Anderson Cooper Welcomes Baby Boy

On April 30, Anderson Cooper hosted his weekly town hall for CNN in which medical professionals, legislators and first responders (and occasionally Sesame Street monsters) come together to discuss the coronavirus pandemic.

But, this town hall was special, because Cooper proudly shared pictures of his newborn baby son!

Born on April 27, Wyatt Morgan Cooper was only a few days old, and the monumental occasion of his birth still has the newscaster bursting with pride.

“On Monday, I became a father. I never actually said that before out loud, and it still kind of astonishes me,” he said with a little laugh. “I am a dad. I have a son, and I want you to meet him.”

Cooper shared pictures of his newborn baby with the audience, and with his followers on social media.

View this post on Instagram

I want to share with you some joyful news. 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. My son's middle name is Morgan. It's a family name on my mom's side. I know my mom and dad liked the name morgan because I recently found a list they made 52 years ago when they were trying to think of names for me. Wyatt Morgan Cooper. My son. He was 7.2 lbs at birth, and he is sweet, and soft, and healthy and I am beyond happy. 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. Most of all, I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, and watched over him lovingly, and tenderly, and gave birth to him. It is an extraordinary blessing – what she, and all surrogates give to families who cant have children. My surrogate has a beautiful family of her own, a wonderfully supportive husband, and kids, and I am incredibly thankful for all the support they have given Wyatt and me. My family is blessed to have this family in our lives I do wish my mom and dad and my brother, Carter, were alive to meet Wyatt, but I like to believe they can see him. I imagine them all together, arms around each other, smiling and laughing, happy to know that their love is alive in me and in Wyatt, and that our family continues.

A post shared by andersoncooper (@andersoncooper) on Apr 30, 2020 at 6:51pm PDT

The new father confessed that, “As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child.” However, with the help of a surrogate, he was able to make his dreams of fatherhood come true. “I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, and watched over him lovingly, and tenderly, and gave birth to him,” Cooper said. “It is an extraordinary blessing — what she, and all surrogates give to families who can’t have children.”

Wyatt Morgan Cooper gets his first name from Anderson Cooper’s father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, who died in 1978. And Cooper explains that Morgan is a name from the family of his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, and that his parents even considered naming him Morgan at one point. What a perfect name for a perfect baby boy!

Cooper also shares how the birth of his son is extra sweet during this time.

“It has been a difficult time in all of our lives, and there are certainly many hard days ahead,” the new dad said during the town hall. “It is, I think, especially important in these times of trouble to try to hold on to moments of joy and moments of happiness. Even as we mourn the loss of loved ones, we are also blessed with new life and new love.”

The newscaster also shared how he wishes his mother Gloria and brother, Carter, could be there with him to share this amazing experience and meet his son (they died in 2019, and 1988, respectively), but that he knows they are with him in spirit and looking down at his beautiful new baby with joy.

You can watch the clip from town hall on CNN here.

Congrats to the new father!

This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.