The Official Announcement

We're thrilled to officially announce the arrival of our beautiful baby daughter, Lucius Rosa Baker, born on the 23rd March (birthday shared with mum) following a movie style 22hr fully natural labor, weighing in at a mighty 8.7lbs and a length of 20.5 inches. As you can see she's an absolute delight.

We're emailing the official announcement card to help keep her carbon footprint as small as her actual footprint. We hope it goes some way to conveying the joy we're bursting with.

LRB

Here are some more pictures of the lovely Lucius

What an outfit, she's throwing mad shapes and she's even chosen a knitted elephant to accessorise!

The food in the hospital was great, none of your NHS sweaty reheated e-coli entrées here. We were in there for 5 days and really well looked after. We're back at home now, settling in as 3 not 2, and reconnected to the world (internet) again

Lucius est arrivé

Lucius (middle name pending) Baker arrived on Monday evening at 8:35 cet. Mother and baby doing very well. We'll post more pics and information when we get a chance

Kitchen plans

These are the plans for our new kitchen. We're having it made from scratch of eco sourced French oak, and using old joinery techniques where possible, rather than glue and screw. It should be finished at the end of next week.

House plans

These are the plans for the layout of the house, including electrics, furniture, etc... This is how we spent last October: living in the house and making schematic plans

We've banished the bad decor, dodgy electrics, and separated spaces of the previous owners. The ground floor has been completely gutted, and opened up to let in more light. Its more welcoming- even grand. We've just finished rewiring the entire house (not a single shock or short circuit. nicely done). Some lovelies are on their way from the UK: lights from BTC, the Aga!, a huge ceramic butler sink, and 1/3 of the paint we need for the whole house is on site (nearly 0% VOC thank you). The gutsy, eco sourced oak kitchen will be finished next week, the reclaimed 300yr old French oak floorboards will be ready to lay around April 20th (so long as the 70yr twin brothers at the local sawmill pull their collective finger out). All will be nearly complete by end April, except for a momentous bookcase across the entire back wall of the living room

The first floor is more a case of redecorating, and sorting out a 60's nightmare of a bathroom/ wc in the spare bedroom. Still a lot of work, but not much demolition now the rewiring is complete and the paneled ceilings have been pulled down

The attic has amazing beams and mountain views and will be a great master bedroom/bathroom. But this will happen later, after the rest of the house is in order

Final dirty job

Last piece of demolition out of the way

Now the baby can arrive whenever it likes

The 'out of sight out of mind' collection in barn #2

Nettle soup for lunch foraged and prepared by miss Lucius' own fair (un-stung) hands

Graphically correct switch placements

The thermostat, placed range left, is slightly off and driving me nuts. I'll adjust it accordingly tomorrow

Last messy job

We're knocking the rest of this section down tomorrow with acro props in place for good measure, although the beam will easily take the weight (famous last words). The last messy job to be done before the babû arrives

Rewiring

This was a few days ago, thankfully they're all tidied away now

The milkjug says...

...28°c

Spring has well sprung

We rose bright and breezy this morn to see the sunrise

The ladies were looking lovely

Then after sufficient tea we went to the orchard to look at the emerging blossoms

Pear

Peach

Cherry

Jam anyone?

Kitchen/Living Room

Our renovation oracle Chris helps move the kitchen away from the wall; allowing space to place wiring and insulation behind it

The new kitchen will be with us in a few weeks. Until then it's just a basic gas hob and sink, or is it a modular island workstation?

Wiring everywhere

Walls wrapped up all cosy for better insulation and less gas consumption

Progress

A neighbour dropped by today...

...he collects military things. He has 4 trucks like this and a giant military tent/lodge(?) at his house. Nuts but good

Before Spring...

The locals burn the dead brush away to lower fire hazards and bring on new spring growth

The farmers that graze their cows on our patch offered to do it for us. Thankfully

Wild roses are a pest here, bloody rampant. Even resilient to fire it seems

Here's how it'll look in September, all lush and ferns aplenty

Prep

Framework's up with damp proof layer

This'll be home to new wiring, insulation and plasterboard

The stairs are coming on too