For Jennifer and Ben’s Halloween 2008, Jennifer was seven months pregnant with their second daughter, Seraphina (born in January 2009). Jennier’s Halloween outfit: “a furry dog” to match the costume of their daughter Violet, now 4 (mother and daughter went as Fred and Ted, pooches from a children’s book with the same title). Jennifer revealed to W magazine that she felt “so fat and huge and ugly” that day.
Which is why for Halloween 2009, Jennifer avoided dressing up altogether while her daughters and Ben portrayed characters from the Little Mermaid: Violet was Ariel, Seraphim was fishy friend Flounder, and Ben was Ariel’s dad Triton, King of the Sea.
Jennifer is a hands-on mother who even makes her own baby food, she told W. “I tell myself, just give her a jar of food and forget about it! Don’t be so precious! But it’s so easy–I just puree and freeze,” she said.
Although she’s made time for some film work, Jennifer said the past year or so has been more or less about full-time motherhood. Her schedule: “Getting the kids up and fed, getting one to school, getting the other down for a nap, going to the grocery store, picking one up from school, getting the other one down for another nap, cooking dinner.”
“I live my life at these two extremes,” she said. “I’m either a full-time stay-at-home mom or a full-time actress.”
Jennifer and Ben, 37, were married in June 2005, when Jennifer was three months pregnant with Violet. We were together a year, and we just started breeding,” she joked. “We were like, ‘Let’s have a baby!’ And eight days later…”
Amanda, it may not be easy to find the time for yourself when you have kids, however it really is necessary. It’s like when you get on a plane and before taking off they tell you that in the case of an emergency you must put your OWN mask on first, before attempting to help anyone else. “In the event of an emergency…pressure will change…oxygen will be available…put on your own mask first, so you have what you need to help others…” Metaphorically speaking, you cannot possibly be of any use to someone else, including your own child, if you are gasping for air yourself to begin with. It just doesn’t work.
i agree with jen garner..i am pregnant with my second child and i too feel fat and disgusting from time to time. though i like being pregnant and i think having children is a beautiful thing but second time around the glow and oohs and aahs are old news and i agree with her comment..and there is nothing wrong with feeling like that…thats why i always make sure i have me time when my husband is off. like getting my hair done etc….something to just make myself feel better when i feel down. i love how down to earth jen is
I like that she is actually saying what a lot of “normal” pregnant women feel. Not every woman loves being pregnant and the body changes that go with it. I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum with my co-workers.
Great interview. I think she was honest. I know i felt so fat when i was pregnant and couldn’t wait to throw my maternity clothes away. I enjoyed the pregnancy but near the end it is pretty akward to feel so big.
Amanda, lol, I got a good laugh out of that thinking in terms of single mothers!
I think Jen and Ben make a wonderful couple and their children are so precious!
She’s looking a little too thin these days, though. She must have overdone working our or dieting.
-meream
Sometimes there are not enough hours in a day to “Love Yourself”
I honestly think that it’s important to find a balance between the two. A parent doesn’t just deserve, but rather needs to take time for BOTH herself and the baby. There is nothing wrong with that. A mother who is confidant, well rested, happy in all areas is going to be in a much better place to be a warm, loving, patient mother to her child, than a mother who gets no time to herself, doesn’t feel good about herself bc she has let herself go and become less of a priority, etc. There’s a saying which says
“Learn to love yourself before you can love others”.
I love Jennifer Garner. She is so unpretentious. They are a lovely family.
Kate- you can care about your appearance but it’s a lot different when you’re single. When you have a baby, everything is for that baby, and frankly at the end of the day with a 21 month old I’m exhausted. I’m not saying that people can’t put makeup on or do their hair but when you have a baby it changes.
So you aren’t allowed to care about your appearance when you are a mother? She clearly cares about and spends time with her children, so I don’t see the point of that comment.
She doesn’t look that bad.
The important thing is your baby not your looks.