Baby on Board!

The rest of this year is going to be a big one in our little family - we are expanding by one!

We have been dying to share this news with all of our family and friends, but thought it would be more fun to do it in person, so were waiting to make our semi annual tour. Although the waiting nearly killed us, being able to see the looks on everyone's faces made it worth the wait!

We are thrilled to welcome our newest crew member at Christmas this year and cannot wait to start this new chapter of our lives!! However, with this exciting news came an almost literal slap to the face - how were we going to afford a baby on a boat?! After much thinking, debating, a bit of arguing and lots more thinking, we finally came to the decision that it would be better to start our little family on terra firma rather than on the boat. So, with heavy hearts, we are looking for our final port and a place to sell our floating home.

This decision did not come easily, especially for me. I have been lucky enough to come across a few boating mommas out there (namely Genevieve and Brittany whose amazing blogs you can check out here: ItsANecessity and WindTraveler) who have befriended me and for years I have watched their beautiful children grow into amazing little people with a fierce sense of self. I have always loved and admired the way that boat children are brought up - exposed to so many different cultures and an entirely different way of life - they seem to be so much more aware and easy-going and learn such a sense of independence early on. I have always wanted that for my children and the thought of raising a child on a boat doesn't scare me, it excites me. But, to raise a child, you must have money and that is something that we are sorely lacking at this moment.

To be able to afford this fantastic lifestyle that we have lived, we have both had to work long, back-breaking hours when we are ashore. To cut one of us out of the equation to stay at home with a child means half of our savings gone and in turn, our trips would be cut in half. So, we have to make the decision that is right for us as a new family and will sell the boat. I will, however, be forcing my children to enroll in sailing school as soon as they know how to swim! The sailing bug is in our blood now and we are both still holding onto the dream that we will be back on a boat before we know it!