Anderson Cooper absolutely loves being a dad. There's simply no question about it. He recently gushed over his new baby, Wyatt, in the new issue of People magazine. Anderson and Wyatt are on the cover of the latest issue of People, which is the magazine's first-ever Pride issue.
It's been really wonderful to watch Anderson embrace early fatherhood, especially because he has been open about how happy it has made him. That's probably in part due to the fact that he never thought he would get to have the experience. "When I was 12 years old and knew I was gay and thought about my life, it always upset me because I thought, 'I will never be able to have a kid,'" he says in the article. "This is a dream come true."
It's the sweetest sentiment coming from the serious journalist who appears utterly joyful and filled with gratitude at getting to be a parent. He seems to be totally embracing dad-hood in every possible way. It's a truly beautiful and heartwarming thing to see.
Just recently, we learned that Anderson had become a father. He took to social media to share the joyous news with the world. "I want to share with you some joyful news," he wrote back in April. "On Monday, I became a father. This is Wyatt Cooper. He is three days old. He is named after my father, who died when I was ten. I hope I can be as good a dad as he was."
He continued, saying, "As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I'm grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son's birth." He also gave a special shout-out to the surrogate who carried baby Wyatt.
Now, for the first time, we're getting to hear more from Anderson about what his experience as a dad is like. In the emotional interview, he told People, "It feels like my life has actually begun."
"And I sort of wonder, what was I waiting for? This is a new level of love. It's unlike anything I've experienced, and yet it's also very familiar and incredibly special and intimate. It's really extraordinary."
Those are some incredibly moving words from Anderson. It's clear he's a natural father. But he also says that fatherhood has impacted him in some other ways he didn't expect, like in how he views the world and the issues that plague it. "I feel invested in the future in a way I hadn't really before," he says. "There's something about having a child that makes you feel connected to what is happening and you want to make sure that the world this child is growing up in is a better one. You suddenly worry much more about the future of all of us."
Most parents can certainly relate to that. Parenthood makes us see things in a totally different and unique way. It can be wonderful and frightening all at the same time. It seems like Anderson is definitely experiencing all of those very intense new parent emotions himself.
Something else Anderson is feeling at the moment is exhausted. Of course, parents everywhere totally get that, too. "I'm more tired than I've ever been, but I wouldn't change it for the world," he says.
Anderson is co-parenting with his former partner, Benjamin Maisani. He talked to Howard Stern in an interview about why they decided to become parents together even though they are no longer a couple. "I don't really have a family, and so my friends become my family," Anderson said. "This is somebody I was involved with for 10 years; he's a great guy."
He says fatherhood has changed him, as well. "I cry at things I never cried at before," he admits. "And Benjamin, I've never seen him cry, but I couldn't believe how weepy he gets with Wyatt. I find myself being overwhelmed with emotion, and it's a lovely thing."
While Anderson is used to feeling the pressures of the world as both a journalist and a gay man, it seems like fatherhood has still pulled out some deep emotions he hadn't ever felt before. Parents from all walks of life totally get what that's all about. No matter who we are or what we do, we're not exempt from being totally turned inside out by the incredible journey of becoming a parent.
We love hearing about Anderson's unique journey as a parent, and we can't wait to hear more from him and watch little Wyatt grow up. For now, he's feeling incredibly happy and grateful. He says that much of that gratitude is for "all the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people who struggled for generations and have died never thinking this was a possibility."
We're so glad it became a reality for him.
