Visible progress

We're at a great stage in homebuilding: visible progress. That electrical, plumbing, mechanical, insulation stuff was tough. Lots happening internally, but all invisible (mostly). This stuff? Very aesthetic. It's happening. We keep pushing the move-in date back so we don't get hopes up only to be disappointed. BUT how can you not get excited with all this happening daily??
As of Sunday, we have:

(nearly) completed wall tile in Main Bath

tile going up in the Master Bath (yes, it was worth seeking out all those clearance holdouts at Lowe's across MI and PA. I really love the tile)

Many doors installed, including our closet doors

Kitchen cabinets in, appliances delivered

Scullery cabinets started, appliances delivered

Dining room hutch begun

Cupola floor in (waiting for refinishing)

Basement insulation (ohh so shiny. our plans for wood walls didn't meet code apparently, so this will be finished down the road. WAY down the road)

Entryway done (DONE! well, except for the minutest detail of a doorknob not yet installed)

Up this week: Cupola floor finished, tile floors in bathrooms finished, WC fixtures installed (this means running water and an indoor toilet, although Oliver still prefers the Euphemism), more lights and electrical, water inspection, trim finished, and perhaps countertops installed.

Still at it

Flooring and painting and siding and trimming. Actually, siding is done now. Progress on other arenas:

 Master Bedroom "silvermist"

 Shoe cabinet

 Main bath vanity

 Main bath tile

 Trim and doors and hardware

 Mudroom boot shower (it grew up to be full size)

 Auntie Karleen (and Etta) & "cupola yellow"

 Our vanity Master bed/bath

 Cabinets arrived! Cupola and living room painted

Wood boiler in the fire room, breezeway sided

Power's on and we may have a toilet soon...

A Story

One Spawntime, there was Mama and Papa and Baby Etta and Oliver and Cricket and Veda and the big puma came and blew down their house! So then Mr. Daryl built them a nother house at Green Garden. Then the big puma came and knocked down their nother house! And they found another housein the woods. Then the good puma came. The End.
-Oliver Dec 2010

Here's to stories and good pumas and good ole Mr. Daryl.

Spending time

From Safe Baby Pregnancy Tips - a hilarious book my friend Emily gave me.

Don't know about the legality of putting a page on the blog, but it applies here.

I had big ideas for this maternity leave. Which was silly really, considering how the last one went. Visions of reading, knitting, sipping tea by the woodstove or up in the cupola... it was completely unrealistic, and yet...

Well, there is still no woodstove (but check back next week) and the unpainted cupola with no floor and plastic over the windows is most uninviting. But, somehow, this time, I'm able to sit around a bit and relax and, why yes, even read and knit (and paint and run out to the house but that's not relaxing and I generally get scolded for it).

I was slow to come to the reading-while-nursing idea, but my friend Becky suggested it while I was pumping at work 2 years ago and WOW it transformed the whole pumping experience. Previously, I had no time for pleasure reading (such an indulgence of time!) and now I was tearing through books. So this time, I was prepared. Etta and I have read:

• Listening for the Crack of Dawn - (thanks Jules!) I laughed, I cried
• Antelope Wife
• Bonfire of the Vanities (actually, I put it down. Couldn't get into it.)
• Edie (still working on this one)
• The Lost Symbol (in progress)
• A Homemade Life - I really enjoyed this one. It's a cookbook. But more! I thoroughly enjoy Molly's column in Bon Appetit as well as her blog, Orangette. This book is a nice combo of the two. Great, accessible writing. With recipes.

Not too shabby for 3 1/2 weeks I think. But you can do quite a bit of reading in 15 - 20 minute increments... several times a night...

And the knitting, well, that's pretty relaxing too. There were some holiday gifts to finish, and this cashmere kick I've been on, and oh, the joy of a knit hat (so fast when the drudgery of sweaters gets you down). The big reveal, of course, had to wait until after said gifts were gifted. And now:

Ben's Holiday Hat - I knit this in Plymouth Royal Cashmere that I fell in love with after knitting Darling's 2010 winter hat.

Thus beginning the cashmere kick.

So then I had to knit Karleen's Button Hat. It's a merino cashmere blend. To continue this cashmere excitement, I've got 2 more hats and possibly some mittens in store. But details on those will have to wait.

I bought some sister-approved yarn (Vemont O-Wool, an organic cotton and wool blend) in Kill Devil Hills this summer. It was supposed to be destined for a nice fall rollneck pullover for my soon-to-be niece. But I fell in love with another pattern and started the Gift Wrap Romper. Even though that was in the works, I wanted to make her a coming-home-from-the-hospital cap, thus the Zitron Cap (using some great Zitron wool sock yarn), which ended up being more like 3 months size I think.

Notes for all of these are on Ravelry. So that's the big reveal! Big ideas for maternity leave, but some of which actually came to fruition. Now back to that major remodel project or the baby clothing company...