Nicole Richie Talks Motherhood, Marriage & Tattoos

In case you haven’t noticed, Nicole Richie’s body has changedquite a bit lately.

Of course, as a mother-to-be, it’s something she can’t exactly control. But as Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush found out when he spent a day with the expectant mother, as her body is changing, Nicole is changing with it.

Peaceful, upbeat and expertly put together, an eight-months pregnant Nicole (wearing five-inch heels, no less) sat down with Billy for a free-flowing conversation as she prepares to enter into a new chapter in her life.

“What was your reaction when you found out you were pregnant?” Billy asked.

“I didn’t believe it. I was in such shock,” Nicole revealed. “I took about five different [pregnancy] tests and then I made my best friend take a test because I knew she wasn’t and then we compared them.”

“You were just floored,” Billy noted.

“I was like, ‘No.’ And then I called Joel, and he kind of knew – that’s what is so weird. I told him and he was not surprised at all. His tone didn’t change one bit,” Nicole said. “We had to do it over the phone because he was in Europe and I was over here.”

But what exactly did Joel Madden – Nicole’s boyfriend and the lead singer of Good Charlotte – say when he heard the news?

“Did he say the right thing?” Billy asked.

“Yes, yes he did,” Nicole smiled. “He was so excited right off the bat.”

And now that baby is on the way, is the happy couple preparing for blue or pink? As it turns out, right now, neither. At least not yet.

“We don’t know actually. We’re waiting to find out, which has been a lot harder on me than it has on Joel because I’m so nosy. I like to know everything,” Nicole said. “But if he wasn’t at every doctor’s appointment, I probably would have found out by now just behind his back and not told him.”

So while the sex of the child remains a mystery, certainly that makes picking a name a bit of a challenge. But does the couple have any ideas yet?

“Have you bounced around a name?” Billy asked.

“We can’t agree on one,” she smiled. “But I figure I’ll be in the hospital for at least a day, so I’ll figure it out then.”

But then there’s the big question facing the young proud parents-to-be – would mom and dad allow any tattoos?

“If it is a boy, will you allow him to have as many tattoos as Joel if he wants to?” Billy inquired.

“I actually have a theory ; I think that whether we have, a boy or a girl, they’re going to be so embarrassed of Joel’s tattoos and my tattoos, because I have nine, because you never want to like your parents,” she laughed. “Does that make sense?”

“You guys are so tatted up,” Billy replied.

“Well, he has sleeves,” Nicole said of Joel’s inked up arms. “I really think that they’re going to be embarrassed because he’s their dad, so I have a feeling that they just won’t get them. At least that’s what I hope.”

When baby does finally come into the world, not only will he or she have a set of celebrity parents, but also a superstar grandfather.

“Your dad, Lionel Richie, is he ready for grandfatherhood?” Billy asked Nicole.

“It’s all he talks about, actually,” she revealed.

But how did dad take the news his little girl was pregnant?

“He was quiet and didn’t really know to think. I just said, ‘Okay so that’s the news, so call me tomorrow.’ You know, I like to give him a day whenever I give him news,” Nicole explained. “He called me the next day and was so excited and now he just doesn’t stop.”

And while the family might not have a name picked out for baby, grandpa has a few of his own he’d like to be called.

“He has all these names that he’s ready for the baby to call him in substitute of grandpa, because he doesn’t like grandpa,” Nicole added.

“Nobody wants to hear that,” Billy joked.

Of course, one of the biggest parts about being a mom is making sacrifices for you child. And as Nicole has taken all the right steps a healthy mother would, what’s the one thing that’s been hardest for her to give up over the last eight months?

“Sushi,” Nicole said without hesitation. “I cannot wait.”

“How many nights a week were you going before?” Billy asked.

“It’s my favorite food. I was going maybe four or five nights a week. I cannot wait. I’m so excited,” she beamed.

But once Joel and Nicole go from boyfriend/girlfriend to mom and dad, is husband and wife the next step?

“Will you get married?” Billy asked her.

“Eventually, yeah,” she said.

“When do you think? No plans now?” Billy followed up.

“Well, look how much has happened this year. I mean, just let me rest a little bit, you know,” Nicole smiled. “I gotta hold something for when I get older. I can’t have everything happen all in one year.”