Give to the St. Bernard Project

As stated on their website, SBP’s mission is to shrink the time between disaster and recovery. In the immediate aftermath of any disaster, information plays a key role in curbing unnecessary human suffering. SBP has free, downloadable guides to help impacted residents avoid the common pitfalls of recovery.

In advance of Harvey making landfall, SBP committed to helping impacted communities recover in a prompt, efficient and predictable way by providing the following services:

• Boots on-the-ground – As soon as it is safe, SBP will deploy a team of AmeriCorps members and staff to support immediate recovery needs
• Advisory to state and local leaders – SBP’s team will provide free advisory services to support decision-makers as they build long-term disaster recovery contracts and processes.
• Raise capacity of local nonprofits and share best practices for recovery
• Mold remediation training
• Damage assessment support – SBP can provide tools to conduct door-to-door damage assessment surveys, which collect valuable information on community need.
• Rebuild homes, when the time is right.

Click here to learn more and give to SBP

Buy A Cool Texas T-Shirt (100% of the proceeds go to SBP)

Over at Bonfire.com, they just started a new t-shirt campaign for victims of Hurricane Harvey. For $19.99 you get one of these nice looking t-shirts and 100% of the proceeds go to St. Bernards Project. I don’t know about you but I like that t-shirt and I like helping people. I’m buying one.

Offer a Place to Stay on AirBnB

AirBnB is waiving all service fees for Harvey victims from Aug 23 to Sept 25. If you’re in the area surrounding the path of the storm, considering offering a place to stay.

Give to the PayPal Giving Fund

Paypal has set up a special fund. If you have a Paypal account you can give without any fees. You can even select one of 12 charities to direct your funds to the one you prefer. Click here to give to the Paypal Giving Fund.

If you have other charities or organizations making an immediate impact in Texas, leave a comment below and I’ll add them to this post.

To anyone down in Houston or any of the other areas effected by this storm, we’re praying for you, and donating everything we can. Hang in there.

The Leonisa winners are:

1) Jillian Jordan
2)  Stephanie (comment #25)

Jillian and Stephanie, please check the email address you used in your comment below. You’ll have instructions there on how to redeem your prize. Thanks for playing!

If you’re expecting or just given birth, you’re probably not wearing all the same undies (or swimwear) you once did. Lucky for you, the nice folks over at Leonisa are giving away $150 worth of their products!

Leonisa has great undergarments for both women and men, so anyone is welcome to enter this giveaway. Choose from swimwear, shapeware, lingerie, and more. And we couldn’t have a giveaway on the Belly Blog without pointing out the products for the mommies and mommies-to-be:

If you’re expecting, your regular undies might not be as comfortable as they once were. Check out Leonisa’s maternity panties and underwear selection. And since hitting the gym right after giving birth is damn-near impossible, why not speed up the slim down with a belly shaper or girdle? (Shhh! We won’t tell!) Leonisa has a great selection of post pregnancy girdles and postpartum belly shapers. And here are a few more.

And of course, if you’re nursing you’ll love the convenience of their nursing bras.

Dads, we haven’t left you out here. Many of you gain a few extra pounds during pregnancy too, so this one’s for you: The Leonisa Powerslim!

So what are you waiting for? Read the details below and enter to win some free stuff!

Here is how you can win:

• Prize: 1st place will get $100 to spend at Leonisa.com and 2nd place will get $50. Yes, that’s two chances to win!
• To enter: Just leave a comment on this blog post (bonus points if you mention the Leonisa product you most desire… sorry it doesn’t give you an extra entry, just bonus points … which make you feel good).
• Number of winners: 2
• Shipping: This prize can only be shipped to the U.S.
• Deadline: Sunday March 29 at 11:59PM EDT.
• Problems? email help [at] whatsinmybelly [dot] com
• Other Details: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winners will be selected using random.org and announced on Monday as an update to this post. So, head back here on Monday March 30 for the announcement of our winner. Good luck…
• Thank you to Leonisa for the generous prizes!

Coupon Code:

Don’t want to wait on the giveaway? Use “SAVE10″ at checkout to save 10% off your Leonisa order.

Want to promote your product on the Belly Blog? Just fill out this form.

To get things started, I’ll share our daughter’s room. Ella is now a year old but she’s still in the crib. (She decided to climb out of the crib for the first time this weekend, so we’ll be making some changes soon). We purchased an off-white furniture set from Babies R Us and went with an overall green and pink theme. Check it out:

I know you guys have some great nurseries (and kids rooms) to share, so send them on over and we’ll share them with everyone.

And while you’re waiting, check out these much more inspiring nurseries.

1. So, Jennifer, you decided to write for the Belly Blog. We’re really excited to have you on board! Tell us about yourself and what people can hope to see on the blog in the coming weeks?

I’m beyond excited to join the team! I’m a full-time blogger over at Not Your Momma’s Cookie, where I cook up fun desserts and decorated sugar cookies. I’m happy to find an outlet to discuss the weird and wonderful world of pregnancy and beyond. I think my readers may revolt if I start discussing placenta encapsulation and mucus plugs over there, so here I am!

You can expect lots of informative, fun-to-read posts from yours truly. I may even throw in a funny story or two. Because, really, you need a solid sense of humor to get through pregnancy!

2. You are expecting your first child. What are your expectations?

No sleep and an obscene amount of poop.

In truth, I think parenthood is going to be the most amazing, frustrating, rewarding, insane thing I’ve ever done.

3. Did you do anything special or creative to announce your pregnancy?

Hubby and I waited until I was 13 weeks and had received our NT scan results before announcing our offspring’s arrival to the public at large (through phone calls and then via Facebook ’cause, you know, nothing is official until it’s on Facebook nowadays). But, I did tell my parents when I was around 8 weeks. I happened to be visiting them at that time and my mom’s birthday was coming up and in addition to a “normal” gift, I included a baby outfit in the bottom of the bag. She just started crying immediately!

4. You’ve probably already had a baby shower or two, so what is your best baby shower tip? What is your favorite event or game that anyone could add to their shower?

Serve booze. It makes everyone happier (even if the mom-to-be can’t partake!). I had a brunch shower and the mimosas were a hit! I didn’t mind indulging in some sparkling pink lemonade as an alternative.

Games are so hit or miss. Other than the obvious choice of having everyone fill out their WhatsInMyBelly.com baby pool cards, tailor games to your crowd. Having some fun-loving friends who love a good gag? Maybe the candy bar diaper game is for you. Want something a little more tame for a more demure crowd? Try a gift bingo.

A low-stress activity is always good too. My shower guests loved our baby headband making station!

5. What is the #1 pregnancy-related product you could not live without?

I simultaneously love it and hate it, but I believe I couldn’t live without my Snoogle. It is much too long for my miniature frame (I’m 5’3″), which requires some finesse on my part to wrangle its “arms” into the right position. Plus, it means that every single time I want to go to the bathroom and/or change positions (which is about 108 times a night now), I have to wake up and push/kick/readjust to get out of it. But, I was a devout stomach sleeper before pregnancy, and it keeps me in a side sleeping position so I don’t crush our wee babe.

6. We have to get the baby-daddy involved here: What is the #1 tip you would give to guys out there who are going to become a father for the first time?

I would say be prepared. Even when the mother is pregnant there’s a lot for the daddy-to-be to do.

The nursery is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t put that really in the negative column, I spaced it out over a few months of weekends and I found it really made it real to me that my daughter was coming, and brought some of that excitement back when I was working on it.

The second, trickier situation is that pregnancy is not only physically, but emotionally exhausting. The mother’s sleep is fitful, her body and hormones are changing, and she’s bombarded with tests and exams that while good for the baby’s health, aren’t things her grandmother’s generation even thought about. The point of this is that the daddy has to step up a little more around the house. Have cats? That’s your job now. That perfect house you might see slip. It’s important to have an honest conversation, with what she can do and is expected from her, and what should now be expected of you (Hint, it’s more). Don’t think that she can do more, and she’s just not trying, without really talking about what she’s going through, and don’t let her work herself to the bone without you stepping up to the plate, and being the husband and father you want to be.

7. Favorite book, tv show, and/or movie to enjoy while you’re expecting? (If you even have time for these things!)

Other than something embarrassingly long marathons of TLC’s A Baby Story (I swear it is the equivalent of a birthing class to me), my reading/watching habits haven’t changed much. However, I highly recommend the Baby Bargains book, which will help you wisely prepare for your little one’s arrival. Really, do you NEED  wipe warmer? The book helps you know how to save and splurge effectively!

8. You run a blog about food. What is your favorite food and drink during pregnancy?

Funny you should ask, because my eating habits are about to change drastically! At 29 weeks, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which basically means that my pancreas and the baby’s placenta aren’t playing well together and it is making my blood sugar too high. As a result, I am just starting a snazzy new diet and pricking my fingers four times a day. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

Before my diagnosis, despite being a dessert blogger, I usually craved savory items. Like Thousand Island dressing and french fries. Weird, I know!

9. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love the independence of it and the chance to write on a regular basis (I dabbled in creative writing and enjoyed it immensely!). Also, forming friendships with and being inspired by other bloggers – there are so many wonderful, talented people out there!

I recently sent them a few questions to see if they had any advice for expectant parents. Here is what they had to say:

1. So tell us about the Lannings.

We are high-school sweethearts, who have been through a lot in both our lives and relationship. We’ve just recently began opening up to the world through YouTube and sharing our experiences to help others.

2. You are at 37 weeks, so by now you’ve learned a few things about pregnancy. What is the #1 tip you could give to parents who are expecting their first child?

Cherish every single moment. Make every single moment a big deal. Make it a grand spectacle. It’ll give you something cool to look back on and will reinforce those memories.

3. Did you do anything special or creative to announce your pregnancy or the gender of your baby?

We actually announced the gender with a super cool video!

4. You’ve been through a few baby showers by now, so what is your best baby shower tip? What is your favorite event or game that anyone could add into their shower?

Keep it intimate and special. Don’t decorate with cheesy blue or pink. Decorate with your baby’s items, like their clothes, stuffed animals. It makes it so much more special. We did a video on our shower to:

5. What is the #1 pregnancy-related product you couldn’t live without?

Coconut oil! I rub it over everything at night. It’s amazing! (NO STRETCH MARKS!) and you can even cook with it!

6. Most of these questions seem to be geared more towards Missy, so we have to get Dad involved. Bryan, becoming a father is an exciting (and stressful) time. What is the #1 tip you would give to guys out there who are going to become a father for the first time?

Don’t worry so much about being a great dad. That will come with time. Worry about being a better husband, because you don’t see many good husbands become crappy dads.

7. What is your favorite food and drink during pregnancy? (Bryan, you can chime in here too.)

CHICKEN GNOCCI SOUP from Olive Garden is amazing. We both crave it. Bryan has sympathy cravings for it. lol. We actually have this phrase with our fans “Peace, love, and chicken gnocchi soup!”

8. Favorite book, tv show, and/or movie to enjoy while you’re expecting?

FRIENDS. It’s a classic. We watch it all the time.

9. Keeping up with a daily blog or vlog isn’t easy. How do you manage to keep up with the daily posts – particularly on days you just don’t feel up to it?

Honestly, daily vlogging is such a huge part of our lives, we don’t even notice it anymore. It’s instinct to pull the camera out and start filming. Bryan can now edit and upload the blog within an hour every night too. There are days we don’t feel like doing it sure, but once we pull out the camera, we start having fun and those feelings instantly go away.

10. This is a difficult question, but one that could be the most helpful to others who share your experience: You guys had 2 miscarriages before this pregnancy. What advice do you have for anyone who goes though such a difficult experience?

Have hope. Like I said before I’m writing to you from our hospital room where we just had our baby boy after 2 losses. Hope is so strong. I remember 7 weeks pregnant, my wife was bawling her eyes out cause she was so scared of what could happen, and now look where we are. If you’re grounded in hope, anything is possible. Understand that what you think could be impossible, is seriously within reach. We were a couple where every bad thing just kept coming, and we finally we were rewarded. Here is a link to the birth vlog.

So, this story does have a happy ending. Turns out that Bryan and Missy were writing the answers to their questions from the hospital. I guess its true what they say – third time’s the charm!

Congratulations to the Lannings and Baby Ollie! And thank you for sharing your story on the Belly Blog.

She set up a baby pool on our website and we sent her a few questions to see if she’d share some of her secrets about pregnancy, motherhood, and maintaining her sanity as a busy working mom.

Jenn and Jayda

1. Who is the “Baby Makin Mama”?

I’m Jennifer, a fairly new mom figuring out my way in the world juggling a career, family, hobbies, and aspirations to be a domestic diva. Despite my name, I don’t make lots of babies, just two so far, but I chose that blog name years before getting pregnant the first time when I decided to write about my journey toward becoming a mother. It’s stuck through the years as I’ve switched my “machine” on and off.

2. You’re expecting your 2nd child on April 1, so you’ve been through all this before. For the rookies out there expecting their first, what is your #1 greatest tip?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. I know nothing seems small the first time around but this time, all those worries about what diapers and shampoo to use, to sleep train or not, home made vs store bought baby food… It wasn’t as big of a deal as I thought. Now my first baby is a little girl and all those things I worried about in the first 6 months or so seem so silly. This time around I’m just planning on not sleeping for a year or so, but enjoying all the fun little moments that go by too fast.

3. Gender reveal parties are all the rage now. Did you do anything special to announce the gender to the world?

I wish! The first time I used an app to make the ultrasound pic all girlie and texted it to family, then announced it on Facebook that way. This time the gender is a surprise so I’m trying to think of a fun way to tell family and friends who don’t come to the hospital. I’m thinking of doing a fun photoshoot when we get home, but who wants to wait that long to share? And chances are someone will spill the beans before I get around to it.

I did make two take-home outfits, one for a boy with suspenders, and a bow tie, and one for a girl with a ruffly bottom and bows. Maybe I’ll share a photo of baby in that outfit. It’s no cake but maybe it’ll be cute.

Handmade onesies by Jennifer

4. You have been through a few baby showers by now, so what is your best baby shower tip? What is your favorite event or game that anyone could add into their shower?

One game I like that’s fun for people who don’t even like games is making the gift opening a game of bingo. Have guests fill out blank bingo cards with what they think mama will get, and cross off their card as she opens gifts. When you get 5 in a row you get BINGO! Winner(s) get a little prize.

5. Most of these questions are geared towards mom, but we don’t want to leave dad out here. What is your husband’s #1 tip for new dads?

“Don’t expect to get any… Sleep.” <— He’s a man of few words.

6. My son is almost 3 and he is exactly what people call a “terrible two”. I hear that girls are a little easier at the toddler stage. Do you feel like that is true, and if your little one turns into a monster, how do you handle the situation?

I’ve always been a little scared of little boys. They seem so destructive and hyper. But when it comes to entertainment boys seem perfectly content playing with sticks. My little girl is definitely dramatic and emotional, at times it’s cute but other times I think she’s just the ultimate drama queen. I think they both have their moments. With her I just try to stay calm and communicate with her. Since she’s so emotional, she’s pretty in-tune with my feelings, so when I’m getting frustrated she usually asks me “mommy are you happy?” and it gives me a chance to tell her how I’m feeling and talk about what we can do so to make both of us feel better.

7. What is your favorite food and drink during pregnancy?

Lofthouse frosted sugar cookies, strawberry Poptarts (without icing), Sonic burgers, hot dogs and limeades. YUM!

8. Favorite book, tv show, and/or movie to enjoy while you are expecting? (If you even have time for these things!)

Last time I felt like I watched nothing but A Baby Story, I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant, and anything else baby related. This time I’ve watched none of that, but I’ve really been enjoying The Bachelor and Desperate Housewives.

9. A lot of people out there are starting blogs and some of them really want to turn it into a fulltime gig. What advice do you have for other bloggers out there?

When it comes to blogging for money, I’d try to be realistic with my expectations. Very few bloggers do very well. Take the time to build up a base and find your focus. I love blogging because it gives me a chance to write and share the things I love most, for fun. It’s also a great journal for myself, and for my children when they get older. It’s not all about them, but rather how I see things I’m going through. My future generations can look back and see what a goofball their great-great-great-great Grandma was. My advice would be to be true to yourself, set goals, and connect with people who are doing what you’d like to do. Reach out to them. A mentor is a great advocate to have. This goes for any aspiration.

10. Like most parents today you’re in super-overdrive: writing for your own blog (www.babymakingmachine.com), writing for BabyCenter, working the “real” job as a news anchor, and raising your daughter. How do you keep up with it all?

Yes, I work full-time as a reporter and anchor at a local news station, blog for fun, and as a freelancer, dabble in photography and videography, and chase around my sweet little girl–But of course she and my husband come first on the list in real life.

I keep up with it all by writing a lot of to-do lists, and tackling tasks as I feel like in the mood to complete them. I get a lot more done faster when I’m feeling inspired to do it, and I’m pretty good on a deadline. Sometimes I have to take a step back from my personal blog to get things done, or learn to say “no” when I really can’t take on an extra project. I’m not the best at balancing, but so far, I’ve been pretty good at juggling.

Thanks for sharing your story and great advice!

Now, on to the baby pool contest details:

Celebrating the arrival of Baby Borget #2 wouldn’t be complete without a baby guessing game. As part of their game, we want to toss in a prize to make it more fun for everyone. So we’re giving a $50 Visa Gift Card to whoever comes in #1 in the pool

The rules:

1. Guesses will be accepted until March 18, 2013, or until Jenn goes into labor – whichever happens first.
2. All are welcome to guess, but only residents of the continental United States are eligible for the prize.
3. Winners will be determined by the point system outlined here.
4. If the winner is someone who didn’t set up an account, they MUST have their email entered in the system so we can contact them via email. If we can’t reach the winner for this (or any other reason) we will go to the 2nd place winner and so on until we reach a winner. (So, sign up on the website and enter a valid email address to make sure we can reach you.)
5. Remember, guesses left in the comments on this page do NOT count towards the prize. You must sign up at whatsinmybelly.com and Join the official baby pool (click Join at the top right of the pool page.).

Click here to join in the Baby Makin’ Machine Baby Guessing Game!

Like free stuff?

After you enter Jenn’s baby pool, be sure to enter to win Burt’s Bees Belly Butter over here. (You have until Monday, Feb. 18, 2013 at 11PM EST on this one.)

Want to join other sweepstakes?

Check out sweepstakes advantage to join other online sweepstakes.

We’ve received quite a few e-mails from people asking how friends without e-mail or Facebook can participate in their baby guessing game. I find it hard to believe that people don’t have e-mail, but you never know. It’s also pretty common that people just don’t want to sign up on another website just to guess when your baby will be born. So, we finally got around to adding this feature to the website. Starting today,  pool administrators can now add predictions for their friends and family. You can still invite everyone to enter on their own, but for those who can’t (or for those who are just too lazy) just get their prediction and add it for them!

Add predictions to your baby pool without asking friends and family to sign up

You could print out our baby pool template and pass it around at your baby shower. No one needs to sign up, just collect the form and add the predictions to your pool through the Pool Settings tab.

Here’s how:

1. Login to your account and go to the pool you want to add predictions to.
2. Click the “Pool Settings” tab.
3. On the submenu, click the “Add Predictions” tab.
4. Click the purple button that says “Click here to enter a prediction for someone else!”
5. Enter their prediction info. (You must enter their first name, last name, gender prediction, relation to the baby, weight prediction, length prediction, hair color prediction and eye color prediction.)
6. Click save and you’ll be taken to the All Predictions page and see the new prediction.

You can add as many predictions as you want, just repeat the steps above for each new guess.

Keep Asking People to Sign-Up to Get the Full Experience

I’m sure there will always be people who don’t want to sign-up on another website. But, I also want to remind everyone that there are definite benefits to having an account on the website and entering your own predictions:

1. Get an email notification when the baby is born, so you can come back and see who won the baby pool.
2. Leave a personal note for the family and friends on the message stream.
3. Get updates on the pregnancy if the parents are posting messages to the pool.
4. If you have an account, you can keep a list of all the pools you participated in on the My Pools page.
5. A future update will allow everyone to change their predictions on their own (by sacrificing some points from their final score).

In other words, this feature will make it easier for everyone to participate, with or without email or Facebook, but you should still encourage people to sign up and enter their own predictions. It just makes it more fun!

Having Trouble?

We’ve tested this out and it’s working, but we have a small staff of 2 people, so it’s likely some things might not work properly. If you have trouble with this feature (or anything else on the website), please let us know: help@whatsinmybelly.com

Ok, so I’m a little way behind on this post, but it’s time to congratulate the winners of the Bower Baby Pool! As some of you may know, Katie Bower was nice enough to run an open baby pool here at WhatsInMyBelly.com and we offered up some prizes for the top 3 winners. (If you missed it, here is the original post about the whole deal.)

Well, we were shocked to see how many people jumped into the pool. Here is a breakdown of all the numbers:

Total Participants: 907
Total Guesses: 763

We’re not quite sure why people joined the pool, but didn’t submit a guess. If you were one of those people, leave a comment here and let us know. We already have some changes in the works for the game, and any comments we get help us fine tune it, so please share your opinions – good or bad!

So, Katie’s due date was originally November 5. As with many pregnancies, that day came and went and as she closed in on 2 weeks late, they went ahead and called in some magic to move things along. Weston Bower was born on November 18, showing all 763 of us that we are not very good at predicting the future. Maybe the 144 people who joined the pool, but didn’t submit their guess had it right? But, no one guessed the right day this time around (the last guess was November 15), but as always, there is still a winner due to our point system.

I also have to make a comment on the baby weight. Since Weston was brewing so long he arrived at a grand total of 10 pounds and 3 ounces! Most people did not guess that high, but there were a few who got it right: Karen Brown (11th) and Nicole Ruehlow (322nd).

To see the full list of guesses and see how everyone did, click here (you’ll need to log in to see the full scoreboard).

Now, on to the winners:

1st Place ($100 Visa Gift Card)
Holly McGee Austin (Monroe, NC)
499 points

2nd Place ($50 Visa Gift Card)
Laura Shilling (Battle Creek, MI)
422 points

3rd Place ($25 Visa Gift Card)
Ashley Davis (Pleasant Grove, UT)
406 points

Laura, if you’re reading this, email me! We need your mailing address to get your prize out! morgan@whatsinmybelly.com.

And we can’t play this game with out poking some fun at the person who came in dead last. Looking at the results the person who came in last was… Katie B. And I think that was Katie testing out the site and putting in something crazy so she didn’t win her own pool. So, the official dead-last winner is:

Last Place (Surprise coming your way!)
Massie Bailey (Buffalo Junction, VA)
30 points

I should probably add in a disclaimer here – I’m good friends with Massie. I have to call her out for not doing her research because she guessed it was a girl, when we already knew it was a boy! Good work, Massie! You will get a surprise in your mailbox soon!

Ok, so you’re still reading… good.

When we started the baby guessing game website, WhatsInMyBelly.com, we wanted to create a fun way to bring our family and friends together around the birth of our 2nd child. As I worked on the website and waited on our new addition, I couldn’t shake that dreaded fear …  ”What if something bad happens to my wife or my unborn child?” I can’t imagine the heartache surrounding loosing a newborn. But it does happen.

Last week, I saw a post on Facebook (thanks Jessica), that mentioned an organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. This organization provides free professional photo sessions for parents who have lost a baby.

I know. You’re probably having the first thoughts I had. If I lost a baby, I’m not sure I’d want photos. But after some more thought… my mind began to change. If you only get to spend a few minutes or days with your child, wouldn’t you want to remember them that much more? It turns out that having photographs of your child is part of the healing process for many parents who go through this. Many go on to have other children, and they don’t want to forget that limited time with the one who left so quickly.

Now, Sandy Puc’, C0-founder of NILMDTS, has been honored as one of the 2012 L’Oréal, Women of Worth. The ten honorees will compete via online voting for a chance to win $25,000 for their charity.  Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree will take place from November 5th through November 21st on www.womenofworth.com.

So, if you want to help Parents who have suffered through the loss of a newborn, just click this link and vote for Sandy. If she wins, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep will get $25 grand. That will help a lot more parents heal through the art of photography. You can vote once a day!

Now, to learn a little more about NILMDTS, and how this grant could help the organization, we had a little Q&A with Mindy Tappan, PR/Media Outreach Manager.

1. Tell us a little about your organization and how you got started.

The mission of NILMDTS is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the free gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family’s healing process by honoring the child’s legacy.

In February 2005, photographer Sandy Puc’ received a unique call from a couple, Cheryl and Mike Haggard, to photograph their six day-old son Maddux who was going to be pulled off life support.  Sandy rearranged her schedule to come to their aid.  Sandy took portraits of them cradling their son. She photographed the couple with Maddux at the hospital before he was removed from life support and after — when he was free from the tubes and the wires that had sustained him.

Shortly after, Cheryl and Sandy discussed starting a nonprofit to provide the same photography service to other families in the same situation as Cheryl.  In April 2005, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep became a nonprofit and has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby.

In seven years, NILMDTS now administers a network of more than 2,700 active volunteer photographers in the United States and in 40 international countries.

2. Over the years how many families has NILMDTS photographed and how many photorequests do you receive each year?

At least 25,000 families around the world and in every state have been served. However, because of the sheer volume of photographers and services provided, it is difficult to track and the number may be much greater.  NILMDTS also trains nurses to take the images if a photographer is not available.  Most of these sessions are not counted.  Therefore, it is difficult to truly measure the number of families served through of NILMDTS.  Beyond the numbers, the gift NILMDTS offers is priceless for the families.

3. In your experience, do most parents who experience a tragedy of this type seek out photos? Have you had any who declined the photos?

While parents sometimes at first don’t think about getting images, they are always glad they did.  We have a number of parents who had losses before we were founded and wish we were around so they could receive our services.

The images that we provide become a part of the healing process for most families.

4. What kind of costs are associated with your organization? What is the average cost to photograph one family?

In order to manage thousands of volunteer photographers and have an extensive online search to find a photographer, it costs about $100 per session.  This does not take into account the generosity of the photographers who graciously give of their time, talent, and many out-of-pocket costs to provide the sessions.

5. L’oreal is offering up a $25,000 grant to the winner of this competition. If you get the most votes, and win the grant, how would that help your organization?

Winning the additional $25,000 from L’Oréal would help provide additional training for photographers and more support services for NILMDTS. That translates into an additional 250 families we could serve that may not otherwise be served.

6. Other than voting, what could someone reading this do to help your organization?

Photographers can apply to become a volunteer within our organization. We have several volunteer positions including affiliated photographer, assistant to a photographer, parent coordinator, digital retouch artist (DRA), and area coordinator.

Non-photographers can support this non-profit organization by making a donation through the web site or by mailing a donation to 2305 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 220, Centennial, CO 80122.

If you would like to read some of the stories and see some of the photos taken by NILMDTS photographers, click here.

Again, if you want to help parents who have suffered through the loss of a newborn, just click this link and vote for Sandy. If she wins, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep will get $25k. This will help NILMDTS reach out to 250 families. You can vote once a day!

I’m sure Katie, like other expectant mothers, has gotten the usual text messages, e-mails and in-person questions: How’s it going? Any contractions yet? When do you think the baby will come? Will you induce?? etc. etc.

Obviously, I’ve never been pregnant, but I know my wife had the usual questions and comments as she got closer and closer to her due date. With both of our  kids, they were a little early. With Kyler, the doctor ordered an induction because Ashley’s blood pressure was shooting up (after being high for months). With Ella, she starting having serious contractions early and they helped her along with some medication. I know some people would argue against medical intervention, but that’s a discussion for another time. Now, I just want to list a few things you should never say to a pregnant woman past her due date:

10. I know you’re ready to pop!

Yes. She has a human being growing inside her body. It’s been over 280 days now. She literally feels like she will pop any second, but she doesn’t want to hear about it … Don’t say that.

9. Now when was your due date again??

If you don’t know it – don’t ask. At this point, she’s heard this question a few trillion times. Besides, you should be participating in her baby guessing game on WhatsInMyBelly.com and you can check there. (Sorry, had to do it!)

8. Any news yet?

When you’re waiting on a baby, that’s pretty significant news. Children kind of change your life a little bit. So, you (and everyone) will know when there is any significant news. That’s why daddy-to-be has a cell phone. He’ll be calling/texting/e-mailing/Facebooking as soon as there is something to say. And (assuming everything goes well), mommy will be doing the same. You’ll know when you know. Enjoy the wait.

7. Wow, your belly is huge!

Keep this one in your head. Always. Not just after the due date. Always. Trust me.

6. Are you sure it isn’t twins?

Re-read #7.

5. The baby will come when he/she is ready

I know. You’re trying to say something that might make mommy-to-be feel a little better. This isn’t it.

4. You should do some jumping jacks

By week 39, Ashley had already starting taking walks and doing any safe activity she could to move things along. I’m no doctor, but these things don’t do much of anything to bring a child into the world any earlier than normal. Play it safe, and just keep your clever baby-birthing suggestions to yourself.

3. When will you be induced?

Most doctors won’t induce until 42 weeks. Before that, there would have to be a medical reason. So, that question is answered, and you don’t need to ask it.

2. At least you’re getting a few more days of rest

If you make this comment, you obviously haven’t spent the night beside a pregnant woman. By this point, she’s not getting much rest. She’s in constant discomfort because a human being is growing inside her body. And even if that weren’t the case, she’s ready to meet her new child and would gladly sacrifice a few days of rest to be done with the pregnancy.

1. Are you sure the baby is ok? My friend was past her due date and (insert horror story)

The other questions so far have been annoying. This one is annoying and frightening. Mom (and dad) to-be have already had nightmares of the 1 in a million chance of their story being the bad one. Every parent goes through that. Don’t add to it.

So, with that, I do have one thing to say. To Katie, and any other pregnant ladies out there who are past their due date, we are thinking about you and praying for you and we wish you the best. We are all excited for you and can’t wait to meet the baby!