Raising a Man

I have to admit that I never imagined myself as being the mother to a boy. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I only have sisters. Or maybe it's because I love all things girly...cute clothes, flowers, pretty colors. Or maybe it's because I always saw boys as rambunctious and out of control. I just always saw myself as the mother to a cute dainty little girl...and who knows, maybe some day I will be...but for now I am a mama-to-be to a little boy. How am I even going to be able to raise a boy? Is raising a boy very different from raising a girl? I feel like it is, but what do I know? I've never been a parent before. All I know is...this is a huge responsibility. I mean, raising any kid, boy or girl, is a huge responsibility, but I can't help but feel an extra weight on my shoulders knowing that I will soon have a son.

I want my son to be different from so many boys and men I see around me. I want him to respect women (not think that they are inferior or objects to ogle at). I want him to work and study hard (not be a slacker who plays video games all day). I want him to be a leader (not a follower). I want him to love God and worship Him (not worship himself or other idols). I want him to grow up and be a man, a real man. And I'm not sure I know how to help him develop into that.

Thankfully I am not alone in raising this Little Man. I have an amazing husband who is so excited about being a father. He is ready to step up to the plate and teach our son to be make godly choices. He is ready to be an example and humbly show him the way he should go. And we have the Lord to help us. We can pray for wisdom and guidance, and He will answer us. We also have great parents who can give us advice along the way. And we have a church that will help us, godly men and women that will help teach Liam how to be a godly man as well.

So yeah, I'm a little nervous, but I also have assurance that everything will be okay. I'm not sure how this crazy ride is going to turn out, but I know I'm not alone and I know that Liam is more loved already than he could ever imagine.

My view when I look down, Liam is growing!

Week 20

What a huge week!
20 weeks marks the halfway point of the pregnancy, we found out we are having a boy, and we registered for gifts for Little Liam.

I'm so happy to be halfway done with this pregnancy (assuming baby is born at 40 weeks). I just can't believe that we're already here. But now that we know we're having a boy I just want the next 20 weeks to fly by! I can't wait to meet my little man. I went to Macy's yesterday to get a little something for him, courtesy of a gift card we received a while back. He's going to be rocking in his little onesie with guitars all over it.

On Thursday after our ultrasound (by the way, it was so awesome to see him moving around in there, hiding his face with his little arms, so cute!) we went to Target to register for some gifts. I know it seems early to start a registry but I'm excited and I thought I should go ahead and get it out of the way now...especially with my Miami baby shower coming up mid-May. We decided on two registries, one on amazon and the other at Target. Seeing as we live far away from so many loved ones I thought it would be easier to put the bulk of our registry items on amazon, that way people can shop online and have the gifts shipped directly to our home. And then we used Target for a lot of the cute, less bulky items. Plus, I'm pretty sure my grandma doesn't know how to shop on amazon, so for her and all the other people that like to keep it old school, there's Target.

Oh, and this week Alex felt Liam kick him twice! You should've seen the look on Alex's face. Liam is still not very active. I feel him move off and on throughout the day but his little movements aren't visible on the outside for the most part. So it was really awesome that Alex was able to feel him those two times. I know as time goes on his little kicks and jabs will get stronger and Alex will be able to feel him all the time. I'm waiting for the day Jaxon gets to feel/see the baby kick. I wonder if he'll freak out. Hah.

For this week's photo we went down to Coors Field, right off of 20th street. This is where the Rockies play. I'm not much of a baseball fan but I think it's fun going to see sports games live. And I think Liam will have fun coming to see some games too. :-)

The Belly Series

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Little Man Style

Okay, I have become obsessed with finding cute boy stuff ever since we found out Baby Ace is a little man. I want my boy to be dapper as can be. And let me tell you, there is plenty of cute boy stuff out there that I never knew existed.

The Gap never disappoints:

And Etsy always has great handmade and vintage options:

[bow ties]

[onesies]

[hats]

And I discovered this neat website dedicated to handsome boys:
Boys Be Cool.

I know having a child means more than just dressing them up in cute outfits, but I can't help getting excited about this stuff. Let me gush a little bit. ;-)

Belly Buddy - Tati

I know so many people who are expecting right now. It seems almost every day I learn that someone else is pregnant too. It's hard to believe that we're all old enough to even be having babies. Really, when did that happen?! But it's so much fun to have all these belly buddies to compare notes with. One very special belly buddy is my friend, Tati. I've known this girl since 10th grade and she's always been an amazing friend to me. She's kind and patient and loyal and trusting. There have been times where I have been a total brat to her and she remains one of my closest and most faithful friends. We graduated high school together, went to the same college, attended the same church, walked in each other's weddings, and now we're both having babies in the summer! Her due date is at the end of July and mine is at the beginning of August. AND we're both having little boys. It would only be more perfect if we were living in the same city still, but I know that even if we're far apart I can always count on her and our boys will be great friends.

It's also her birthday today so be sure to wish her a good one!

Check out some of her hot mama photos:

Our Baby - The Big Reveal

Today we had our big 20 week ultrasound! The tech checked out Baby Ace to make sure everything was developing normally. Praise the Lord Baby Ace is absolutely perfect. No problems that we can see as of now. We were also able to finally see if Baby Ace is a boy or girl. Well...

We're having a Little Man! His name is Liam Alexander and we are so proud. We couldn't think of a better place to celebrate than  Little Man Ice Cream in the Highlands (best ice cream in Denver!). So it looks like most of you were right. I still can't believe it. But the more I think about my Little Man the more I fall in love with him. Thanks to everyone for all your love and excitement for this precious baby. Just 20 weeks to go (give or take) until we meet him!

maternity style

Being pregnant is fun and I want my style to reflect that. I'm not gonna lie. It's been pretty easy for me to lounge around in my sweatpants and t-shirts lately. My regular clothes just don't fit me the same. They may still fit, but it's not the same. And sweatpants are sooo comfy. But I don't want to become a frumpy pregnant lady. I'm one of those people whose mood is greatly affected by what I'm wearing. If I look frumpy, I feel frumpy. If I look great, I feel great. So now that the weather's warming up I'm trying to figure out my pregnancy style so that I can continue to feel great.

I looked to some of my favorite bloggers for inspiration. Jen of jenloveskev, James of bleubirdvintage, and Melissa of dearbaby are beautiful ladies who maintained impeccable style throughout their pregnancies. I mean, just look at their photos:

So here's what I think I've learned:

• Seeing as I'll be at my largest in the hot summer months, skirts and dresses will be my best friends. Might have to break down and get some maternity shorts, which actually look quite comfy to me.
• Belts! Use them to give your midsection that womanly shape. A skinny belt right above the bump is cute. 
• High waisted skirts. I see Melissa in that yellow skirt (last picture) and I love it. It just works.
• Tunics are grand. Most of my old shirts still fit, but even though my belly is small it tends to peek out just a bit sometimes. So I have to wear longer shirts and tunics are the best because I know my belly will grow with the tunics.
• Layers. I always love layers because they add a little something to any boring outfit. 

We'll see how I do with the rest of this pregnancy. I read in my baby book last night that I'm supposed to grow about 1/2 an inch every week from here on out. Whoa. 

Red Rocks

This past weekend our friends, Brian and Melissa, were in town looking for apartments and job hunting (they'll be moving to Denver in the summer, yay!). We decided to take them to Red Rocks so they could experience the nature-y side of Denver. We checked out the amphitheater (I soo want to see a concert there this summer!), the mini-rock museum, and a bit of the trails. Jaxon tagged along as well. What a tough pup. 

I love Red Rocks, it's so beautiful. If you're ever in Colorado it is definitely a destination worth checking out.

Week 19

Week 19! Only one more week and we find out if Baby Ace is a boy or girl. I am beyond excited to finally know so I can call this little baby by his/her real name. We have a great day planned for when we find out but I'll blog about that when it happens.

This week I started feeling little baby flutters. I was sitting on the couch watching TV and I felt little pops in my belly. I thought it might be gas (hah) but I decided it wasn't gas because, well, I wasn't farting. ;-) I've been feeling it at random times of the day every day since then so I figure it's definitely Baby Ace showing off some ninja moves. The other day I even started crying when I was describing it to Alex (pregnancy hormones!).

We couldn't figure out where to take this week's photo so we just parked the car and started walking down 19th Street until we found something interesting. We passed what looks like an old fire station but is now an architecture firm. I liked the colors, firefighters are cool, and my parents are both architects so we took the picture in front of that building. I love that so many old buildings in this city have been repurposed into new businesses but have retained their charm and historical authenticity. By the way, the weather has been gorgeous in Denver lately! I'm in love with these sunny cool temps. Almost as much as I'm in love with this baby.

The Belly Series:
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18

Andy and Angela: Engaged!

Our friend, Andy, proposed to his lovely girlfriend Angela last week. He asked Alex and I to tag along to take some secret photos of the proposal. It was pretty exciting! We went to the Denver Botanic Gardens (I can't wait to visit that place once all the flowers are in bloom, I know it'll be gorgeous!) and hid among the plants hoping Angela wouldn't see it. My heart was pounding so fast the whole time.

Andy took Angela to a bench by a small pond and popped the question. I tried my best to snap photos while hiding. After she said yes (yay!) we did a short impromptu photo session right then and there.

I'm excited for my friends as they prepare for marriage and I'm honored to have been a part of the proposal. Congratulations, Andy and Angela!

Check out more photos on my flickr account.

Week 18

We have made it to week 18 of the pregnancy! How exciting. I had my third midwife appointment this week. It was pretty standard. They weighed me (I've gained seven pounds so far), heard the heartbeat (strong at 140), and took blood for some testing. I was also able to ask a lot of questions about the labor and delivery process at the hospital. I'm happy to report that I think it'll be a great experience.

This week I purchased Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I just started it last night and I already feel so encouraged about giving birth. At this point in my pregnancy I'm not feeling a whole lot of fear and anxiety about going into labor. I'm actually pretty excited. Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive enough to think that it'll be a painless experience, but I don't think it'll be a horrible experience either...Lord willing. I just can't wait to meet this baby boy or girl. (By the way, have you voted on whether you think Baby Ace is a boy or girl??? If not, get on it!) 

Also, Alex and I watched another amazing documentary called Pregnant in America. So good. Again, it confirmed my desire for a natural birth with as few medical interventions as possible and I think it encouraged Alex to get really involved in this pregnancy. You should have seen him at my midwife appointment, asking questions and making sure that Baby Ace and I are getting the best care possible. What a great husband and daddy-to-be.

For this week's photo we went to 18th Avenue which runs right into City Park. I love this place. It's a pretty big park with lots of open grassy fields, tennis courts, a lake, boat house. It's great. This is also where the Denver Zoo is located. If any of you ever come visit we'll definitely take you there for a stroll.

Oh, I also have to mention that today Alex and I were walking around the Gap and a salesperson asked me, "Hey, have you checked out our maternity line yet?" I could have hugged and kissed her on the spot! It's the first time a complete stranger has recognized that I am pregnant. She asked how far along I was and, of course, commented on how tiny I am, but I don't mind because she knew I was pregnant just by looking at me. Awesome feeling. 

The Belly Series

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Week 17

Jaxon & Penny: A Love Story

Okay, maybe "A Love Story" is overstating it, but it's definitely a whirlwind tale of lost friendship and redemption. You see, Penny is Bryan and Megan's chocolate lab. She's a spunky dog who loves to play. Jaxon is a grumpy old man, but sweet nonetheless. The first time they met, things did not go as planned. Let's just say Jaxon attacked Penny (a dog three times his size!) and Penny cowered in the corner. From then on whenever they got close to each other Jaxon would lunge, bark, and growl. And Penny would try to stay as far away from him as possible. It was sad. It seriously broke my heart. The Barleys are great friends to us and I wanted our pups to get along too. I didn't like the idea of one of the pups having to stay home on outings because they couldn't get along.

Well, I think there must be something in the air in Denver because this week all our wildest dreams came true. We took Jaxon and Penny for a walk at Wash Park and it went wonderfully. I couldn't believe it. They sniffed each other upon meeting and then we walked around the lake with no problems. We found a field and let them off leash to run around and get some energy out.

This may not seem like a big deal to many but my heart is so happy at this change of circumstances. Jaxon and Penny are friends now...hallelujah!

Hiking in Boulder

This week we are hosting some UNC and NCState students that are planning to move to Denver and join Summit Church after they graduate in May. It's been such a fun week and I'm really going to miss everyone after they've gone home this weekend. Can't wait until next summer when they're all back for good!

Yesterday we decided to take the students up to Boulder and do some hiking. Let me just say, I did NOT know hiking was so difficult! I really had to pace myself because I didn't want to stress out my body or Baby Ace. But the hike was worth it because the view was breath-taking. And I'm glad that the walk down was not nearly as difficult as the walk up. I would really love to go hiking again, but I might have to wait until Baby Ace is out with us because I'm not sure I could handle that hike again. Also, I would really need some proper shoes because my Converse sneakers were failing me!

Jaxon did so well! I'm proud of my little pup. We'll have to take him out an many more outdoorsy adventures. It's safe to say that the Acevedos love life in Colorado.

Boy or Girl?

We finally have a date for when we will find out if Baby Ace is a boy or girl!

On Thursday, March 24th at 9:30 AM we have an appointment to find out if we will have a little Izzy or a little Liam. Yup, those are the names. If it's a girl she will be named Isabel Carmen Acevedo. If it's a boy he will be named Liam Alexander Acevedo.

How did we come up with those names? I just fell in love with the name Isabel. It's cute and sweet and can be said easily in English or Spanish. I also kind of like that it carries on the 'bel' in our family (my mom is Kristabel and my sister is Danibel). Carmen is my grandmother's name as well as Alex's great-grandmother's name. I like that we can honor these two amazing women with this name. It was much more difficult to come up with a boy's name. We knew his middle name would be Alexander, after his handsome daddy. We searched and searched for a good first name for weeks and weeks and finally settled on Liam. It's short and simple, not too common, but not too weird either. Now that we have names picked out for either gender I can't wait to find out! I almost wish we were having one of each just so we could use both names, but I'm sure there's only one in there. I guess this means we'll have to try for another one after Baby Ace #1 arrives. ;-)

So what are your predictions??? Boy or girl? Izzy or Liam? Take your pick and in two weeks we'll find out who was right!

Baby Ace says Hello!

Week 17

It's funny how this pregnancy feels like it's going so fast and so slow at the same time. Part of me is astounded that we're already at Week 17 and the other part of me is like, "Can it be August already??"

This week someone told me there is "no way" I'm pregnant. I wasn't offended. I can understand how looking at me you wouldn't be able to tell that I'm expecting. My baby belly looks more like a "food baby." But I know my body and in the past my belly has always been flat, even when I eat crazy amounts of food. I may not have a big ol' belly, but it's definitely not flat anymore. I can also feel the difference in my clothes. Some of my pants still fit, but the pants Im wearing in this picture would NOT close. I had to do the rubber band trick to keep them up. I have Shannon to thank for teaching me that.

Anyway, the baby is about the size of my hand now. That's pretty big if you ask me! I can't believe that's inside of me. I'm still amazed. I have my next midwife appointment on Thursday. I'm excited to hear the heartbeat again and make sure everything is okay with Baby Ace.

For this week's photo I'm standing on 17th Street which leads up to Union Station. I love this building! There's so much history there. It first opened in 1881 and apparently they have some big plans for this train station in the future. Check out some of the renderings of what they want to do with it. Maybe some day we can take a train trip somewhere. Sounds like fun to me.

The Belly Series:

Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16

Jaxon at the Dog Park

I wrote a post last year about Jaxon making progress at the dog park. Since moving to Denver we've taken him to the dog park quite a bit and it makes me so happy to see him interacting with the other dogs so well! Our first visit to the dog park made me nervous. I didn't know if Jaxon would start a fight with one of the dogs. He did get a little snippy with a couple of the dogs but with each visit we make he gets better and better. It's funny to watch him chasing other dogs around and figuring out how to properly interact with them. It makes my heart so happy. He really is a great dog.

Check him out in the picture below...running full speed towards the other dogs... What a cutie.

Denver Zoo Free Day

A couple weeks ago Denver Zoo had a free day. Alex and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to check it out. I love going to the zoo. I missed my chance to visit the one in North Carolina, so I couldn't skip out on this one, especially since it's literally a five minute drive from our house.

I loved it. The weather was gorgeous and the zoo is pretty big. You could spend a good amount of time there if you wanted to see everything. The only down side was the amount of people! We didn't think that everyone in town would be taking advantage of the free day. We quickly grew tired of the crowds of people and we ended up leaving sooner than expected.

But that's okay because tickets aren't really all that expensive and I'll gladly pay the price of a ticket to go back and see all the animals again. Overall it was a fun experience and I can't wait to go back.