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miker@tmnews.com

BEDFORD — Monday evening at the Lawrence County 4-H Fairgrounds would have worn out even the most enthusiastic of pucker-ready politicians, as there were about 200 children, from newborn to 4, competing in the annual baby contest.

Now, that’s a lot of kissin’.

With a crowd of proud relatives and friends of the contestants spilling out of the doors on either end of the Show Arena, moms, dads, aunts, uncles and grandparents anxiously awaited the announcement of the winners in each category.

For most of the children, however, it was just another day of doing what kids do best: looking cute and letting out an occasional whimper.

Or in the case of 6-week-old Brookelyn Kennedy, sleeping was the task at hand.

Dressed in a large frilly, pink dress, Brookelyn snoozed away on her mother’s lap as the judge walked through the contestants from newborn to 6 months.

While the baby didn’t win, the decision certainly wouldn’t cause her to lose any sleep.

After posing for the judges, Brookelyn was passed from mom Amy Kennedy to proud aunt Tracy Brown. And the trio sat on the sidelines watching the rest of the age categories (or, at least, the adults did).

For 3-year-old Tate Woods, sleeping wasn’t in the cards.

Standing on the sidelines with his parents Matt and Kristen Woods and 1-year-old sister Ava, the contest was merely a formality standing in the way of real fun.

“Well, we’ve bribed him” to be on his best behavior for the contest, Matt Woods said. “There is nothing wrong with a little bribery, is there? We’ve told him, ‘If you’re good for this, you can get your face painted.’”

Seated in the back row of the arena, Tammie Hensley and son Mason Cole, who is 9 months old, waited to strut their stuff.

Holding Mason, aunt Lisa Stevens and Hensley tried to coax the baby not to stick out his tongue and especially not at the judge.

But Mason might want to keep that tongue on alert just in case a politician does think a smooch will equal a vote.

The only thing better than 200 cute babies is one giving a politician a raspberry.

Times-Mail Assistant Managing Editor Mike Ricketts welcomes comments at 277-7255 or by e-mail at miker@tmnews.com.