The day we broke ground on our new home construction was kind of like the day I found out I was pregnant – mostly exciting, with a little bit of “holy shit, there’s no turning back now” mixed in.
To carry the pregnancy metaphor further, this whole house thing also involved months of planning, setbacks, hoping, doubting, worrying, and thinking we’re probably crazy for getting ourselves into it. And then – like so many other big things in life – you just have to close your eyes, unlock your life savings, and go for it.
So we broke ground.
And now we’re house pregnant.
Thankfully, this time around our waiting period is only about four months instead of nine – and so far I haven’t fainted at all. I have, however, gained all the weight fell victim to the bloating (I hear it’s common with the second one), so maternity clothes may be in my future while we’re still in the first trimester. We’ll see.
On the plus side, I can drink wine throughout this entire ordeal* without worrying about a 6th finger or risking our offspring’s Mensa status, so that’s a plus.
(*They just won’t let me operate the backhoe when I do.**)
The first day of breaking ground! | July 6, 2015
Our awesome excavators (Mike and Mike, Jr. from Spahn Excavating, Inc.) got the party started by skimming off our topsoil and piling it out of the way so we could reapply it to our lawn at the finale of our build. I have grandiose visions of a garden that will replace any need for trips to Whole Foods in our future, so that black dirt will surely come in handy.
Once the top layer of dirt was stripped, it was time to really dig in!
The excavation events were a huge hit with Kate, as well as all of the other kiddos in the neighborhood! Kate and I filmed several videos of the backhoe in action for our nephew Eli, and the clip below is our favorite. We realized there are probably lots of other little ones out there who would love to see it, so here you go!
Kate (age 5) exploring the backhoe that excavated our lot.
It was so impressive to me that a machine that size could dig a hole so precise! When Mike and Mike were done, we had a great big hole in the ground just itching for some foundation…
…and a five-year-old to explore it.
Pink sequined tiaras, purple pony-shaped purses, and “big diggers” totally mix.
All the Mikes agree.
Frolicking in the massive unsafe hole that will one day be our basement.
Next up – foundation!
**Totally kidding, Safety Police. They don’t let me operate the backhoe at all.***
***Except on Hangover Saturdays.
You crack me up! Congratulations on being house pregnant! In all honesty, the whole part about being able to drink wine during this whole process is key!
SO. TRUE. Not sure I could handle figuring out where all of these electrical outlets should go if I didn’t have Chardonnay to assist me. (Wine fridge? Check!)
I’m following along on your journey because we just dug our foundation, too, on a lot very similar in style to yours. It slopes up toward the back like yours. The framing starts by the end of next week or early the following and in by Christmas, so lots of decisions coming up!! Good luck with yours!
Oh, how exciting, Kim!! We are currently in the framing stage (more posts coming soon) but I’ll tell you right now – your house is likely going to look bigger than it really is! We turn the corner to come on to our street and we’re doing the bug-eyed thing. It’s so hard to truly visualize before you build, but since your lower level exposure is all street-facing (vs. backyard-facing) it will likely look like a beast! I think most homes have the opposite kind of lot orientation (smaller in the front, larger looking in back), so be prepared for that. Good luck to you on your new home build – I’m sure it will all turn out beautifully!
I wondered if it’d look like that! So hard to fully visualize before it starts going up. When we see the hole in the ground we swear it’s too small! But everyone’s told us that’s how it feels at first when you see the foundation. Framing starts next week so I’m anxious to see it go up. We currently live in a little cape cod 1 1/2 story so I”m guessing our new 2 story will already look huge to us and then to have the odd lot orientation on top of it….oh well! Can’t wait to see more of yours!!
YES! I totally agree!! When our house was first staked it felt ridiculously tiny to me. Thankfully I trust our builder 100% otherwise I would have been out there with a tape measure making sure they didn’t mess up the dimensions, haha. Now that it’s framed it looks massive and there is more than enough space. I’m sure you’ll find the same to be true for you new home. Congratulations on starting framing next week – that’s so exciting!!
Yaay! This is so exciting. And terrifying! But mostly exciting.
I’m mostly jealous of your 4-month timeline. Our build is already in month four. But patience is a virtue, right?
Thank you, Kim! I swear our builder (Bryan Sipple – Classic Custom Homes) is the most organized builder (and man!) I’ve ever met in my life. He’s got his timelines and processes down to an exact science, so he’s able to complete a build in 4 months as long as we (meaning me, haha) don’t hold him up by taking too long to make selections. We told him we needed to be in our house ASAP and boy is he delivering!
I hope your house pregnancy isn’t any longer than the real thing, Kim! No matter what it will be worth it in the end. It’s such an exciting process!
How exciting Dusty!!! I lolled about the house pregnant comment – you are too funny! And when did Kate turn 10? She is so grown up :):) Can’t wait to continue the Dusty-is-house-pregnant story !
Haha, thank you Diane! Thank you for following along with us!