Larry Birkhead earlier tonight gave his first live prime-time interview since winning custody of his daughter in April, appearing on Larry King Live alongside the absolutely adorable 9-month-old Dannielynn. Dannielynn is teething, is not yet crawling but is pulling herself up, and she clearly adores her dad — she smiled at Larry non-stop and in a humorous moment even ripped off his microphone completely. Among the baby-related highlights:
Dannielynn is thriving: We have no health concerns…She has been to the doctors and is hitting all her developmental milestones on time. She’s above height for her age, her weight is on target, and the doctor said she’s very alert. I couldn’t ask for a better baby.
On parenthood: It’s the greatest feeling ever. It’s like magic. I wake up every morning, and can’t wait until she wakes up, so I can see her. Sometimes I cheat and take a peek at her. It’s great. It’s trial and error, and it’s a lot of hours, but it’s a lot of fun.
On his relationship with Howard K. Stern: At first it was awkward … [But] we’re getting along. We haven’t always, but I’m not going to sit around and be an angry person [about the custody battle]. That’s not going to help me; That’s not going to help my daughter. I’ve always said that anyone who has good intentions can see Dannielynn, and that stands today. He’s welcome to see her. I just want Dannielynn to have a loving environment, and Howard loved her. He asks about her. He calls and sends emails. It’s a very unusual situation and a lot of people don’t get it, but it is what it is: We’re just people trying to do the right thing for this little baby.
Click below for more highlights from the interview!
On Dannielynn’s potential inheritance: I want my daughter to have all that she is entitled to, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to fight people and sit in a courtroom for 12 years. That’s not my arena. Whatever comes to her is hers; My job is just to protect her.
On the origins of Dannielynn’s full name, Dannielynn Hope Marshall Birkhead: Dannielynn’s original name was going to be Hannah Rose, but when Daniel died Anna decided to change it to Dannielynn both in tribute to him, and Daniel always called Anna ‘Mommalynn,’ so it also acknowledged his nickname for her. Marshall was Anna’s married name, but on the birth certificate it was listed as a middle name, so I had it listed as a last name on my petition where I had the birth certificate changed to include my name. I wanted [Dannielynn] to have a piece of her mother’s name. It’s only right.
On what he’ll tell Dannielynn about her mother and brother Daniel: It’s a hard story. It’s going to take a lot of thought. I want her to know that there were a lot of great things about her mother. I just want her to know the positives. She helped people, she helped charities, she was a fun-loving person and so was [Dannielynn's] brother. She was very misunderstood.
On his first Father’s Day, and whether he’ll ever get married: Father’s Day is going to be fun. No real plans, I’m just going to be a dad. It’s a special day. I think it’s going to be very important for me. Some day I’d like to marry, but I can’t think about anything right now but [Dannielynn]. She’s my only date. Anywhere she wants to go, I’ll take her.
