of posing for a sexy magazine shot. Doesnt look quite right to me.

- Melanie on December 3rd, 2009

I think these are fine. Nothing great, but nothing to get up in arms about either. They all look healthy, and it’s fashion as “art” so I’m giving it a thumbs up.

- christina on December 3rd, 2009

Am I the only one who doesnt think Britney is giving *sexy eyes*?!!

- KMP on December 3rd, 2009

the pics are a little strange, but i think there trying to capture the fact that brit is dressed like a star, and photographed with the kids the same time, basically playing two people at once, maybe a reference towards the song if u seek amy, because in the song again shes two people. i dont know if this is true but just hope that its more of a reference or a mistake, i dont know, lol.

- maryjane on December 3rd, 2009

Totally agree with Rye and lindaloo. A marionette is the first thing I thought of with the first picture and Rye perfectly describes the other two. Odd artistic choices.

- jen on December 3rd, 2009

Jeez, she can’t even pose for a magazine without people, who don’t know her, judging her. No wonder she went crazy.

- Kinsey on December 3rd, 2009

“She seems like a great mother” is the silliest thing I keep seeing on this site. Judging by what exactly?

- Mira on December 3rd, 2009

I think that the photos are meant to be ironic, representing the paradigm between her life as a ‘star’ to her everyday life as a mother? At least, that’s what I got out of them. I think they all look great

- Dana on December 3rd, 2009

This is a lovely spread and I’m certain that photo met the publication’s expectations. Folks with the crazy comments really need to calm down. Honestly.

- Melissa on December 4th, 2009

PLEASE PEOPLE! give the girl a break. We were not at the photo shoot. Maybe, Sean didn’t want to cooperate and went to the corner of the bed and Britney was just doing a pose. The kids are cute,no need to read to much into it.

- g!na on December 4th, 2009

Gosh, even the kids are photoshopped on the cover ! I agree with those who say the photo settings are slightly weird to say the least

- Cara on December 4th, 2009

don’t like the pictures…I agree with Rye.

- sil on December 4th, 2009

Britney, Sean Preston and Jayden (JJ) look great! I agree that these photos are older due to the fact that the boys have their long hair in them …..

- Bancie1031 on December 4th, 2009

Mira- Mostly by how she interacts with her boys.

Anyway, anyone notice that she’s *gasp* with Preston in the two bottom photos, and Jayden is nowhere in sight in them? Just goes to show that Britney DOES spend time with Preston!

- CelebBabyLover on December 4th, 2009

Very cute pictures! Jayden looks so much like Britney when she was the same age.

- Jane on December 4th, 2009

Am I the only one who think the bed picture is about playing hide and seek under the covers?

- Hea on December 4th, 2009

i agree with dana and maryjane, the photoshoot was probably done to highlights the contrast between britney the mother and britney the superstar.
IMO all pictures are very beautiful. but my favorite is the one where britney and the boys are near a pool (sadly it doesn’t appear here).

and strange… there’s no one here complaining about the fact that britney is more pictured with Preston than JJ!

- daze on December 4th, 2009

I agree with Rye. The last two look odd. The one of her sitting on the counter with her sunglasses on kind of looks like she has a hangover and can’t handle the light. Plus, look at her outfit. She should have been playing in the mess WITH her boys. But at least it seems she has passed the stage of being messed up. The one of her looking out of the bedsheets looks odd as well. Just my opinion. I don’t know her or her kids,

- mom to 3 boys on December 4th, 2009

While the cover is cute, I’m not comfortable with the other 2 pictures. I have nothing against sexy moms but, in my opion, Britney looks “too” sexy, especially in the last one which looks tacky to me, not sexy.

- Allie-Rose on December 4th, 2009

It’s good to see Britney doing better & looking healthier. Those boys are too cute!!

- sad on December 4th, 2009

I agree with those of you who said the pictures are meant to contrast her life as a pop star to life as a mom. It’s art people! She looks great and her boys are precious!

- Jessicad on December 4th, 2009

I think the pics are nice…..no one would have a problem with something like this if it was Saint Brad & Angelina……….

- Momof3 on December 4th, 2009

I really quite like the 3rd photo, it looks like she hopped right off the stage. And I really didn’t get a sexy face vibe from the second photo.

- Electra on December 4th, 2009

Momof3, are you kidding about the saint brad and angelina thing? because they are CONSTANTLY critisiced here. “they don’t take care of z’s hair, shiloh should dress like a girl, the kids are always dressed in black and white, oh look they’ve died their kids hair, they travel too much, they favour their adopted kids over their biological kids” to name but a few criticisms that crop up here a lot. i just don’t get it when people say that brad and angelina are never criticised…. a very odd comment…

- JM on December 4th, 2009

IT’S CALLED ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY PEOPLE! Geez. This photo shoot was obviously to show that Britney, despite the make-up, outfits and glamorous pop-princess image, is still just a young mother with two small boys.

I love the cover, so cute of the boys and Britney looks great.

This is not the Sears Portrait Studio people – I’m sure Elle’s top-notch photographer wanted to show them being exactly what they are…little boys.

- mamabear on December 4th, 2009

I don’t see “sexy eyes” in the bedroom picture. I don’t agree with the outfit choice in the 3rd but it doesn’t bother me. I will agree that the cover looks forced. Like Sean P just was not having it. But at that age it’s not easy to get kids to cooperate!

- JMO on December 4th, 2009

I’m glad to see Brit on the cover of an elegant magazine looking healthy instead of on a tabloid cover looking manic and with some embarrassing headline blaring. The boys look like I would expect two little rambunctious boys to look.

Its hard enough to get one small kid to sit still and take a decent photo so I’m sure getting the both of them to do so was hell

I still like the cover overall. I cannot decide who the boys like most like!?!

- Lola Marie on December 4th, 2009

Oops I meant ” I cannot decide who the boys LOOK most like!?!”

- Lola Marie on December 4th, 2009

People can disagree on “art.” I like Monet and Renoir but do not like Franz West. I agree with Rye that the last two pictures are odd. But if these pictures speak to some people, then so be it. But all they say to me is “slapdash and bizarre.”

- AE on December 4th, 2009

I agree, LolaMarie – it is nice to see Brit on a more elegant cover, rather than all of the tabloid mags.

- sad on December 4th, 2009

AE – Exactly what I was thinking. Art or not, we are allowed to have different ideas of what constitutes “good art.”

- mrsh on December 4th, 2009

That sexy picture in bed with her child? hardly a sexy picture is it!..the covers are covering her you cant see anything i actually think they pictures are lovely

- Chan on December 4th, 2009

Im suprised no one has gone crazy about the fact the second and last picture are Brit and Sean Preston, I mean if it were Brit and Jayden, well some people would be having a break down and Sean Preston would be the most neglected child ever. But the other way is fine.

The pics are cute, like someone said ELLE knew what they were looking for.

- Georgina on December 4th, 2009

I agree with Dana. I think these pics are suppose to play up the contrast between Britney’s celebrity status and her life as a mommy. It’s FASHION magazine, not Parents or something like that. Anyone remember the set of pics Brad & Angelina did? Relaxing in the backyard, but they were wearing Armani or Versace or something high end. It’s the way a piece for a FASHION magazine works.

I personally think they’re great pics and it’s nice to see her happy & healthy and posing with the boys!

- Nicole on December 4th, 2009

The pictures are…very different…comapred to how I would do things but I suppose “to each their own” correct?

I can see the “sexy eyes” and I think that is a little too much for a picture with your children..but so is the outfit in the 3rd pic. Oh well, it’s Britt and her family…not Me and My family!
(glad to see she looks great tho, and the boys are super adorable:)

- Mommyof3 on December 4th, 2009

No words. What a beautiful pictures. O love whow Britney looks on third pic– she is just sooooo goodd doing photoshoots!!!!!!!! i mean, she is an actrees!! i love her!

- Mariel on December 4th, 2009

Nicole – Are you referring to the W magazine spread with Brad and Angelina as a 1950s-style family? Because that shoot didn’t have their children in it, it had model kids. Also, it was done before they were technically an official couple, as promotion for Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

- mrsh on December 4th, 2009

This is a FASHION photoshoot for Elle magazine, not paparazzi pictures! Goodness people. There is no need to make every picture into a personal attack of the celebrity.

- Blue on December 4th, 2009

Oh, and there is a third picture in this shoot that someone mentioned above. It’s a really great shot that I think nearly everyone would like. They’re standing beside a pool, the boys in little tuxes and Britney in this gorgeous gown and they all look really happy! THAT’S my kind of shot, personally. I’d attach a link, but it goes to another celebrity baby site, and I’m not sure if that’s okay to do.

- mrsh on December 4th, 2009

It’s not Family Circle, it’s ELLE. It’s about the publication and what they are trying to go for. Fashion, art, etc. I think the cover shot is as cute as can be. Jayden has mom’s bracelet and Sean is being a normal little boy. I like it.

- melania on December 4th, 2009

So do they call Sean Preston, Preston then?

And Brad and Angelina have been criticized for so many things.

- Jessi on December 4th, 2009

I love the pictures! I do think the photos are meant to show a contrast. I mean, it’s a fashion magazine; it’s about doing something distinctive and different, not a reflection of real life.

- Elizabeth on December 4th, 2009

Sorry – not liking these pictures of any of them. Bizarre. Millions of other celebs have had “artistic” pics taken and not been creepy. Also – agree Mira. Crazy,

- brannon on December 4th, 2009

People will criticize everything!! I am so glad to see this young woman get her life back on track. She was criticized so much by the press about her Mom abilities (or lack thereof). So unfair. At least she was with her babies instead of dropping them off with a nanny. These pictures are fun. No bedroom eyes, just don’t see that.

- connie on December 4th, 2009

I’m sorry, but am I the only one who finds it highly disgusting that people have made comments about what the boys look like? *ie ‘marionette,’ ‘off,’ etc.

If those things had been said about my son, I would be out for blood, lets just say that.

NEVER is it acceptable to make crass comments about the appearance of a child.

- Ashley on December 4th, 2009

Jessi- Well, they’ve both referred to him as Preston in interviews, as has Britney’s mom Lynne.

- CelebBabyLover on December 5th, 2009

JM- I agree completely! In fact, I think the only family, apart from Britney and her boys, on here criticized as much, if not even moreso than the Jolie-Pitts (well, mainly Angie. For some reason, Brad seems to get a free pass), is the Holmes-Cruises.

- CelebBabyLover on December 5th, 2009

CelebBabyLover – LMAO I thought the same exact thing! What are people going to talk about now that she’s with Preston instead of JJ. LOL but now I guess we know …. geezzz I’m “starting” to think that no matter what Britney does everyone is still going to criticized her …….

- Bancie1031 on December 5th, 2009

The boys are so adorable. I actually like all photos. The 2nd and 3rd are probably photographic exaggerations of what people think celeb parenthood is like.

-meream

- All Women Stalker on December 5th, 2009

hmmm well i think if you don’t like the pic don’t buy the magazine or look at the pics

and if you do , do both!!

if you sexy eyes then thats your idea of what your seeing …..so, i don’t see sexy eyes…i don’t see any thing sexual at all but then i’m not looking for a reason not to like them. glad to see she is looking healthy and both lovely lovely children.

- hayley fedup2thebackteeth on December 6th, 2009

ohhh, she just looks great, ad i can’t tell you how thrilled i am for the woman. i know firsthand how difficult life is when you have multiple mental illnesses, and though i struggle constantly, she seems to be doing well, and i am so proud to see it. it puts a smile on my grumpy face.

- ms. jaQ on December 6th, 2009

I know the difference between artistic and strange. The person(s) doing the photography/layout was/were way off here and really did an injustice to Britney and her boys. I’m with you on this one, Rye.

- FLMom on December 7th, 2009

Cant she ever look normal? She still tries too look like a sex symbol even when she’s in pics with her kids!

- Sarah Jane on December 9th, 2009

The boys are beautiful! It’s so good to see Britney being Britney again! All the best for her and the boys

- Amanda on December 11th, 2009