Counting Down

I will be 39 weeks this Friday! We've been so busy finishing up countless tasks on the to-do list to get ready for the baby, but now it's time to begin to wind down and rest. The baby's sleeping and changing areas are all set up, and I feel like we've done everything we can do to prepare. We have a doula, we finished childbirth class, and we even got certified in infant CPR. I've been working from home this week and will be done with work in the next day or two.

Perhaps I didn't need to rush so much and I'll end up twiddling my thumbs for the next three weeks, but I'd rather do that than be running around exhausted right up until the birth. This way I'll hopefully have some time to rest and relax before going into labor.

I definitely need the rest because carting around this giant belly is hard work! I know I said it was big before but now it really is big. See?

House Progress

It's been a while. Sorry about that. It's been a little hectic wrapping things up at work and running countless little errands to get ready for the baby.

Charles has been making great progress on the house!

From a humble dirt pit....


to footings...


Charles and Scotty assembled the ICFs (insulated concrete forms).


We're using ICFs for the foundation as part of a plan to make the whole house super-efficient. The whole house will also be wrapped in exterior rigid foam.

After the ICFs were fully assembled...


It was finally time to pour the foundation!


It's really hard work and I'm so proud of Charles!

Entering the Home Stretch

35 weeks pregnant! I've been busy trying to get in a few last hurrahs before the baby comes. In May I went to two big reunions - 5 year Forestry School reunion and 10 year Amherst reunion. Both were really fun and a great chance to catch up with old friends before life gets a lot more complicated.

I do feel as though I'm moving into the home stretch. I'm starting to feel really huge. I am constantly bumping into things with my giant belly. I'm feeling pretty tired and it's hard to stand up for long periods of time. I'm trying to stay active with yoga and walking, but it's tough in the heat. It's a challenge to balance being productive and getting the rest that I need at this stage.

A good friend, Arianne, came to visit and we went on what is most likely my last real hike for a while. It was a beautiful afternoon and I managed to lug my belly to the top of Spruce Mountain in central Vermont.

Breaking Ground

On May 21st, we finally broke ground on the house! Very exciting. Charles dug out the foundation with a backhoe. He encountered a lot of ledge (schist and bluestone) that required a lot more drilling and blasting with shims and wedges than expected. Our rock wall is now a lot larger than it was before.



Charles has still been contemplating the layout of the house, trying to get it exactly right, but he's hoping to pour the foundation this week.

Here we are in front of our humble future abode, now a humble pile of dirt.