I've decided to close up shop on the blog so this will be my last post. It comes with mixed emotion because I've loved blogging for the last 3 years. It's been such a great outlet for me to jot my thoughts, document all-things Eloise and rant here or there.
But in order to really keep up a good blog, it requires more time than I can dedicate right now. Add in my love/hate relationship with my semi-broken camera, and let's face it, I'm just not really that good at blogging anymore. And honestly, it bums me out. This was my outlet for so long to talk about Eloise's antics, about the house building process, about working part time, about getting a full-time job, about the baby whisperer, about our debut with baby jogger running and racing, and honestly, every single moment in between. We've laughed. We've cried. We've seen hilarious pics and of course, some scary ones.
So with that said, all good things must come to an end and so today is my last post on The Vails Blog. I've researched turning this blog into a book so that Eloise and I may cherish it forever. I'll get to that eventually because, yes, those services do exist. And so the meantime, I'll leave you with a standard post that includes stats about Eloise, and of course, another race report.
Eloise's 2 year Dr. appt was Friday and so let's share some stats...
Weight: 29lbs 9oz - 75-90 percentile
Height: 35 inches - 75-90 percentile
Head: 47 1/2 cm - 50-75 percentile
My grandma Ellie, who shared with my mother, once said that in order to know what height your baby will be when he or she grows up, you double their height at 2 years. I've mentioned this before. Well, here we are and I have to say, I'm a little shocked at what height it is now expected of Eloise......5'10"!! Are you kidding??
Now let me fully disclose exactly how this height measurement was taken and the real experience of what it's like taking a 2 year old to the Drs. office. Phew. We get there 15 minutes early, per the automated voicemail instructions. And 4 seconds after arrival and after they give me a stack of paper work to fill out, there is a nurse waiting to take us back. In the mean time, Eloise is scaling a chair that she has dangerously placed in front of a giant fish tank so that she could get a bird's eye view. Well, no one wants to be called back too early especially when they have pages of paperwork in front of them and when Eloise just got her chair in the perfect position to see Nemo. Alas, we both followed instructions and scurry behind the nurse. Or rather, I followed the nurse and Eloise ran around like a maniac from the "healthy" waiting room over to the "sick" waiting room and back again screaming "fish, fish, fish" between them both and not listening to me for even one second.
Clip board in hand, purse on my shoulder, I scoop up a screaming child and drag her back to the room. Just prior to entering, the nurse says, "now that you are a big girl, Eloise, you can get up on the scale so we can get your weight and height?" Huh. I'm thinking to myself, let's see how this goes. So of course, it doesn't fly. Eloise wants to see the fish, is pissed that I've just torn her away from the coveted tank, and is not getting anywhere near that giant silver and white monstrosity. Not a chance. I pick her up, knees buckle. I pick her up again and she straight boards it to the point where all I can do is lay her flat out on the ground.
Ahhhh.....yeah. "Um, she's not really going to go for that scale so can we just go into the room and do this the "baby way?"" I get a look from the nurse and we carry on. I strip her down to just her diaper and sit her on the "baby scale" so I'm pretty confident the weight is accurate as she had to sit still long enough for the numbers to stop blinking. Then the nurse says, "ok, lay her own on the table and I'll measure her", which I've always been skeptical of from appointment one. Anyway, she's busts out the yard stick, puts Eloise's squirming, screaming head up against the wall and measures. Therefore, I think 35 inches is a bit long. So you heard it hear first, my daughter is not going to be 5'10" when she gets older. There is just no way.
The rest of the appointment proceeded as painful as you can possibly imagine. She screamed all the way through the nurse, then all the way through the Dr. What did she want the entire time?? "Mommy, fish, fish, fish." "Mommy, pee pee pants. Change my diaper. Change my diaper. Mommy, pee pee pants. Fish, Fish." Phew. The irony? She gets a shot at the end of the appointment and so of course, when we leave she has ZERO interest in the fish. Lord.
Anyway, there are the stats and the Dr left me with the message that, "screaming 2 year olds are a hazzard of the business." Great. Thanks.
In regards to running races...I went sans baby jogger this weekend and ran in a pretty cool race on Friday night. It was the China Gove 5k and started at 9pm. I've heard of "twilight" runs but have never done one and so it was definitely a bit of an experiment for me. I didn't know when to eat, when to warm up, what to think of a pitch black race with 600 others. All in all, a very interesting event.
We started right on Main Street in downtown China Grove (picture a very small NC town) and we ran straight out to the country, went around a barrel (I kid you not) and then ran all the way back. If we had any light at all, it was only in the "downtown" part where there were a few street lights. Otherwise, all you saw were the few runners right in your path. So the chance of looking at your watch and seeing what kind of pace you were running was out. You just ran it, which in hindsight is good for all of us. Enough with being strapped to the ticking numbers on a watch all the time.
Anyway, not looking at my watch and just going on gut proved to be a good thing for me as I ran a 19:29 (6:16/mile pace), which was my fastest 5k since I started back at this racing thing a few years ago. I was pretty psyched with my time. Also, I was the 5th overall female. Despite being a country race, there were some really fast chicas that showed up from CLT so 5th was the best I could do. Believe me, I'm completely fine with that, and totally stocked with my time.
And so with all of that, I must bid you adieu and say sayonara. Together, we've had a really good run with this blog. We've grown both physically and emotionally. We've had good times and trying ones. What 2 years has brought to our lives is truly amazing. And thankfully because of this blog, we've all had a first had look at how much craziness and joy one little baby can bring to your life. It's truly amazing to me that 2 years ago today Eloise was in my arms for the very first time. It was today that I looked into her eyes and said, "I love you more than life itself, Eloise Claire. I promise to love you more today than I did the day before."
It was today, 2 years ago, that I had no idea how I was going to do it but I knew I was going to be the very best mom there was. I was going to do whatever it took to ensure that you, Miss Eloise, were always given the opportunity to enjoy the best in life. The day you entered my life the light in my heart has never waned. Miss Eloise, I thank you for all you've taught me. Because of you, I'm more patient, more kind, more real, and much more appreciative. I never take one second for granted because each moment I have with you is better than the one before. As I said, and I'll say 1 million times more, I love you more than life itself, Miss Eloise Claire Vail. Now and always.
Love,
Mommy
