Military Wives and Families

Emz, really? Thats interesting. I could have sworn he said he was training for up coming deployment. He was supposed to be going to afghan but that got canned - i believe he is going to the solomons. He's been there once before on a longer tour just after we got together. I probably got my wires crossed re: training for deployment vs training because lying in mud is what they do. I ask little about what he gets up to because i'm not sure i want to know .

Yeah he did a deployement there about 2 months after we started going out a few years ago - he was gone 8 months then and it was a "4 month" as well! He always ends up staying longer, no idea why as i'm pretty sure last time his unit returned but he didnt, he has some kind of special talent
He didnt have skype last time though, i didnt know they do now - thats awesome!!! Hopefully we can juggle so he can 'talk' to DS!

Dh's exercise is only for 3 months missing him a lot more this time than I normally do, think being a SAHM we've spent a lot more time together as a family than when I was working full time.

Haven't noticed any difference with DD guess she's too little to understand, hope she's excited when he comes home and doesn't forget him.

One of the hardest things is actually when they come home as you have your own little routines and everything your way Then you have to consider another adult and their opinions etc. Even the little things like haveing to share the remoteor him being in the shower when you want it and are used to it always being availiable.
Sometimes kids take a while to adjust particularily older ones when the other parent comes home and it is someone else setting the rules etc and they are used to only one person doing this, especially if the rules are slightly different.

I am not a military wife, but DH and I spend months apart at a time due to his work, and as DD has got older (now 2.5) I have found it harder as she understands he is not there and its her that I worry about as she misses him so much. Our next baby is due in a couple of months and DH will leave to go away with 3 weeks of baby being born and will be gone almost full time for 7 months, goodness knows how it will all go, I know I will cope fine with the practical stuff you just do, but the emotional stuff, missing him, DD missing him and mostly DH missing out on all the new things with the new baby will be hard.

C&J - I find the best way to do it is one day at a time, and don't have high expectations of how it will be as it can be disappointing at times, try to remember that your DH is adjusting to being home as much as you are adjusting to having him home and enjoy it, as someone said above it is hard when you have got set into your own little routines and ways of doing things and living alone as such, but you do get use to it all over again. My DH went away when DD was about 5-6 months old for 2 months and she was soooo excited when she saw him for the first time when he got back, we got in on video and its gorgeous, they do remember their Dad's, she was beaming when she heard his voice. Hope the next couple of weeks go quickly.

It takes a lot of adjustment - he needs to blend into the family, not you adjusting to what he wants. There may be a lot of disagreements! DH and I have spent nearly 12 months apart so even after him being home for 7 weeks now, we're still adjusting (doesn't help that I've had no time off with him).

I don't really have much advice, it just kind of 'happens' because you make it work. As for having more kids, you do cope :) DH was away when I had terrible MS with DD (lost 10kg), and I was in hospital with DS for over a month. We still got through but it was tough. I figure if I got through that, I can get through most things!

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Edited by BabyRixon