Surprise: Anderson Cooper is a dad again!

The CNN anchor shared the happy news on Instagram and the news network that he is now dad to Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. “He is healthy and happy and even his occasional hiccups are to me adorable” he says of the newest addition to the family.

Sebastian was welcomed by Cooper and his best friend and co-parent Benajamin Maisani. The former partners also share their 22-month old son, Wyatt who was born at the start of the pandemic.

Maisani is in the process of formally adopting Wyatt and when it is finalized, the two will change his last name to Maisani-Cooper just like little bro, Sebastian.

The co-parents used a surrogate and Cooper shares, “The sacrifices she and her family — her entire family — made and the love that they gave Sebastian this past year has been extraordinary. We’ll never forget the kindness.”

The busy news anchor and writer now plans to take the next week off to bond and spend time with Luke, as Wyatt calls him. For the Anderson-Maisani clan, 2022 is already shaping up to be a great year!

––Karly Wood

 

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Lance Bass is twinning! He’s welcomed boy-girl twins with his husband Michael Turchin. A sweet photo of the birth certificates on Instagram revealed that Violet Betty and Alexander James entered the world on October 13.

“The baby dragons have arrived!” he captioned the image, followed with a quip “Now, how do you change a diaper?” It’s the first children for Bass and Turchin and they were born right in the middle of the day, at 1:24 and `1:25 p.m.

If you missed it, the couple posted an epic Halloween-themed birth announcement when they first learned they were expecting via a surrogate. Turchin posted the same images today on Instagram and added “they’re pure perfection and yes that includes the dozens of poops that we’ve already dealt with. Our hearts are full!”

The former NSYNC star and actor/visual artist have been together since 2014. No doubt these new additions will be tearin’ up their hearts!

––Sarah Shebek

Featured photo courtesy of Silvia Elizabeth Pangaro / Shutterstock.com

 

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Will Tan France’s baby rock the French tuck like dad? We can’t say. What we can say is congratulations to Tan and his partner Rob, who welcomed home their new addition today!

Baby Ismail has made his debut on Instagram and according to France, he was born early on July 10. The beaming couple shared two photos with their son to mark the occasion. In the caption France wrote “We love him so, so much. Like fully obsessed.” Insert all the heart eyes!

France first shared that the couple was expecting in April, noting that they’d have the baby via “the most wonderful surrogate” and that Baby France was due in the summer. He noted “Something we’ve wanted for sooo many years. Our hearts are so full right now.”

The family resides in Salt Lake City, Utah and France stars as a stylist on the popular show Queer Eye with the rest of the Fab Five. His partner Rob is an illustrator and the couple has been together since 2007. We’re so excited for the new dads as they embark on the journey of parenthood!

—Sarah Shebek

Featured image courtesy of DFree/ Shutterstock

 

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To kick off Pride month, former NSYNC member Lance Bass and his husband Michael Turchin had a special announcement to make! They’re expecting boy-girl twins in November with the help of a surrogate. Since the duo is due around Halloween, Bass and Turchin created a humorous horror-inspired video to share the exciting news.

In an interview with People magazine, the dads-to-be revealed they’d been talking about starting a family since they met—and they’ve been together for 10 years. They also said they’d hoped to have two kids and since Turchin is also boy-girl twin, the result is meant to be! The couple shared the reveal video simultaneously on Instagram today, after Bass posted to TikTok early in the afternoon.

After Bass skyrocketed to fame as a member of one of the planet’s most popular boy bands, he revealed he was gay in 2006 and subsequently awarded the Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award. He began dating Turchin, an artist, in 2011 and they married in December 2014. Turchin also shared a throwback magazine cover with one of the couple’s wedding shots to his Instagram today, writing “Happy #pridemonth everyone! Don’t let anyone diminish your worth and let that love & light shine bright.”

No question the twins will add plenty of love and light to the lives of Bass and Turchin. Congratulations to the happy couple as they embark on the journey of fatherhood!

––Sarah Shebek

Feature image: Silvia Elizabeth Pangaro / Shutterstock.com

 

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Tan France and husband Rob are expecting! The Queer Eye star recently revealed the couple’s baby news in a sweet Instagram post.

France posted a “pregnancy” pic of himself with his soon-to-be baby’s ultrasound on his belly. He captioned the first family photo, “So happy to finally share that WE’RE HAVING A BABY!!”

The fashion guru went on to add, “No, I’m not pregnant, despite this VERY realistic pic. With the greatest gift/help of the most wonderful surrogate, Rob and I are lucky enough to be on our way to being parents, this Summer.” France continued, “Something we’ve wanted for SOooo many years. Our hearts are so full right now. I cannot wait to hold this baby, and to show him so much love.”

France’s husband Rob, an artist, posted a sweet drawing of a baby with the caption, “We have a beautiful little angel on the way and I didn’t think it was humanly possible to feel like this.”

Fellow celebs sent warm wishes to the happy couple via IG. Maren Morris posted, “Congratulations, Tan!,” and Chrishell Stause wrote, “Awwww!!! So happy for you-congratulations.”

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: DFree / Shutterstock.com

 

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When parents take my parenting workshop, one of the most popular exercises when parents create their family’s coat-of-arms. They are asked to think of values that they want to impart to their children to put on an imaginary shield, just as families in the past did for their kin. My family likes to tease me about the aphorisms I am famous for spouting or would display as our family heraldry if I could. Here are some of my favorites:

Find work you love.

Your failures sometimes teach more than your successes.

Be kind to all people.

It isn’t what happens; it’s what happens next.

It isn’t every day that I get to see these values play out in real life. But, that is exactly what happened last week as I tuned into a panel discussion that my daughter, Cinematographer, Mia Cioffi Henry, participated in. The panel, “Through Her Lens: Creating a Truly Inclusive Film Industry,” was sponsored by Panavision and award-winning non-profit, Made In Her Image. It featured a round table discussion about the inequities in the film and television business, through the lens of six women of color, who are behind the camera.

Listening to my daughter’s contributions to the discussion filled me with a myriad of emotions. First and foremost was an appreciation for her passion for her work. Indeed, she has found work that she loves! She is both a natural storyteller and a visual artist, so being a cinematographer plays to her strengths. But just as importantly, she is a teacher and a collaborator, also essential attributes when it comes to filmmaking, which is the ultimate collaboration.

When she answered a question about the obstacles she has faced as a black woman in the industry, she was brutally frank about the challenges. She spoke honestly and bravely about the injustices present for women and people of color, from only being considered for projects about black folks, to being mistaken for the talent or a food service worker upon her arrival on set.

Yet, despite these experiences, she has persevered and thrived. When asked by an audience member about fear of failure, her encouraging advice: to be courageous, do your homework, and don’t give in to your fears…mentioning how much one has to learn from their mistakes, made me proud!

She emphasized an openness to others and a commitment to make the most from every opportunity. Citing the recent cancellation of the SXSW Film Festival, where she was to have her first feature film “The Surrogate” premiere, she explained the importance of “what happens next.” The disappointment and frustration she felt were strong emotions to get through, but a quick pivot by the Director, Jeremy Hersh, and the entire filmmaking team allowed the film to be successfully reborn on Vimeo and other streaming sites.

When your children are young, it is hard to imagine their future journeys—which will be theirs alone to take—but communicating to them what’s important to you, will go a long way in helping them to create their own mottos and mantras.

While I may have witnessed the embodiment of values that I believe in, my daughter gets all the credit for working hard and going out into the world with courage, curiosity, and a positive attitude… words she could proudly display on her own coat-of-arms!

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.

Jessica Simpson, Kelly Clarkson, Kate Hudson, what do these celebs have in common aside from their million dollar bank accounts, golden voices and stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? All three celebrity moms had difficult pregnancies, like millions of other moms across the globe. Motherhood is the great equalizer, apparently.  Dehydration, Pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and hyperemesis gravidarum (acute morning sickness) are just a few of the struggles of pregnancy. What challenges did these celeb moms face in their pregnancy?

  • Kim Kardashian struggled with preeclampsia and placenta accreta making having any more babies after her first risky, which is why she used a surrogate for her following births.

 

 

 

  • Jessica Simpson struggled with edema, sciatica pain, acid reflux during her pregnancy.

 

 

  • Serena Williams difficulties began soon after delivering her daughter via c-section. “She suffered from a pulmonary embolism and the doctors also found a large hematoma.

 

  • Chrissy Teigen suffered a vaginal tear after the birth of her daughter Luna.

 

Motherhood unites us all and it’s nice to hear these celebs share their struggles as well.

Anderson Cooper is a father. Wyatt Morgan was born on Apr. 27 weighing 7 pounds 2 ounces. Cooper shared photos of Wyatt at the end of Thursday’s televised weekly global town hall on the coronavirus pandemic.

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

On Instagram, Cooper wrote, “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.”

Wyatt’s middle name, Morgan, is a family name on Cooper’s mom’s side. He knows that his parents liked the name because he found it on a list they made when naming him. 

Cooper said, “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.”

“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,” Cooper wrote. “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.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Marcel Fagin on Unsplash

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Trying again is the secret. I do believe that God leads us by the desires of our hearts. After my cervical cancer, my ovaries were saved and I had all the faith in the world that we could have another baby.

So, in August 1996, just nine months after my radical hysterectomy, Rick and I met our surrogate mother, Gwen, along with her candid and very easygoing family in Sacramento, California. In 1996 surrogacy was a bit of a mystery, especially in Virginia. As much as we had read and researched, we sought the comfort of the most accomplished hands within this delicate field.

The morning of our flight out to the West Coast was somewhat typical of a travel day, with the obvious exception of my whirling excitement. I checked through all of the last-minute details and was ready to give Yogi and Baloo their “going on a trip” hugs and treats when a pain struck my lower abdomen so hard that it brought me to my knees. My breath was taken away. My face flushed with heat. I had never felt anything like this before, not even after my recent surgery. This was something new, something full of power and something that wanted my attention. Minutes later, it was gone for the most part. I still felt exhausted. I stood up slowly, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me. My heart pounded with joy for the inspirited blessing. Once again, a higher power had made an entrance into my life, and I knew it.

Later that day, at the surrogacy center in California, Rick and I sat talking with the doctor. I mentioned to him that I had a very strong feeling that I was at the beginning of my cycle and running some blood work might be a good idea. The doctor suggested that my earlier abdominal pains could have been from nerves. I knew otherwise, and he was kind enough to support my intuition. I realized how complex this whole process would be, and every little bit of blessed favor was not only welcomed, but honored. He ordered an ultrasound and blood work.

Later in the afternoon, after meeting with the doctors, we met Gwen for the first time. I was so excited! We felt an instant closeness. It was comfortable and effortless. There were no awkward spaces to fill with small talk; we fell right into each other. I told her about the incredible cramps I had that morning before leaving home in Virginia, and I shared my hunch that I was at the beginning of my cycle.

The next morning, she excitedly called to tell me that she had just started her period. I’ve never been so delighted about a period in my life! My hopes were sky high. When we arrived at the fertility center the doctor told us that the ultrasound showed that I had already ovulated and the blood work confirmed that I was also at the beginning of my cycle. The doctors were amazed that our cycles were perfectly aligned. They had never seen this happen without manipulation. This was a confirmation to me that I was exactly where I needed to be. I had made the intended connection.

With our cycles perfectly in sync, we were able to move forward immediately. There would be no time spent finding my cycle and taking medicine to align mine with Gwen’s. Had I not been attuned and opened to my soul and the Divine at work, who knows how long the road would have been and where it would have taken us. Trusting my intuitions and listening to the gentle voice inside of me allowed so many blessings in. Feeling and experiencing God and Universe communicate directly with me elevated my life to a place of expansive harmony that I never want to forsake.

Three months later, in November 1996, my embryos were transferred into our surrogate. Ten days after the transfer we received the amazing news that the implant was successful—we were pregnant on our very first try! This year, Thanksgiving brought even more for us to be grateful for, and this year, we celebrated. The next nine months were magical. Rick and I wanted to be as much a part of this pregnancy as possible. We flew out to Sacramento for each and every doctor visit, and I was Gwen’s coach during our birthing classes. Over the next ten months, Gwen and I became so close. We spent a lot of time together. Neither one of us held back: we were both willing and open. I was older than her by several years. Our trust in each other created an intimacy and an incomparable bond. She would ask for advice, and in answering, I was as discerning as I would be with my own daughter or close friend. I truly cared about her and loved her.

We were brought together by this miraculous undertaking, but our focus wasn’t always the pregnancy. She had a life despite her benevolent commitment. Together she and her husband, Bruce, had four children. Their personalities were distinctive. Each of the kids was welcoming, warm and fun. Their enthusiastic interest and support of us was another blessing. We shared family dinners with non-stop boisterous conversation swirling around the table as the kids let their voices ring loud and clear. The pre-teen sense of humor on display was entertaining and invigorating. The girls loved to sing for us while we relaxed outside in the warm California evenings after dinner. Each one of us was openhearted and engaged in these new friendships. Each one of us had something to give and something to receive.

I wanted to stay there—in this place where God and Universe were reaching out and leading me forward. Drop by drop, blessing by blessing, my heart filled with light and love.

 

Julianne Haycox is an artist, photographer, lover of all things in nature, and a fearless traveler. She is the author of Be Still and Know, a book filled with her photography and meditative quotes and Conversations with Grace (Koehler, March 2020), a book of inspiration and personal growth.  

Four-year-old Derek calls out to me, “Joel just said that he doesn’t have a mommy and I told him that everyone has a mommy! Doesn’t everyone have a mommy?” Derek asks.

As a nursery school teacher, I was on the spot for the answer to Derek’s question as well as providing a supportive strategy for Joel, who in this case confidently defends his position that he, in fact, does not have a mommy!

It was my responsibility to get to know every child’s story before conversations like this begin. Learning each child’s story can be challenging in so far as the need to respect a family’s privacy is balanced with the need to gather information that can help one to support the child. Nursery school broadens a child’s social experiences outside of the family and as such, children may be scrutinized and questioned by other children who may only have experiences with a traditional family model.

Before I could respond in the best possible way to Derek and Joel, I needed to develop a relationship and rapport with their families. This relationship was developed in several ways, including events designed to help us get to know each other. In meeting one-on-one, teachers can ask same-sex couples and single parents, as well as parents of children who are adopted, if there is anything they would like to share about their child’s story that can help staff to be supportive.

Inquiries can be made about how parents would want the school to handle Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, as well as our beginning of the year Unit on Families, long before these topics arrive on the schedule. While sometimes parents have not themselves anticipated their response to such events, it is a useful entrée into areas that may raise questions for their children, and it allows some time for parents to craft the narrative that they are comfortable with. 

In Joel’s case, he has two fathers. When I asked his parents how they would like Joel’s teachers to handle Mother’s Day, one of his fathers shared the following story. Before they began the process of finding a surrogate, they met with a counselor to prepare for their journey as parents. One of their assignments was to practice looking into a mirror and saying the words, “you do not have a mother, you have two fathers and a surrogate.” The therapist stressed the importance of the fathers’ own comfort level with this truth.

As those of us who work with children know, they can handle life’s challenges, if we, their caregivers, can handle those challenges. Children are incredibly resilient, especially when they have loving and supportive adults who communicate with them in an honest and age-appropriate way.

Communication is critical in every relationship. I was able to respond to the conversation that Derek and Joel had, by backing up Joel’s assertion that he does not have a mommy and that every family is different. I can give examples that some families have two mommies, or just one daddy, or two sisters, or one sister and one brother, etc. I can ask Derek to tell us about his family, his parents, siblings, and grandparents. I can remind them both, that it isn’t who is in a family that makes it a family, it is love that makes a family, and it comes in all shapes and sizes.

This post originally appeared on www.littlefolksbigquestions.comn.

I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.