I was mildly surprised when Snooki gave birth a few weeks ago and no one cared because there was a rather substantial uproar when she announced her pregnancy earlier this year. Oh well. Changing tides, and MTV has also recently announced that the upcoming 6th season of “Jersey Shore” (which starts on Oct. 6) would be its last because producers want to end the show “on a high note.” Supposedly, money wasn’t a factor in the decision because the show is still the top-viewed program for that particular MTV demo. But I imagine with certain cast members (arguably) maturing — like Snooki becoming a mom and the Situation getting clean — the show couldn’t continue to be the same trainwreck forever. So it makes sense.

Anyway, Snooki has managed to appear on People magazine’s cover in very short order after her baby’s birth. Little Lorenzo was only six days old when the photoshoot took place! And no, he’s not orange. While it still gives me the shivers to think of Snooki as anyone’s mother, I have to admit that she’s been handling herself (relatively) gracefully these days. She also didn’t gross us out with too much TMI (like Jessica Simpson did) while she was preggers, which is sort of amazing coming from a girl who waxed rhapsodic for several episodes of Shore’s Season 5 over her recurring urinary tract infection. Here’s some details from People:

Just six days after Jersey Shore star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and her fiancé Jionni LaValle welcomed their first child, Lorenzo Dominic, they opened their home to PEOPLE to help introduce him to the world.

“It’s a different kind of love that I never felt before,” says Polizzi, 24, who is currently filming the second season of her MTV spin-off Snooki & JWOWW.

It took more than 24 hours of labor, but the pint-sized reality star finally gave birth to her son on Aug. 26. Happily, she and LaValle say that choosing a moniker was much easier.

“We were going back and forth, and I just happened to think of Lorenzo,” says LaValle, 25, who adds that he was inspired by a child he knew from his hometown, where he and Polizzi now live with his parents. “She loved it.”

The baby’s middle name, Dominic, is in memory of Polizzi’s uncle, who died. “I did it for my dad,” she says.

Now, the happy couple are enjoying spending time with their family and of course, their “adorable” son.

“When I got pregnant, everything changed,” says Polizzi, who will also appear on the final season of MTV’s Jersey Shore, premiering Oct. 4. “The partying is long gone. I’m a new person.”

For exclusive photos of Lorenzo – plus details about Polizzi’s delivery, upcoming wedding, weight loss plan and life as a mom – pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

[From People]

Snooki and Jionni must have decided on the name Lorenzo quite early in the pregnancy because in last week’s episode of “Snooki & J-Woww,” the two girls got fake babies (to test themselves, I guess), and Snooki named hers Lorenzo. I still can’t believe J-Woww tried to order “tan babies,” but there’s no accounting for taste where that cast is concerned. Since the birth, Snooki seems to have truly fallen in love with her baby and has even tweeted, “I love nursing my little man.” That’s sweet.

Here’s a few photos of Snooki launching her own brand of Snooki’s Wild Cherry Soda on 7/18. She looked like she was ready to get that pregnancy finished.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and People