Hey we're having another baby!!!

Today Jason, Bea and I got to hear the baby's heart beat. I love that sound. It's the first connection, it's the reassurance, it's life. It's my baby. I'm 12 weeks today, so the baby will be here in the middle of May. Now that we have gotten over the shock of being parents again, we are so very excited to meet this little one.

We didn't do anything for Halloween yesterday, but my sister let me borrow a bee costume, so we dressed Bea up in it and took pictures because I can't help myself!

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite one.

 

October in Rhode Island

Oh how quickly it can go from giggles to big ole crocodile tears. Dad made Bea a new toy with a box and a rope which she loved until she tipped over. Poor girl.

She loves drinking out of a real cup, and making a mess.

Ah, what says fall better than pumpkins? Last Saturday we took a very short road trip over to Jamestown (near Newport). We walked around Beavertail State Park, which reminded us of a mix between Presque Isle in Marquette and Ireland. It was super windy and the swells were ginormous. We will definitely be going back.

We had an impromptu photo shoot with the pumpkins last night. Oh how I love the light, and my beautiful baby girl (who is *gulp* going to be a year in 6 weeks).

baby girl, please stop growing

Baby girl, you're 10 months old and you are getting so big and so smart.

I still love waking up to your babbles in the morning (even if it takes me a little longer to get there).

You are so beautiful, precious girl. I even have strangers come up to me and tell me how beautiful you are.

Your name Beatrice means "Bringer of Joy," and it suits you perfectly. You make everyone who sees you smile. Your smirky looks, and your big gummy smiles, are enough to melt even the grumpiest of them.

Every day you amaze me. You do something new, or make a new face, or try to say "hi".

You turn pages like a pro, walk with your walker with out any help, and climb on everything like a monkey.

You make me smile every.single.day. All day long.

Thank you for letting me be your mom.

You are my heart baby girl.

I love who you are becoming....

but please stop growing.

clam chowder (and pictures of Bea)

I've made a new goal to try a new recipe each week because I get so bored with our meals.

I figured that since we are now living in New England, I should at least try to make clam chowder or as is pronounced here: chowdah.

To make clam chowder you need clams, so I went to the fish market (yes, like they caught them that day) and told the man working there that I wanted to make chowder and he showed me already cooked crab meat for chowder. I shook my head at him and said, "actually, I would rather do all the work myself." I'm sure as soon as I left he called me crazy, but before he did he sent me on my way with 5lbs of clams or quahogs as they are called here.

First I let them soak in water, salt and corn starch to get rid of the sand in them.
Next, I steamed the clams until they opened.

While I was waiting for them to cool I started on the soup.

This is what the clam meat looks like out of the shells. Yup, I thought it was gross too.

I cut it up into very miniscule pieces and added it to the chowder.

On Friday night we went to Georges for fish and chips. It was a little chilly, but we braved it and sat on the deck anyway.

Hello Gorgeous.

what would she say?

"hmmm...i know there is a way to open this door."

"daddy, don't go."

"yummy, the window tastes so good."

"hi mom"

"what do i do now? how do i get out of here?"

"i give up, i think I'll just sit down.""mom, seriously, STOP taking my picture.

rainy day walk to the beach

holiday weekend

Saturday morning after I put Bea down for her first nap (I'm pretty sure she was up at 5am that morning) I decided that I was going to go swimming. I wasn't sure where to go, so I just drove down ocean road, and then came back to Narragansett Beach. I knew that during the summer season they charged to get on the beach, but I saw a ton of people going in and no one taking money. I parked the monster of my truck and headed over. It was a beautiful morning and I walked right on the beautiful beach and headed right into the ocean.

I love Lake Superior, and she will always have a little piece of my heart, but the waves, oh the crashing waves. It was invigorating. I could have stayed in there all day. I definitely could get used to this.

This weekend we read books, drank coffee, went to a cookout, ate ice cream, swam, met new friends, kayaked, drank coffee, walked to the farmers market, took lots of naps, and capped the weekend off with a cookout of our own.

Narragansett beach. Lots of surfers out.

Here are a couple of pictures of our new house. This is the sunroom/dinning room/jason's office/euchre's new home.

This is our bedroom. Plenty of room to walk around and fit two dressers in it.

Bea's room/guest bedroom.

I had to put protective corners on the coffee table and for some reason Bea wants to attack them with her mouth furiously.

The second picture is a new face she makes. She mainly does it when she is concentrating. I think it is hilarious.

Bea getting ready for her first kayak ride.

We took her down the block to the salt pond and she sat in between my legs the whole time. She did great and I think she would have liked it even more if she didn't have her life jacket on, but there is NO WAY I will ever take her on the water without one. Sorry love.

It was a great first weekend in Rhode Island.

good days and bad days

Yesterday was a good day. I tried to find the post office, failed...oh well. I did find a children's consignment store that I will have to check out.

I also found a great spot. I'm not sure if I'll ever get over the fishy, rotting sea vegetation smells. Maybe it's not always like this.

I liked it so much that I had to bring Jason back for a swim with Bea at sunset.

Today I fell apart. Bea wouldn't nap, I had bad hair, I felt fat, and all of the things that I haven't had the time to think about kinda just hit me. I took two naps and after the second one, I woke up in a much better mood. Tomorrow is a new day, and I'll try again.

Point Judith Light house.

I just took off Bea's clothes because the were getting all wet and she just wanted to play.

All day long today I kept thinking, "man, it's like there is sand in your poop."  Oh yeah there really was. I couldn't keep her hands out of her mouth.

It's an invasion. Pretty cool sight to see a bunch of go carts with parachutes on them coming at you.

This one was o close.

Jason and Bea.