Picture update

Snow-cones at summer camp

Jacob and Tweedle

First day of school

At the Laser Show with G-Daddy

Yummy peas!

Falling down on the job

It has been way too long since I have updated the blog! So much has happened since mid July, so let me try to catch everyone up.

Jacob is sitting up on his own, crawling up a storm, and even pulling himself to standing. He has tried to take a few steps while holding on to the couch, but can't quite figure it out. I think we are going to have a super early walked though! I am not ready for my baby to grow up so fast though. Jacob has also started on solids since turning 6 months. He has tried avocado, oatmeal, peas, bananas, sweet potatoes, applesauce, and prunes. Prunes and oatmeal seem to be his favorites so far. At school he is also trying to steal cookies from the older kids, but can't figure out how to chew them!

Speaking of school, this is the beginning of our third week of school. Jacob is in the Parent's Morning Out A class and Myers is in Parent's Morning Out B class. Myers is learning so much in his class. He has been singing all kinds of new songs like "Humpty Dumpty," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and "Zip a Dee Doo Da." In our Bible curriculum, we are learning about how God made everything, and Myers has informed me that God made the sun-shiny day, water, milk, and all the animals. Jacob is having fun playing with all the other kids and the musical toys in his classroom. He also did is first art project (finger painting with baby food with food coloring in it)!

Myers is potty training and doing pretty well. Of course he has accidents here and there, but he is making it to the bathroom more often than not. He has a rewards chart that we put a sticker on every time he goes to the potty and he is getting to pick out a hot wheel tonight. He also gets 3 M&M's every time he goes to the potty. This is also helping him learn his colors because he has to tell me the color of the M&M's before he gets them!

Our garden has been quite productive lately. We have lots of cherry tomatoes and we have been able to eat home grown okra and green beans several different times. The sweet corn harvest was delicious as well.

Playing in the sawdust

Myers and Jacob in the sawdust at the Tabernacle

Myers playing in the spring

Getting ready for Big Sunday

Last week we got back from Salem Campmeeting 2011. This is a very important annual tradition for us. It is a time of spiritual renewal for me each year. There are always great preachers, great hymns to be sung, and time to spend with good friends and family on the porches.

Myers really enjoyed his week and can't wait to go back next year. Almost everyday this week he has asked if we can go "to the tent" or if we can "do that at campmeeting."

For my friends who don't know much about campmeeting, visit the website www.salemcampmeeting.org.

Picture update

Jacob and me at the Marietta Square

Myers on the Train Slide at the Marietta Square

Driving on the screened porch

Honey and Myers looking at the giraffes at Zoo Atlanta

Jacob vhilling in the stroller at the zoo

Myers helped George water the garden and watered himself in the process!

Jacob hanging out on the porch

Myers and his bubble machine

At Aunt Cindy and Uncle David's pool

Jacob's first time in the pool

Starlight 6 Drive-In Theatre

In the Atlanta area, we are lucky enough to still have a drive-in theater. It is off Moreland Avenue and has been there since 1949. It is quite a steal at only $7 a person for two movies! Last night we went to see Rio and Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides. We brought blankets and pillows to put in the back of the hatchback. Myers was able to talk and play in the car without bothering anyone else, and George and I were able to watch a movie without having to get a babysitter. The concession stand even had King of Pops popsicles for sale. We tired the Arnold Palmer popsicle, and it was pretty good.

On a roll...

First, I am really on a roll with blog updates. Six in one month? That may be a record, or at least a tie.

Second, Jacob is on a roll. He is rolling all over the place these days. If you put him down on his back, he immediately rolls to his tummy. If you put him on his tummy, he is all of the sudden on his back. He will go from one side of the rug in the living room to the other pretty quickly, so I have to watch him like a hawk! Before I know it, he is going to be crawling and then walking. Soon my little baby won't be a baby anymore.

Extended Rear Facing

A lot of people have asked me, "Can't you turn Myers' car seat forward facing yet?" According to the laws of Georgia, we absolutely could. In fact, we could have turned him forward facing on his first birthday since he was over 20lbs. We have chosen not to though, and I thought I should explain why.

When Myers was born, George and I had never heard of extended rear facing. We assumed that we would buy a forward facing seat for him when he turned one and that was it. Then I read a magazine article in Parents magazine. It shared that rear facing is 5 times safer for children under two, and that in countries like Sweden, they routinely rear face their kids until 4 or 5 years old. This got us thinking, and so we started to do our own research. We read articles about the benefits of extended rear facing. We watched crash tests on youtube (some of which are chilling). We decided that we would rear face our kids as long as possible.

These are some facts about extended rear facing from Car-safety.org:

- Rear-facing is safest for both adults and children, but especially for babies, who would face a greater risk of spinal cord injury in a front-facing car seat during a frontal crash.
- Rear-facing car seats spread frontal crash forces over the whole area of a child's back, head and neck; they also prevent the head from snapping relative to the body in a frontal crash.
- Rear-facing car seats may not be quite as effective in a rear end crash, but severe frontal and frontal offset crashes are far more frequent and far more severe than severe rear end crashes.
- Rear-facing car seats are NOT a safety risk just because a child's legs are bent at the knees or because they can touch/kick the vehicle seat. (Myers often crosses his legs or props them up on the back of the seat)
- Rear-facing as long as possible is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatricians, and can reduce injuries and deaths. Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 overall cause of death for children 14 and under.

Another question I have been asked is, "Doesn't Myers complain?" He has never been in a forward facing car seat, so he doesn't know the difference. Also, a rear facing car seat is slightly more reclined which makes long car trips and napping in the car more comfortable.

The fact is, riding in a car is by far the most dangerous part of our day to day lives. George and I have found a way to keep our kids a little bit safer for a little bit longer. Extended rear facing may not be the norm for most people, but George and I have never been the type of people to follow the crowd.

Here is a video on youtube about the importance of rear facing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8

P.S. We also plan to keep our boys harnessed for longer than average, so expect a blog on that one at some point in the future!

And so it begins...

Myers is helping his little brother develop a healthy love of all things Disney. Yesterday morning, I laid Jacob on the floor in the living room to play. Myers laid his monorail next to Jacob and turned it on. "Please stay clear of the doors. On behalf of the cast of the Walt Disney World Resort, welcome to the Magic Kingdom. No smoking please. Please hold on to the handrails." To bad it doesn't also say "Por favor, mantenganse alejado des las puertas."

Jacob's Baptism

Jacob and Dr. Joe Peabody

Our little family

Jacob was baptized yesterday at Mt. Zion UMC. He wore the McCown family baptismal gown that was made in 1904. After the baptism, we had the family over for a fried chicken lunch.
Jacob did great during the baptism. He was very alert and aware during and no crying from him! Myers was quite verbal during the baptism and told everyone in the church that he wanted to go back to the nursery!

Brothers

These two brothers love each other! Jacob laughs at everything Myers does and loves to watch him play. Myers loves to help Jacob and will entertain him while I am making dinner or folding laundry. In this picture, Myers is "helping" Jacob do tummy time!

Easter

It has only taken me several weeks to get around to this post, but we had a wonderful Easter. On Friday night, Myers and I dyed Easter Eggs. Some of them came out funky colors because Myers wanted to dip them in every color dye! The boys got an Easter wheelbarrow filled with goodies instead of Easter baskets. Now the boys have a wheelbarrow just like Daddy's to use in the garden!

After church on Sunday, we went to Jackie's house for Easter lunch. We had some delicious food and spent time in Jackie's gorgeous backyard. All the flowers were blooming and the foliage was so green. Unfortunately, I never did get a picture of the boys together or the 4 of us together, so you will have to just enjoy pictures of the boys by themselves.

Training for a 5k

I started Weight Watchers Online for Nursing Moms about 6 weeks ago. I have been walking with the boys a few times a week, but no serious exercising. Yesterday, I started training for a 5k (3.1 miles). The program I am doing is a 6 week program of run/walk cycles that gradually go from mostly walking to mostly running. By the end of the 6 weeks, I should be able to run a 5k without any walking. The program has me running Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I am also trying to do so arm and ab work on Tuesday and Thursday. Sunday will be my day off. I am hoping that by toning up my arms and legs and strengthening my core, the weight will start to come off more easily.

Apple Thingies

I'm not sure what to call what Myers and I made today, so I named them "Apple Thingies" which Myers thought was funny. We took refridgerated biscuits and flattened them out. Myers had fun banging on them to flatten them! Then we spooned some apple pie filling into the center and topped it with another flattened biscuit. They were pretty tasty!

Cinnamon Sugar Rolls

Early this week, Myers and I made Cinnamon Sugar Rolls together. They were easy and fun to make and delicious to eat!

First, we took refrigerated crescent rolls and brushed them with melted butter using a basting brush. He loved "painting" the rolls! Then we dusted them with Cinnamon Sugar.

When we were baking them in the toaster oven, Myers kept saying, "I wanna eat the rolls." He is not very patient when it comes to waiting for food to cook!

Oh, and I had to add a sweet picture I took of Jacob sleeping this morning!

I made that!

Myers loves to say, "I made that!" He may be pointing out a piece of artwork on the fridge or a mess in the living room, but he is always proud of his accomplishments. Well, I was looking at my two sweet boys the other day and caught myself thinking, "I made that!" Okay, so maybe George helped a little bit, but I grew these sweet little babies inside of me for 9 months and then I nourished them with milk from my own body. Seriously, what a miracle! Just like Myers, I am very proud of my accomplishment!

Cooking with Myers

I hope to make this a regular segment of my blog. For what it's worth, I hope to make my posts to the blog more regular as well!

Today, Myers and I made homemade pizzas. We used Arnold's Sandwich Thins for the crusts, spaghetti sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Spreading the sauce

Enjoying the final product

Baby Jacob's Arrival

Big brother holding little brother



Just home from the hospital

It has only taken me three weeks to get around to this, but Jacob Steven has arrived. He was born at 10:36pm on January 27, 2011. Jacob is such a sweet, good natured baby so far. The first week or so was really tough, but we are starting to get into a routine and things are going much smoother at the McCown house. Jacob is already sleeping some longer stretches and letting me get a little sleep at night! Myers is being a good big brother and is helping me quite a bit. He loves giving Jacob kisses and I think he really likes his little brother (for the most part)! The first week or so that we were home were pretty rough, but things are going much more smoothly now that we are getting in a bit of a routine.

Waiting for baby Jacob

We are trying to wait patiently for baby Jacob's arrival, but I am starting to get antsy. I want to meet him so badly! My due date was last Thursday and he has still not decided to grace us with his presence yet! The good news is that I was 3-4 cm dilated and 70-80% effaced as of Friday. I go back to the doctor tomorrow to see if I have made any more progress. I am crossing my fingers that something will happen tonight and I won't be able to make it to my appointment tomorrow!
Here's hoping that an announcement of our little guy's arrival will be coming soon!