It’s only a few weeks into the new year and already the stork is ready to keel over from exhaustion. From the A-list to the Z-list, procreation has apparently become the favorite form of recreation in Hollywood, as Jiffy-Popping bellies and comfy maternity pants replace Louboutins and second-skin leggings as the latest must-have accessories. With so many pregnancy announcements a-flying, it’s easy to lose track of which stars have great expectations. So, before the stork can grumble “Holy Huggies, another one is knocked up?” check out this list of who’s being fruitful and multiplying
Alicia Silverstone, 34
Alicia told People magazine last year that she was “destined to be a mother,” enthusing, “I’ve been wanting to have a baby since I was 2 years old.” Fate must have been listening, because the vegan actress announced in January that she’s expecting her first child with husband Christopher Jarecki. We can only hope someone has the foresight to pitch a “Clueless” sequel with an adorably pregnant Cher Horowitz giving maternity makeovers.
Christina Applegate, 39
Two years after undergoing a double mastectomy during a successful battle with breast cancer, Christina jubilantly confirmed in July that she was expecting her first child with her fiancé, Dutch rocker Martyn Lenoble. As you’d expect from the sitcom star, she found the funny in the incubation process. “No longer in my pregnancy do I just ‘go’ somewhere,” she tweeted. “I ‘schlep’ there. It’s a constant schlep. But it’s all good.” She also refused to give up her high heels, joking to “Entertainment Tonight” that the added height “offsets the impending growth of width.” By January, the actress was more than ready to meet her tot. “Believe me, I am asking the same question: ‘Holy crap, is that chick still pregnant?’” she tweeted. “It takes almost 10 months to make a person FYI.
Devon Aoki, 28
The gene pool will get a major boost when Aoki welcomes her first child with her square-jawed financier fiancé, James Bailey. The model-actress plans to take a career breather once the ankle-biter arrives.
Drea de Matteo, 38
Stork Specifics: The former “Sopranos” star will welcome her second child this spring with fiancé Shooter Jennings, and it’s a good bet the tot will be christened with a name as unique (if career-limiting) as their first, 3-year-old Alabama Gypsyrose. The couple, who have been together for nearly a decade, got engaged in June 2009 after Jennings popped the question onstage during a New York concert.
Emma Bunton, 35
The onetime Baby Spice took to Twitter in November to break the news that she’s expecting tot No. 2 with her longtime love, singer Jade Jones. “So our family grows,” she wrote. “We are SO excited to announce we’re having our second baby and [3-year-old son] Beau’s wish for a brother or sister has come true!” Baby’s baby is due to arrive in May. No word on whether any play dates are scheduled with Posh’s upcoming arrival.
Gretchen Mol, 38
When you’ve named your first kid Ptolemy, you can’t exactly dub your next one Bob, so it should be interesting to see what moniker Gretchen and her director husband, Kip Williams, come up with this time around. Perhaps the potential for another cree8tively named tyke has tempered the response to their impending delivery. “It’s interesting the reaction,” the actress told People. “When people see you and say, ‘Oh, when are you due? Is it your first?’ And you say, ‘No, it’s my second,’ they’re like, ‘Oh, [disappointed sigh].’ Like, it’s just not as sweet and dramatic.”
Jane Krakowski, 42
The “30 Rock” star didn’t need to issue a press release about her pregnancy. Instead, she just went for a dip in the Caribbean and let the obvious bump in her one-piece bathing suit speak for her. Jane is expecting her first child with clothing designer fiancé Robert Godley, but her real-life gestation won’t be written in the sitcom. “At this time, we plan to shoot around Jane’s pregnancy,” a show producer explained to Entertainment Weekly, “because no child should have Jenna Maroney for a mother.”
Jennifer Connelly, 40
Jennifer has given herself plenty of breathing room between pregnancies. Her third child will arrive more than 13 years after her first (son Stellan, with ex David Dugan), and 7 years after her second (son Kai, with husband Paul Bettany). Maybe her morning sickness had something to do with the timeline. “The first three months were no fun,” she told David Letterman in January. “It was sketchy, like cell phone service sketchy. I have to stand in one spot in my apartment to make a phone call. It was like that with the nausea … I had to stand in one spot, which happened to be in front of my refrigerator, which was open, with me dipping pretzels in cream cheese and stuffing them in my mouth. If I did that, I was good.”
Jewel, 36
Jewel’s biggest pregnancy fear: puking in public. “It was so hard to keep it a secret,” she told reporters in January while introducing her new Bravo show, “Platinum Hit.” “I was worried I’d start throwing up on set and everyone would be like, ‘Oh, she’s pregnant.’” The singer, who lives on an expansive ranch in Texas with her rodeo-ing husband Ty Murray, had been trying to conceive for a couple of years before the pregnancy test finally came back positive. She’s staying plenty active, too. Jewel told Us that she’s alternating between running, hitting the gym and working out with “a few cowboy friends.” As for her cravings: “Everything!”
Kate Hudson, 31
Goldie’s little girl, who is already mom to 7-year-old son Ryder with ex-husband Chris Robinson, is reportedly expecting her first child with British rocker-boyfriend Matthew Bellamy sometime this summer. “It was not planned,” a source told Us Weekly, “but they are excited and embracing it.” Here’s hoping that Kate, who was long talked about her desire for another tot, is as free-spirited with her maternity wear as she was last time around, when she hit the red carpet in belly-baring couture. As for the daddy-to-be, the Muse frontman (and major “Twilight” inspiration) should expect his profile to rise right along with Kate’s midsection.
Kim Zolciak
“Sister, Sister” fans rejoice: Tia, who co-starred in the ’90s sitcom with twin sis Tamera, will detail her growing belly on her very own show for the Style Network. The actress, who currently co-stars on the BET series “The Game,” will welcome her first child on July 3 with actor hubby Cory Hardrict. “We are both so excited to be parents,” the couple told Us Weekly. “We have been wanting this a long time!”
Mariah Carey, 41
Do they make diapers covered in rainbows, butterflies and glitter? If so, Mariah and hubby Nick Cannon should buy in bulk. Cannon claims that the president and first lady were among the first people to find out they were expecting twins, a double delivery that represents something of a motherhood shift for the chanteuse, who, in 2008, figured her dog, Jack, was enough responsibility for her. “It’s hard to have kids in this world,” Mariah admitted at the time. Meanwhile, in a glimpse of the sweet life ahead for the duo’s offspring, Nick has eschewed the standard parent-issue mini-van by giving his missus a $400,000 Rolls Royce for Christmas (license plate: mommyMC). We’re sure he won’t mind when the vehicle’s plush interior is covered in stray Cheerios and spit-up.
Marion Cotillard, 35
When the Oscar-winning French beauty hit the red carpet in October styling an eye-popping dress that displayed her already bountiful assets, armchair obstetricians wondered if she expecting a little bébé with her actor-director honey, Guillaume Canet. Marion confirmed the news in January, revealing that their offspring will arrive in time to enjoy springtime in Paris.
Natalie Portman, 29
“Black Swan” has become a professional and personal turning point for Natalie, who underwent rigorous training for her role as a driven ballerina with help from French-born dancer Benjamin Millepied. They began dating during filming, and the actress surprised everyone in December by announcing her engagement and impending bundle of joy, bubbling that she was “indescribably happy and feel very grateful to have this experience.” Portman even gave a shout-out to the hoofer while accepting her Best Actress Golden Globe, saying, “Thank you to Benjamin, who is helping me continue this creation of creating more life.” Natalie has been swimming to stay in shape, and admits she’s now partial to roomy couture on the red carpet. “I just want to be in things that are comfortable now,” she laughed to “Extra.” “Loose!”
Penelope Cruz, 36
“I think I would be a perfect mother,” Penelope declared in 2008. “I love babies.” The actress faced down a multitude of false stork reports before announcing in September that she was four-and-a-half months into baking a Javier Bardem-spawned bun in her oven. The privacy-preferring Spanish squeezes, who tied the knot in a hush-hush ceremony two months before going public with the baby news, have kept the pregnancy typically low key — and typically romantic. On Christmas Day, the Oscar winners gamely puckered up while watching the Los Angeles Lakers from courtside seats. Meanwhile, Penelope’s pals reportedly tossed her a baby shower in mid-January, an occasion that brought out a special guest appearance by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Pink, 31
Pink confirmed in November that she and motocross husband Carey Hart were in the family way, and she was characteristically open about their efforts to conceive. “I worked for it,” she told Ellen DeGeneres. “It was not an ‘oops.’” Pink, who waited a while to reveal the news because of a previous miscarriage, is already fretting about the possibility that what goes around comes around. “My mom has always wished me a daughter just like me,” she laughed to Ellen. “I’m terrified one of us will go to jail.” Still, Pink realizes she’s already turning into a big pile of mush. “I just watched about twenty 3-year-olds in their first holiday recital. My heart hurts it was so damn adorable,” she tweeted in December. “I’m gonna be a soccer mom, aren’t I?
Rachel Zoe, 39
The reality TV stylist’s ability to bring forth life has apparently given hope to other sylphlike women in Hollywood, and it’s something Zoe’s husband, Rodger Berman, had been pushing for. “Rachel isn’t getting any younger,” he wrote on his blog last August, “and I’m starting to feel like if we don’t get on it, we’ll miss the opportunity, which would be a complete shame as I know that Rachel would make an amazing mother … I really feel like it will enable her to find balance in her life and I just think it may be the right time.” The couple is reportedly expecting a sure-to-be well-dressed baby boy.
Selma Blair, 38
Selma can thank her sense of style putting her on the stork’s delivery route. She met fashion designer Jason Bleick in 2010 while collaborating on his for EVER clothing collection, and faster than you can say, “Got any pickles?” they were awaiting the pitter-patter of little feet. “Selma never thought she could be this happy,” a source tells Star. “Her life right now is a dream come true!”
Tia Mowry, 32
“Sister, Sister” fans rejoice: Tia, who co-starred in the ’90s sitcom with twin sis Tamera, will detail her growing belly on her very own show for the Style Network. The actress, who currently co-stars on the BET series “The Game,” will welcome her first child on July 3 with actor hubby Cory Hardrict. “We are both so excited to be parents,” the couple told Us Weekly. “We have been wanting this a long time!”
Toni Collette, 38
Despite scoring a nomination for “The United States of Tara” at this year’s Golden Globes, Collette was a no-show for the ceremony. The reason? Turns out she’s a little too far along in her second pregnancy to fly from her native Australia. The actress and her musician husband, David Galafassi, will welcome a sibling for 3-year-old daughter Sage Florence this spring. Collette has called becoming a mother “the most profound experience” of her life. “I don’t even know whether I can articulate that to you,” she told the Advocate in 2009. “I don’t think anything I could say could actually really explain how it feels. Until you become a parent, there’s no real understanding.
Victoria Beckham, 36
The erstwhile Posh has talked wistfully about adding a touch of pink to her team of three boys (Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz) with soccer star hubby David Beckham, but she’s made sure to keep her expectations in check. “Everyone keeps asking me if I would like to have a little girl and I think, at some point, if I am lucky enough to have another baby, that would be great,” she said in 2009. “If I am blessed enough.” David reportedly became teary when Victoria told him the bundle-of-joy news, and whichever way the chromosomes go, they will happily welcome the new arrival this summer.
