METAIRIE, La. — Drew Brees is about to play his first game as a 40-year-old — and his biggest game in nine years.

When the Saints host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game in New Orleans on Sunday, it’ll be the first time Brees, who turned 40 on Tuesday, has played for the conference title since the 2009 season. Brees turned 31 shortly before the Saints defeated Minnesota en route to the franchise’s lone Super Bowl.

One of the enduring images from that championship season was Brees standing next to his wife, Brittany, holding aloft their son, Baylen, who grasped at confetti floating around them.

Baylen was Brees’ first child, born on his father’s 30th birthday, and had recently turned 1 when the Saints beat the Colts in Miami in February 2010.

Now Brees is a father of four —three boys and one girl, ages 4 to 10. They were all present on the sideline when Brees set the all-time NFL record for yards passing in Week 5 of this season, and Brees said after practice Wednesday that he has cherished the opportunity to share one of his best seasons with them.

“They’re so football-crazed right now,” Brees said. “That’s what makes this so much fun.”

Brees recounted that during some recent one-on-one time with his second child, Bowen, the quarterback asked his 8-year-old son what his favorite thing to do is.

“He said, `Go to the Saints facility with dad,”’ Brees said. “That kind of stuff is what memories are made of and you want them to enjoy that as much as possible and give them those moments as much as possible.

“They love football. They love the Saints. They love our team. They love this season,” Brees said. “We’re just trying to stay in the moment and enjoy it as much as we can.”

There has been plenty to enjoy.