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
She made waves in Hollywood with her blond hair & blue eyes, but look at her now
Kathleen Turner rose to fame in the 1980s as a result of her strength and beauty; many consider her to be one of Hollywood’s most beautiful actors.
Over the years, the actress has faced numerous challenging and favorable situations, and her perseverance has carried her through them both.Kathleen Turner was raised in a home with four other children, despite her difficult past.
She and her siblings were raised in both Venezuela and London. When she was a little girl, she tragically witnessed her father’s sudden death when he was mowing the lawn of their Hampstead house.
A month following his passing, the foreign service ejected Kathleen and her family from the United Kingdom. In Springfield, Missouri, where everyone was still grieving for their father and their previous home, Turner relocated her family.
Finally, Tuner felt at peace after moving to New York to pursue an adult acting career. Her major break came when she was hired as the femme fatale in the 1981 film “Body Heat,” despite her success on stage.
Turner was offered the opportunity to co-star with Michael Douglas in the well-known “Romancing the Stone” three years after sharing the screen with William Hurt. During filming, Douglas was going through a difficult divorce from his wife Diandra, and he started to feel a connection with Turner.
We were intensely flirting and exchanging intense, yearning glances as we were falling in love. Kathleen remarked, “Then Diandra came down and reminded me he was still married.”
In the end, she wed Jay Weiss, the movie’s real estate developer, in 1984. Soon after, the couple welcomed their only daughter together. October 14, 1987, was Rachel Ann Weiss’s birthday.
Regretfully, when the couple started parenting their daughter, their relationship started to fall apart.
“I would demand extended weekends or additional passes from the film studios so that my spouse and daughter could visit me. However, I felt bad since there was a feeling in the marriage that all the work was on his end. It terminated for a few reasons, including that. I began to experience extreme oppression. Kathleen said, “I thought, ‘Hang on a minute, you’ve done very well out of being married to me also.’”
When Turner played Martha in the 2005 Broadway production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” their marital problems came to a head. Turner became incredibly busy performing in eight shows a week, and it seemed Weiss didn’t want to spend any time with her at home.
During that time, Turner was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Martha, and the two got along well.
The actress was nominated for an Oscar in 1987 for her role in “Peggy Sue Got Married.” She went on to produce several films in the 1980s, including three blockbusters starring Michael Douglas.
But in the 1990s, Kathleen experienced a medical setback when her neck locked, making it impossible for her to turn her head. Additionally, the swelling in her hands prevented her from using them.
Kathleen stated, “It was crippling.” When something is gone, even for a little while, you stop taking it for granted. What I took for granted was my athleticism, my capacity for forceful movement, and my freedom to move however I pleased. I had a genuine identity crisis when I lost that: “Who am I if I can’t do this?”
She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which is characterized by swelling of the lining of our joints, and this was the tragic reason for her circumstances. Managing chronic pain caused by this illness can be difficult.
Kathleen remarked, “When it was first diagnosed, I was terrified because they said I’d be in a wheelchair.” “I reasoned that I couldn’t act if I couldn’t move. Not everything I want to do is act. I was destined for this. It’s present throughout my entire life. The most terrifying aspect was the thought of not being able to accomplish it, together with the ongoing discomfort.
Kathleen took drugs and alcohol to ease her pain. Her habit of drinking vodka led her to faint during dress rehearsals for plays such as the 2002 stage version of “The Graduate,” even if they made her job simpler.
The actress really checked herself into rehab after the show concluded, and it was found that she was not an alcoholic. Instead, she was told to just remember to take more notes on when she took her medications and any unfavorable side effects.
The actress now does pilates and yoga to help her stay flexible and manage her discomfort.
The famous person began to focus more intently on her career in theater while also improving her pain management. As she grew older, she largely returned to her roots, even taking the lead in a stage production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” in her forties, even though she still worked sometimes in film and television.
“It was a little foresight on my part of which I am justly proud, because I knew that the better roles as I got older would be in theatre, which is absolutely true,” Kathleen remarked.
By focusing on the theater, the actress has had more time to pursue her passions, which include working for Planned Parenthood of America and volunteering for Amnesty International.
For most of her life, Turner has been an ardent feminist who has devoted her life to helping other women. Gloria Feldt’s 2008 biography of the actress, Send Yourself Roses, captures her thoughts perfectly.
As women, we are the first generation to achieve financial independence. Women are returning to the workforce, stated Kathleen. They’re redefining who they are. I believed I could contribute to that, even more. It therefore contains a great deal of philosophy as well as my personal beliefs.
What are your thoughts on Kathleen Turner’s difficult yet fruitful journey? Tell us in the comments below!
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