So… We had a baby! Now what?!? :)

From our last post, nearly a year ago, when we were sitting on the beach in Mexico, we couldn’t have imagined being at this jumping off point now, living in a house in southern Arizona and getting ready to move into our RV. 

After we hauled Echo out in late April, with the pandemic shaking up everyone’s plans, we decided to buy a fixer-upper in southern Arizona. It turned out to be an excellent decision as we got in right before the market was too much of a frenzy and allowed us to have a productive way to stay isolated and safe while the pandemic got even worse. 

Just days before closing on the house, we got the most amazing, best news of our lives. We were pregnant! The months flew by, house renovations were completed, the pregnancy progressed smoothly, and we learned that our baby boy, Finn Atlas Richardson, was due in early March of 2021. Although we barely furnished the house besides a few plastic chairs and fold out tables, we enjoyed the change to living in a house for a brief moment, with a bit more room to roam, a garden to water, and a beautiful view to admire, overlooking the mountains of Northern Mexico and city lights of Nogales. 

Although not the wedding we had once planned, we decided to tie the knot on October 2nd, and had a delightful ceremony outside at the Justice of the Peace, masks and all. Pap and Janey were able to come up from Mexico to witness the procession and we thoroughly appreciated their company.

As February neared, we transitioned from house projects to baby prep. Lof spent days in the kitchen prepping more than a month’s worth of food for the freezer. With the nursery assembled, the baby clothes washed, and the house clean as a whistle, on February 27th, baby Finn was here, the newest member of our crew! He was a 7-pound, 10-ounce, 19-inch long bundle of perfection. 

We already knew we had moved into a good neighborhood, but upon arrival home from the hospital at 9PM, to our surprise, the front of our house was decorated with balloons, presents, and congratulatory baby boy banners. It was the sweetest, most thoughtful gesture! Our wonderful neighbors showered us with support, answering all of our silly, first time parenting questions, bringing us delicious dinners, and always offering to pick things up for us. It felt amazing during the time of isolation to have a bit of normalcy, with our families unable to visit, our neighbors filled the support void. 

Watching baby Finn grow over the last 10 weeks has been hands down, the best and most joyous adventure thus far. It’s been an absolute pleasure soaking up every moment he is awake. We’re starting to pick up on his communication to us and love seeing him begin to recognize his surroundings, reaching and grabbing for things and following with his eyes, never shy to flash his giant gummy smiles. We find ourselves missing him when he is asleep, but thankful that each time he opens his eyes, he gets to see both of his parents’ loving smiles looking back at him. We’re thrilled to get out exploring with him and see how we all transition into life on the road. 

During the process of looking for the house, while we lived in the beautiful condos in San Carlos, we had a big ol’ fat cat named Lucky that immediately moved in with us. He was the condo cat, at 10 years old, he lived around the condos his entire life. Certainly living as big cat on the block and eating all the delicious leftovers from around town that guest would feed him. He was well loved at the condos, but it was apparent during the pandemic, with the lack of visitors, that he wasn’t getting his daily needs met. After following us on walks and sleeping with us for nearly two months straight, we decided to ask if we could adopt him. The owner of the condos was excited at the thought of Lucky having a stable home, especially as he was getting older, and we happily admitted him to the crew, his new title, Boat Cat Lucky. He is one mellow, loving guy. Weighing nearly 18pounds, he’s all chill and still following us around like a heeler. 

With the new additions to the crew, we had to rethink our little 1999 Subaru and tent camping lifestyle. With endless possibilities in front of us, and after lots of contemplating and number crunching, we decided on an 18-foot travel trailer to be our new tiny home for the road and during the summers while it’s hurricane season in Mexico. Originally, the decision to buy the house was with the idea of renting it out and continuing our travels. When we knew we were pregnant, we decided to spend the 4th trimester at the house, planning to move into the RV in mid- to late-May. Luckily, and with diligent planning, it all worked out and we found an excellent tenant. At this point, we’re all moved into the RV, and although we have an excellent view where it sits currently, we’re excited when that view also incorporates the sound of a river nearby. 

With all of us having our immunizations and vaccines up to date, we feel safe and ready to hit the road north to Chilko via the Rocky Mountains. We’re very much looking forward to traveling through New Mexico, a state we haven’t explored yet, and into Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, visiting a few of our absolute favorite places and exploring new spots as well. Our fingers are still crossed that the Canadian border restrictions will loosen by late-July so we can get across and spend at least 2 months with our family in remote BC. After Chilko, we plan to venture back south via the West Coast, finally returning to Echo around November to splash and go sailing again. We’re thoroughly looking forward to being back on the open road, camping, exploring wild places, sailing dulcenia and doing what we love as a family. This little guy is going to grow up in the open air, toes in the grass, sand and water, free as a bird.