A few things have changed!

First, our yurt really feels like a house these days.  We're getting so close to living in there full-time... being about ready to have a baby sure does help projects get done!  Here's the kitchen...

The loo (tub is to the left of the sink there, but it's filled with birth supplies, and not hooked up at the moment... neither is the sink for that matter)...

 The hearth...

 Bedroom...

 Dining room, and the entry way.

 Pretty fantastic, huh?

It's amazing how many things have popped in the natural world these last few weeks too!

This was me at 37 weeks- we finally hit our due window!  Now, our baby can be born safely at home whenever it chooses to come...

 Britty came to visit!

 And the hooties have re-appeared... this time in the form of the cuteness on the left for our baby, and the cuteness on the right for DJ and Kathy's baby Mia.  Jon and I made them the other week... I'm not sure this project encouraged absolute fondness for the sewing machine, but he did an awesome job!

 I also found myself inspired by Chelsea's handiwork to make these for Mia... I wonder if they'll fit her when she arrives sometime in late June/ early July?

 My overwhelm at the greenhouse effect inside the yurt due to the awesome dome window inspired a sewing project.  We rigged up this fancy octagonal window shade that can be opened and closed from the floor of the yurt by pulling a series of ropes through eye bolts.  It's pretty cool!  Jon was the master installer, of course.  We're calling it the jellyfish.

 These ladies have shown up all over the place in the fields and forests here!  They're one of my favorite signs of spring... (the pink lady's slipper orchid, for those of you that don't know her.)

 We had a pre-baby bash at our house in the hopes that we might see a few friends before we disappear for a little while into "Aaah!  We just had a baby!  Wait, what just happened?  How do we... uhmmm?"

 Isla is getting so big these days.  She's almost 2 1/2!

We most recently have been enjoying walking down to the gazebo on the Eastern Promenade to watch the fog roll in...

 I've been drinking lots of tea...

And working on continuing the manifestation that the baby stays head down for birth!  We had a worried spell there for a bit, but I think we're good now.  Jon and I successfully turned the baby on Monday morning (doing a manual version in our bed in the yurt), and I'm working hard at maintaining postures and positions that the baby seems to like.  

We're getting closer every day... our due date is this Sunday.  When will the bambino arrive, we wonder?

Changes

So this little story began way back in September...

And at this point, it looks more like this:

 

I was out of commission for the first trimester, but now I am feeling much better.  My energy is starting to return, and I am feeling a lot less picky about exactly what I eat.  I am still eating about a quart of yogurt every day, and a lot of pickles, but have added many other lovely foods back into my repertoire. Being that I am a foodie at heart, this feels much better to me.  It's so strange to genuinely love a particular food, but to have no interest in eating it!

(A while back now) we finally put our wood stove in!

 Now the cold nights are warmer.  We're still figuring out exactly what we need to do to keep it warm all night long, but as our wood has gotten a bit more dry and we've had a chance to learn more of the nuances of the stove, it has improved.

 We have had many visits from the herd of wild turkeys- all 18 of them!  They particularly love the crabapples that are still hanging onto the trees in the yard.  Incidentally, so do I!

 Our own turkeys made their way to the freezer just before Thanksgiving.  We kept 5 Bourbon Reds for breeding- one tom and 4 hens.  It's amazing how much noise a single tom still can make when he gobbles!

 Winter arrived, and made everything so lovely here.  Just before Thanksgiving we got about 8 to 10 inches.

 and overnight, everything was transformed into a quiet, blanketed wonderland.

 The sound of the snow falling slowly off of the yurt roof was thunderous from inside.  In my sleepy state, I couldn't figure out WHAT was going on!

 In the morning I was stricken by beauty everywhere.  Look!  Our compost bins held up well.

 The pines looked like perfect gnome forest trees.

 The sheep girls weren't sure exactly what to think.

 Magical frost covered each catkin and branch of the trees out front.

Since then the snow has melted, the muddy path down to the yurt got deeper, and we had our annual holiday sale here at the house.  Jon and I didn't have a ton to add, being that we've mostly been working on the yurt.  We did manage to get a few things into the mix though.  I made these advent calendars, taking inspiration from my mom who makes Mer and I one every year.

 And Jon and I had some macrame we had made in Argentina to add to the mix.

 Kathy's beaded snowflakes adorned the tables...

 along with Erin's finger puppets...

 There were wall hangings, bears, and applique pillows,

 yarn spun from our very own sheep!

 hand-dyed scarves, and hand-felted hats and mittens that Mary made...

 tiny stockings, ornaments,

 felted soaps that Erin and I crafted,

 and hand stitched ornaments of every kind...

 little wooden people,

 gnomes and needle felted critters

 magic wands, fat cats...

 and so many beautiful glass ornaments and window decorations...

 not to mention delicious treats (including jellies and jams, flavored vinegars, dipping oils, and vanilla)

 Nanny's woolen mittens,

 and a lovely assortment of other wooden toys that Dick carved

 to add to the splendor...

 Here are just a few more things to see, all crafted by hand throughout the year by our family...

 Mike was particularly fond of Erin's fat cats.  He always has appreciated his likeness in felt.  If you recall, when I needle felted him for Jon's birthday mobile, he peed on the gift.  I can only assume this was meant as a demonstration of his gratitude and affection.