When it comes to sharing parenting truths about his 8-month-old son Beckett, Jesse Tyler Ferguson doesn't hold back.

"I'm surprised at how unaffected I am when he vomits on me," says Ferguson, 45, who is wed to producer Justin Mikita.

"If I saw that happening to someone else, I would probably get the dry heaves, but when he does it on me, it's fine," he adds. "He's urinated on me and I'm not bothered by it. That's probably the most surprising thing!"

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Messy moments aside, Ferguson, whose new cookbook, co-authored by his pal Julie Tanous, Food Between Friends, is available now, says he's relishing in some unexpected down time brought on by the pandemic.

"I had just finished Modern Family, which I had done for 11 years, and we knew Beckett was coming in July," says Ferguson, who filmed the Emmy winning show's series finale last February.

"There was this forced opportunity to stop and relax and be in the moment. I was able to really focus on Beckett coming into our lives."

And these days, the actor says he treasures the little moments the most.

"It's astonishing," he says. "I can be in a bad mood and seeing him super excited, kicking and smiling, it just immediately lifts my spirits. It's so pure and sweet. And it gives me so much joy."

For more from Jesse Tyler Ferguson, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.

Source: Read Full Article