The Lieslands

Andrew and I finally got out for some real sledding fun this past weekend. We went to the park where we had our wedding reception and found some medium-sized hills. He was a little too scared to go down by himself, so I had to go down with him. This was fine with me since I loved sled-riding. After going down the hill a few times we went for a nice winter hike. It was pretty fun because whenever he was tired he could just ride in the sled and I would pull him. His favorite parts of the hike were walking on the frozen creek and eating some snow. The hike brought back some great memories of sled-riding in the woods behind my parents.

. . . well, sort of. I got to leave work early today. I left around two and got home around three. I did fair better than my sister, Holly, who left work at 2:30 and when I spoke with her at six she was still not home and traffic was not moving.

The kids are in bed, the snow has stopped, and I got most of the concrete cleaned off outside. We all got to spend some good quality time together today, playing, reading, relaxing, and topping the day off by making some cookies.

Now, for a couple hours of relaxing. . .

• I put some new pics up.
• We got the birth tub, and we have all the supplies. All we need now is a baby.
• I have a new cubicle at work.

Ever wonder what I am reading while you are reading our blog? Check out the newly added section to the right to see what blogs/websites I check frequently. I actually use a feed-reader (reader.google.com) which checks all these sights for me and let’s me know if they have added anything to their blog. I highly recommend it. Let the websites come to you!

Last night was our first attempt to get Andrew and Mari to share a bed. In the past they have always been at opposite sides of our bed. They stayed together until 2am last night, when I had to bring Mari up into our bed. By that time, they had switched positions and Mari was in Andrew’s bed. No one was injured, which made me happy.

I put the new element in the hot water heater, only to find out that it still wasn’t working. I did some research and figured out that it was working, I just didn’t know. Electric water heaters have two elements, but only one of them is on at a time. Who knew? Anyways, it turned out to be a very easy fix.

Andrew slept in a diaper last night and it was nice going to bed knowing that he wasn’t going to pee on me. Instead, he woke us up at 3am because he needed to pee. This was a good thing. He won’t tell us during the day when he needs to pee, so I figure any type of telling is good at this point. I took him downstairs and he peed. I thought it was time to go back to bed, but I was mistaken. He was not excited to have to lie down on the couch to get his diaper and PJ’s back on, and there was some crying. This gave his cough some ammunition. So much in fact, that he had some mini-vomiting. Nothing major, but we ended up being awake for about an hour and a half. Mari slept through the whole ordeal, which was nice.

Hopefully tonight will be much more relaxing than last night.

I am trying to fix our water heater. Tonight I am going to put in a new element.

We have also been sleeping hot water lately, as Andrew’s bladder has suddenly stopped working. I think that the use of straws has caused an increase in liquid consumption, which no one was quite ready for.

I put up some new pics in the 2006 photo section. I also added a 2007 photo section, since it is now 2007.

We are all tired. I think that this last month of Susan’s pregnancy is going to be a challenge for all of us, but I think that in the end we will all come out stronger. The dynamic will change when #3 comes, and I think right now everything is up in the air for a reason.

We made some cool pre/postnatal purchases in preparation for #3. We bought a Prenatal Cradle, a Bella Band, and a Moby Wrap. It is always fun to get some new gear. In college we used to make fun of our friend Jeff because it seemed like he was always buying a new coat. I feel like we are always getting some new type of baby moving device, whether it be a wrap, sling, carrier, or stroller.

Our birth kit, which contains all of the sterile/medical type things that we will need for our homebirth came yesterday. It was interesting to see what was in there, though it is not quite as interesting as the list of things that we need to purchase.

That’s all for now.

Last night we returned to Cincinnati after spending a week in Des Moines. We headed out there the day after Christmas.

Dec 26 – Drive all Day
Dec 27 – Flat tire, play with the kids all day while we get it fixed
Dec 28 – Hang out
Dec 29 – Finally get out of the house
Dec 30 – Liess Family Christmas
Dec 31 – Party late into the night (just kidding)
Jan 01 – Hang out
Jan 02 – Head Home

That is a brief run-down of how things went. It was a fun trip. Susan got to see some of her friends. Andrew and Mari got to play with their cousins. I got to watch some football with Gary and Nate. There was even a little snow while we were there.

Now that we are back, it is time to do some work on the house. We are going to be painting the old toy/computer room and making it into a bedroom. We also brought back a new dresser from Susan’s parents’ house. The dresser is not really new, but it is new to us. It could use a good paint job, but I think that it will sufficiently hold #3’s clothes.

I think that’s all for now.

For child #3, we are planning a home birth. It is something that we have been interested in for a while and we are ready to give it a go. Our first two births didn’t go as expected, so hopefully this one will work out as planned. We have about 6 weeks to go now until the due date, so we have some serious prep work to do. Aside from getting things in order with our midwife, Tracey, we also have a serious list of supplies to start acquiring:

• 1 gallon jug of distilled water
• 4-6 mm. plastic sheeting at least 12″X12″ Check Paint section in Wal Mart or Meijers
• At least 4 dark colored plastic garbage bags
• One set of old or used bed sheets
• 6 bath towels
• 4 washcloths
• 6 receiving blankets
• 1 small and 1 large plastic mixing bowl (these MUST be plastic because it needs to float)
• Plastic Rubbermaid type short stool, Needs to be waterproof
• Working flashlight and extra batteries
• Extra toilet paper, at least two 6 roll packs
• One citrus and one non-citrus juice
• Bag of ice
• Protein that you like that is easy to fix to eat during labor
• Gown or clothes after birth if necessary
• 1 pairs socks or booties, 1 onesie, 1 sleeper for baby
• 4 diapers
• Large cookie sheet
• Silver duct tape
• Brand new 25′ hose for filling bathtub (White drinking hose or RV hose that can usually be found at Home Depot or Meijer)
• New long handled fish net (can be purchased at pet store)
• Container of Sea Salt, any grocery store
• Man’s white tube sock
• Two bulbs of fresh garlic
• Ground coffee
• Bottle liquid Calcium/Magnesium

I am not sure what all or these supplies are to be used for, but it sure looks like fun, huh? I feel like I am about to embark on some strange adventure.

Susan and the kids are out enjoying warm weather even as I type. Yesterday upon arriving home they were playing out in the back yard. I got to play a little “soccer” with Andrew. Mari sat in the swing, just as Andrew used to do. When Andrew was Mari’s age we used to spend countless minutes in the backyard swinging. I don’t get that opportunity with Mari, partially because there are two kids now, partially because it is almost Winter.

Barbecue chicken pizza for dinner tonight. Andrew suggested we make it because Susan asked about it a week ago and he has been asking for it ever since. It is interesting to see his concept of time develop as his memory does. Last night we were trying to explain the meaning of “Happy New Year” to him, which was complicated by the fact that he did not know what a year was. I think he can understand a day, because of the sun. A year is harder.

Last night was Andrew’s first night without his night-time diaper. Since he has been potty trained he has barely ever gone in the night. We have been lucky up to this point, but I know we will have to deal with some waterbeds.

Mari has started a new game: filling her pajamas with blocks. Andrew likes to get in on the fun as well. It is pretty funny to see their legs appear swollen, saggy, and with sharp corners. They keep the blocks in until they start to hurt too much, which takes longer than one would think.

Andrew likes to sing Jingle Bells. So does Mari.

I like to sing “Christmas in Hollis.”

I don’t know what Susan likes to sing. I bet she would do a good Silent Night.

I can’t believe it has been so long. Blogging is a funny thing. Sometimes I want everything to be out there, sometimes I don’t want to put anything. I think that when things get crazy I just need some time to process.

That being said, things have not been so crazy lately. A little crazy, yes, but not too crazy.

I made a list of things I think I need to write about, so I will go in that order.

We had a great Thanksgiving. We headed to Des Moines the Sunday before and made it back the Sunday after. It was our first trip in our minivan and things went pretty well. The biggest difference in taking the minivan instead of our car (other than the gas mileage) is that in our minivan there is no third seat in the middle row, so we can’t sit with the kids. Normally one of us is sitting in the back seat the whole time.

We had a great time in Des Moines. Before we left our friends Sarah, Kevin & Samuel stayed with us for a few days. Aside from leaving our house cleaner than we usually leave it, they also prepared some great meals for us before they left, which was definitely a great surprise to come home to. Coming back from Des Moines is always a little challenging for the kids and it was nice to be able to devote a little more time to them to help them settle back into the daily routine.

For Christmas we are making the kids a set of playstands. It is going OK so far and tonight we are going to put the first one together. I am a little nervous because I know that things will not be perfectly flush and level, but I am excited to have a finished product.

There was some good commentary on NPR about James Kim. Since becoming a parent touching stories like this get to me a lot more than they used to. I heard this Saturday morning on the way to get an oil change and I almost started to cry. I think that having a wife and kids of my own has allowed me to love and connect like never before.

Speaking of my wife and kids:

Mari is doing well. She still likes: getting up early, shoes, taking things in and out of bags. She is liking more and more: playing with Andrew, reading books, talking, running. She is definitely fun to have around. I usually get a good hour with her in the morning before Andrew wakes up, which I really enjoy.

Andrew is still Andrew. His enthusiasm for things appears to be growing. He understands more about the world than ever before, which makes him want things differently than before. He likes to eat out, to go out alone with people other than his parents (which he does not do very often), and to do things. His excitement with these things has seemed a little different lately than it used to be.

Susan is about thirty-one weeks pregnant now and things continue to progress well. She has had to watch her carbs lately, which is a challenge. Now that we are in the third trimester, protein is all the rage. Objectively, I would say that she is understandably tired. I think I would be two if I had to stay home with two kids all day, nurse, and be pregnant.

I am doing fine. I am really excited for the coming year, as I think that 2007 will be a great time with a lot of challenging growth. It can be a little stressful, but there will be some fun changes.

Our house is still for sale. We haven’t had a showing since before Thanksgiving, and I think that we may as well settle into Cincinnati for the winter and hope to see an increase in the Spring. The good thing is that we are really in no hurry to move. There is no reason why we need to move anytime soon.

I think that’s it. If you made it this far, you have a better attention span than I do. I will try to write more often.