beautiful baby

Bridget's pediatrician tells me I should each time I go to the doctor's office, so I'm finally going to do it: I'm going to enter Bridget in a beautiful baby contest.

I've hesitated on doing this for a while since most contests exist (at least it seems like it) solely for the purpose of building the company's database and sending out more junk mail/emails. But with the prospect of paying off my education looming in front of us (I managed to avoid student loans until my PhD, but quickly became indebted to the US government while in Iowa), the thought that Bridget just might be able to earn a college scholarship is appealing. So I'm giving in and doing it--I'm going to enter her into the Live! with Regis & Kelly Beautiful Baby Contest 2010. The deadline for entries is January 29, and I've decided I'm going to need your help.

I'm going to take photos of Bridget throughout the month of January and post them in a Picasa web album titled Beautiful Baby. (I've posted the first fourteen choices already.) What I'd like you to do is visit the album regularly (or even just near the end of the month) and vote for your favorite pic(s). Bridget's got the best personality (if you haven't met her, you haven't met one of the happiest babies in town), but sunny personalities don't always come through in photos. So I'd like to get other people's opinions--which pics do you like? And on the 28th or 29th, I'll enter a photo: hopefully one with a lot of votes from friends and family, and one that I love, too (being her mommy, I am holding overriding privileges since I know her the best!). And okay, if you have a kid that you're going to enter, I'll do the same for you. I'd rather have one of her friends earn the college money than a stranger--although I'm sure there are beautiful strangers' babies out there, too!

Here's hoping for some great pics!