Wilmer Valderrama Gushes About Fatherhood: 'It's Been Incredible'
By Melanie VanDerveer on September 29, 2022 at 2:30 AM EDT
Wilmer Valderrama is a proud father who's enjoying every part of fatherhood. His daughter Nakano Oceana, 19 months, who he shares with fiancé model Amanda Pacheco is now learning to run and saying a sweet phrase.
Valderrama Is Enjoying Every Milestone
Valderrama, 42, recently spoke to PEOPLE about his daughter's milestones and how fatherhood is treating him. "It's been incredible," he said. "She mumbles, 'I love you,' now. Literally, I can't leave the house to work unless I hear it." He went on to explain that father is "revitalizing and it's re-energizing" and "it's everything you thought it would be."
And now that his toddler is "learning to run," the actor has been learning some of his own new lessons. "I think every parent's going to relate to this, her learning to run and then us realizing she's always wearing the wrong shoes for that kind of speed," he said. "And then knowing that it's not going to turn out well at some point and that she's going to have to learn some hard lessons of balance. That's been the ongoing theme in the last month."
Nakano Is A Fan Of The Soundtrack For Disney's "Encanto"
Nakano is a huge fan of the music featured in the movie "Encanto," and for good reason - Valderrama voices the Madrigal family patriarch Agustin in the hit Disney movie. Earlier this year, PEOPLE reported that the actor told reporters at The Hollywood Reporter's Oscar Nominee Night that he and Pacheco, 31, play the movie's soundtrack for their daughter every morning when she wakes up.
"When [Nakano] gets up in the morning, we give her the bottle and as soon as she hears the song, immediately, hands up clapping. [She's] 1-year-old, like she doesn't know we have tons of videos [of her clapping]," he said. "It's a little suspect because she's just kind of like bouncing her diaper up and down and it looks too close to a twerk and it's too early for that. But I think it's a really beautiful thing when a child wakes up to music."
The Couple Talked Parenting And Honoring Their Roots Earlier This Year
In January, the couple along with baby Nakano, were featured in Parents, talking about honoring their roots and multigenerational living arrangements. Both mom and daughter are learning to speak Spanish. The family is full of native Spanish speakers, Valderrama and his parents, as well as Pacheco's father, and they all live nearby each other. "We want Nakano to grow up in a world where she's proud of her roots and respects where she came from," Valderrama said.
The "NCIS" star posted a clip of the couple discussing parenting to promote their interview in the magazine on his Instagram page captioned,
"Our family’s cover of @parents is OUT TODAY! And in honor, here is a little #reflection, #discovery and #humble advice from some new #parents.. hope you enjoy it, write me in the comments what you connected to.. would love to read your thoughts."
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