bottle-feeding advice?

I wanted to drop in on the blog to ask all the mamas out there for some advice.

Today Liam had his first official bottle of pumped breast milk. You have no idea how nervous I was! I didn't think that I would hate giving him a bottle this much. It made me so sad that I wasn't the one feeding him. Which is funny considering the rough start to breast feeding that we had. The truth is, I love nursing him now. It really is a nice little quiet bonding time for us...and yes, it's still painful sometimes (that initial latch is killer!), but I think it'll only get better from here. Anyway, I thought we should give him a bottle before it's too late. I know sometimes if you wait too long to introduce the bottle to a baby he'll never take it. He ended up taking it pretty well. We used a breastflow bottle because supposedly it's the most like the real thing. He fussed a bit and spilled some but in the end I think his hunger was satisfied. He ended up taking about 3.5 ounces.

Alex feeding Liam for the first time.

Okay, so here's where I need some advice. How do I know how much milk to give him in the bottle??? It makes me so nervous that he won't get enough or that he may even get too much. I read somewhere to follow the "one ounce for every hour" rule. Basically if it's been two hours since his last feeding he gets two ounces, if it's been three hours he gets three ounces, etc. Does that sound right? Any other bottle-feeding tips?

Thank you in advance to everyone who responds. I appreciate the support and wisdom of other mothers out there. :-)

Photos by Shannon

Our friend, Shannon, came over about a week and a half ago to take a few photos of Liam. Unfortunately, he wasn't really cooperating. Fussy baby. But she still managed to get a few cute shots.
Could I love this little guy any more?!? Seriously. He's the best.
Thanks for the photos, Shannon!

three weeks

Our Little Man is three weeks old today. Time flies.
He had his two week appointment yesterday and he weighs a whopping nine pounds! And he is now 21.5 inches long. I can't believe how big he's getting, though he's still only wearing newborn size clothing still. He seems to be thriving. He still sleeps a lot but has been spending some time awake and just looking around. I love seeing his curious little face as he tries to focus on what's going on around him.

I'm feeling almost 100% again. Still very tired. What can I say? I have a newborn. Sleep deprivation is the name of the game. Breast feeding is okay. I still don't love it. We've had a few issues and it's still a bit painful. It has gotten easier over the weeks, but it's still not easy. I'm just going to keep praying until it is easy. Pray with me! :-) Even though we've had our issues with nursing I'm so hesitant to give him a bottle. I've pumped a few times and have been storing my milk in the freezer...but I'm just not ready to introduce the bottle. I'm scared he won't get enough. When he nurses I let him keep eating until he lets go...with a bottle there's only so much in there. I don't know. As much as it is a burden to be the only one that can feed him all the time, it's still easier than bottle feeding him pumped milk or formula. We'll see how it goes. I know Alex is just waiting for me to give the green light on letting him feed Liam with the bottle.

That's the latest in the Acevedo home. Thank you, friends, for being so patient with my lack of blogging lately. I hope to get back into the swing of things when I get more settled with the baby. Until then, prayers are always welcome and appreciated! :-)

Handsome Fellow.

Liam's Nursery

I'm finally sharing some photos of Liam's nursery. I love how it turned out. Granted, we don't spend much time in there because he sleeps in our room at night in his bassinet...but he does like to nap in there during the day if we're hanging out in the basement. And as he gets older we will eventually transition him into his room. Anyway, here are the photos...enjoy! [I apologize they're a little dark]

His lovely Jenny Lind crib...and you can see his little red race car next to it...can't wait until he's big enough to play with it!

Love that little storage bench. It's nice to have a little extra seating in the room.

Those shelves are jam-packed with stuffed animals, paintings, old toys, etc. Maybe one day I'll feature a few of the special details in the room.

The rain gutter shelves with all his books. A map of the world. And we'll have to take some family photos to put in those frames. 

Thrift store dresser that Alex lovingly repainted. 

I love my Eames-inspired rocker and his little piano.

ode to grandparents

My mom arrived in Denver just two days before Liam was born. I'm glad she's been here for the whole Liam ride because she has been an enormous help. I really can't imagine surviving the past two weeks without her. She's displayed so much patience and wisdom. I call her the baby whisperer. She's only going to be in town for another week and I'm already dreading her departure. Thankfully Alex's mom will arrive the same day my mom is leaving and I'm sure she'll be a big help as well. Also, my dad has been in town the past couple days (he's leaving today though!) and he has also been so helpful. He obviously loves his grandbaby and his eyes light up whenever he gets to hold Little Liam.

Again, I can't imagine doing it without the help of these amazing grandparents. If only I could somehow convince them to stay forever. :-)

Liam on his activity mat. 

A photo of my mom and dad in Frisco yesterday:

my body

Towards the end of my pregnancy I would tell Alex, "I can't wait to have my body back!" I wanted the kid out so I could feel normal again. Hah! Little did I know that my body would be less my own now that he's out than when he was in. I'm talking, of course, about breastfeeding. My body is constantly feeding this little boy. About every two to three hours we're at it again, and it's exhausting. I wasn't expecting breastfeeding to be quite so taxing. Honestly, the first week was hell. There were times that I cried my way through feedings. The pain, the constant demand on my body. I was really feeling the pressure that I was the only one who could feed my little boy. Others can cuddle him, change his diaper, rock him to sleep...but only I can feed him. The anxiety was almost too much for me. And the soreness...oh my!

Now my precious boy is ten days old and it's gotten a lot easier...we're finding our groove...but we have a ways to go before I feel completely comfortable. There are still times when I want to give up, but I won't, because I know breastfeeding is one of the greatest gifts I can give my son. If there are any other new moms out there struggling with breastfeeding I just want to share what's helped me so far:

1. Prayer. I pray all the time! Especially when I'm nursing because I don't want to have a negative attitude in the process. I don't want to be transferring any negative energy to my son and I don't want my tension or anxiety to affect my milk letting down. So I try to relax and pray for it to get easier.

2. Talking to friends. I have a few friends that have been breastfeeding their babies for a while now and it's been encouraging to get their advice. Us new mamas have to stick together and be there for each other.

3. Perspective. This won't last forever. My body and my baby need time to adjust to this "new normal." Eventually we will get the hang of it and it won't be so bad anymore. Hey, I might even begin to enjoy it more and more.

And here's a photo of Liam...because he is so darn cute.

one week old

Today Liam is one week old.

In his one week of life he's been on outings to eat a sushi dinner, lunch at 16th Street Mall, and afternoon tea at the Brown Palace Hotel. He's been learning to breastfeed. He's met family members and friends. He's cried and slept and peed and sneezed and had the hiccups. He's had his picture taken...a lot.

In the past week we've had ups and downs. I've felt the baby blues but I've also felt the greatest joy I've ever known. It's probably been the hardest week of my life but it's also been a great beginning with our son. Can't wait to see how the rest of his story unfolds.

Liam's Birth Story

Many of you have been asking about Liam's birth story so I am taking a few minutes to write it out. I feel really blessed to have had the labor experience that I had. And I love my little boy so much! So here we go...

I woke up on Friday morning around 4:30 because I could feel myself "leaking." I rushed to the bathroom and sure enough I had been leaking. I wasn't 100% positive that my water had broken because it was more of a trickle than a gush and I wasn't experiencing any contractions. I called the midwife and she said to wait an hour to see what happened. I kept leaking so I thought, "this has to be it." Still no contractions though. I decided to take a shower and around then I started feeling something, it was around 6am. I began timing the contractions on my phone and they were about two to three minutes apart. They started getting stronger and all I could think about was, "we have to get to the hospital...now." I had planned on staying at home as long as possible before heading to the hospital but I just knew we had to go even though I had only really been in labor a couple of hours. Alex got my mom up (she had flown in on Wednesday) and we all got ready to go. I forced down some breakfast, Alex dropped of Jaxon at Shannon's house, we all piled into the car and went on our way.

In the zone, hah. 

By 8:30am I was all checked into the hospital and sitting in a bed in the labor and delivery suite. I was already dilated about 9 1/2 centimeters. I was surprised and happy to hear that bit of news...but also terrified because that meant I wasn't allowed to start pushing yet and with the intense pain I was in I wasn't sure I could last another minute. I kept waiting for someone to offer me an epidural, but they had all read my birth plan and knew I didn't want that. One of the nurses suggested I try sitting in the hot tub so I did. It was nice but I kept feeling the urge to push...and sometimes I couldn't even hold back and my body would start instinctively pushing. I got out and just tried to breathe through the contractions. Everyone was so encouraging and  supportive. The midwife and nurses kept telling me I was doing a great job. Alex was by my side the whole time telling me I could do it. My mom became the official photographer and I could see her pacing back and forth and praying on my behalf. I really didn't think I could make it, but all these people believed in me and it helped me a lot. By 9:30am I was fully dilated and ready to push. It was such a relief to finally be able to push. They set up a mirror in front of me so I could see the progress. When I first saw his head beginning to peep out I was so happy but I quickly became frustrated because his head would peek out and then go back in. I started praying that with each next contraction he would finally pop out. It took an hour of pushing and my handsome man was born at 10:33am. Alex and I were both sobbing. I couldn't believe it. All these months of anticipation and we finally had our son. They immediately placed him on my chest where we marveled at him. He was perfect. They let him stay on my chest for as long as I wanted which I was really appreciative of. The midwife delivered my placenta and stitched me up (yeah, ouch) and I barely noticed what was going on because I was just staring at my beautiful boy in my arms.

In love!

Everyone has commented how fast my labor was...and it was...but it's seriously the most intense pain I've ever felt...and it was worth it. I wouldn't say I'm ready to do it all over again. Give me a couple years to recuperate. But everything I've gone through these past ten months has been worth it to have my little man. He's pretty awesome.

Family Update

Just wanted to pop in and let you know how our little family is doing...

Baby: Liam spent his first night at home yesterday. He did great in his little bassinet. We are going to see the pediatrician today for his first check-up. So far he's a very healthy baby. He's taken to breastfeeding like a champ. He sleeps a lot. He's not too fussy yet. I really can't complain.

Mama: I'm pretty sore all over. I wasn't expecting to feel like this. My entire body is just sore or swollen or in some kind of pain. I'm also a little anemic because of the amount of blood loss I had so getting around is a challenge. I get tired easily. It's kind of a bummer because there's so much I want to do but I really need to take it easy for the next few weeks. Thankfully my mom is here and she's helped out so much. I can't imagine doing it without her.

Papa: Unfortunately, Alex has come down with a cold. Major bummer. He can't be as hands on as he would like because he's achey and tired and doesn't want to harm the baby. We'll see how it goes. Pray for quick healing. He's off from work for the next week so hopefully he can really recover and spend time with Liam.

Jaxon: What a great dog. He's been very obedient and patient. He met Liam yesterday, sniffed him a bit, and lost interest. Maybe when Liam is more mobile they can play together.

That's the update. Thank you to everyone for all the phone calls, text messages, blog comments, facebook comments, etc etc. We feel the love and support. Seriously, thank you!

Week 39

As I mentioned in my previous weekly post, we were running out of ideas for places to take pictures. So it's a good thing Liam made his appearance this week!

He was born on Friday, August 5th at 10:33am.
He weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces. 20 inches long.
He's perfect.

So without further ado, here's the Week 39 photo...the final photo in the Belly Series. I'll be back to write a proper birth story post. In the mean time, feel free to come visit us at Rose Medical Center to meet our little man. He'd love to say hey.

Seven Links Flashback

My friend, Michelle, tagged me to participate in Tripbase's 7 Links Blog Project. It sounded like fun so I agreed to participate. According to Tripbase the goal of this project is: To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.


Here are my 7 links:


Most Beautiful Post:
This is a tough one. What exactly makes a post beautiful??? If I had to choose I'd say this short post on when I visited my grandparents in Nicaragua a few years ago. This was the last time I saw my grandmother alive and I knew it would be. 


Most Popular Post:
Apparently the blog post with the most page views is this one about being accepted to Southeastern Seminary. Which I think is pretty funny...but the one with the most comments is this one where I asked for votes on whether Baby Ace would be a boy or girl.


Most Controversial Post:
I don't find my writing to be especially controversial...maybe once in a while I'll get a little riled up on a certain subject but I think for the most part this is a happy place. But this post I wrote back in 2007 about homemaking was probably my most controversial, if you could call it that. Funny enough, four years later, I'm a homemaker! God is funny...I still think the idea of earning a "homemaking degree" is ridiculous though. 


Most Helpful Post:
I try to be helpful in some of my posts, especially lately with being a first-time mom. I wrote this one on cloth diapering. And this one on "being ready" for a baby. I think this one on choosing a midwife is helpful. Or this one on developing a birth plan. A while ago I wrote about how you should always check your bank statements for errors, practical advice I say. But probably my most helpful post was this one about learning to trust God for who you are. I know it was personally extremely helpful and I've received a lot of feedback from friends that thanked me for writing this post as well. 


Post With Most Surprising Success:
This is another tough one. I'm honestly surprised when any of my posts are "successful," whatever that means. I guess this one on raising a man was pretty successful in that I received quite a few comments on it. I didn't know how this blog post would be received and I'm happy that everyone was so encouraging in their feedback. 


Post Without Attention It Deserved:
Probably this one on learning to trust God. Or this one on celebrating three years of marriage with Alex. These posts deserved more comment love. ;-) 


Post Most Proud Of:
There are so many posts I'm proud of. I don't want that to come out sounding snobby. I don't mean it that way. I just think that I've been blogging for a long time and I've come a long way with it (and have a ways to go). Choosing one post is difficult but as a proud mama-to-be I choose this one where we announced our pregnancy. Because I'm more proud of this little boy that hasn't even been born yet than anything else I've ever done in my life. 


My nominees to participate:
Our Little Urban Life
A Life Well Photographed
Becoming Vanderburg
Everything Crane
OhChanti

Week 38

It's August! That means it's Baby Month! Soon enough our precious baby will be here. I can't believe it's so close. Last night our dear friends, Andy and Angela, got married and I danced the night away. Was hoping to shake the baby out, but no such luck. [By the way, Alex was the wedding photographer and I assisted him...I can't wait to share the photos!]


At my week 38 midwife appointment I was told that Liam is verrry low. He's at +1 station, which explains all the lower back pain and pressure I've been feeling. I'm hoping that means he'll be here soon, but we'll see. He'll come when he's good and ready. My mom arrives into town on Wednesday. I can't wait for her to be here!

I'm not gonna lie, it's getting tougher and tougher to do these weekly photos...so it's a good thing we are nearing the end. We had grand plans of visiting a yummy Thai restaurant on 38th on the west side of town but we ran out of time this weekend so we just quickly went over to some abandoned warehouses right near our house on 38th ave. I have big dreams for these warehouses. I would love to see them developed into a nice business complex filled with coffee shops, small design firms, and boutiques. Eh, we'll see. For now it just serves as the back drop to my 38th week photo.