Hello All! This my first video on Blogger : ) Luke loves the song Holly Jolly Christmas. Here is the little man singing with our animated snowman Grandpa B and his wife, Brenda, gave the kids. Merry Christmas to you all! Love, Crystal

Hello All! Well today I am getting so excited to meet Hope that I have to write about one of my favorite things about having a new baby, Breastfeeding!! The image I included with this post is from Babytalk magazine the August 2006 issue. It sparked much controversy when it was received in homes by subscribers. The image of a child nursing at his mother's breast is what offended some readers. You can read an article regarding the scandal at
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14065706/
This will be my third child to breastfeed and I can't wait : ) It is hard work at times in the beginning. Then there is a time when for me it is pure joy. It forces me to sit down, relax and enjoy the gift of nurturing this little life for this season. In June of 2006 I took a class to become a Certified Lactation Counselor. I would love to teach breastfeeding education classes in a hospital someday in the future. But my true dream is to be a Lactation Consultant which would require many more hours of training to be internationally board certified.

This post is not to bash women who have chosen or who have tried very hard and have not been able to breastfeed. It is funny though in our culture that the breastfeeding infant and mother make us uncomfortable. We are bombarded with sexually explicit images on television nightly, but a women breastfeeding can make most in our culture quite unsettled. I think even our puritan ancestors would find that aspect of our culture double minded. Can one truly be comfortable with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders but turn with disgust away from a nursing mother/baby pair? We rarely watch football with the children anymore because of all the women exposed in the advertisements. For those of you that know Kelly that is quite a sacrifice, he loves football!!!

Just so you know I have always been modest as I nurse and I respect others comfort levels as well. I have purchased a "hootie hider" nursing cover for when Hope demands being feed in a more public place. I rarely side with my European ancestors on much. This is one area though were I say Americans need to relax. Don't be looking to be offended in all things and most likely you won't : )

My opinion is that anybody offended by breastfeeding is staring to hard.- David Allen


Just some food for thought : ) Love, Crystal

Hello All! I thought I would post some pictures of our Christmas decorating this weekend before I am too busy to think about blogging : ) The first picture is of the kids after decorating our Christmas tree. They really enjoy decorating and with shatter proof ornaments, mommy and daddy enjoy it too!



Lastly is a picture of me from Saturday. I am scheduled to be induced in three days : ) I am so excited to meet Hope. Please pray for us as we head to the hospital at 7:30 am. We covet your prayers for our safety and for God's will to be done. We hope to have pictures of her on the blog quite quickly. Make sure to check back for updates on Thursday and beyond : )




I can't help but think of Mary at this time of year, especially this year. I can't imagine riding a donkey and making that journey to Bethlehem this pregnant. I wonder how she felt after Jesus' birth. For each of the childbirths I have experienced I am in awe of the creator and his magnificent creation. Imagine holding the Lord in you arms as a newborn. What awe and joy she must have felt. She was truly blessed to be chosen of God to mother his son!! May God bless you all this Christmas!! Love, Crystal

Hello All! This past weekend we braved the crowds of Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan to build a special Bear for Hope. It has become a tradition in our family that the older sibling/s build a bear for the newest Briden addition. Grace built her own bear at about 15 months in Kansas City. Upon Faith's arrival Grace built her a bear in Springfield, Missouri. Faith was only days old at this point and the pictures are adorable. Before we moved back to Michigan both girls built a bear (actually it is a monkey) for Luke complete with a baseball uniform. They presented it to him upon his arrival. He has loved Max the monkey ever since. So it was only right that they all got to help celebrate Hope. We waited in line for about 45 minutes to build the bear and all three showed amazing amounts of patience. I was ready to turn around after I spied the line, but they would have never stood for that : ) So I have included the photos of them getting ready to build the bear as well as kissing the hearts that they each carefully placed in Hope's bear. Our newest addition to our family is a pink and white bear with Hello Kitty pajamas and pink bows on her ears named "Sparkle".

After the bear building went to ride on the neat carousel inside the mall. I was sitting watching them ride with Daddy. Mommy can't do carousels at his point for many reasons. Luke kept looking for me and yelling "Mom". It was sweet he really wanted me to see him ride the horse up and down. Next was a stop at the food court for ice cream, Yummy! We truly thank God for these fun family times : ) Love you all! Enjoy- Crystal (Nine days and counting to scheduled induction, we will post pictures as soon as we can)

Hello All! I am excited to share my induction date. Due to my gestational Diabetes the doctor only wants me to go into my 39th week. The concern is always the size of the baby. With Diabetes the baby can get very big and it can be hard to deliver vaginally. The date the induction of my labor will most likely take place is the 29th of November. That is a week after Thanksgiving. Yeah!! I am excited to have a date. It doesn't mean that it will work and Hope will be born. I have had three failed inductions in the past. Those were with Grace though, and that was before my body was aware what labor was. So I am hopeful it will work well and that ultimately God's will is done. Please pray for us as the time nears. Pray especially for the health of baby Hope and Mommy, please.

I got a kick out of this cartoon today and thought I would include it on the blog. It is interesting to me now having three kids under six (soon to be four) how much I have learned about being a mother. I love each one of our kids, but in some ways I appreciate what the lady in the blue coat is sharing. This is the hardest I have ever worked at anything in my life. It is extremely rewarding and fun most of the time : ) But, there are those times when you wish you could "clock out" and take a break. I do take breaks, but rarely do I stop thinking as a mommy. I am always thinking things like " I hope Faith got her medicine." and "Is Grace getting enough one on one attention with me?" or " Does Luke need new pants for fall? I don't think capris are in style for little boys." So even in my break time I am never truly checked out. This is my calling, I love it and I love each one of my charges. Each on so special, unique and a gift from God!! I can't wait to see who Hope will be, what fun!!! God Bless you all- Crystal

Hello All! I hope all is well in your life and your families. I had to share some funny "You know you're a mother if..." quotes I found today while surfing the net. Let me preface this by saying we have been playing tons of the game Candyland in our home. The kids truly love it. All three are figuring it out and even Luke can name the colors of the square he needs to move to and tell you how many moves he needs to make. I found a quote today that made me laugh because I commonly stack the deck so as to get an exciting quick game for all. I make sure all three have a special card that moves them to "Grandma Nutt", "Princess Lolly", "Mr. Mint" or "Queen Frostine"just to name a few. So this quote did make me laugh out loud today and at this point in pregnancy I need all the laughter I can get.


+You know you're a mother when you stack the deck during games of Candyland, so your 3-year-old picks Queen Frostine, a square near the end, first.+
Patricia Gallagher Newberry

I admit as a mother I like a kinder, gentler Candyland game. I like all participants to have a "fun" move ahead square. I even position the cards at times so they are in order so they don't have to go back all the way to the beginning to "Mr. Mint" once we have passed him. I had to laugh when I read it : ) Tonight we play Candyland with Daddy. He is a fierce competitor. I will let you know if he ends up with any of the "fun" cards or not. Love to you all- Crystal

Hello All! I wanted to let you know I have added a poll to the blog. I want you to vote on where Hope's birth weight will fall. If you come close you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are good at guessing : )

If you know what Grace and Faith weighed at birth you might have an advantage in this poll. Not necessarily though, as I have maintained closely my Gestational Diabetes during Hope's pregnancy. Have fun and we shall see who comes closest. If you want to leave an exact guess, just post a comment with the number included. I will start with my guess : ) Love, Crystal

Hello All! I wanted to let everyone know I am still thankfully pregnant : ) I have been contracting so much more than with Grace or Faith. I think the primary reason is with your first and even second you sit when you need to. This time around I have three little people who need attention as well. So I am glad Hope is still safe inside: ) These pictures were taken yesterday I was thirty five weeks and 3 days. Remember pregnancy is 40 weeks, not nine months. I am also full term after this week is complete. So when people say my baby was two weeks early and 6 or 7 pounds that is not necessarily "early". The due date is a best guess and full term is just as full term at 37 weeks as 41 weeks. So I am excited to be passing that milestone as well. Please pray for us as we prepare the house and everyone in it for HOPE LYNN BRIDEN !!!

Mommy and the girls ready for church : )

Daddy and his buddy, they are so outnumbered : )

Love you all- Crystal