Katharine McPhee is clearly smitten with her 7-month-old son, Rennie David Foster, and she didn’t hold back in describing the absolute “heart explosion” she feels for him in an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife.com. “I mean, just everyone talks about it, but the love that you have, it just is like a heart explosion,” she gushed. “Maybe if I’d had a baby in my early 20s wouldn’t feel this way. But just really, nothing else matters.”
The American Idol alum welcomed her first child with husband David Foster in February 2021, and just recently shared the first glimpses of his face on social media as she reminisced on her summer trip to Canada. “It’s the most important task of your entire life, at least that’s what it feels for me,” Katharine told HL of motherhood. “I guess that was surprising to me, too. Because now, with anything else, I’m just like, ‘Sure, I’ll do this,’ and ‘Sure, I’ll go after this job,’ but if it doesn’t happen, it’s okay, because I’m so happy just be raising this little guy.”
While some new parents need schedule in time for each other after welcoming a newborn into the mix, Katharine admitted that she and David Foster haven’t found the need to do that since having their son. “David’s definitely not working like he used to, because he’s just chosen not to. He’s been working on a musical, himself, that I’ve been just in the background being his cheerleader and hopefully that will go to Broadway next year. So, he’s home a lot, which is so great,” she admitted to HL. “Then obviously, with COVID, we were with each other all the time, and then now we just have a plus one.”
She continued, “But we’re honestly together a lot, so we don’t have to really feel like we’re making special time for each other. Going to dinner feels like a special time!”
Katharine has also found time to focus on her mental health, which she brought to the forefront of the conversation in partnership with Zumba, in honor of World Mental Health Day. The Country Comfort actress joined forces with Zumba Instructor Jeimy Bueno to host a #StepIntoHappy event at New York City’s New World Stage. “I really do try to get up every day and move my body, whether it be for a walk or meeting a friend for a workout. Obviously, in the last year or so it has been hard to do that, but I love nothing more than a group workout,” Katharine said on taking care of her mental health. “And going to the grocery store! It’s crazy but buying things for the house that are going to fill my body with nutrients. I love I mean, literally, I love going to the grocery store.”
She admitted that it “can be really hard” to prioritize your mental health, and gave a few tips to get started. “There’s are so many ways actually to find support groups, it doesn’t have to just be an expensive therapist in the city. For instance, Mommy and Me groups that aren’t super expensive, simply having text chains with people. Zoom classes with people, signing up for park workouts. There’s something about having community and connection with people, movement and getting out of your home,” Katharine said. Zumba is an amazing way to find that community, move your body and give your brain a rest!