I'm going to key into a couple of things you've said, and some others you haven't but I think are implied.
You're probably the kind of guy looking at photos you see posted here on ExPo, or in OJ and similar, and thinking, Wow, those images look so much better than mine, and they all shoot dSLR's, so..... Well, you are right. You really will get better shots with a dSLR. It won't make you take better shots than you do now, but some of the things you have noticed will be there in the images you will begin to take.
First off, for the types of environments most of the guys around here shoot, a weather sealed camera is pretty important. Dust is a killer. The better quality lenses are sealed. They are also built like tanks. They are heavy and bulky, but they work in nearly every environment you can think of. dSLR's are very fast. You can turn them on instantly. Batteries last for thousands of shots. The shutter rate is great, and you can get your daughters priceless expression the first time, because the camera is as fast as you are. They tend to be sharper, because there are fewer compromises in the lenses. The better the glass, the better the image. The camera itself has very little do with image quality. That's an overstatement, but when you are shopping for your first setup, it's pretty accurate. Whatever camera you buy now is basically disposable, but the glass you will keep a long, long time. Buy a cheap camera, but buy expensive glass and you will be happy. Reverse that equation and you will not be happy. These are all good and prudent reasons to get a dSLR. Even the best PNS (like a G10) will let you down because they are not as fast, the batteries are not as long lasting, and the turn on action of cycling the lens will drive you nuts out in the dust and dirt, pumping debris into the camera with every cycle.
I actually suggest buying a used dSLR first, and getting a hang of it. It's sort of like gold. Easy to do, but hard to do well. dSLR's have "easy mode" features that will be fine for starters, then they can grow with you when you get bold enough to turn the dial to Aperture mode! I am unfamiliar with the current Nikon lineup, but they are all very good. In the Cannon lineup, I'd suggest the 20D/30D/40D/50D range. The higher the number, the better (the current 60D is pretty sweet, but pricey). You can get used 20D's for $500, and it's what I use to shoot all the images here.
The Cannon line up also has a wide range of lenses. the best ones are dubbed "L" lenses, and have a trademark red ring around them. They are well built, solid, durable, sealed, accurate, and typically very very sharp lenses. The lower the aperture number (F number) the more expensive, and versatile, the lens will be. If you buy nothing but F2.8's, you will be very happy...and poor

The mid range lenses are EF-S lenses, known by the white dot at the mounting ring. These are mid-grade, well built, fairly sharp lenses, that offer a lot of performance for the dollar. The EF-S lenses only mount to the Rebel and the 20D-60D bodies (and maybe the 7D, I'm not sure), but these same bodies can also run all the L's and regular EF lenses. They are really good quality mid-range cameras.
Another nice thing about dSLR's is that your success rate in "keepers" will go up quite a bit, because you will be taking a LOT more shots, and, with the other beneficial aspects, you are going to like the shots you take. Another aspect that a lot of people transitioning to dSLR overlook is the backend costs. You are going to be taking a LOT more images, which means you are going to need software to cull through them all. You are also going to want software that can help with the post-processing (sharpening, balancing, cropping, fixing, etc...). To do this well, you will want a nice monitor, a fairly power computer, and fast, capacious hard drives to store everything. These backend costs are not inconsequential, and should definitely be considered as part of the package.
Here is a shot I took with a borrowed re-built $400 Canon 30D, and my favorite 16-35mm F2.8 L MkII lens: The lens cost 2x what the camera, maybe even more than that, but it works!