KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — The picture frames in our living rooms tell a story of how we got here.
In the living room of Aaron and Kyle Baker, a Vicksburg couple and parents to two girls, it tells the story of their newest arrival.
“This is our very first picture from the ultrasound," Kyle said, pointing to frames. "This is our first family picture at the hospital."
But how that new arrival got here? They could've never pictured.
“We had a lot of pressure, having two girls, to have a boy," Aaron said.
“Our two girls were each a week late," said Kyle. “I was hoping for the exact opposite."
But Kyle soon learned to be careful what you wish for. On her exact due date, the pain began.
“I thought I was just cramping, light cramping," she said.
“I was excited, because I was immediately like, 'Okay, we're gonna have this baby tonight or tomorrow,'" laughed Aaron. "I did not know it was gonna be 15 minutes from that moment.”
After taking their time leaving the house, making a quick snack, they hopped in the car. Then the contractions started getting faster.
“We knew it started to get pretty serious when we got about five minutes up the road," said Kyle.
“I was like, 'We're gonna make it to the hospital. Everybody has a baby in the hospital. This only happens in movies,'” said Aaron.
“I remembered feeling the pressure where my OBGYN had pointed before, when you need to push, and that's just kind of when I got quiet and I said, ‘we need the pull in,'" said Kyle.
But of course, this is Michigan. The street they were driving on, Portage Road, was under construction.
“Everywhere to pull off was just kind of like blocked off. But I knew One Well," said Aaron.
While dating, engaged and married, One Well Brewing has always been their go-to meeting spot. Fitting that it would also be the first place they'd meet their new son.
“He put the car in park, he walked around the front seat and opened the door just in time to catch his head," said Kyle.
“He came out so fast and and then I just remember yelling to dispatch, 'I'm holding an entire baby in my hands!'" said Aaron.
Then came two sounds that you usually never want to hear — a cry and a siren. To the Bakers, both were a blessing.
“That was such a, such a relief," said Aaron, through tears. “We definitely knew God was on our side."
Born healthy, at 8 pounds and 3 ounces with two rosy cheeks — and a story unlike anyone you'll ever meet.
He's now named after One Well Brewery, so he can never forget how he made his entrance.
“His name is Forrest Wells Baker," smiled Kyle, looking to the bundle in her arms.
The Bakers didn't have a middle name picked out before the ordeal. They figured it was fate.
“We just really wanted to honor the moment, the memory, and it sounded great together," said Kyle. "It was meant to be.”
Their little bun in the oven, it seems, couldn’t wait one more minute to become a Baker.
“It's a very amazing story. I love it. I never wanted to have it again," laughed Kyle.
And while fresh out of the delivery room, thankfully now in a hospital, Kyle couldn’t stop thinking about a different kind of delivery.
"That was my mother-baby unit meal. It was a nice big old plate of nachos from One Well,” laughed Kyle.
“Picking up the food... I said 'We just had our kid in the parking lot,'" laughed Aaron. “He goes, 'We gotta buy you a beer, man. On us.'”
Chris O'Neill, owner of One Well, said he found out about the ordeal through a post-it note on his desk the next morning that simply said “baby in parking lot.” After learning the full story, he invited the Baker family back to the brewery for a special behind-the-scenes tour.
“That's so amazing that you would take one of the greatest days in your life, and pair that with what we're doing here," Chris smiled.
One Well decided to return the favor. Their newest brew is named after their youngest fan, Forest. Though he has a few more years to go until he can enjoy their products.
“We know where he's gonna be at his 21st birthday," laughed Kyle.
The day the Bakers' son was born may not be what they pictured. But all’s well that ends at One Well’s.