By Kathleen Swift
Thanks all who entered Show Me The Ozarks Magazine’s 18th Annual Baby Contest and proved once again we do have the cutest babies here in the Four States! All of the entry fees from the contest go directly to our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, where the funds will be used to help children with medical needs. We hope you enjoy the sweet, precious photos of these special babies. Thank you to our judges, who had the pleasant but difficult job of choosing our winners. Kerstin Landwer-Director of Sales/Assistant Director at Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau; Michaela Bennet-Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals; Stephanie McGrew-Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce; Angela Speiker-Artistic Expressions Photography & Design; Deb Anderson-Artistic Expressions Photography & Design.
1st Place
Congratulations to Eleanor Katzer, who placed first in Show Me The Ozarks Magazine’s Cutest Baby Contest. Eleanor will be 7 months old in May, and her mom, Kayla said, “Eleanor is a happy baby with a bubbly personality. We have a lot of music in our home, and Eleanor loves it. She especially loves it when her dad, Dillon, plays his guitar and sings to her.”
Eleanor loves her activity gym and her indoor swing. She likes to pat her cat, Molly, and she is just beginning to notice her dog, Pandora. She is curious about the animals and likes to watch them.
2nd Place
Zimery Hobbs, our second-place winner in the Show Me The Ozarks Cutest Baby Contest, loves to stick out her tongue and curl it. She is also a big fan of blowing spit bubbles, said mom Chelsea. Zimery loves family, including her siblings and her dad, Justin. When people make faces, it makes her laugh. Zimery will be 9 months old in May, and her favorite foods are mashed potatoes and chocolate ice cream.
3rd Place
One-year old Matteo Smith is a fun-loving little guy who loves giving kisses. Matteo is ethnically Caucasian and Filipino and is learning to speak in both English and Tagalog. His parents, Chris and Donna, said he loves to push his toy lawn mower, enjoys his whistle sticks and is into gadgets like the TV remote and the cell phones. Matteo has an older sister, Chloe, and is adored by his family.
Facebook Fan Favorite
Our fan favorite, Owen Jones, was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect. After open heart surgery at four months old, Owen is thriving and is the light of his parents’ life. Renee and Shawn say he is the happiest and sweetest baby. Being different is amazing!
Honorable Mention
Kinsley is a happy, busy girl who just turned two. She has seven siblings, is very affectionate and loves giving what she calls huggies. Her blanket, which she calls Baboo, is her favorite thing to sleep with.
Silas was born April 4, 2020. He loves to sleep and is a very peaceful, content little guy. He enjoys watching his big sister act silly and keeping the family entertained.
Liz Nichols said about her son, “Hunter is a loving, happy-go-lucky little guy. When he smiles at you, he just melts you into his world. He loves
to play with building blocks and his sister.”
Kyng Weston doesn’t know a stranger and loves to wave at everyone. At 18 months old, Kyng is an independent little fellow who loves to be around the family’s horses and dogs.