Saying "See You Later"

 Timing is a funny... It's either perfect or horrible. There just doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground. When I first discovered we were pregnant with Ro-noceros, I thought the timing was PERFECT! The husband was supposed to be transferring to a new command for shore duty right around the time I was due and he'd be able to be home more to help and bond with the baby... And then the hammer dropped and we realized that, not only was he not transferring, but he was due to deploy right before my due date.

See? Crappy timing. But, we buckled down and worked things out so that Daddy could meet his little man and be around to help me for a little bit. The only stickler was that we'd eventually have to face the fact that this deployment was going to happen and that we'd have to face the fact that Dan was going to miss a good chunk of Ro-noceros' first year of life. So we packed in as much quality time as we could and prepared to say, "See you later".

 Getting in some quality cuddles

The hardest part in all of this was preparing T-rex for the fact that Daddy was going to leave for a while. Being 3.5, her concept of someone leaving her little world makes this transition delicate, as it piggybacks on the baby's arrival and will soon be followed by my starting back to work and reopening the daycare. We each spoke to her and she seemed okay, but I did notice she was playing in odd places and that a lot of her stories had to do with someone leaving and being gone. Heartbreaking and endearing all at once. 

In the laundry room with her Sailor Bear, wearing Daddy's hat

The day finally arrived to take Dan to the airport. His flight left SOOOOO early, hence why T is still in pajamas. We tried to make our farewell meaningful, sweet and quick... I think we succeeded. We hugged, kissed, cried a little and then said, "See you later" and waited for him to get through the line at security before we turned around and left for home. Surreal doesn't begin to describe that drive home. 

So now, we're a week into deployment and we're faring pretty well. T-rex is adjusting, though she has her moments where she's just a hot mess. Ro-noceros is still having issues gaining weight and we're struggling to keep our nursing relationship, but he's just about the easiest baby on the planet, which makes for a happy mommy. Every day is a reminder that we are stronger than this deployment!

Every day brings you closer to home, babe. Love you!