Who’s Cutest?

I pulled up to the fence outside Jack’s Coffee in Amagansett on my bike.  Greg and Kelly were

already there, sitting on one of the benches.  Greg had just finished his workout across the street at Barry’s Bootcamp.  Kelly had driven over from Montauk, where she’d done a SoulCycle session.  Baby Ryan was right alongside them in his car seat thingie.  The new parents had every reason to feel good about themselves.

Surrounding them was the usual Jack’s crowd.  And their dogs.  Lulu, the minuscule, frou-frou, chocolate brown toy poodle.  Bella, the adorable Cavalier King Charles.  Rosie, the soaking-wet, just-out-of-the-ocean Brussels Griffon.  Max, the . . . shaggy dog.

“People are more into dogs than babies,” Greg said to me.  He sounded bemused.  Maybe a little miffed.  And I got it.  There he was, sitting with his precious four-month-old first-born son.  Proud dad.  And he’s expecting everyone to ooh and aah over the little guy, while he looks on modestly.

But instead they’re oohing and aahing over the dogs.

Now Ryan, in my humble opinion, is an extremely engaging baby.  Smooth, pink skin.  Delicious, big round cheeks.  Edible thighs.  Smiley.  Dancing eyes.  Precious gurgling sounds.  Handsome as Prince Charming.  Off-the-charts brilliant.  Astoundingly coordinated.  Clearly a future Rhodes Scholar.  That’s the way Carol and I see him.  Greg and Kelly, too.  And the rest of our inner circle.

But to a lot of people . . . a baby’s a baby.  Seen one, seen ’em all.  They flap their arms and legs,

they drool, they poop, they sleep.  A dog, though, now that’s a different story.  They happily wag their tails.  They eagerly lick your face.  They extend their paw to you, expectantly.  They gaze at you with their big brown eyes.  They joyously bow down in that irresistable doggy play pose.

So yes, Greg, probably a lot of people are more into dogs than babies.  But don’t worry.  Your little boy is absolutely adorable.  And if you can’t believe his grandpa, who can you believe?

LOOK FOR A NEW BEAGLE MAN POST EVERY THURSDAY. OR PRETTY CLOSE TO THURSDAY. COULD BE WEDNESDAY. OR FRIDAY. LET’S NOT GET TOO OBSESSIVE HERE . . .  🙂  OH, AND BTW, YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.