
Updates on our home build, plus honest answers to your questions about pregnancy, nursing, home birth, and life with a big family
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Unknown Speaker
So you're in this season of in your mind, just so overwhelmed and I think we forget that it'll change so fast. Like in one year you might be a completely different kind of overwhelmed. And so maybe your brain just needs like a year or whatever it might be. Don't think that this is how you're going to always feel. I think you just need a little time. I think maybe you're in a particularly overwhelming season and you're forgetting that that changes. Because it does. It just changes all the time.
Lisa
My name is Lisa, mother of eight and creator of the blog and YouTube channel Farmhouse on Boom. On podcast I like to talk about simplifying your life so you can live out your priorities. I help you learn how to cook from scratch and decorate on a budget through this podcast and my courses Simple Sourdough and the Simple Sewing Series. I also help people reach their goals from home through my business course YouTube Success Academy.
Unknown Speaker
I will leave links to these resources.
Lisa
In the show notes in description box below.
Unknown Speaker
Now let's get into the show. Welcome back to the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast.
Luke
Today I'm going to be doing another.
Unknown Speaker
Solo episode, talking through our build and the progress that's happening there, talking about.
Luke
The pregnancy, answering some of your frequently.
Unknown Speaker
Asked questions, giving you basically a summer.
Luke
Life update for our family and our projects, which are a lot right now.
Unknown Speaker
So first, just to talk a bit about the build, we are fully in.
Luke
The middle of framing right now.
Unknown Speaker
Now when this episode comes out, I imagine that framing will mostly done because.
Luke
As of recording, they're already working on framing out the second level.
Unknown Speaker
Some advice I received from anybody who's ever built because I've talked to a lot of people who have built, whether it's a custom home or it's, you know, any kind of home, whether it's a barndominium, farmhouse style, modern style. The advice has been the same, to go often, and that's tricky.
Luke
But I was really prepared for it in this season.
Unknown Speaker
I knew that when this build really.
Luke
Got underway, which it took forever to.
Unknown Speaker
Get fully underway, we were supposed to, in my mind when we bought our property last April. So a year ago we were going to be starting fully building in November. But then just like the weather and the people who were our builders, they were finishing up another project. I think this is just like setting us up for how this whole thing is, which everybody warned me, it didn't really get fully underway until springtime. So that's when we started working on the foundations and just the whole ball really got rolling and we are very much in the swing of things right now with framing. But we knew based on all the people that we've talked to who have built, that we needed to carve out time.
Luke
Even though we are hiring a general.
Unknown Speaker
Contractor, even though we aren't planning to do a ton of the work ourselves, we're going to step in. There's like. Like certain things throughout this that we want to do. Like, for example, we picked up a.
Luke
Bunch of antique doors, and they're.
Unknown Speaker
They're going in all throughout the house, and we need to do some refinishing on them. But I want to wait until they're placed so that we can decide, okay.
Luke
This room will be this color, we should leave this one wood, or we.
Unknown Speaker
Should paint this one this color. So we can't really do that ahead of time, but we plan to do all of that, like adding the hardware.
Luke
To the doors that we source from either vintage or house of antique hardware.
Unknown Speaker
Painting them, sanding them, refinishing them. We plan to paint some of the wood floors because we are doing the enclosed porch look off the back of the house to create a narrative that this is an old house that's been added onto. We are going to be running wooden porch flooring that will be painted just.
Luke
Like traditional old homes where the porches are painted.
Unknown Speaker
We will carry that in the rooms that are in that old porch area, and then, of course, the front porch as well. So Luke plans to do a lot of that painting, and then we're going to be painting the barn. He plans to do a lot of that. So there's stuff that we're going to be doing, but for the most part, the build is being done by builders and a general contractor. We're not doing any of the wiring or the drywall or, you know, the framing or anything like that. But we knew even still that we should be very closely involved with this project because we were the ones who over the last year have designed this house, have just every little minuscule detail.
Luke
We've, you know, shifted walls this way.
Unknown Speaker
And we've opened this up a little bit and we've added this window. And so now the follow through on that is to be at the build site and make sure that we're there to answer any questions. You know, the builder comes into this with basically a set of blueprints, and that's about the only information. And what I have noticed about contractors over lots of years of renovations. Never building, but lots of renovations, and from stories that others have told is they have a job to Do. And they are on a time schedule, so they're out there with their crew. They run into something that's a bit.
Luke
Confusing on the blueprint. Like, okay, well, if this isn't framed this way, how are we fitting in this window?
Unknown Speaker
And instead of stopping a whole entire day going home and then not doing anything that day, they make assumptions. They come up with what they think.
Luke
Would be the best solution.
Unknown Speaker
Solution. And they might not realize how important.
Luke
A certain detail was to you.
Unknown Speaker
And they figure, we'll just make this work. And I've seen it over and over and over again with so many contractors. Just little tiny things. Like, just a tiny example. And then I could just go on and on. We did a renovation in one of our bathrooms, and I had a piece that I wanted for the windowsill, and the contractor and I gave it to the contractor, and this was going to be the piece. As we were framing out a window to make it match the historic house and the rest of the house, this will be the piece for the windowsill. And he is used to, in his head, the size of windowsills. I assumed, without even thinking that I needed to specify that this whole piece would be used for the windowsill. But instead, in his mind, he assumed, she wants a windowsill.
Luke
And typically window sills are this deep.
Unknown Speaker
Therefore he cut it. And just those types of little things happen. Like in our kitchen renovation. In our last house, we did the apron front farmhouse high back vintage sink. And we had to have a cabinet custom made to house the sink because since it's high back, the cabinet sits lower than counter height because it also comes, you know, out of the counter. It's not just dropped in. And so to be the appropriate height for doing dishes, it needed to be lower. Well, there was a little rusty spot around the bottom of the sink that I thought was charming, but the contractor thought, oh, she'll want to cover this up. So without asking, made like a lip on the cabinet so that it would sit in. I saw it and I was like, that's not what I wanted. Like, I want to see the full sink. Little tiny things like this happen constantly. And the sooner you're there to see it, the. The less likely they're going to have to undo an entire day of work, which I believe happens on the homeowner's dime. I mean, it's kind of hard to tell with building because it's not like every single itemized hour is given, so it's important to be there. We had an issue similar to this already, and when we showed up. It was not the perfect time to show up, but it also could have been a ton worse because what we saw, what we wanted differently than what they assumed that they made work they were about to do on another entire very long wall. And we caught it. And so it was, you know, yes.
Luke
There was a few things that had.
Unknown Speaker
To be corrected, but then the majority of that, if we had showed up the next day, if we had shown up the next day, just would have, like. We would have had to redo entire walls, like several or, you know, two walls. And so we would have had to make. Have the discussion of, is this worth it? Like, all the material, all the time that went into framing that out, is it worth undoing it and redoing it? And I hope that we continue to find these types of things. I put something like this on my dms or I put something like this on my Instagram. Stories I shared just progress. And I said, you know, we've been out here every single day just trying to, like, be there to answer any questions the builders might have. You know, this XYZ is what's happened so far. And I had so many DMS of, like, we had this happen, and it was like, just big stuff that you would think wouldn't happen. Okay. I had to pause because my husband came in with a phone call, and it was our builder. So this, like, like I said, we made plans to be invested in this, even though we're. Yes, we're hiring a general contractor, all of that. If we're trying to build this house with character and all this stuff, there's a lot of little things that go into it. And I made our builder this packet with all of the doors because we sourced antique and vintage doors that were from, like, the time period that this house was supposed to be built, because we're doing this new old house thing. And so we had to place them. Like, we have, you know, weird size doors. We have some skinny ones that were for the closets that are, you know, nothing is standard in old stuff. So, like, the doors that go in the closets are one is 77 by.
Luke
24, one 72 by 24.
Unknown Speaker
Actually, two are 72 by 24 and one is 73 by 28. So he called Luke to confirm. Do you really want doors that are only 6ft tall? Which I understand, because that's as tall as, like, the average adult male. Like, my husband's just under six feet. So I think what would happen. We already kind of have shown our builders that, okay, we're serious about this. Like, we really do want to build this new old house. We realize there's some extra considerations, extra effort, because there's, you know, to make this packet with all of the door sections and where they go was first of all a challenge, but then running into things that just aren't standard, like, we're gonna make this door opening 24 by 72. Are you sure you want that? And at this point, we've been out there enough, communicating enough that he knows I should probably call her. Even though I think this is not something she would want. I'm not gonna make any assumptions. So anyways, what I was going to say before taking that call was, I think unless I had talked to a bunch of other people who have built a house, I would think that, you know, you just give them the blueprints, you give them the measurements of your doors, your windows, all the things that you want, and then they just build it. But it's amazing, like, now that I'm in this and it's very underway, how many little things are like, well, but.
Luke
If that is this, then what about.
Unknown Speaker
This that you think were kind of already ironed out, that aren't necessarily. And so it just, it. With such a project, it makes sense that there's going to be these questions throughout it. It's not going to be so straightforward. And that's why we've kind of figured that this year our brains would be devoted to this build. And we're not being hands off about it. We do want to be involved in.
Luke
It because we plan to live here.
Unknown Speaker
No, indefinitely. That's probably the goal. And so. And. And maybe even our kids will inherit this house.
Luke
And so we're trying to take it seriously.
Unknown Speaker
But, man, what an adventure it is. And it's just getting started, honestly. So I'll keep you all along. I know most of you probably aren't building.
Luke
Maybe you have no plans to build.
Unknown Speaker
I actually had no plans to build at all. In the last year and a half, it became pretty apparent that we are going to be doing it. So that's when I've really started seeking advice and listening to people who are building. And so maybe you'll just come back.
Luke
To this later, if that should ever.
Unknown Speaker
Be presented to you, that you'll ever end up building. One question I had in the Q A was about enclosing a porch. Because in our new old house design, one of the concepts I brought to Brent Hull, that I heard somewhere else or saw somewhere else that I wanted his help on, actually Figuring out how to do was taking like a main house, basically like a square or rectangle main house, and then adding on additions, make it look like the house grew over time. So adding on a sun porch, adding on a back porch that was a.
Luke
Back porch that mirrored the front.
Unknown Speaker
And then at some point it got windows so that the homeowners could use it for more square footage. Of course, ours isn't really growing over time, so it's just something that we're doing right now. But to really seal the deal on that look, we have to choose the right finishes. We have to make sure that it looks like there are posts supporting the roof there. It, you know, looked like it was actually a porch that was enclosed, which is more challenging than I even expected.
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Luke
We are enclosing a ground level stone porch on our 225-year-old home. Our goal is to use this area as a greenhouse.
Unknown Speaker
I'm trying to source wooden windows and.
Luke
Stable or glass doors with actual wooden.
Unknown Speaker
Mullions and plain glass, not double paned.
Luke
What sources, what resources are you finding for these types of items?
Unknown Speaker
Your build is outstanding and your style so closely matches mine.
Luke
I know any advice would be wonderful. Congrats on baby number nine.
Unknown Speaker
So, and this is Lee from Old Tavern Farm. Your house sounds amazing and I so wish we could have bought a property that already had an old house on it. But here where we are, there's not.
Luke
A huge appreciation for old homes and.
Unknown Speaker
It'S also very rural, so there just are so few. And we are also really, really picky.
Luke
On where our location was.
Unknown Speaker
We didn't want to go an hour this way or an hour that way. We had a very little radius of where we wanted to be and I thought some homesteads with more land at some point would come up, but it just never did. And, and when I drive around I don't even see any. So unfortunately that wasn't going to happen. But to answer your question for your lovely old stone porch, which sounds amazing as far as the windows go, I shared on the design video that I partnered with Brent Hull who studied historic architecture and specializes in restoration in designing homes that have classic character. He also has a window company called 100 Year Window. And these windows are designed to last 100 years. They are built like the windows of old, except for that they are new. So a lot of people with historic properties use these windows to replace the windows that they that need replacing without losing the historic accuracy, the integrity, you know, all of the things that it's so important to do when you have an old house to maintain that character.
Luke
So we are partnering with him on the windows.
Unknown Speaker
So these windows that will be in this windowed in porch are casement windows. So instead of opening, you know, like double hung, they'll open out. They have beautiful hardware on them. I just cannot wait to see them. Once everything's all framed in, we'll put the windows in and I can't wait to see them. So that would probably be a great place for you to look for the windows for your project because they can work with your dimensions which are probably all kinds of, you know, not standard basically in an old house.
Luke
And then you also asked about the doors.
Unknown Speaker
I would say like as far as what we're doing for doors there, we're doing almost exclusively old doors. So just looking on Etsy, looking on different architectural salvage websites, there are several across the country that will ship, you can drive there. I still have some to sort source actually there are several doors that we're placing that I already placed and gave the dimensions to the builder. But then there are some that I thought, you know, we bought a lot of doors. Let's just see how this even works out before I go buying every last door. But I'm telling them just to frame out sort of a matching size. And I'm going to retroactively go find.
Luke
Doors that fit the openings.
Unknown Speaker
I can't tell you yet which idea was better, if it was better to buy them all first and then have them specially framed, or if it's a better idea to frame them and then cut or find doors that fit.
Luke
Honestly, I don't know.
Unknown Speaker
And I will let you know because I'd say if I went through and counted, we're probably at about half and half on doors throughout the house, that we did it one way and that we're going to plan to do the other. I just got kind of overwhelmed in my brain with how much stuff I was buying for the house that was just sitting in storage. And I'm like, hopefully this works. Hopefully they're not going to tell me, oh, we can't, like frame those weird sizes. Seems like that's working out. But we haven't actually put them in there yet, so I'm still a little hesitant. I'm just going to do the rest of them this way. I'll let you know. But all that to say you have something you're already working with here and you can go search just on. On the World wide Web with your dimensions. And even if they're not perfect, but they're close, they can be trimmed down. Some things are just better when they're actual antiques. Some things, it makes way more sense just to source new with something that has sort of an antique look to it. And some things are better, heavier, nicer, actually old. I'm kind of going through this too with flooring. Thought about getting reclaimed wood floors, and I found a place down in, I think it was Georgia, something like that, and they had 4,000 square feet of heart pine out of an old garment factory.
Luke
Sounded promising.
Unknown Speaker
But I spoke on the phone with the guy and I was like, okay, tell me the truth. Like, how thick are these? Can these be sanded, you know, five more times throughout their life? Like, if we're to install these and say, you know, we're going to sand them, finish them, say 10 years from now, we want the floors to look beautiful again. We scan them again, ten years from now, we want to do it again. Can we do that with these old floors? Or have they already been sanded several times because sometimes you'll have floors like in this house, for example.
Luke
These floors were at some point covered.
Unknown Speaker
With carpet a long time ago. And it appears as if nobody ever sand. Well, I'm sure it like originally they were sanded, but they weren't sanded several times. They have visibly no damage. They just were covered with carpet in perfect condition all these years. And if you were to salvage these floors, they would be like new really. And so I, I wasn't sure if that's something you can kind of find. But he was like, you're not gonna want this. Like it's already 5, 8 thick, which if you buy it new, it's going to be three fourths or more. They, they definitely have, you know, visible damage because they were walked on for.
Luke
X amount of years.
Unknown Speaker
And I'm like, see, that's probably one of those places where unless it's going to go on the porch areas and the attic where we're going to paint would make more sense to just get it new. Whereas the frame for the barn, we shared a video on our YouTube channel of that going up the timber frame barn. For me, the character of that, the hand hewn beams and all that made more sense to be old. So I'm kind of trying to find the balance in all of this. Like what, what should be new, what should be old. I think doors are one of those things because when you come down to it, it's just a rectangular piece of wood that has, that's either really heavy or modern. Doors seem to be really light. They have certain details to them, panels and all this stuff. And so I think once we cover them with some fresh stains, some fresh paint, it will make more sense to have the old doors. But yeah, I'll fill you guys all in later on how this all worked out and I'm sure I'll have plenty of things. I'm like, yep, wish we would have done this or wish we would have done that.
Luke
So for you, Lee from Old Tavern.
Unknown Speaker
Farm, I would recommend probably new on.
Luke
The windows, but salvage for the door. Oh, this is a fun question. If you and Luke could get away for two weeks, what would be your dream destination? How would you spend it? Relaxing, exploring and seeing everything. We would maybe go out of the country.
Unknown Speaker
That's something that we've never done. I just got a passport. Just because there are certain times when.
Luke
It'S like, oh, we could do this.
Unknown Speaker
Or that, and I'm like, well, I'd.
Luke
Have to wait this many weeks for a passport.
Unknown Speaker
I still have no plans to go anywhere. But I could now. So probably I. I honestly don't know. I have not even given that a.
Luke
Whole lot of thought.
Unknown Speaker
But I think that if, if that was put on the table, I'm sure.
Luke
We would come up with something.
Unknown Speaker
Now we have had a few times in the last several years where we've gotten to go for a week and.
Luke
One time we did Yellowstone national park.
Unknown Speaker
So we just, you know, explored and.
Luke
Looked at all the things there.
Unknown Speaker
One time we did Northern California and looked at the huge trees and the coast and that was really fun. And then one time we just went down to Arkansas and floated on the river, explored the little towns. For me, I like a mixture. I like there to be town. So I don't. Luke's full blown. All nature, all hiking, all outdoor stuff.
Luke
I'm fine with that.
Unknown Speaker
But then I want to be able to go to a nice little restaurant at the end of the day and have somewhere nice to stay. So it would have to be the two of those mixed together. We could also both really enjoy exploring cities together. I think both of us would find that very interesting. I know we would. Even though he likes outdoor things, we would find exploring different cities fun too, especially without kids because that's obviously pretty stressful with kids. So we'd have to find something that blends all of that together.
Luke
If we had two full weeks, that'd.
Unknown Speaker
Be a lot of time. Honestly, I'd probably miss home in that amount of time. I think we only need one week, but that won't be on the table until after this build's done for sure. But then possibly we could do that. Okay. Another build question, new build question.
Luke
We may build in the near future.
Unknown Speaker
And like you, I love the old.
Luke
Fashioned look of houses and I do wish to build a new old house as well.
Unknown Speaker
I've thought about a lot of little details, one being whether or not to have an exhaust above our oven slash range. I like the purpose of it, of.
Luke
Course, but I do not like the look. Have you thought about this? Any good ideas on how to hide.
Unknown Speaker
The range hood, perhaps with a wooden.
Luke
Mantle or anything else?
Unknown Speaker
I do not like the huge exposed range hood.
Luke
You've seen a lot of modern houses.
Unknown Speaker
Would love to hear your ideas or if you're going to have a vent hood. So this has been. Well, honestly it's something I didn't give a ton of thought to. I kind of did like some googling and then decided that we should probably have one. Which is interesting because I currently live in a House that has a gas stove with no venting whatsoever. Our previous house was a gas stove.
Luke
With no venting whatsoever.
Unknown Speaker
When you Google it, that is very bad. So it's one of those things where it's like, yeah, I mean, it's technically bad, but then we've also never had one and it's, I mean, I guess, fine. I don't know if there's long term consequences. If you Google it, it will tell.
Luke
You that is not good for your air.
Unknown Speaker
Now one thing I thought of is we are building a brand new house and brand new houses are secure and airtight. You don't have giraffes coming in under the windows on a windy day or.
Luke
Under the front door.
Unknown Speaker
All that stuff in this house. And my last house was the case. We didn't have and don't have currently an airtight house. I honestly prefer that. But I don't think that you go into a new build planning to make it not airtight. Like, I don't, I don't think the goal is, hey, let's just give this a few gaps and you know, put a little inch here, an inch there, so that way it doesn't seal properly. I don't think that's what you do. So inherently with a new house we are going to have a tighter, you know, it's going to be a new house with new insulation and new, you know, yes, the doors are old, but you can buy any size door and put it into a new frame with new hardware and it's essentially a new door because it's, it, it fits properly and the house hasn't settled and moved and so it will be tighter. So with all that being said, I could see the case being made that yes, it wasn't a problem for you in your last two houses that were both well over a hundred years old. Whereas in this house it might look old, but it is not old and therefore it won't be drafty. Now still, I am the type of person that doesn't love like, I like climate control, I like having it warm in the winter and I like AC.
Luke
In June, July, August.
Unknown Speaker
But when it, like right now it's May and all morning we had our back door propped wide open. So any cooking I did there was a literal entire door open. And I'm more of the type where I will hang one of those sticky fly tapes in my kitchen and have flies come in and stick to that versus leaving everything shut tight. I would much rather have the morning breeze coming into my house and feel that and have open windows with no screens on them, no screen on the door, it's just wide open. Have kids kind of going in and out into fenced in areas. The dog going in and out. I would much rather have that and then deal with the pests that happen with that.
Luke
Like there's a cat in the house.
Unknown Speaker
And then, you know, there's flies in there. I that type of person. So I know even in our new build, the windows will be open during May, probably during June. Now when it's cool at night, we'll open those windows and then if, you know, it's hot during the day, we'll shut them and turn on the air conditioning. So there's a little bit of both going on there. But this house in, in my new house won't be shut down tight for.
Luke
12 months of the year.
Unknown Speaker
There will be airflow. But even still during the winter months when we're baking more and you know, it's. It's cold outside, I won't be opening the windows.
Luke
I can see the case for why.
Unknown Speaker
You would have a vent hood. I had the same resistance of you as you. I don't like them. I think that they are mostly just really ugly. I don't know how to, you know.
Luke
I know that there's beautiful options, but.
Unknown Speaker
To me they still don't have that charming historic look. We are doing one and it has a shape that I feel is the least offensive. It'll have cabinetry around it. I hope that it we still have an unfitted kitchen look enough, even though there are some built in pieces like the vent hood and the cabinets around it. But then we'll have more of a table in the middle as opposed to an island. We have a hutch on one side.
Luke
So it's kind of the mix of both.
Unknown Speaker
Just like our last house, we had some built in cabinetry that was not standalone or unfitted looking. And then we also had some pieces that had that more unfitted look, which I think that's what you and I.
Luke
Are struggling with with the vent hood.
Unknown Speaker
Is, you know, if you want that unfitted look, you're not really getting that with event hood. So this is one of those areas where we're doing one. I maybe don't love how that part of the house looks, but also I can see why it would be good to turn that on when the house is super locked down tight and I'm baking and cooking on that gas top. Now we are also doing a wood cook stove. A lot of you suggested this because we have a Chimney on the kitchen side. And we were planning to do a wood stove in there. But some of you brought up the idea of a wood cooking stove. And I ended up finding someone to.
Luke
Partner with on this, which I'm super excited about. I'm partnering with Thornhill Ranges.
Unknown Speaker
So they make a style of cooker that looks kind of like the Aga, except for one portion of it has a wood fire in it. And so you still have the cozy glow of the flame. But then the other three are ovens and cooktops. Now, I'm not 100% sure what one would do if that was all that they had. I know some people in certain parts of the world use those year round because just like the Aga, you know, you get it going and then you kind of, I mean, you can turn it off and it comes to temperature faster than the Aga. That was kind of the selling point for me. But it's powered by wood. And so I know that during the winter we'll want to keep that thing going all the time just to heat the house and then we'll also cook on it. So I'm not 100% sure if we'll.
Luke
Use the other range at all during the winter.
Unknown Speaker
It's, it's one of those things like you kind of think in your head, we'll do it this way. All summer we'll use the regular range. All winter we will use the wood fired one. It might be a combination of both. I could see, you know, one day we just don't have a wood fire going for whatever reason and then we go to use the regular range. So kind of trying to figure that out in my head. At first I was like, well, why.
Luke
Would we have two ranges?
Unknown Speaker
But then everybody that I looked online, I was looking at different kitchens that had a wood cook stove. They usually seem to have another stove for the summer months. And with such a large family, and then my daughter and I, we both cook nonstop.
Luke
I was thinking maybe in the winter we'll just use both and then we'll retire the wood cook stove for the summer.
Unknown Speaker
I'm excited about the possibilities. I'm not 100% sure how it will work, but we are doing the range hood for the main gas range, if you will. Okay, so on a non building question.
Luke
Have you gotten pregnant in the past.
Unknown Speaker
When you're still nursing?
Luke
I'm curious if so, what your approach.
Unknown Speaker
Is with the baby who is nursing.
Luke
Also curious, what is your closest age gap with kiddos?
Unknown Speaker
So I've gotten pregnant while nursing probably six Times, I believe something like that. I think obviously I wasn't with my first and then I think I wasn't with one other.
Luke
So maybe I've gotten pregnant even more.
Unknown Speaker
Than that while nursing because I've been pregnant 10 times. I had one miscarriage, so yeah, maybe eight times. So to answer your question, I almost always get pregnant while nursing. I usually will lose the milk supply somewhere around 12 to 20 weeks. There's just nothing. I found out this time around because I was still nursing my baby. And then Luke and I had the opportunity to go on a trip with the ad company that puts ads on my blog in February when I was eight weeks, I believe, or January. I know I was around eight weeks pregnant when we were there and I.
Luke
Didn'T bring a pump.
Unknown Speaker
And I thought, well, we'll see how this goes because he still nurses a lot. So I might be kind of shooting myself in the foot here with bringing no pumps. And I had nothing like no engorgement at all. And so I realized like, I'm definitely not producing milky anymore.
Luke
Even though he still nurses, which is.
Unknown Speaker
Common, babies will just keep nursing even when there's no milk coming out. I've had that happen with many of my other kids as well. So for me, I've never been able to tandem nurse as soon as I'm pregnant. It just, my body's just kind of like, okay, we're moving on to the next one. Which is sad, I agree, but it also is what my body does. I do end up getting pregnant now, I don't end up getting pregnant super fast. I know some people get pregnant when.
Luke
Their baby is four months or six months.
Unknown Speaker
My babies are usually two years, even sometimes a little bit more than two years. My closest age gap of all is I believe, 21 months. So I've never actually gotten pregnant any sooner than that. This time around, they will be around 26 months apart. So just a little over two years apart. So even though my milk supply does end up drying up during pregnancy, I'm still usually able to nurse to that 18 month mark with, you know, before being pregnant enough to cause the milk supply to drop. So that's just how it's worked out now. It's always, always been very easy for me to wean. It's never, I know some kids, it's a really big deal. All of my kids, they are usually around the age when they're, when my milk supply dries up, that they really have not necessarily lost interest, but they.
Luke
Don'T care as much anymore.
Unknown Speaker
And it's not a big deal. It's not like a big. It's just kind of like I just don't offer it at this time. And then it just gets less and less and then it's. It's never like a big hard thing to do. Okay, I get some form of this question all the time. How do you let the difficulty of.
Luke
Getting through the baby stage prevent you from desiring more children?
Unknown Speaker
With three already, we like the idea of a large family, but my husband especially is having a hard time getting over the idea of doing that again and again. We try to put it in perspective and remember that everything is just a stage which you do so well. But through that first year plus that.
Luke
Sometimes seems so hard for us.
Unknown Speaker
It seems like some large families magically.
Luke
Just have more patience than everyone else. Or maybe it's just not hard for.
Unknown Speaker
You since you've done it so many times. So, okay, in some ways it is less hard when you've done it so many times because there are so many things that you're like, eh, that's no big deal. Like, it used to be a big deal. I was so fixated on, you know, whether it was a sleeping schedule or how to feed the baby or where the baby would sleep. And now you just are like, it's fine. Like after, you know, this certain amount of time, that'll all be fine anyways. That is not to say there aren't parts of it that every time after I have a baby, I'm like, okay, back in this because you did, you get, you get a little break. Like right now I'm in a very easier season of life now. Does it feel easy? No, it never does. No matter what season you're in, it always feels like there's a ton going on. You have a lot of obligations, a lot of people to feed, laundry to do, house to clean, all this kind of stuff. But then you have the baby and then that's one more thing to do. But it is so interesting how fast you acclimate to what is your new stage of life. And you remember, okay, this is what you do when you have a newborn. That's right. Like now I don't sleep through the night anymore, but I know I will and it'll be short and I will have these children after that. And so it seems like a minimal inconvenience for the long term benefit, if you will. So I do think with that perspective, you think, you know, I can, I can get through this. Even though there are challenging parts about having a baby, that life, you know, is a little bit easier and more predictable in times when you don't have a baby because babies need to nap, babies don't sleep through the night. Babies need what they need when they need it and they don't care if you have something else going on. I figured out things to do like baby wearing, you know, I can still get the things done that I need to because the baby will go in the wrap and we have a large family. So I remember the first kid I really noticed this with was our last baby. I had at least four or five kids that could sit in the kitchen with me and hold the baby while I would do certain things. And so that of course does change. That's something that you have when you have a lot of older kids. It's not even just like this one kid is always holding the baby. I can have my 10 year old son hold the baby while I'm making dinner. I could have my 7 year old son hold the baby while making dinner. And so there just are a lot of hands, a lot of hands that come together to, to get everything done. My husband is helpful. I have a lot of support just within our family, so that helps a ton. But I think you do get used to the process. You understand that like in my case, the way that we do sleeping, I always have about a year of when I have a baby and then all the way until we get their sleep kind of figured out, which I do the same thing every time. A year of very interrupted sleep and then a year where I'm kind of off and then a year, you know, it's, it's just more of the same. I think we think of having a lot of children as like exponentially harder, but each baby is, it's just the same thing you've done, only again. So it's something that you get used to that process. You understand what it's going to require of you and you are more able to just, just deal with the inconveniences of a baby better the more times that you've done it. Another sort of along those lines.
Luke
I have three kids, four years old and younger. In a perfect world, I'd love to have four kids. But we are so utterly overwhelmed right now that it feels crazy to throw.
Unknown Speaker
One more in the mix. You're, you've obviously done it.
Luke
So I guess I'm just looking for encouragement. We don't live near family either and I do stay home full time.
Unknown Speaker
I'd hate to be done because we're so overwhelmed. And then regret not having more when I'm older. So one thing I would say is, you don't have to make this huge decision right now. This is something that in one year, you might feel so much better equipped to handle. I've seen it so many times when somebody has three children. It's something about the third child. There's just something about it. Like it's the first time that life can really feel chaotic. And I'm not not saying, like, two kids can't sometimes, but for the most part, it can't get to a level of chaos with two kids. Like, they could both need something at the same time, but that's literally the most that could happen. Three is when you kind of get to that spot and your mind's, like, blown because you can't meet everybody's needs at one time. And I do think over time, you get more used to being able to understand that not everybody. You know, it's okay if you can't meet everybody's needs right now all the time, and that things can wait. I think that does happen. But three is that number where you're just coming off of, where you could sort of control and manage everything. Now it feels kind of out of control, and you're wondering if it's just going to get more and more out of control the more kids you have. And so you're in this season of in your mind, just so overwhelmed. And I think we forget that it'll change so fast. Like, in one year, you might be a complete, completely different kind of overwhelmed. And so maybe your brain just needs like a year or whatever it might be. Don't think that this is how you're going to always feel, I guess, is what I'm saying now. I kind of just kept going with it because even if, you know, if when my oldest was 4, 4, 2.
Luke
0.
Unknown Speaker
Well, I wouldn't have gotten pregnant.
Luke
Again for another year or so after that.
Unknown Speaker
So, yeah, I think you just need a little time.
Luke
I think maybe you're in a particularly.
Unknown Speaker
Really overwhelming season and you're forgetting that that changes. Because it does. It just changes all the time. Like a year ago, right now.
Luke
Let's see.
Unknown Speaker
Victor wasn't sleeping through the night. I was probably thinking, how am I ever gonna get this kid to sleep through the night? And I was probably, like, approaching this conversation fully differently than I am right now because I was in a more overwhelming season than I am right now. And now I'm like, you know, it's fine.
Luke
Everything's fine.
Unknown Speaker
Because you know, I still haven't had the next child yet. I'll deal with that when that happens. And so I think just. You're thinking that it's always going to.
Luke
Be this level of chaos when it's not. Oh, this is an interesting one. I'm 41, expecting again my fifth. What goes into deciding if home birth is an option? Do they check for placenta position, cord abnormalities, etc.
Unknown Speaker
Have you ever had any complications?
Luke
I'm 41, expecting my 5th of September and I'm genuinely curious. So your history is going to go.
Unknown Speaker
Into it a ton. What have you dealt with in the past? Have you had any complications? That would be very pertinent information for your midwife. So if you've had four C sections, that would be something they'd want to know. Most likely. Most midwives would tell you that they're not going to deliver the fifth at home. Have you had four very uncomplicated births? You know, have you had. There are just so many things that could have happened in your first four that would tell you. And then do they check for things? So it really just depends on your comfort level. I've had pregnancies where we check for nothing.
Luke
There usually will be symptoms throughout the.
Unknown Speaker
Pregnancy that something isn't right, whether it's.
Luke
The growth of the baby by measuring, by feeling. The midwives are usually very skilled in.
Unknown Speaker
Feeling if the baby is growing appropriately.
Luke
As far as placenta position goes, this.
Unknown Speaker
Is probably one of the biggest cases.
Luke
I've seen made for ultrasound and one of the main reasons I've chosen to.
Unknown Speaker
Do ultrasound in some of my pregnancies. Now that is not to say that I think it's necessarily reckless to not do it because if you talk to many midwives, they will tell you that there are usually symptoms associated with having.
Luke
A low lying placenta.
Unknown Speaker
So of course you do not want the placenta to come out first. That is one of the biggest risks in birth. And so if it makes you feel better, which it does me, to determine the position of the placenta when I get an ultrasound, that is usually the number one thing my midwife is concerned with. You know, I'm thinking about just, you.
Luke
Know, seeing all the different parts and.
Unknown Speaker
Boy, girl, all this kind of stuff, making sure everything looks good. Her main concern is the placenta.
Luke
Now, of course there are other things.
Unknown Speaker
To look for as well, but that is what they find the, the useful information. Now they can also determine where a placenta is with pretty decent accuracy by using a fetoscope or a doppler the sounds of the placenta are apparent to a midwife. I think people do also forget just how skilled a midwife is in preventative things. So in finding things that could make you not a candidate for home birth, and they want this to go well. You know, they want your baby and you to be healthy at the end of it.
Luke
And so they're very good at assessing risk.
Unknown Speaker
They've seen a lot of times hundreds of births, have a lot of history in their own, you know, personal practice that they've seen to determine whether or not you're a good candidate. So I would say talk to a qualified midwife, and I think you'll feel a little bit more confident. I do think people think a lot of times that having a home birth means you're just going at it alone. You know, having a free birth. That's not the case. Some people choose to do that, but having a midwife is having a medical professional there. It's not like you are just throwing all caution into the wind. Just birth always goes well. I know it.
Luke
There's nothing that can go wrong.
Unknown Speaker
I don't believe that. So I think having someone who is qualified and skilled, which some people educate themselves so diligently that they assess that.
Luke
On their own and they do a free birth.
Unknown Speaker
Some people prefer to have someone else do that or a combination of the two, I'd find myself more in that camp. Like, I kind of have my own history.
Luke
I have my own research.
Unknown Speaker
I also have the midwife. I've talked to other midwives. And so I kind of use a.
Luke
Combination of all of that to determine.
Unknown Speaker
If I'm a candidate. Now, I also have good history, so I have never had any complications in birth. I've had two children that have had.
Luke
What'S called a true knot in their.
Unknown Speaker
Cord, but that isn't necessarily an emergency type of situation. It wasn't in both cases that I had that. That's like, the only thing I have in my history, which, again, isn't an emergency, but it is something to, you know, for. If a midwife could know that, they would like to know that because they notice some decelerations during labor, during pushing, when a cord is in a true knot. So it's. It's just another thing that they can assess during labor. So if in those cases where I had those true knots, if the baby would have been showing any signs of distress, that is monitored throughout labor, and we would likely do a transfer if.
Luke
There was a problem there.
Unknown Speaker
But as of now, there haven't been any Scary things happen during labor and birth that have threatened to transfer. I did, in my last labor or in my last birth, lose a little bit more blood than my midwife wanted to see.
Luke
And so she did give me some Pitocin.
Unknown Speaker
That's something they carry with them to stop excessive bleeding. But it was never like a threatening, like, okay, we're going to get to the hospital right now type of situation if it gets to that point. You make arrangements ahead of time on when, where you will go and how.
Luke
You would handle an emergency.
Unknown Speaker
So hasn't happened at this time, but always something to keep in mind, which is why I do hire a midwife, because I know things can arise during birth. Now, there are plenty of things that you can do ahead of time to determine your likelihood of that, and that's sort of the job of the prenatal care. But then there are things that can happen that you didn't predict. And monitoring and assessing the situation during labor is important.
Luke
Okay, which pregnancy was your hardest? I'm having my weirdest, hardest pregnancy with baby number three.
Unknown Speaker
I'm 31 and so many people have told me that baby number three is.
Luke
The hardest pregnancy, including two midwives and a mom of 10 wondering if one.
Unknown Speaker
Of your pregnancy stands out as especially challenging. If it is, it wouldn't be baby number three. Not that, you know, that's just one opinion, I'm sure maybe on the whole, baby number three is the hardest pregnancy. I think I was the most nauseated with my second, but I also was.
Luke
Pregnant with her 15 years ago.
Unknown Speaker
And so I sometimes am like, was I? Or, you know, I don't know if I even remember it right. But as far as I remember, I couldn't eat, like, any normal food.
Luke
I had to get something certain.
Unknown Speaker
During the whole first trimester, I don't remember having any breaks in how I felt. Whereas with other pregnancies I feel mostly bad from about six weeks to 14. But then there's several days in there where I'm just like, I'm just totally fine. Like, where's my symptoms? Didn't have that with her. So I think that was my hardest. But nothing stands out as exceptionally hard pregnancy. I actually have had pretty easy pregnancies, I have to say, so far. And honestly, for me, even the third trimester is pretty easy. What's hard for me is only the first trimester. And it is. It's a struggle. Like every single time.
Luke
I just feel unmotivated.
Unknown Speaker
I feel tired, I feel nauseous. And that hasn't changed with any of them.
Luke
I do think that with my second, I was more of that.
Unknown Speaker
But they're always. I mean, this one too, like, they're always. It's just that. That six to 14 weeks, I just don't feel good. I don't like it. But I can pretty much handle the.
Luke
Rest of it pretty well.
Unknown Speaker
And nothing stands out as much worse than the others. But I don't think you're outside of the realm of normal for. To have. For you to have that. I know people who have had excellent pregnancies and terrible pregnancies and then excellent ones again, same person, same dietary habits. You know, one pregnancy is like this.
Luke
And the next one's great, the next one's terrible.
Unknown Speaker
And sometimes we can't figure it all out. I was in a Facebook group. I like to hang around in some of these, like, pro metabolic Facebook groups and just see the discussion. I find it interesting to see the things that people are, you know, talking about. And one of the things I saw was, why does it seem like some people who do everything perfectly still have these. These terrible pregnancies? Or, you know, xyz, you could just name anything that could happen to a person medically that you expected not to.
Luke
Based on the life that they're living. And there's just some things that just aren't explainable. They're just not.
Unknown Speaker
And because some people will be in that group and they'll say, I had a terrible first pregnancy. I did xyz, and now I'm having the best pregnancy. And I'm not saying you can't influence things. I'm not.
Luke
Not saying that.
Unknown Speaker
But I think to always attribute it to just like, I drank this certain thing, you know, I took this certain vitamin, and. And then that just is always going to solve it, no matter what. I think have several more children and.
Luke
You might see that sometimes it just.
Unknown Speaker
Doesn'T work out that way. Like, I know people who do everything per. Well, you know, they don't do it perfect because nobody does it perfect, but they mostly live, like, the kind of lifestyle that you would expect would make.
Luke
It to where there wouldn't be any.
Unknown Speaker
Trouble, you know, and then, then there is on top of having some difficulties, then also feeling like, you know, I could have controlled this. Not saying there aren't things you can do because there are, like, I'm not saying that you shouldn't try and that.
Luke
There aren't certain dietary things to do.
Unknown Speaker
And lifestyle things to do to help, but sometimes I don't think you can pinpoint why one was terrible.
Luke
And one wasn't we have guesses.
Unknown Speaker
We're always, I do that.
Luke
I make guesses as to oh, it was probably this.
Unknown Speaker
But then, you know, I do it a few kids later and it's like, well, that didn't line up on that one. And I just don't know why. Sometimes you there's probably always a reason. You just can't always figure it out. And I think sometimes we worry too much and overly try to figure everything out. And, you know, sometimes it's it's good to get to the bottom of things. Like, I've definitely advocated for myself and I have taken things and I have reversed them with certain practices, but it doesn't always work out that way. So I do think, and I know.
Luke
This is controversial and people will say this is not the case.
Unknown Speaker
I do think it's normal for first trimesters to be hard. I think that it's okay if it's hard. I don't think, you know, there's something necessarily wrong with you. If first trimesters are hard, it just. They just are. Sometimes they are for me. All right, well, thank you all so much for submitting your questions. Currently what's big in my life, which is what I currently have a lot of experience talking about, which is why a lot of you ask these questions, which is why I end up gravitating.
Luke
Towards these questions because I have personal experience.
Unknown Speaker
House building and pregnancy soon to be.
Luke
Some different design decisions as well.
Unknown Speaker
The house build progresses. At some point birth will be a topic I'm probably talking more about and then anything family related in the mix. That's always something going on.
Luke
So you can submit your questions over.
Unknown Speaker
At Bit Ly SFL Questions. The SFL are capitalized and is case sensitive.
Luke
The rest is lowercase.
Unknown Speaker
We'll also leave that link down below as well as any resources I touched on will be linked in the show Notes notes or the description box, depending on if you're watching this on YouTube or listening on a podcast player. If you do want to see the video version of this, it's just me sitting in a room talking. You can find that over on YouTube. Just search simple Farmhouse Life.
Lisa
Thanks as always for listening to the Simple Farmhouse Life Podcast. My husband Luke and I and our eight kids work together side by side on our little homestead and use our blog, podcast, podcast and YouTube channel to reach other homemakers, home cooks and homesteaders with practical recipes and daily family life. For everyday sourdough recipes, make sure to check out our blog, farmassomboon.com and to dig deeper, we do also offer a course called Simple Sourdough over at Bitvit. Ly farmhousesourdo Course. That's all one word. Bit Ly Farmhouses. If you're looking to learn learn how we earn an income online, check out my YouTube course at bit ly farmhouse YouTube course all one word.
Unknown Speaker
We interrupt this program to bring you an important Wayfair message. Wayfair's got Style Tips for Every Home. This is Nicole Byer helping you make those rooms flyer. Today's style tip when it comes to making a statement, treat bold patterns like neutrals. Go wild like an untamed animal Print area rug under a rustic farmhouse house table from Wayfair.com oh fierce. This has been your Wayfair style tip to keep those interiors superior.
Wayfair Every Style Every Home.
Host: Lisa Bass
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Podcast: Simple Farmhouse Life
In this engaging episode of the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast, Lisa Bass provides a comprehensive update on her family's ongoing homebuilding project, shares valuable insights into managing a large family, and addresses listener questions related to homebuilding and motherhood. Here's a detailed breakdown of the key discussions and insights from Episode 292.
Lisa and her husband, Luke, are deeply immersed in building their dream "new old" farmhouse, blending modern functionality with historic charm. They are currently in the framing stage of construction, having made significant progress since the episode's release.
Framing Phase:
"We are fully in the middle of framing right now," (02:24) Lisa explains, noting that by the time the episode airs, the framing would largely be complete, with work already underway on the second level.
Contractor Communication:
One of the major challenges they've faced is ensuring clear communication with contractors to maintain the house's character.
"They make assumptions and come up with what they think would be the best solution," (05:26) Lisa shares, emphasizing the importance of their active involvement to prevent misinterpretations that could lead to significant rework.
Custom Antique Doors and Windows:
Incorporating authentic antique elements has been a meticulous process. Lisa recounts the difficulties in sourcing and fitting antique doors of non-standard sizes.
"We sourced antique and vintage doors from the time period the house was built, which aren't standard sizes," (09:55) she notes, highlighting the bespoke adjustments required by the builders.
A listener, Lee from Old Tavern Farm, inquires about sourcing wooden windows and doors for an enclosed stone porch intended to function as a greenhouse.
Recommended Resources:
Lisa recommends partnering with experts like Brent Hull of 100 Year Window, who specialize in historic restoration.
"These windows are designed to last 100 years and maintain historic accuracy," (17:04) she advises, providing Lee with a valuable resource for his project.
Door Sourcing Strategies:
For doors, Lisa suggests exploring platforms like Etsy and architectural salvage websites, emphasizing the importance of flexibility in framing to accommodate non-standard dimensions.
"Some doors can be trimmed down to fit, while others might be better left as authentic antiques," (17:51) she explains, illustrating her pragmatic approach to blending old and new elements.
Designing a kitchen that aligns with their farmhouse aesthetic while meeting modern needs has been another focal point.
Vent Hood Dilemma:
Lisa and Luke discuss the challenge of integrating a functional vent hood without compromising the kitchen's historic charm.
"I don't like the huge exposed range hood, but it's necessary for our airtight new build," (25:10) Lisa admits, revealing their compromise between style and practicality.
Wood Cook Stove Partnership:
Excitingly, Lisa announces a partnership with Thornhill Ranges to incorporate a wood-fired cook stove reminiscent of classic Aga stoves.
"This stove provides the cozy glow of a flame while offering modern cooking capabilities," (30:41) she enthuses, explaining how it will serve dual purposes of heating and cooking during winter months.
As a mother of eight, Lisa delves into her extensive experience with multiple pregnancies and raising a large family alongside managing a homebuilding project.
Pregnancy While Nursing:
Lisa shares her personal journey of getting pregnant while nursing multiple times, typically losing milk supply around 12 to 20 weeks.
"I almost always get pregnant while nursing, and my milk supply drops as the pregnancy progresses," (32:34) she explains, highlighting the physical adjustments required.
Managing Multiple Children:
With a large family, Lisa emphasizes the importance of teamwork and support.
"I can have my older kids hold the baby while I cook, making tasks more manageable," (37:00) she states, showcasing the collaborative dynamics that help sustain their household.
Overcoming Overwhelm:
Addressing the mental and emotional challenges, Lisa offers encouragement to listeners feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of expanding their families.
"This season of feeling overwhelmed will change, and in a year, things will feel different," (41:47) she reassures, providing hope and perspective.
Lisa addresses several listener-submitted questions, offering advice drawn from her personal experiences and research.
Encouragement for Expanding Families:
A listener expresses anxiety about adding another child due to feeling overwhelmed. Lisa responds with empathy and practical advice.
"Everything is just a stage which you will get through," (35:58) she comforts, reminding listeners that feelings of chaos are temporary and manageable.
Deciding on Home Births:
Another listener, expecting her fifth child at 41, inquires about the considerations for a home birth.
As the podcast episode concludes, Lisa hints at future discussions that will delve deeper into homebuilding intricacies and the evolving dynamics of their large family. She encourages listeners to submit questions and stay connected through various platforms.
Episode 292 of Simple Farmhouse Life offers a heartfelt glimpse into Lisa Bass's multifaceted life, balancing the complexities of homebuilding with the joys and challenges of a large family. Her candid discussions and practical advice provide valuable insights for listeners navigating similar journeys in simplifying life, embracing natural living, and managing motherhood.
For more information and to connect with Lisa's resources, visit Farmhouse on Boom and follow her on YouTube, where she continues to share her farmhouse adventures and expertise.