Spacedad well versed in staying focused

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's new dad in space, shuttle astronaut Randy Bresnik, said Tuesday he had no problems focusing on his job while awaiting his daughter's birth.

Abigail Mae Bresnik was born late Saturday, just hours after his first spacewalk.

"Fortunately, I've got a little over 20 years of good Marine Corps training on compartmentalizing," Bresnik said during a crew news conference Tuesday.

"We've been training long and hard for this mission. We know that the baby's been coming, so it was easy to go ahead and do our tasks," the 1989 Citadel graduate said. It's a lot simpler to put thoughts aside when they're about a good thing, he added.

Bresnik said he wants to see his family as soon as possible after space shuttle Atlantis lands Friday. Wife Rebecca was figuring on waiting for him back home in Houston, with the baby. The couple also have a 3 1/2-year-old son.

After nearly a week together, the crews of shuttle Atlantis and the international space station said goodbye Tuesday and closed the hatches between them.

Atlantis will undock from the space station before dawn today.

Astronaut Nicole Stott also is eagerly awaiting the ride back; she's been in orbit for three months.

She said she misses her husband and 7-year-old son, as well as being in the sunshine.

"Pizza has been sounding really good," she said. She's also craving a cola with ice.

The shuttle crew's Thanksgiving meal will be nothing special, as per commander Charles Hobaugh's wishes. Whatever is on the prepacked menu that day will be fine, he said.