Former 2020 presidential Candidate and current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is opening up for the first time about what parenting means to him and his husband, Chasten, since they welcomed newborn twins.

In an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Buttigieg opened up about the pair's adopted twins, Penelope and Joseph, admitting when host Mika Brzezinski asked him what surprised him most about being a parent that he was shocked by how much joy he still found in the parts that were challenging.

“It’s been wonderful, and more. I think the biggest thing that surprised me is just how much joy there is even sometimes in the hard parts. Don’t get me wrong it’s the most demanding thing I have ever done, anything that Chasten, and I have ever taken on,” he said.

Buttigieg and his husband first announced they were adopting in August, stating that they were adopting and the process was not yet complete at the time.

“The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon,” Buttigieg wrote at the time.

Now, he is living out the full lifestyle of being a parent and has welcomed his new baby twins into their family.

“I used to think of 5 a.m. as early. Now, I think of it as naptime if I’m lucky, and yet, I catch myself grinning half the time,” he admitted in his new interview.

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