Hello All! I found this article recently in a magazine and wanted to share it with you all. I am so impressed by the breastfeeding women of Marquette, MI. Read the article about them and little baby Moses. I know some of you will be uncomfortable with this, but I am so glad to see these women band together for a child's life and his deceased mother's wishes.

Hope is eighteen months as I write this and she is still nursing regularly. She was exclusively breastfed for 6 months of life, meaning she did not eat any other solid food. Here is what the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends.


Exclusive breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. A recent review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.

To enable mothers to establish and sustain exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, WHO and UNICEF recommend:
Initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of life
Exclusive breastfeeding – that is the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water
Breastfeeding on demand – that is as often as the child wants, day and night
No use of bottles, teats or pacifiers
*Taken from the WHO website at www.who.int

I am not one to be hard on other women who have chosen to feed their children another way. You will get no "Mommy Guilt" from me. In turn we should not be judgemental of this father providing for his infant son in the way he thinks is best. I applaud these women and their sacrifice for this little guy!!

Hello All! I am sorry to report that I forgot the memory card for my camera while we were away at my dad's cottage on Lake Huron. The photos of our fun there will have to wait. We had a great time in spite of the rain. We love our family from the "East side" of the state : )







Grace has become a monkey this summer. She loves swinging on the monkey bars anywhere and everywhere. This was all inspired by cousin Maddi. Maddi was so good at the monkey bars, it made Grace want to try it. Here is Miss Grace tonight on the monkey bars. She even asked as I went to get the camera, "Mommy, can you put me on the blog doing the monkey bars?" Here you are Grace at your request. You are such a sweetheart heart Gracie Goo Goo : )

















































Hope is getting too big!!! As I was snapping pictures of her I was realizing she is going to be nine months before I know it. She is a joy, with her big BLUE eyes and million dollar smile. She is so patient and flexible, as long as Mommy is there that is. We went out to eat to buffet with Grandma and Granddad Briden. She sat in her high chair the whole time and played with a napkin and a drinking straw. Thank God for the fourth child that is relaxed and pliable. She has been nursing now exclusively for 8 1/2 months. She had some rice cereal the other day she didn't spit out, so most likely more solids are in her future. For the worried "introduce solids early" crowd, don't worry!! Hope is over 20 pounds now on Mommy's milk alone : )

We are enjoying our family so much and honestly it gets easier as we grow in numbers. The kids entertain each other, help me with chores, bring me things when I am nursing and overall help me with their siblings. We can't wait to add our next son. What fun it will be to be a family of seven. But, for now we enjoy each day to the fullest as a family of six. Please pray for our adoption and specifically for some correspondence from USCIS in Detroit. Thanks and God be with you all- 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