Anderson Cooper couldn't be happier to be a dad!
The CNN anchor revealed on air back in April that he welcomed his first child, son Wyatt Morgan, via surrogate. Now, he's opening up about his most important role yet.
"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,'" Cooper, 53, tells People. "This is a dream come true. It feels like my life has actually begun."
"I sort of wonder, what was I waiting for?" he continues. "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."
Cooper, who co-parents baby Wyatt with his former partner, Benjamin Maisani, also tells the outlet that being a dad has given him a whole new perspective on life.
"I feel invested in the future in a way I hadn't really before," he explains. "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."
"I'm more tired than I've ever been, but I wouldn't change it for the world," he adds. "I cry at things I never cried at before ... I find myself being overwhelmed with emotion, and it's a lovely thing."
Last month, ET spoke with Cooper's close pal, Andy Cohen, via Zoom. The Watch What Happens Live host revealed he recently sent Cooper some baby clothes, after his own son, 1-year-old Benjamin, outgrew them.
"[Wyatt] is wearing all of Ben's hand-me-downs, and he's got a great wardrobe ready for him," Cohen explained. "It is so funny because I just sent Anderson a picture of Ben in his pajamas this morning, and I said, 'Do you like these?' He goes, 'I love them, I can't wait!'"
"So, we have a little funnel of clothes from my house to his ... and my nanny now works for Anderson," he continued. "We FaceTimed today for about a half an hour. We either FaceTime or talk on the phone, and we text all the time."
Hear more in the video below.
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