• December 13, 1999
• Vol. 52
• No. 23

Scene Stealers

Celebrity Parents Share the Limelight with a Bumper Crop of 1999 Babies

This year's bundle of childbearing stars share a few common bonds: All plan to keep working ("now that my body is as normal as it will ever be again," says ex-Beverly Hills, 90210 star Gabrielle Carteris); all really appreciate nannies; and all expect their spouses to do a fair share of the dirty work. "Sleep deprivation is difficult," says Melrose Place's Josie Bis-sett, a first-time mom. It's manageable, she adds, because husband Rob Estes "changes diapers. He's so into it." Xena's Lucy Lawless, meanwhile, calls husband Rob Tapert "the champion burper." Not that these celebs want their spouses to have all the fun—and responsibility. "I want to be the one to change her and pick her outfits," says A Different World star Jasmine Guy of first child Imani. After all, celebs value their tots as much as the next parent—though they have their own way of expressing it. Says Lawless: "I sure wouldn't trade one for an Oscar."

Gabrielle Carteris
After the '94 birth of daughter Kelsey Rose, Carteris moved out of 90210. Now she's predicting a zip out of L.A. for Moilie Elizabeth (Feb. 8). The actress, 38, told stockbroker spouse Charles Isaacs, 40, "She's going to move to New York and be a traveler. She drinks life. She breathes life."

Lucy Lawless
After putting his mom through 27 hours of labor at her New Zealand home, Julius Robert Bay Tapert (Oct. 16) joined the Xena star, 31, her husband, Xena producer Rob Tapert, 44, and a half sister, 11. At more than 11 lbs., "he's breaking all norms for putting on weight," Lawless says. "I'm proud of his double chin."

Josie Bissett
Since having their first child, Mason Tru Estes (July 21), the ex-Melrose star, 29, and husband Rob Estes (Suddenly Susan), 36, who live in L.A., are afraid to miss anything, "It goes so fast," she says. "Your priorities change—all the dumb stuff goes to the side,"

Patricia Heaton
The Everybody Loves Raymond star, 41, and actor husband David Hunt, 45, are on their fourth son, Daniel Patrick (Jan. 20). "I never say never, but I think this is going to be the last one," says Heaton. After all, they're running out of space in their L.A. home. "Daniel's sleeping in the hallway right now."

Larry King
"There's no downside" to fatherhood at 66, boasts the talk show host of his fifth child, Chance (March 9), his son by sixth wife, singer Shawn South-wick King, 40. "If you have a wife who's young enough, do it." Chance is hardly crimping their style: "He's flown across the country five times," says bicoastal King. "The stewardesses voted him best baby they've seen on a plane." Another baby's due in June.

Jasmine Guy
A month ago, says the L.A.-based actress, 37, daughter Imani (March 28), her first child, with stockbroker hubby Terrence Duckette, 37, "waved goodbye to me for the first time. I thought I was going to cry." Currently starring in Chicago in Vegas, Guy finds keeping up a challenge: "I always want to be with her. I'm feeling like I'm not moving as quickly as she is."