Bento Boxes

I love bento boxes. Some ladies (and guys I'm sure) really get creative with preparing bento box lunches.
Maybe someday I'll create beautiful lunches like these for my kids...or just for me. ;-)

Weekly Belly Photos - Ideas & Inspiration

My belly hasn't popped yet. I suspect I'll be like my friend, Michelle, and I won't start showing until about halfway through my pregnancy. But I'm already thinking about taking weekly photos to document the belly growth. I always think it's so neat to see the changes pregnant women go through even on a weekly basis. I love seeing that belly grow and thinking about how much that baby is developing inside.

Anyway, that being said, I would really like to do something fun and creative with my weekly belly photos but I'm a little stumped for ideas. By far, my favorite belly series has been this one from Pacing the Panic Room. The images are so beautiful. The concept is simple really. It's just the mama standing in front of a white background, but you can't deny the quality and beauty of the photographs. And the video the guy made with all the photos is darling. 

The same guy did another belly series for a friend which I thought was pretty clever. This one followed the mama-to-be on a walk along a pretty sidewalk in her neighborhood. The whole slideshow viewed together is pretty sweet. 

So I'd like to do something simple and beautiful but I'm not sure what yet. Any creative ideas out there that you'd be willing to share? Maybe I'm over thinking it but I'd like to hear about any ideas are out there before I settle on what exactly we'll be doing. 

Gracias!

[all photos via pacing the panic room]

Why I Chose a Midwife

Many of you may remember a blog post I wrote several months ago about some of my favorite documentaries (I’m a documentary junkie!). In that list I included “The Business of Being Born.” This documentary was integral in making my decision to go with a midwife for this pregnancy...but even before I saw this movie I knew I wanted something different from the “norm” when it came time for me to have children.

I’ve always been iffy on the epidural thing. My mom had natural births with my sister and me and I’ve always thought that if she can do it, so can I. She’s a big fan of lamaze and says that if you prepare your mind and body for what is to come you will definitely be able to give birth without the use of drugs. I have to say, that I agree with her. The way I see it, pregnancy and child birth are natural processes. They do not require medical intervention unless there is a high-risk situation. Women have been giving birth for centuries...it’s natural...it’s how life happens.

Midwives are trained in natural childbirth. They see childbirth as a beautiful part of life. I’m not knocking on doctors. I am thankful for doctors who are trained to act quickly if something goes wrong. I am glad they know how to remove a baby via caesarean if things are not flowing as they should. But again, I don’t want to be rushed to make any rash decisions. I don’t want to be pressured to take pitocin or pain meds or hurry my labor along so the doctor can get home in time for dinner. Again, I’m not knocking on doctors...I know there are some very caring OB’s out there who would never dream of pressuring their patient into doing anything they’re not comfortable with. But for me, I’d just rather go with a midwife who I know shares in my birthing philosophy

Every pregnancy is different, every woman is different, every baby is different. So if you disagree with anything I’ve said and you want the pitocin and the epidural and the induction, that’s fine with me. It’s your body and the beauty of living in this country is that we can all decide for ourselves what is best for our pregnancy. I’m just saying, if you’re low-risk, want a natural childbirth with as few interventions as possible, want someone to take care of you who will be more of a partner than a director, then maybe you should consider getting a midwife. In my opinion, they’re more personable and I know she will be my advocate during my birthing process.

In a later blogpost I’ll write about why and how I chose my specific birthing team here in Denver. In the mean time click on over to babycenter’s momformation blog and read this post about choosing your birth team.

Elsewhere on the Internet

I don’t pretend that I have legions of fans reading my little blog, but I know some of you out there read this and enjoy my musings so I thought I would let you know about a few other places you can find me on the internet.

Recently I have been asked to blog for the Soma Church web site. You can find that here. This blog will focus on the latest news of Soma Church as well as a few features about different events/businesses in Denver. This city has a lot going on and we want you to know about it.

I am also one of the guest bloggers on Southeastern Seminary’s Women’s Life blog called Walking Worthy. I can’t tell you how much of an honor it is that they asked me to participate. So if you’re a woman I highly recommend you bookmarking this blog. A lot of fantastic ladies will be contributing to the blog and I think it’ll be a refreshing little spot on the internet.

Happy Reading!

[Image via: weheartit]

First Soma Gathering

Last Sunday we had our first official Soma Church gathering in Denver, CO. It was pretty thrilling to finally be able to meet together in this city. A group of us came together in the Barley’s living room and Bryan shared the story of Soma Church - how we came to be, why we’re here, what we hope to accomplish. We were also able to briefly share our individual stories of why we have chosen to live in Denver and participate in Soma Church. There were quite a few people  that I had not met before and it’s always fun getting to know new people in a new city. 

I’m thankful for Soma Church and I’m overjoyed that we are finally meeting together weekly to share in this journey. If you’re in the Denver area and want to visit us just let me know and I’ll give you the time and location. We’d love for you to check us out consider being a part of this new adventure with us. 

[Photo by: Creative Alex]

Heartbeat

Yesterday was a very exciting day for us Acevedos.

I had my first midwife appointment and loved it. Alex was able to come with me which was really nice. I really enjoyed meeting with the midwife. She was really kind and she shares the same philosophy on pregnancy and childbirth as I do. I might blog later about why I chose to go with a midwife over an OB.

Anyway, the point of this blogpost is to share that we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! As I shared in my previous post, I had been feeling anxious about the pregnancy. I really haven't experienced many symptoms and I kept wondering if something was wrong. Well, thankfully, everything is checking out fine. The baby's heartbeat was so strong and it was really the most beautiful and relieving sound I've ever heard. I feel so much more at ease now.

So thank you all for the prayers. My next appointment is in four weeks. I can't wait. :-)

Greetings from Denver!

We're here!
We've been here for a while now but I haven't had the chance to update the blog seeing as we have no internet at home yet. Currently Alex and I are sitting in Coffee at the Point in the Five Points neighborhood of Denver. It's about a five minute drive from our house. Their vanilla chai latte is excellent (way better than Starbucks) and they have free wifi!

Moving into our home has been an adventure. Right now our washer and dryer are sitting in the dining room because it won't fit through the laundry room door. Also, for the past couple of days we had no running water because our water pipes froze (we got our water back today, yay!). I have also realized that most of my wardrobe is completely inadequate. I should get rid of half of my closet and replace it with warm clothes, very warm.

Despite some of the hardships we've experienced along the way I think we love it here. It's definitely a surreal experience. We're really doing it. After all this time of planning and dreaming, we're living here.

Our house is nowhere near finished yet but it's definitely livable. I have my wonderful husband and amazing parents to thank for that. They've all been a huge help! I'm amazed with how handy Alex is and how tirelessly he works. And when my parents left to go back home on Sunday I was sad to see them go. I can't wait for them to visit again. I'm excited for what the future holds.

So that's just a quick update on what's going on in the life of the Acevedos. We appreciate everyone's love, prayers, and support. I can't thank everyone enough. Here are a few prayer requests to keep in mind over the next few days:

• Alex needs a job! He has an interview with Apple (the Broomfield store) tomorrow at 3. There have been some complications with the store that's in Denver and it looks like his best option might be to work at the Broomfield store (about half an hour away). Nothing is set in stone, but our income and health insurance are dependent on his job.
• I guess I should get a job too. ;-) I would really love to get a job at a school. I like kids and I have a lot of experience in that area. But I'll take anything that isn't high-stress. 
• For our home. I would really like to get everything in order (meaning, I'd really love to get that washer and dryer out of the dining room!) so that we can feel at home and start inviting guests over.
• Baby Ace. I admit, I've been very anxious for the past couple of weeks. They say once you become a mother you worry for the rest of your life...sheesh! They weren't kidding. But I would really like to give God all my worries and focus on Him instead of what might go wrong. 

Again, thank you for your prayers. We love you all!

Cheers!

Greetings from TX!

We successfully drove from Miami to New Orleans and then from New Orleans to Dallas over the weekend. Hoorah! We had fun in New Orleans. We stayed with my dad's cousin and his family. They took us around the city and we were able to eat beignets from Cafe du Monde. Yum! They also showed us you don't have to wait in that ridiculous long line that goes down the block. You just walk right in on the other side and seat yourself. So if you're ever in New Orleans do NOT wait in that line. :-)

I was starting to go crazy in the car. I am just not good at road trips. I can't imagine anything more boring than being stuck in a car for hours on end. Give me an airplane ride instead! But my husband has really been a champ. He has driven the entire time and not complained once. I don't know how he does it. Jaxon has also been behaving himself. Poor little guy. He must be so confused with all the changes happening. I'm sure he'll be happy once we're settled in to our home in Denver. I'm also happy to report that I haven't felt sick this whole car ride! This is huge for me. I usually get car sick very easily and I thought it might be exacerbated with the pregnancy...but I have felt just fine and I am thankful for that.

Anway, we'll be in Dallas with my parents for the next couple of days and plan on driving out to Denver on Wednesday. Thank you to all for prayers and support. We feel so loved and blessed! Hope everyone had a happy new year.