Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Join Us In The Baby Pool, The Water's Great!


All right, my friends, I have been mulling over an idea over here at The HomeFront Corp. This idea is fun, easy, and, with some participation from you, has the potential to help out some moms and babies in need.

Vague enough for you? Oh, good.

Last week, as I considered the few things our new baby will need, it struck me how blessed we are to be able to provide such things. Even though Bun is fourth in line, and we have almost every baby-related item under the sun, it is nice to know that we are in a position to be able to cover whatever Bun needs.

Not only do we have the resources for material goods, we have a family that is excited, nurturing, and supportive. Bun will be welcomed with only love and enthusiasm, and that trumps even fancy cribs and diaper wipe warmers.

Not every woman has a devoted husband and family in her corner. Some have nothing: no money, no support, no cute baby clothes, nothing but their desire to have their baby in their arms. Many of these women are also very young or abused, and they have nowhere safe to call home.

So this is what I was thinking: What if I hosted our HomeFront Baby Pool with the goal of helping some of these women? What if I asked for a dollar per entry for the Pool, and then sent all the money to a shelter that provides support, housing, medical care, and education for pregnant women in need?

And then all my "what ifs?" turned into "why nots?" And then all of those "why nots?" turned into "have tos." And since I didn't fall off the turnip truck just yesterday, I know better than to ignore the voice of God when He is piping His message directly into my brain.

So this is how the HomeFront Baby Pool of Social Justice is going to work:

  • Each entry must include a guess for Bun's gender, birth date, and weight
  • It will cost you a minimum of one dollar to enter a guess (but you can give more if you feel so inclined)

  • You may use the handy PayPal button that I've included, or, if you are a family member who knows how to track me down, you may send it to my home address.

  • The winner will be able to choose between a $50.00 Amazon.com gift certificate or this delicious looking creation.

  • Leave your guesses in my comments section, and the winner will be the person who comes the closest to Bun's actual stats.

  • The contest will close one week from today, on Tuesday, January 29th.







All of the donations will go directly to Mary's Shelter/Mary's Home. Located in my childhood hometown of Reading, PA, Mary's Shelter provides housing and social services to young pregnant women, while its sister, Mary's Home, provides up to two years of transitional housing and support services for young mothers. Be sure to check out their website.

Rob and I have decided to take ourselves out of the contest, simply because we get to go home with Bun, so we really don't need to win anything else. (Plus, we wouldn't want our "parents intuition" to give us an unfair advantage or anything.)

To give everyone a fair shake, I will give you a little insider information. But just a little.

My due date is February 9, and although all my other children were late, I am pretty sure that won't be the case with Bun. Actually, I'm more than pretty sure. Due to a combination of factors (about which I have talked too much, I'm sure), Bun will most likely be induced before my due date.

OK, I've actually been told point blank that Bun will be induced before my due date. But in all fairness, we do not have an induction date set, so it's still open for speculation. Could be next week, could be next month. (Even though the end of next week is next month if you want to get technical.)

That's about all I can divulge, mostly because I don't have any more information than that myself. I've been thrown for such a big loop with this baby coming earlier than the rest, that I am probably not a reliable source of information anyway. But I have included this amazingly unflattering photo which is supposed to act as a baby size gauge of some sort. Good luck with that, my friends.


Please feel free to spread the word on your own blog by linking back here to this individual post. I am not html savvy enough to create one of those cute little buttons that would make things so easy for all of Blogville, but I am just bright enough to put a little reminder at the top of my sidebar.


Happy guessing, my friends, and good luck!!





























21 comments:

  1. I'm so excited that i get to be first to guess!! and so happy for you and bun that you're in the home stretch now....

    here goes: February 4th 12:20 pm
    boy baby, 8 lbs 7 oz.

    what an awesome idea aimee - you rock!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm no good at this.

    Feb. 2, girl baby, 8 lbs even.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:43 AM

    it's coming right around the corner...so, tell me....you've done this often enough...these really ARE the longest days of your life, right??? i know there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel. Previous anxieties about the first few children taking up permanent residency inside your uterus are suddenly whisked away now that you know you will be going earlier than anticipated. There's a silver lining for you ;)

    Let's see...my guess for the baby pool...

    Boy (i'm using your Mom's pattern, since you've duplicated it thus far!)
    Feb 1st....TGIF!
    Weight 9lbs 2ozs - Hate to go big, but isn't that the Langan motto? Go big or go home!

    Can't wait to hear the news of Bun's birth!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous9:45 AM

    Hey Aimee!

    All my prayers for a smooth labor and delivery! You're almost there!

    My guess is a baby boy will be born on January 31st and will weigh 8 pounds 4 ounces!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Aimee,
    You are one of the most amazing moms I know! We are praying for a safe and quick delivery....hang in there...can't be too much longer. Figures...the child born in the colder months comes early..not two weeks late in the heat of the Summer.

    Ok..here's my guess...January 31st at 11:15 a.m. @ 8lbs 12 oz.

    Remember...we make great babysitters!

    Love ya,
    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  6. January 31 (because I wasn't lucky enough to get a fab purple birthstone in my family and neither should you, just for spite.)

    Girl, 7 lb. 1 oz. (Someone's gotta go smaller. Do they know something that I don't?)

    What were the weights of your other kids? That could seriously help. Maybe.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous11:43 AM

    Feb 1 1315 8lbs 12oz 22" boy

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous11:45 AM

    oh yeah that was me,GeeGee...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm going with a boy on February 2 weighing 8 lbs 9 oz.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hmmm...early huh?
    How about 7 lbs. 6 oz.
    Let's say a boy (it sounds like you are "due" for one soon. har har).
    And Jan. 31st (my doc always schedules inductions on a Thursday AND I just looked at my "Life's Little Instruction Calendar" and the instruction for the 31st is "Plant a tree to celebrate a birth and other important occasions" so I don't know about the tree but I'll take that as a sign).
    God bless you you and GOOD LUCK!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Feb.7th, boy, 8lbs. 4oz.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous9:00 PM

    Lisa L says: 2/5/08; 7lbs 13 oz and BOY!!

    Good luck!!!! Sleep now!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous1:02 AM

    January 31st. Girl. 7lbs 5 oz. I went small since you have a little ocean in there.

    (I donated under a different name so you don't think I cheated)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:28 PM

    (I hope my donation came through- I am pretty sure it did).
    Anyway, my guess is
    Boy, February 2nd at 11:42 am, 8lbs. 11oz. and 21 1/2 inches.
    Hope everything goes well whenever it is.
    Mirabella MOM

    ReplyDelete
  15. February 5 (my sons birthday,) Boy(even though right now this baby is acting like a girl), 9 pounds even. Go baby, Go baby....

    ReplyDelete
  16. Feb 4, 2008
    boy (what meg said...hehe)
    8lbs. 4oz.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ok...forgot to guess the sex! Let's even things out and make it a boy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Feb. 3
    Boy baby
    8 lb 4 oz

    Amy G, you took my original guess! LOL!

    Many blessings to you, Bun, & the whole family.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous1:40 PM

    Well, I thought for the longest time that you were going to pop another girl, but then all of a sudden when I looked at your ultrasound picture I got a really strong boy vibe....so.....
    BABY BOY on FRIDAY FEB 1 weighing 8.13......
    Ready, Set , Go!

    Fee (I posted anonymously because the options confused me).

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ok - hopefuilly I can slip this under the door in time ;)

    Baby boy, born Tuesday Feb. 5th 8:23 am, 8lbs even.

    I hope all goes well! I can't wait to hear the news!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous12:27 PM

    I'm gonna try to sneak this in today...

    Girl, Feb 6 (Ash Wednesday), 7lbs 8oz

    ReplyDelete

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