Nurse Jackie’s Peter Facinelli loves his daughters … but his wife says a son would be nice

Peter Facinelli turned 36 recently, a milestone that wife Jennie Garth celebrated with a surprise party for the Nurse Jackie and Twilight star.

“I wasn’t even thinking about my birthday, so it was a nice surprise,” Facinelli told OK! magazine this week at the Tribeca Film Institute’s screening of Everybody’s Fine.

Facinelli’s birthday wasn’t the only one in the household, with daughter Lola turning 7 on Sunday.

Facinelli is a great dad to Lola and sisters Luca, 12, and Fiona, 3, Garth told the magazine.

“He’s very hands-on,” she said. “He doesn’t watch football or sports, he doesn’t drink beer. He’s not a guy’s guy in that respect. Not that he’s not a guy’s guy … that sounds bad. But I’m lucky, I’m so lucky that he doesn’t drink or sm … well, heh … he’s just a rare find, so I’m really, really lucky.”

Facinelli, shown here with Garth at the Twilight: New Moon premiere in LA last month, added that “patience” is the most important thing he’s learned from his wife.

Still, Garth said even the best dads need alone time. “Sometimes I’ll hear the Harley thing rev up, and I’ll know he’s had enough estrogen for one day and he’s gotta get out of the house.”

She wouldn’t mind evening the scales a little. “I want a boy every day,” Garth said. “Yes I do. I love them. We’re so fortunate, and I don’t ever want to push that envelope. You think, ‘I have three healthy, great kids, and I’m so lucky’ that I would be scared to have more. But I would be willing to take the risk.”

Image: Fame Pictures