Anderson Cooper may be a serious news anchor, but he’s found joy away from the anchor desk as a new father.

An emotional Cooper announced on his CNN show on April 30th that he had become a father three days earlier via surrogate. Now he talks about feedings, sleep schedule and diapers with his co-parent, ex Benjamin Maisani. Being a father is an experience he thought he’d never have.

He told People, “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.’ This is a dream come true.”

Cooper continues, “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.”

He does say that he’s exhausted like any new parents, “I’m more tired than I’ve ever been, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

He also says that he’s quite a bit more emotional these days, “I cry at things I never cried at before. 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.”

(People)