100% Weaned

The day has finally come, Acalias has finally accepted whole milk. Grandma Nativa knew before arriving to West Virginia that she was expected to help me wean Acalias. She is a decisive 80-year-old woman and she took the assignment seriously, every time I wanted to give in she reminded me of her responsibility to help. I can't decide which was more difficult, the beginning or end of breast feeding. Both were very painful, physically speaking, but I'm proud that I didn't give in and give up. I have high expectations that my child's health will live up to all the statistics of  a breastfed child:)

So long to the crying child pulling my shirt off in public...hello to the tantrum and biting phase. Acalias is bouncing off the walls with energy, he's into everything. Although, I feel so depleted of energy by the end of the day, I'm really enjoying this age. He's trying to communicate with words more, I love walking in on him talking to Skofeild. He mimics our voice intonations to a T. I'll have to catch him yapping away on the phone with the camcorder, he paces around just like his dad.

We've been enjoying Grandma Nativa's company. She thinks everything Acalias does is so adorable, he couldn't possibly do anything wrong in her eyes.  Derek and I have been going on dates every weekend, we haven't really been out alone and it's so nice to go out alone. We miss him when were out, but it's nice to have grandma as our live-in nanny for several more weeks.

I've been trying to learn all of Grandma's rice variations and sell the recipie to the highest bidder in my family:)

 Acalias refueses to eat anything else!

Derek is completing his fourth rotation this week and will be starting Surgery rotation. He's been practicing his suturing, he's heard horror stories of how students get yelled at all day in the surgery rotation. He's doing well, he is impressive in his ability to recall information he's learned years ago. I know that he will become an amazing doctor, Acalias and I are so proud of him.

This week I'm tapering down my miles, I will be running my last official long-run race of the year. It's a half-marathon (13.1 Miles) Trail race at the New River Gorge. I don't know what to expect so my goal is to run it under my last race The Cinderella 1/2 Marathon Trail Run in California, at least under 3:00 hours. I've made a few running friends that I met from the local library Mother Goose Time . I'm currently deciding on which marathon to run (I'm considering this one, this one or this one. I hope to run 2 marathons next year with a hand full of 1/2 marathons and participate in my first triathlon in June (I need to learn how to swim first). I will run the Boston Marathon one day so I need to step it up and improve my race times. I'm currently running 9-9:30 min/mile, which is 6-7mph this winter I will train at 8:30-8:50 min/mile on the treadmill, I need to be at a 7 min/mile to run the Boston.

Here are few pictures from the last few races I ran, the Labor Day 5k Fun run (23:00-placed 1st in age/female category).

Valley Falls 10 Miler, it was a beautiful run but unfortunately I had to tap out. I started the race 20 minutes late (due to our dysfunctional GPS)and once they began removing the flags from the trail I was paranoid of getting lost forever in the woods. I sulked all day but I will redeem my self this Saturday:)

The falls. A perfect place for a family portrait.

It's a beautiful park, It was really cold and dreary that day.

We're excited to discover more of our new area.