Cannolis From Mr. Anderstand!

Exclusive: Anderson Cooper’s sweet gift for new mom Snooki

By Suzy Byrne
Mon, Aug 27, 2012 -- 9:24 AM PDT

Anderson Cooper and his friend Snooki (Getty Images)
Anderson Cooper is kind of busy at the moment — this morning he was called away from Tampa, where he had been covering the Republican National Convention for CNN, to fly to New Orleans as Tropical Storm Isaac looms — but the newsman had time to send new mom Snooki a delicious gift.

Hours after giving birth to Lorenzo "Enzo" Dominic LaValle on Sunday morning, Snooki (real name: Nicole Polizzi) gave Cooper a Twitter shout-out in appreciation for the present he sent. "Thank u so much. Just got ur gift!" she wrote. "We love you, Mr.Anderstand!" So what did Cooper send the 24-year-old first-time mom: A leopard-print Onesie? Baby tanning lotion? A jar of specialty pickles? None of the above.

Cooper's gift was in fact a sweet one. He sent Snooki two dozen cannolis from Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey, a rep for his daytime show, "Anderson Live," tells omg! exclusively. The famed bakery is featured on the TLC reality show "Cake Boss," which centers on Buddy Valastro and his family of tasty treat makers.

So what's the connection between the Snook-ster and Cooper? Their relationship actually started with a spat. When Rutgers University controversially paid the "Jersey Shore" party girl $32,000 to speak to students in 2011, Cooper, 45, chastised the school and Snooki, referring to her as "one impossibly lucky, unusually spunky, freakishly tan, beer-guzzling, juicehead-hugging, muscle-loving, Botero body, pint-sized money-making machine." He also made fun of her book, "A Shore Thing," naming it to his RidicuList on "Anderson Cooper 360."

However, the ice started to thaw after a Twitter exchange. Snooki called him out for making fun of her book, reminding him it was a "New York Times" best-seller. She later appeared on "Anderson Live" and took him to get a spray tan. In the amusing segment, she referred to him as "Anderstand" and commented on his muscular physique.

Early Sunday morning, Snooki announced that she and her fiancé, Jionni LaValle, had welcomed their first child together. She has since shared little bits of the baby's first day — from a visit from her best gal pal and "Snooki and JWoww" co-star Jenni Farley to the fact that she barely slept a wink her first night of motherhood.

Meanwhile, Cooper is in the middle of covering two major news stories. He was in Tampa for the RNC, but Monday CNN announced that he and Soledad O'Brien would be flying to New Orleans as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens the area. Earlier today he also announced that when "Anderson Live" returns on September 10, his co-host for the premiere show will be Kristin Chenoweth, who has been recovering from an injury sustained on the set of "The Good Wife."

Nicole Snooki Polizzi and her gorgeous fiance Jionni LaValle