Feed, burp, sleep, cry, change, feed, burp, sleep, repeat. Parenthood is pretty rock and roll.
Our little Italian bundle of poop and puke (who is awesome by the way) has slowed us down a bit on the renovation front over the past couple of months. In all honesty, we’ve barely even thought about it. But now, with an extra mouth to feed and tiny little head to shelter, we’re feeling the need to push on and make some progress.

We’ve started by choosing a main contractor. It’s taken a quite remarkable six months but it feels great to finally know who we’re going to be entrusting with our life savings. Predictably, he was the first one to quote, way back in July, but at that point he was only quoting on the roof. He’s a friend of a friend (this is Italy after all…) and impressed us straight away, but you can’t just go with the first quote so we kept plugging away.
To be fair, we’ve learnt a lot over the past six months and we now have a far better handle on the whole process, so maybe it’s all for the best. We still have a lot of things to work out, but at least we know what we need to work out!
For now though, our next step is to get the builder, our architect and geometra together to hammer through the plans and fine-tune a few things. And then, finally, we might just be able to get started. I can’t wait!
Anyway, I’d best go. Burping and looking at photos of kitchens wait for no man.

Good luck on the burping… err… I meant build! 😉
Thanks… on both counts!
Would you be interested in being featured/interviewed for Chat with Dads? I do this monthly feature on parents on my little blog. http://motherslittlesteps.com/2014/02/01/february-chat-with-a-dad-benjamin-brooks-dutton-of-life-as-a-widower/
Thanks!
Thanks so much for the offer. I’d love to do it, but at the moment it’s still all so new that I’m not really sure I would have much to offer. Maybe in a few months’ time? Would that work for you?
Sure! Will email you 🙂 Thanks!
Sounds like your having a great time! Did you ever think you’d be so smitten. My 11yr old has turned and has his head in a book all waking hours, I haven’t heard him speak in days…how things change. Enjoy the cuddles
Everyone told me it wold be like this, but I didn’t really believe them. She gives amazing cuddles!
New babies and puppies have a delightful smell, when not pooping of course. Your routine sounds like the lyrics to a new song, I’ll see what I can come up with.
When it’s a global hit, I want royalties! 😉
It’s so exciting to hear that all your plans are about to start taking shape. Glad to see you’ve got your heads around the first chapter of parenting. I agree with bakeritalia: Enjoy every minute of it, because the next time you blink they are all grown up. My first born now wears size 12 shoes, towers over me, pinches me glass of beer and tells me off for my driving skills. He provides a mean cuddle though 🙂
I’m kind of hoping our daughter will never wear size 12 shoes and steal my beer, but I guess you never know… 😉 We’re doing our best to enjoy it. There are tough moments but overall I’d say it’s going well. We just want to get on with our house now so that she has an awesome place to live!
oops, the “vachefollette” comment is me – I signed in on the wrong account.
Damn, I thought I had a new follower… so is that your French alter ego!?
I can follow you twice if you like, though it sounds a bit creepy if you ask me. 😀 I have two muses – one that drinks tea, and one that dances the cancan.
Oh those were the days, when she would stay where we put her and didn’t have a head that spins 360 degrees ( the joys of the tween years). i still remember how long it would take us to burp Carina by the time Luca came along we were experts.
So good to hear your renovations are moving along, I was in awe of Colleen and her Geometra experience, it’s the first positive one I’ve heard about. Give our love to your girls, xxx
Hope to catch up once we are all better, xx
Well, if you fancy a bit of burping, feel free to pop over and show us how it’s done! I think I spend far too long getting puked on…
I was in awe too. A geometra who works really hard!? I spent a while chatting to Colleen on facebook, she was really helpful and supportive, she even got Gianni, the geomtra, to help out. If we end up with something half as good as their place I’d be delighted!
Give our best to Sam, it sounds like he’s had a tough time of it lately, and I hope you all feel better soon. And stay warm!!
We’ve finally got around to making interior doors after a year of living with big holes in the walls where they should be. Good luck with the project and the wee one.
Yeah, I’m quite a talented procrastinator, so I fear we’re going to be living with a half-finished house for many years!!
Have you finished it yet? 😉
Nearly… Just the roof and all the walls to go and we’re done! Couple of days I reckon…
Ha, excellent – I look forward to seeing the finished result!
Glad to hear that all is well with your little one. Good luck with the building. 🙂
Thank you! We just really want to get on with it now. Patience isn’t one of my strengths… 😉
Hope the parenting keeps rocking AND rolling. Looks like you’ll have the rest all over and done with in a few licks of paint…
Yeah, it’s really just patching up 😉
Good luck! It’ll be over and done with. Baby steps and all!
Ha ha, thanks… I hope so!
I remember this is the way we went.. We started off our renovation with a new roof. It was a good feeling to start putting good things back to our farmhouse. What kind of roof tiles have you chosen?
Yeah, I can’t wait for the new roof to go on. I just want the rain to stop now so that we can get started!! About 50 percent of the roof is already tiled with typical Piemontese tiles, so we’ll do it all like that with reclaimed tiles.