Monday, September 2, 2013

Survival of the Army Wife: first week of deployment

One week down.  And I'm not even counting how many are left...


After dropping Hyrum off in the late night/early morning hours, I let myself cry all the way home and then go back to sleep.  Since then, I've been surprisingly stable!  Maybe that's because it's hard to comprehend how long 9 months feels without a spouse around [3 months is our record, and that included a weekend visit], so for now it's just one day at a time.  And I can handle individual days.

Here are some thoughts floating around in my head from the last 7 days:

  • It's strange to go back to grocery shopping for 1.  And cooking for 1.  
  • Falling asleep, alone, is quite an adjustment, too.  Several times this week I've laid in bed for over an hour before finally drifting off to dream land.  
  • Speaking of sleeping, Hyrum might be glad he's not around because my bed has been taken over by pillows!!  Even using 5 pillows, its still hard for me to get comfortable.  [This is to be blamed completely on pregnancy, not deployment.]
  • I kind of miss eating meals at the table.  But its so boring!  If there's not another person around to entertain me, I go somewhere more fun, like the computer or TV.  
  • My first day home alone I decided to stay home and take it easy.  And by the end of the day, I decided "never again."  Now, I create to-do lists with just about anything on them, just to keep me busy.  I go to a weekly play group, even though I don't have kids.  I spread out errands over a few days, instead of cramming it all into one like I used to.  If you can think of any recommended non-crafty hobbies, I'm all ears.  
  • In cleaning the house, even some menial tasks are tinged with nostalgia.  For example, This is the last time I'll be washing Hyrum's clothes for 9 months.  Or, Now that I've put his shoes where they belong, I won't have to touch them again for 9 months. Kind of nice.  But also sad. 
If only it weren't for the "war" aspect of deployment, I think I'd have much more peace of mind.  I don't worry about myself here at home; I can pretty much handle whatever comes up... but war zones introduce so many unknowns!  That's what I dislike the most.  

But we keep moving forward, a day at a time.  And thank goodness for technology, even if internet in Afghanistan costs an arm and a leg.  


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