Lucy Baehr didn’t see her daughter Reese as the cutest baby, but a mother’s love transcends mere looks. However, the story didn’t stop there; when she playfully posted her daughter in a TikTok challenge, she encountered a storm of criticism, which Lucy defied with her steadfast maternal affection.
Getting pregnant with Reese had its fair share of ups and downs
Lucy Baehr shared an experience that resonated with many mothers who eagerly anticipate the arrival of their newborn babies, expecting them to be undeniably cute. Hailing from Arkansas, her story took an unusual and humorous twist, capturing the online world’s attention.
Lucy’s journey to motherhood was a real rollercoaster. She’d faced the formidable challenge of infertility and experienced heartbreaking losses. But she was a loving mom to her daughter, Harper, and a dedicated stepmom to Cole. In September 2019, they added a third furry member to the family, a dog, hoping to fill that void in their lives.
Then, in February 2020, she dropped a bombshell: Lucy found out she was pregnant with a baby girl. The news left her overjoyed and, well, a little incredulous. When her daughter, Reese, finally arrived, Lucy’s first reaction was a mix of shock and humor.
She recalls the moment, saying, “I’m pretty sure I looked at my husband and was like, ’She’s healthy?’” It was a perfect way to sum up a surprise that life had thrown her way, making Reese’s arrival a bit less unique than they had anticipated.
“Her nose was incredibly swollen, and her eyes were beady.” The new mom also shared how looking back, not a single person, not even the delivery room nurses, tried to sugarcoat that Reese wasn’t exactly a poster baby for cuteness.
“People just didn’t comment on her appearance,” she laughed.
When Harper, Reese’s sister, got to hold her baby sibling for the first time, even she couldn’t help but notice the striking differences between them. While Baehr’s daughter was likely excited about becoming an older sibling, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at her mother and make a candid observation about Reese’s appearance, describing it as “weird.” Lucy, her mother, reassured Harper, telling her there was some truth to her observation.
The “ugly baby” Tiktok challenge
Most people know it’s almost taboo for mothers to admit their children might not be the cutest openly. Still, Lucy Baehr fearlessly ventured into that territory using TikTok. She joined in on a trend where people shared their experiences of expecting an adorable newborn but being surprised by reality. With a good-natured laugh, the mother of three proudly declared that she had taken the crown in that department!
When Baehr caught the trend of folks sharing photos of their “less-than-cute babies” on TikTok, she couldn’t resist jumping on the bandwagon. At one point, her video had been seen by almost 24 million people. It all turned into a big laugh, with some users jokingly suggesting that her daughter looked like Mr. Bean or Harry Potter’s Dobby!
Most of the comments from her TikTok followers were all in good fun. One person even quipped that Reese looked “like a villager.”
Another person playfully guessed that the little girl definitely took after her father. Someone else couldn’t help but sympathize with the idea that women endure nine months of nausea and drama, only for their kids to come out “looking like their dads.” Another added, “Newborns are rarely, if ever, cute. They’re a ‘trust the process’ kinda creature.”
However, while many on social media found Baehr’s post to be light-hearted fun, some didn’t share the sentiment. Some believed poking fun at a child was in bad taste and sharing such a clip on social media wasn’t right.
The new mom got a lot of heat for poking fun at her baby
Baehr opened up about the criticism she faced, with some people labeling her a “terrible mom.” Critics were concerned that her viral post might negatively impact Reese’s self-esteem. However, Baehr stood her ground, explaining that she was simply being honest.
The mother of three clarified that she intended to normalize the reality of how newborns often looked when they entered the world. She reassured everyone that Reese was perfectly fine. Baehr even pledged to share the story with Reese one day.
She also believed that her daughter would inherit her sense of humor. Her primary aim was to remind mothers that not all newborns fit the typical “perfect-looking” image, and that’s perfectly okay. She emphasized that her video wasn’t meant to be mean-spirited, and she knew Reese wasn’t ugly.
Lucy also shared an Instagram picture of her newborn baby, adding a heartfelt caption explaining the significance of Reese’s name. She deeply loved the little girl, saying, “You were loved long before you got here.”
The glow-up is real
But as a respectable princess, Reese has grown into a beautiful baby. Her mom finally gave her Instagram followers a peek at Reese almost three years after her birth, sharing more photos and even a video clip showcasing how pretty and lively her daughter had become. People in the comments couldn’t help but gush, calling Reese a “beautiful baby girl,” “absolutely precious,” and “a doll.”
Then, on November 4, 2022, Baehr dropped an Instagram video that captured how Reese had changed over the years. She revealed that it took her two years to put the clip together and that it had her feeling a bit emotional. The video showed Reese laughing, smiling, learning to crawl, playing with the family dog, taking her first steps, feeding herself, exploring the world, and transforming into the gorgeous little girl she is now.
Things have been looking up for Reese, who’s now nearly three years old. “Reese is gorgeous,” Baehr proudly said. “She has these huge blue eyes.”
However, Reese’s journey reminds us that beauty truly comes in all shapes and sizes. Her heartwarming transformation and her radiant spirit teach us to embrace our unique selves and appreciate the beauty in every child, no matter how they may look at birth.
Stories like this might sound strange, but they’re pretty common. Just see what other folks shared about their first encounters with their babies.
Preview photo credit lucybaehr / Instagram
‘Baywatch’ star Michael Newman tragically dies
Baywatch star Michael Newman has tragically died at the age of 68.
Newman rose to fame in the ’90s after playing a lifeguard on the long-running series, starring alongside Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra.
The heartbreaking news was confirmed by Newman’s close friend, Matt Felker, who revealed the late actor died “from heart complications” on Sunday, October 20, according to PEOPLE.
The 45-year-old, who directed the recent Hulu docuseries After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun, shared that Newman was “surrounded by his family and friends”.
“I got to see Mike the last time he was conscious and he looked [at] me and in typical Mike fashion said, ‘You’re just in time,'” Felker revealed to the outlet.
Newman endured an 18-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
He was first diagnosed at the age of 50 in 2006 and devoted his later years to fundraising for the Michael J Fox Foundation.
In a heartfelt interview with PEOPLE this August, the late actor opened up about his desire to raise awareness about the condition through his own experiences.
“This terminal disease has allowed me a lot of thinking time, which I maybe didn’t want, but it’s brought me wisdom,” he said. “My body has changed so slowly that I hardly notice it, yet I am constantly reminded that Parkinson’s has now become the center of my life.”
Newman revealed he took 10 medications a day and would often wake up “jittery,” adding: “I am cherishing the days that I get to be on this earth with family and friends. I’m taking life seriously.”
He said that his life mantra is, “It’s not a run-through,” and concluded: “All those things that you thought you were going to do with your children and grandchildren, pictures we were going to take, all the plans I had… stopped.”
Newman was the only member of the Baywatch cast who was actually a lifeguard. He was also a firefighter who balanced his on-screen career with his full-time career.
Once the show concluded in 2001, he returned to firefighting before hanging up his helmet 25 years later.
The late star is survived by his wife of 36 years, Sarah, their children Chris and Emily, and their one-year-old granddaughter, Charlie.
Our thoughts are with Newman’s family and friends at this time.
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