‘Elementary’ Star Lucy Liu On Being A New Mother: ‘It’s A Magical Experience’

Following a unique path to motherhood, Elementary actress Lucy Liu welcomed a son, Rockwell Lloyd, into her life. Now eight months old, Rockwell is teaching Lucy as much about being a mother as Liu expected to teach her son about life. Together, Lucy and Rockwell make up one more unconventional family participating in Tylenol’s How We Family campaign, which supports non-traditional families in the myriad of forms now evolving in American society.

Kung Fu Panda Actress Lucy Liu Opted For Gestational Surrogacy

In deciding that she wanted to be a mother, Lucy Liu says she looked at all of her options, before deciding that gestational surrogacy was the best option for her circumstances, as a working, career-oriented actress. Liu says she went with this option, because she was working and didn’t know when, or if, she would be able to take the time off needed to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

The Fertility Source Companies website describes gestational surrogacy as “woman who carries a baby that has been conceived using the egg of the intended mother, or an egg donor, and sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor. A gestational surrogate mother has no genetic connection to the baby because it wasn’t the gestational surrogate’s egg that was used during the IVF cycle.”

Eight months after bringing Rockwell home, Lucy admits that she’s been surprised by how quickly children grow. Liu says even the most basic abilities, such as being able to turn their heads or smile, come so quickly to babies and are soon the most involuntary actions.

“They’re just this little lump of flesh, and then all the sudden they’re turning around, they’re observing you and they’re smiling and they’re interacting,” says the Elementary actress. “It’s a magical experience.”

Even more intriguing to Liu is the fact that Rockwell has already bonded with the family dog, a chocolate Labrador named Apple. Lucy says it’s a joy to see how the two interact and adds that Apple has already become very protective of Rockwell, ensuring that the infant isn’t stepped on by anyone entering the room.

Lucy Liu Joins Up With Tylenol For Their How We Family Campaign

Lucy Liu is just one of many participating in the #HowWeFamily campaign and, like so many millions of participants, Lucy is embracing the diversity within her own family and celebrating the growing definition of what family means to so many people, across every walk of life. Liu and Tylenol agree that family isn’t about who you love, but about how you love.

“I think ‘How We Family’ is about how we as a modern family are connecting now. Whether it’s your gay parents and you’re doing it that way, or you have a child that’s transgender, it’s more about how you love,” says Lucy. “I think that’s a really wonderful way to support non-traditional families and make what we are doing now what is tradition.”

For Liu’s own growing family, she admits that she finds no greater pleasure than watching Rockwell discover his new world, especially now that he’s learned to crawl. Lucy says her son is already very curious and very social. She adds that he’s also very focused and won’t be distracted, when something grabs his attention.

“For some reason he’s obsessed with my dog’s toys,” Liu reveals, laughing. “He’s teething, and it’s bothering him.”

The 47-year-old Elementary actress, who is a first-time mother with Rockwell, says that everything she’s heard about motherhood is true, particularly when it comes to feeling emotional over everything her baby does. Lucy Liu says she’s delighted by her son.

[Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images]