Cheers to Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen's Cutest Dad Moments

When Andy Cohen became a father in February 2019, Anderson Cooper was instantly elevated to uncle status.

"Uncle Anderson got an exclusive," Cohen captioned a photo from the moment his friend of 30 years met his infant son Benjamin Allen Cohen, who was born via surrogate.

"I could stare at @bravoandy's son all day long," Cooper captioned his own post from the day. "And i sort of want to be swaddled too."

Instead, the Anderson Cooper 360 host decided the time was finally right to do the swaddling. And when his son Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper was born (also via surrogate) in April 2020, Cohen scored the big first interview.

"Ben, this is Wyatt. This is Wyatt Cooper. He's gonna be your good buddy," the Bravo host said as the pair virtually introduced their boys on Watch What Happens Live. "That's gonna be your good buddy and we're gonna travel together. And if you like him half as much as I like his daddy, you're gonna be great friends."

And the rest is doting-dad history.  

"It's been such a journey and it's been so interesting trying to just figure out how to do everything," Cohen told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show when Ben was 2 months old. Even just the art of leaving the house, "I'm like, 'How do I do this? How do I take him outside?'"

Once he figured it out, "Sometimes, I take the stroller out without the kid," joked the Real Housewives producer, rhapsodizing over the storage capability that came with his baby's mode of transport.

Cooper, a famously unenthusiastic, food-is-fuel eater, admittedly wondered, "How do you feed your kids?"

"Literally this was a concern of mine," he said on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live June 13. "Like, I don't know how I will make three meals a day for them and actually keep them fed. That was a hurdle for me to overcome."

Not surprisingly, the guy who's reported from war zones and during natural disasters eventually mastered scrambled eggs and other "basic stuff for breakfast" and "basic pastas and stuff like that" for dinner. "It's actually possible," Cooper said. (And a woman who helped care for his late mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, also comes in once a week to meal prep "so there's healthy stuff in the fridge, like salmon—the kids love salmon—and vegetables.")

"It's been wild for me to see the domestic side of you," Cohen noted, explaining, "I don't see you interact with food products very much, so it is interesting for me sociologically."

And both pals doubled down on domesticity: Wyatt's little brother Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper was born in February 2022, two months before Cohen welcomed daughter Lucy Eve Cohen.

Parenting "has changed me in every way," Cohen told Cooper on CBS Sunday Morning in May 2023, joking when he sat down with his BFF that the veteran journalist was about to do his "Barbara Walters-Jedi thing" on him. "I think my priorities have completely shifted. I think my sense of accomplishment has totally changed. And even just getting your kids breakfast and getting them out to school, when I drop him off at school, I'm like, 'You did it, dude!'"

The 56-year-old author of Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up also shared that, once he was ready to have children, the idea of being a single dad (albeit one with plenty of help) didn't faze him.

"I just thought," Cohen said, "I wanna do this. And I'm doing it. And I know it's gonna be really hard, and I don't know what that actually means."

Along with the surplus of joy, it did ultimately mean finding out what dad guilt felt like. "If I spend three hours with Ben, and then I have to go to work, you know, you're at work, and you're like, 'Did I spend enough time with Ben today?'" he explained. "If Ben tells me that I'm his best friend or he grabs for my hand to hold it, or he cuddles me extra tight, I mean, there's not gonna be a bigger win in my day than that."

And Cooper would concur that being Wyatt and Sebastian's dad is now his most towering achievement, the 57-year-old telling People last September there had been so many "moments of such bliss, humor and gentleness and sheer delight that it stuns me."

"This is the best time in my life," the CNN anchor added. "There is no doubt about it."

He said coparenting and living with ex-partner Benjamin Maisani despite their breakup in 2018 felt "very natural," noting their complementary schedules.

"I work nights, and so he's there at night," Cooper explained. "And we both wake up right before they wake up, get them their milk and spend the first couple of hours of the day just us with them. And Benjamin speaks French to them. I have no idea what they're saying. I think they're plotting against me."

But there's safety in numbers, and Cohen and Cooper of course have each other as they navigate the wilds of parenting.

"Hanging out with @bravoandy and the little ones," Cooper captioned an April pic of the pair with Wyatt and Ben perched on their respective shoulders. "No better way to spend the day."

Wrote Cohen on his page, "Every day is Father's Day! #AC4."

And there's no need to wait until New Year's Eve to toast the joys of fatherhood, so read on for more of Cooper and Cohen's sweetest dad moments:

"Lucy is Two! It is so exciting getting to know my daughter; she’s a smart, funny sweetheart who surprises me every day," Andy wrote in a sweet birthday tribute April 29, 2024. "And the female energy Lucy is shining all over this house is welcome and needed! It’s getting really fun over here!"

He continued, "Marking time through the filter of my children’s growth is blowing my mind at this later stage of my life. Everything feels on double-time but it’s also, as @hodakotb says, right on time."

Andy and Ben had a bird's-eye view of the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse.

"Bring your Daughter to #BravoCon Day!" Andy posted on Instagram in October 2022.

"She is so bright-eyed & sweet as [pie emoji]," Andy wrote on Instagram in September 2022.

Andy shared this photo of Lucy in August 2022.

Andy shared this sweet snapshot of him and his two children in July.

It didn't take long for Benjamin to embrace the role of big bro.

Andy announced the birth of his second child, a daughter named Lucy Eve Cohen, born via surrogate in April. 

Ben and Anderson Cooper's son Wyatt are clearly destined to follow in their fathers' footsteps.

Benjamin joins his dad for his star ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb. 4, 2022, his third birthday.

The musician, who helped induct Andy to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, hangs out with the star's son at the ceremony.

In September 2021, Andy shared on Instagram this photo of Mark Consuelos with his son, revealing that he calls him "Pee Paw."

In September 2021, Andy shared this photo of Kelly Ripa with his son, revealing that he calls her "Mee Maw."

Andy and his son celebrate Father's Day.

Andy appears with his son outside a fire station for Halloween 2020.

Andy and his son relax on a beach in September 2020.

Andy and his son visit a beach in August 2020.

Andy and his son engage in an epic lightsaber battle in June 2020.

Andy and his son wear matching outfits in May 2020.

Andy poses with his son in October 2019.

Cohen poses for a cute selfie with his son on his 51st birthday.

It's Uncle Anderson Cooper again!

Baby Benjamin celebrated his first Easter in cute pajamas snuggling up to his proud papa, Andy Cohen.

As soon as spring hit in NYC, the Cohen men were out and ready to soak up the sun.

Benjamin was excited about MLB Opening Day in St. Louis as he showcased his Cardinals pride, a gift from team pitcher Michael Wacha, who Cohen named his dog after.

Benjamin met Mark Consuelos in early 2019 and we are forever jealous.

"Ben is ready for the #RHOA finale in his King-wear, gift from @porsha4real! What a trip! #KingBen," Cohen wrote on Instagram.

"The 40-Day-Old Virgin," Cohen captioned this adorable snap on Instagram.

Benjamin has already met Jimmy Fallon so clearly he'll be appearing on The Tonight Show in no time.

That is one happy baby!

"This little peanut turned 3 today!" Cooper wrote on Instagram in celebrating his eldest son's third birthday April 27, 2023. "Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper. He and his brother Sebastian are the greatest blessings I could ever have hoped for."

No need for a compass, Sebastian looked to Wyatt to be his guide to opening Christmas presents in 2022.

Just make sure that ice cream stays in the cone, buddy.

Cooper let the focus be on 4-month-old Sebastian in June 2022.

We see Wyatt's seal of approval and give this snap two thumbs-up.

Cooper and Benjamin Maisani, his partner in coparenting, lean in for a group shot with 2-year-old Wyatt and 2-month-old Sebastian.

Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper was born in February 2022.

All smiles with Wyatt.

"Wyatt is 10 weeks old and doing great," Anderson Cooper wrote on Instagram. "He likes naps and milk, bath time and being read to. Thank you for all your lovely cards and messages!"

Anderson Cooper feeds his newborn son.

Say cheese!

Baby Wyatt gets a kiss from his dad.

Baby Wyatt was born in April 2020.