Renee Wright is the first to admit that the perfectly poised and polished version of herself – the one who presents the weather on TV One – is a far cry from the “at home” Renee.
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As we speak, she’s not only juggling the relentless feed-sleep-play-repeat routine of newborn daughter, Arabella Valentina, she also has to physically carry her four year old son, Leo, from place to place.
“He can’t put any weight on his leg at all” she explains, brow wrinkled in motherly concern.
Just hours before our exclusive photo shoot, Leo fractured his leg on the trampoline, and is in a cast from ankle to thigh. Meanwhile middle daughter Giselle (2) is a mass of blonde curls, and high energy.
Home is barely controlled chaos, smiles Renee, 35, who say she’s leaning heavily on husband Charlie Waide and her mother Marian Wright at this busy time, especially as she’s also just returned to work.
“It’s full on and I don’t think you can really prepare yourself for that – you just have to roll with it.”
Arabella was a surprise baby in more ways than one.
Renee and Charlie hadn’t planned to add to their family quite so soon but were delighted to hear another baby was on the way after a tumultuous year personally for the couple. And their gorgeous daughter was born two weeks early, on March 18, after the longest and most painful of Renee’s three labours.
Already sporting a shock of dark hair, she looks a lot like her famous mum – and also seems to like the night shift.
“We suspect she might be part possum – she’s so nocturnal” laughs Renee.
For all the gorgeous family photos and the full story of Arabella’s arrival, pick up this week’s New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.
