A Good Baby?

Since Ben was born, lots of people have asked me if he is a good baby. I am always a bit unsure of how to answer this question. I usually settle for, "I think he is a wonderful baby!"-which is utterly true. However, I am not answering the question that I know they are REALLY asking.
When people ask if Ben is a good baby, they really mean "Is he an easy baby?" The answer to that probably depends on your perspective. From an eating angle-yep, he's pretty easy, unless you consider wanting to eat and/or nurse very frequently (he is a growing boy!!) to be difficult. From a sleeping perspective-I'd say he wasn't ever really an easy baby, and still isn't-naps are a bit of a challenge still, but thankfully night sleeping has gotten incredibly better. Yet, I really can't blame him for that one-his previously extremely wakeful nights were directly tied to me going back to work. From a play perspective-yeah, this kid doesn't like to play alone. He is really happiest if he is touching someone all the time. He CAN play alone, and will for short periods, but I definitely can't plunk him down somewhere and leave him for an hour. From a diaper perspective-I think he's about as easy as it gets! He has unfailingly pooped in the potty since he was about 6 or so months old, with only one accident between now and then (and that was because he asked to go when we were in the middle of nowhere, and there was literally nothing that could be done about it). He's going through a pretty extreme clingy/stranger anxiety/separation anxiety phase, so that's not that easy either...
But he is a truly wonderful little boy-cheerful, happy, and interactive most of the time! His sweet little voice chatters away, mostly baby babble still, but with a few words mixed in, as he charges about the house exploring his world. He gives the sweetest hugs, and his face lights up when he sees someone he loves. He plays peekaboo and "clap your hands" when we sing the clapping song. He has the sweetest laugh, and it is readily extracted. His snuggles are priceless.
I wonder what it says about our culture when the words "good" and "easy" mean the same thing in any context. Really, very few of the truly good and worthwhile things in my life have been easy, in the traditional sense. But they have all been worth it, and my precious son is no exception.