It’s double the delight for former Shortland Street star Kerry-Lee Dewing and her fiancé Jono Bayer, who are thrilled to be pregnant with a second child. With Andie, their adventurous one-year-old daughter by their side, the pair are now gearing up to become a family of four after receiving surprise baby news.
“We were a bit in shock to begin with, but we’re so incredibly happy,” smiles a glowing Kerry-Lee, 35, who has just reached the halfway point of her pregnancy. “Jono and I always knew we wanted to have children close together, but the timing ended up being a bit of a surprise. We hadn’t officially started trying again, but life had its own plans and we’re so excited to complete our family – even if it’s a bit sooner than we expected.”
It was just after returning from a family holiday in Fiji in July when the South African-born actress had a “weird instinct” to do a pregnancy test.
Kerry-Lee recalls, “I told Jono I was off to get a test. He was a bit surprised as it was not something we’d even been discussing. When it came back positive, we looked at other and giggled. We said, ‘Here we go again!’ We couldn’t believe our luck that the next chapter in our lives had been written for us.”
The star now lives in Sydney, where she moved after eight years playing nurse-turned-serial killer Kylie Brown. She’s grateful to be experiencing another smooth pregnancy.
“I’ve been really lucky,” she tells. “I have lots of energy and can still do things that are important to me, like staying fit and active. Although, I get a bit fatigued. It’s a workout in itself, chasing after a busy toddler while carrying another baby!”
Once again, Kerry-Lee and Kiwi-born Jono have decided to keep their baby’s sex a surprise. She explains, “We loved finding out Andie’s gender when she was born, so we’re going to wait again this time too.”
Parenting has been a joyful experience for the longtime couple. They’ve loved watching Andie’s independent and curious spirit grow further.
“Andie’s a real little explorer and it’s incredible to see her personality develop,” Kerry-Lee says proudly. “She’s fearless and always up for an adventure. She will be 18 months old when the new baby arrives in April and she’ll be a natural big sister.
“She’s a bit of a leader, even among her little friends at daycare. Perhaps she gets it from me. Apparently, when I was a tiny kid at school, I wasn’t afraid to stand up in front of the class and tell everyone where to stand!”
It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for Kerry-Lee, with her second pregnancy not the only big surprise. In July last year, on their “babymoon” on an island off the Queensland coast just ahead of Andie’s birth, Jono made a romantic proposal.
“Jono chartered a little boat, complete with a delicious picnic packed by the resort,” recalls Kerry-Lee. “We sailed to a tiny private island, had a beautiful lunch on the beach, then he popped the question. I felt absolutely flabbergasted as no one expected it. I’d thought our babymoon couldn’t be any more incredible – then it was!”
The couple is planning babymoon number two for early next year. They’d like to have some precious final time together as a family of three before the arrival of their new little one. Understandably, they’re taking a more laid-back approach when it comes to their upcoming wedding.
“We’ve got a loose plan in mind, but are yet to confirm things” says Kerry-Lee. “It’s been a bit of a blessing that things worked out this way. I used to get caught up in trying to plan the ‘perfect’ wedding. But now I realise the perfect wedding will be having both our children with us. It’s going to be really special.”
Although the family currently resides in Australia, Kerry-Lee says a move back to New Zealand is always tempting.
“We love it here, but with two little ones, the idea of being closer to family is really appealing.” For now, though, the star feels focused on embracing every moment of motherhood.
“I love acting and I’ve kept my real estate licence active, working in commercial leasing. But right now, being a mum is my priority,” she insists.
“Parenthood is just such an exquisite journey. The highs are high and the hard times are hard, but that’s the beauty of it.
“Jono and I know our story is unfolding exactly the way it’s meant to. We couldn’t be happier about completing our little family.”
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