"I wouldn't want to say I was having any sort of identity crisis," he says of The Jacob Of 2003. "But when you change locations in your life...You kind of know who you are by where you live, by your surroundings, your friends, the people you associate with.  And moving to New York, that was all gone.  There was no more Jacob Young, Los Angeles; there was just Jacob Young Question Mark.  In New York, people knew of me, but they didn't know me.  So if you ask me who I am now versus back then, I kind of know my place now.  And it's a good place to be."

Indeed.  Much of the credit goes to the former Christen Steward, whom he wed in May 2007 and with whom he is expecting, on November 19, his first child, a son they have named Luke Wayne Young.  "When I first met her, I had no idea I'd even be dating her." he marvels of his wife.  "She was pretty quiet and reserved.  But I got to know her more.  I just had a feeling that she wasn't like everybody else, at least most of the girls I'd dated to that point.  I truly believe that you get like three chances in life, at least early on, to find the right one.  I definitely think there were a few people that were a close second and third, but really weren't that person.  She had characteristics more of a wife than a girlfriend.  There's just no other way to explain it.  I was getting older and it was time for me. I knew I wanted to be married and have a child.  Those things are important to me and I didn't want to wait until I was 40 or 50.  I wanted to be a father and to give my child a chance that maybe I didn't get to have, or just make life as good as I could for them.  She just felt like the one, you know?  The person to share that with and to be there in all those aspects of my life."

And after four months of trying they learned that baby would make three. "We were starting to think, "Maybe we should go get ourselves checked, make sure there's nothing wrong, see a fertility specialist," he shares. "But I kept saying,  "Sometimes, these things take time and finally, it happened.  She felt that there was something different about her right away and sure enough, she was pregnant.  She tested herself like four times, double-checked, triple-checked and each time was positive.  She'd tested herself in the middle of the night and she woke me up.  I was like (groggily) "Oh, yeah, that's really fantastic.  But in the morning it sunk in. "

Learning that the young Young was a male was a profound moment for the dad to be.  "I was overwhelmed. I think I welled up a little bit and got emotional, but then I pulled the reins back.  Gotta be strong, gotta be a man (laughs)!  But it was great.  The legacy lives on, the names lives on, and now I can have as many girls as I want!"

While many expectant pops fret about what  they will have to give up to become family men, Young waves away those concerns.  "I already spend all my free time at home with my wife,"  he notes.  "We spend all our time together because we've become best friends.  On the week-ends, we'll go take a drive, explore and see something historical!  Or we go to see her parents, who are in Maryland.  She hangs out with her mother and I hang out with her dad and her brother."  Assembling the nursery replete with a Winnie The Pooh themed panorama he and Christen drew and hand painted on the walls, has been another weekend activity.  "The crib is halfway assembled right now.  I'm telling you, there are these three pieces on there that are backward on the drawing or something;  it just doesn't look right.  I've been fiddling around with it trying to get it right.  But the bassinet's together, the changing table, the dresser.  It's exciting."

For his folks too.  "They are amazed and so happy," he beams about their reaction to the news of Luke's impending arrival.  "Of course this their 14th grandchild, but my mom's especially excited because it's my first and I'm the youngest, her baby.  So for her, it's a big thing."  Having a son on the way has brought him closer to his own dad, he says. "There's been a lot through our years, but he knows now I'm my own man.  I own my own home.  I have a wife. I have a real substantial life.  I'm not just some bachelor running around the city who hasn't settled down.  He's come to the realization that I'm a dad myself now."

All in all, "This is the happiest time in my life, for sure."  Young says, "I really am so, so lucky to have found someone who puts up with me and who loves me as much as she does.  I think we're going to be great parents together because we're both nurturing by nature.  Luke is going to be so loved it's going to be unbelievable."

Father Figure

Though Adam and JR are frequently at odds, "David Canary (Adam) and I are really close," Young smiles.  "He has a son about my age, so it's only natural that a father/son kind of bond happened."

Just the Facts

Birthday:  September 10

Hails From:  Renton, WA

What's In a Name? "If Luke had turned out to be a girl, what would she have been named? - Cheyenne.  My great grandmother on my mom's side is a full-blooded Sioux Indian, so even though it's been bred out of me quite a bit, I still have a close feeling with the Indian Nation. "

Gold Standard:  Young reviewed a slew of familiar faces when he saw the tapes of this year's Lead Actor pre-nominations.  "I was joking that they should change the category to Outstanding Lead Actor Who's Played Jacob Young's Father.  That should be a category all of it's own, with David Canary (Adam, AMC), Tony Geary (Luke, G H) and John McCook (Eric, B&B).  I was like "This is a little weird. 

His Ring Tone:  "A Country Boy Can Survive by Hank Williams JR"

Did You Know?

Thanks to three years of Home Ec in high school, Young is quite the chef.  "I cook every night.  Last night, it was round steak, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli with melted cheddar cheese and a salad.  I love to experiment with marinades.  I've always got something marinating in a plastic bag in the fridge.  And at Christmas time I make a beautiful prime rib..one for every family I go to"'

The Young's have two Chihuahuas, Toby and Buddy.  "They are absolute lovers, just fantastic.  I love lap dogs.  They sleep with us and everything.  One dog here, one dog there and I can't move.  Christen's sideways and pregnant and I'm like, "I've got no room on the bed. I've done it to myself."