The former Myer ambassador and husband Jake Wall’s first child was born in October last year, but Hawkins says it feels like she’s been around longer.
“You’re with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so it feels like she’s been with me for two years,” she admitted.
“You’re up feeding, sleep deprivation, everything. Everything changes when you become a mum.”
However, it’s a position the Aussie beauty is thankful to be in, after a two-year struggle to conceive – experiencing a miscarriage and then being diagnosed with stage four endometriosis.
“I just feel so grateful to be in this moment, because it was not perfect leading up,” she recently shared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show.
“I had a break when I had Frankie, as it took us a little bit to get there … I have to say, just waiting for it for so long it’s like ... oh my God, she’s so cute! I feel naked without her.”
Taking a step back from work commitments during the first year meant Hawkins was able to devote more time to her little girl, who she describes as a “nut case” with “a bit of a cheeky side”.
“I love getting little kisses,” she says of her “affectionate” mini-me.
The model and hubby Wall, 37, recently marked a year of parenthood – celebrating Frankie’s first birthday with a fun-filled party with family and friends.
“I went all out,” the model shared. “We had our family and had a party with balloons and cakes. It was one of the best weekends we’ve ever had because Frankie didn’t crack it!”
And while the pair, who married in a small ceremony in Bali in 2013, have been together for over 15 years, Hawkins has admitted it’s been amazing to watch Wall take on the fatherhood role so effortlessly.
“It’s pretty amazing to see your partner just become a father and be silly with her,” she told 9Honey back in September.
“He’s been silly with me before, but he is next level silly with the baby. And the love he shows one, Frankie and two, me … it’s a nice thing.”
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