It’s been a big year for the Rudd family. With Kevin Rudd and Thérèse Rein’s son Nicholas’ wedding in April, and the birth of their first granddaughter to daughter Jessica in May, beaming new grandmother Thérèse struggles to even recall the tough times that befell them earlier in the year.
“When did we take a hit this year?” she says, genuinely puzzled when asked about the family’s change of pace since Kevin unsuccessfully challenged Julia Gillard for the Labor party leadership. The former Prime Minister reminds her, “it was February, darling”.
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In February, as the leadership challenge saw her husband moved to the backbench after he gave up his post as foreign minister, Thérèse was busy preparing for two roles.
The businesswoman and former first lady was to become mother of the groom to Nicholas as wedding plans for him and wife Zara were well underway, and enter “the Grandma zone, the G-Zone”, as Thérèse calls it.
“There are lots of things in life that are enormous sources of joy that nothing takes away from,” she says.
That is just what welcoming granddaughter Josephine Thérèse Tse into the family has been for Thérèse.
She tells The Australian Women’s Weekly about the day she met Josephine just hours after the birth in Brisbane’s Mater Hospital.
“I didn’t know what her name was. I certainly didn’t know they were thinking about using my name, so it was really lovely. [Jessica and I] both burst into tears.”
The family fell in love with baby Josephine at once, but Thérèse says the bond between grandmother and granddaughter was not what she expected.
“There’s this familial connection which is just beautiful, but I don’t feel like I’m going to be responsible for making sure Josephine eats her vegies, you know?
“My role is going to be quite different. It’s both a coaching and support role towards Jess and Albert, and a story telling role … I think [my role] is going to be a kind of believer in this baby,” she says.
Kevin has also eased in to the role of grandfather, which doesn’t surprise to Thérèse at all.
“He loves babies,” she says.
“Blokes are hopeless at describing how they feel about anything,” Kevin says.
“I could say my feeling is one of fun, one of joy seeing how these two are with their new daughter, and one of delight.”
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The doting grandparents are making the most of living in the baby bubble and spoiling little Josephine rotten before she, Jessica, and new dad Albert move back to Beijing.
“We’ve had a beautiful time with everyone together at home,” Thérèse says. “It’s really special.”
Read more of this story in the August issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
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