Enter the Giraffe

So our little guy is growing....and growing fast, so we needed a way to "document it" (as my tech-y husband would say...) But as with anything, I couldn't just make a chart, or start measuring Eliel against the wall or write it in a journal, I had to CREATE something and it had to be out of the ordinary.....

Enter the giraffe.

We found a random long piece of wood sitting in the basement, free-handed a giraffe and my husband did the dirty work of cutting the wood.

Didn't he do an amazing job, especially around the ears and face part? That takes precision.

So we painted and thumb-printed the dots. Added the ruler marker lines and there we go!

THAT was the easy part. Actually measuring Eliel was the hardest part. Why?
Not because of his crazy hair or actually penning on painted wood or that I still haven't got the hang of the Iphone "picture taking delay"....
It was because he wanted to watch VeggieTales and wouldn't really stay still and cooperate...Seriously, the conversation went like this. For about 15 mins.

Me: Eliel, stand near Mr. Giraffe. I want to measure you.
Eliel: watch Pickle (Dave and the Giant Pickle)
Me: Yes, honey, let's just take the picture.
Eliel: (in whiny voice) Pickle
Me: K, stand near the giraffe.

Eliel: (in response to me getting on the floor...) Eliel sit. Sit on couch.
Me: No, you gotta stand up. (He proceeds to stand up, but about a foot away)
Me: K, now near the giraffe.
Eliel: Look Cha-cha (pointing to his stuffed frog still on floor).
Me: Yes, Cha-cha. But look up Eliel. No, not that high. Look at mommy.
Eliel: (he throws himself on the floor) With Cha-Cha.
ME: no Eliel Stand up. K, grab Cha-Cha. (he crosses the room to get Cha-Cha). K, in front of the giraffe. (Eliel comes back in front of the giraffe, but has a game starting to formulate in his head...)
Me: No, don't throw Cha-Cha.
Eliel: Watch Pickle (again, in whining voice)

Me: Yes, let's do this picture first and then we can watch Veggietales.
Eliel: No, pickle. PICKLE.
Me: Yes, honey, pickle is a VeggieTales DVD. We will watch Pickle. But let's take this picture first.

Me: Show mommy happy face. (Eliel pouts and rolls his eyes). No, not angry face. Happy Face. No, stay. Here, show mommy Cha Cha. Say cheese. No stand up. Eliel, can you stop moving? Just look at mommy for a second.

I will stop there...conversation of this caliber continued for the next 10mins. I was losing circulation in my left leg, I think I was pancaking the baby in my stomach and the cramps in my right leg started again.

Mind you, the whole time, I'm squatting, technically balancing on my toes, trying to hold my Iphone in one hand and keep Eliel at bay with the other and I have about a 20lb weight of a belly as an anchor.

All THAT for this one good picture....

Anyhow....the result is that our almost 27 month old is 36 inches tall. He's grown about 15inches in almost 2.5 years! Wow.

Maybe for the next picture, I will rip that giraffe off the wall and place it beside Eliel when he is sleeping! :)

btw, I collected the random pieces of paper from the doctor's office during his immunizations and entered that info on the giraffe as a keepsake...

Linked up to: Finding Fabulous, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Kojo Designs and Tatertots & Jello