Anderson Cooper Says Baby No. 3 Isn't Out of the Question: 'I Like the Idea of It'

Anderson Cooper is open to expanding his family.

The CNN anchor, 55, who is dad to sons Wyatt, 2, and Sebastian, 7 months, says another baby could be in his future, though he isn't certain.

"I love the idea of it—but there's nothing planned," Cooper says in the latest issue of PEOPLE.

Since welcoming Sebastian in February, (Cooper co-parents with his friend and former partner Benjamin Maisani, 49), the Anderson Cooper 360 host admits having a second child has been a much easier transition than having the first.

"Logistically, it's more challenging because they're on different nap schedules and there's different feeding schedules, but you know the shortcuts, how to fold the diaper in the right way and do the milk," he explains.

Still, Cooper says he's in awe of his young sons. "You forget how quickly they change and to see Sebastian and Wyatt together, that's really an amazing thing. Wyatt has been super sweet with him. And every morning he wants to go and smell the baby."

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Cooper also says that fatherhood has inspired change in him he didn't see coming.

As a child, he lost his father, actor and writer Wyatt Cooper who died unexpectedly during open-heart surgery at age 50. Ten years later, his older brother Carter died by suicide at the age of 23 when he jumped off the terrace of his mother, legendary heiress and fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt's 14th-floor New York City apartment. Three years ago, his mother, Gloria, the last living member of the family into which he was born, died of stomach cancer at age 95.

For most of his life, Cooper dealt with grief with avoidance. But that all changed when he became a dad. "I don't want to pass along to my kids any of my own failures or limitations," he says. "I want to be the best parent I can be, and I realized that the way I dealt with loss was effective for the time that it occurred, but that stuff catches up with you. You have to face it at some point."

In his new podcast All There Is With Anderson Cooper (out now), the journalist explores loss and grief. "It's not really discussed openly," he says. "I realized this is something we all go through or all will go through in one way or another."

As Cooper cherishes every day with his family, he says fatherhood is his greatest joy. "All my life, I've dreamed of having children. It puts everything in perspective and expands you in ways that are wonderful and magical."

For more on Anderson Cooper, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.