Vendela on baby No.2

Swedish supermodel Vendela has made the leap from fashion to film, with roles in Batman & Robin and The Parent Trap. However, when we chatted on the phone with the world-class cover girl, she was nine months pregnant and busy being mom.

Vendela:   Please excuse the noise; my daughter’s baby sitter is late.
Fit Pregnancy:  Ah, the glamorous supermodel at home. Julia is 2 1/2 now?
V: Right. You know, when I was pregnant with her, I was relaxed. I read a lot of books, got massages. Now, I’m due in two weeks, and I haven’t had time to think about being pregnant.
FP: So how has parenting changed your life? Other than bringing you in close proximity to Play-Doh.
V: Well, I’m a lot calmer, even though it doesn’t look like it now. I don’t get as worked up about things. I’ve always been extremely ambitious, but after Julia was born, I didn’t feel like working. All I wanted to do was stare at my baby. And I kept forgetting things, which normally I’d never ever do. I’m usually very organized. (To Julia) No, honey. Let’s not draw on the bed.
FP: Speaking of organization, have you been nesting? Have you gone into housecleaning overdrive?
V: Oh, God, that’s all I’ve been doing. Cleaning and buying. Cleaning and buying. I’ve gone through every closet and thrown things away. And my husband’s saying, “Do I get to keep anything?”
FP: Buying what?
V: Just baby stuff. But I’ve gone a little crazy. My accountant called and said, “Vendela, about your American Express bill …”
FP: Uh, oh. Time to chill, girlfriend.
V: I know. But none of it’s for myself. I mean, I used to love clothes. Now if I have an important meeting, I think, “Well, I guess I should wear something nice.” But I’m not that into it, whereas before, I took clothes and how I looked really seriously.
FP: Any pregnancy blues?
V: Absolutely. I cry at everything. Like yesterday, I was upset, thinking, “How am I going to balance my career and my kids? What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”
FP: And your answer was?
V: After my baby is born, I’m going back to acting. But even though I have every support economically, it’s very hard to work and be a mother. If your child gets sick, you drop everything. You have to. I don’t know how single moms do it.
FP: In terms of work conflicts, you do realize that one day Julia is going to be shocked to find that her nice mother is also Mrs. Freeze, the villainess of Batman & Robin.
V: (Laughing) I guess so. But it was fun to play the bad person.