Military Mama's check-in

mlm646 · January 2014

This is our first check-in, so let's start with the basics! What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed? Due date? Boy/Girl? Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born? Best advice for getting through a deployment? STMs, best advice with kids?

mlm646 · January 2014

And of course all my sentences run together! Grr!

mlm646 · January 2014

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?

My husband is in the Army Special Forces and we are at Fort Carson, Colorado. We LOVE Colorado and just found out we get to stay another 2-3 years!

Due date? Boy/Girl?

April 7th. A little girl

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born?

10 Weeks of training this summer, but it is close to where I'm from in DC so we will likely visit family for about a month. But other than that, this new job he'll take this summer should keep him home for the most part.

Best advice for getting through a deployment? STMs, best advice with kids?

DH deployed when our son was only 6 weeks old… he was gone for the majority of the first 6 months of his life, but luckily FaceTime exists and we saw him almost every day. My best advice with a baby is to sleep when the baby sleeps and make the most out of the time the baby is awake - get out of the house! It's really hard because it takes forever to get ready to leave the house and by the time you're ready the baby needs to eat again and be changed - but push through, go meet your friends, have baby play dates, walk around the mall, and since it'll be spring when our babies get here - get outside! It really passes the time.

jgallegos · January 2014

My DH separated from the AF recently and is now AF Reserve. We are currently in SE Alabama at Ft.Rutcker. Due date is April 4th and will be a sweet little man. No deployments any time soon and as this is our first no deployment with kids advice but when he did deploy previously communication was key. Talk about everything and anything. Stay connected any way you can. We sent letters to each other which was awesome to have the anticipation of the letter.

hlm184 · January 2014

DH is AD AF and we are stationed in South Carolina. Anxiously counting down the minutes until we can move again, we hate it here.

Due date is April 1, little boy.

DH leaves for a two month TDY this weekend, and we just barely dodged a non-vol to Korea unaccompanied for a year. He's hot again this fall and every fall, so we'll see.

Avion22 · January 2014

I'm active duty AF, husband is a civilian (currently student teaching at DODDS schools). We're stationed in the UK.

Due March 29th, Boy.

No deployments coming up (we conceived like a week after I got back from Afghanistan last summer!), but we are probably PCSing back to the US sometime this summer.

Deployment tips: H says staying busy is key (he's done two deployments since we've been together). This last deployment we were able to skype about twice a week, which made a huge difference. I found it hard to talk on the phone because there's very little privacy, and it can be hard to find things to talk about because every day deployed tends to run together, and anything that's interesting or different we're not allowed to talk about anyway. But skyping seemed to be better than talking on the phone for some reason.

MayMilitaryBride · January 2014

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?
→My husband is Army. We at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Due date?
→April 28th if I can make it that far.

Boy/Girl?
→GIRL!!!!!

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born?
→We don't know yet. DH is currently finishing up some training here and we are awaiting new orders that will come any day now. Very anxious bc we will be moving 2-3 weeks before baby comes. VERY STRESSFUL. We are first time parents still relatively new to the military life.. He has equal chance of being deployed and getting somewhere in the states. So I guess we will see....

J&NL · January 2014

DH is in the army. We are having a boy and have a 3 yo DD. No deployments for the next year or so, thank god. I'm not much help when it comes to deployments because I've always been fortunate to go home while he was gone, however we were together for a year and a half long distance before we moved in together so I understand the distance thing. What got me through was routine, routine, routine. Cherish the Skype/ phone calls and don't forget to continue on with your life.

NavyMrsOT · January 2014

DH is AD Navy. We are currently at naval station Norfolk. He has spent most of the pregnancy out to sea on underways for his ship. Luckily we have been able to communicate via email! My fear is that he will be out to sea again in early April. We are expecting our first baby, a boy, on 4/14! Upcoming deployments? We leave end of June for a 2 year tour in Bahrain. It's gonna be very hectic post baby trying to get screened, passport, vaccinations. Yikes! Any ladies been to Bahrain??

snowbound · January 2014

DH is Army and I'm currently living with his family while he is deployed (boo!). He will be back a few months after baby is born. I'm due April 16th with our first and we're team blue. No advice on deployments. I keep myself busy with our pets and hobbies or else I would lose my dang mind!

bacorrea · January 2014

What branch/station:
DH is in the Army. We are stationed at Fort Hood, TX.

Due date/sex:
Due with our first on April 30th, baby is a girl.

Deployments:
Yes. DH deploys a couple months after this LO is born. I will be moving home to be closer to family.

Best advice:
This is our first deployment. I plan to visit lots of friends. Obviously I will be busy with out LO. Hopefully the year will fly by!

khammond3 · January 2014

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?
Husband is in Special Forces training and we are at fort Bragg nc!!!

Due date? Boy/Girl?
April 8 with a girl!!!!

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born?
He still has about a year before he is done with SF training so he will at least be home for another year. Then we will get our orders for next duty station hopefully Fort Carson CO!!!

Best advice for getting through a deployment?
My faith in God is what got me through our first 12 month deployment. Thankfully SF deployments are only 6 months. I plan to keep my faith alive, stay close with family and friends, and stay busy with hobbies and our daughter!!!

khammond3 · January 2014

mlm646 said:
What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?
My husband is in the Army Special Forces and we are at Fort Carson, Colorado. We LOVE Colorado and just found out we get to stay another 2-3 years!

Due date? Boy/Girl?
April 7th. A little girl

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born?
10 Weeks of training this summer, but it is close to where I'm from in DC so we will likely visit family for about a month. But other than that, this new job he'll take this summer should keep him home for the most part.

Best advice for getting through a deployment? STMs, best advice with kids?
DH deployed when our son was only 6 weeks old… he was gone for the majority of the first 6 months of his life, but luckily FaceTime exists and we saw him almost every day. My best advice with a baby is to sleep when the baby sleeps and make the most out of the time the baby is awake - get out of the house! It's really hard because it takes forever to get ready to leave the house and by the time you're ready the baby needs to eat again and be changed - but push through, go meet your friends, have baby play dates, walk
around the mall, and since it'll be spring when our babies get here - get outside! It really passes the time.

We sound so much alike! Hubby's are SF, having a girl, due April 7 and 8!!! Has your husband been deployed with his SF team yet? I would love to get
To chat with you, my husband is still in training but would love to hear more about everything with SF

Tferr02 · January 2014

We are Army and stationed at Ft Bragg. We are due April 4 with a boy, but I'll be have a RCS before then. No upcoming deployment but my husband is going to a 6 week course at ft Gordon 6 weeks after baby is born. We haven't done any deployments as parents yet, but we have done a lot of field time and training. My son loves FaceTime, we record videos and my son also loves his Daddy doll!

lmcwooty · January 2014

Hi everyone! I hope I answered all of the questions.

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?
Hubby is a helo pilot for the Navy and we're stationed at NAS North Island (San Diego). We have been here about 4 years.

Due date?
4.4.14

Boy/Girl?

Boy

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born?
Not too soon (probably in a year or two. We specifically waited until he was on shore tour to get pregnant.

Best advice for getting through a deployment?
Don't try to sugar coat the experience. You can simultaneously have a good attitude, but allow yourself to feel sadness, pain and frustration. It's an incredibly trying time and for me, trying to busy myself and ignore those sad feelings took it's toll. Reach out for support, don't be ashamed to ask for help and get through it one day at a time.

Avion22 · January 2014

@mamrotu73, I know lots of dual mil pilot couples (all are AF-AF), and you guys sound just like them :-) I LOLed at the milk part. We used to send guys from Bagram to Al Udeid on two-week rotations to be liaisons to the CAOC, and we got them a big cooler to bring back milk every time:-) It was amazing!!!

mlm646 · January 2014

@khammond3

That's awesome! My husband has been in SF for quite some time and last year was a company commander here in Ft Carson. He's deployed quite a bit with SF. Deployments aren't too bad, usually a few months at a time. I know he loves his job but he definitely loves being home with his son more

That'd be great if you guys moved here! Colorado is gorgeous!

mlm646 · January 2014

It's really great to get to know you all! I'm glad we're doing a check-in!

Nxy · January 2014

DH is AD Air Force. We are stationed at Andersen AFB Guam. Due April 21st. Girl.

DH is currently forward deployed on island so sometimes he's home, sometimes he isn't.

My advice for deployment is kinda lame because I really do enjoy being alone. OF COURSE I miss DH but I don't go volunteer or anything because I'm not a people person. I usually just try and go to the gym more when he is gone.

MaryKathryn1987 · January 2014

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?

DH is an SSG in the Army. He is an MP but working on switching over to civil affairs.

Due date? Boy/Girl?

April 11th with a boy

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born?

No. For now anyway.

Best advice for getting through a deployment?

Take the time to focus on YOU! Most of us don't get to do that very much and we often put our husbands and of course kids, before ourselves. Take time to do you things that make you feel better about yourself whether that be volunteering, picking back up an old hobby, working out. I look at it as a way of strengthening the relationship while he is away. Make goals for yourself and spend time with girlfriends if you can.

MaryKathryn1987 · January 2014

Oh! And we are stationed at Ft. Lewis, and moving to Ft. Riley March 1st. (switching doctors and homes one month before baby is due. Yay.....)

Then likely going to Bragg shortly after that.

This was the only arrangement that got him out of doing one year in Cuba with no leave or outisde contact so pretty much anything beats that!

Kjrisi · January 2014

AD Air Force and we are currently stationed at Holloman AFB New Mexico. (Like some of you, we're hoping to leave soon! Haha)

We're due April 5th with a little boy

DD was not excited to find out it was a boy haha she was hoping to have a little sister to doll up.

We were supposed to PCS to Incirlik air base in Turkey but it was cancelled due to me being due two weeks after we were to be there and there isn't an OB in turkey.

No expierience with deployment yet. But I loved reading PP's about deployment

thank you all for the advice!

Happy Thursday!

Asheebeth · January 2014

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?

DH Is active Duty Air Force and Currently stationed At Wright Patterson AFB In Ohio. It's not bad here but we sure miss TX.

Due date?

4.23.2014

Boy/Girl?

A sweet Baby Girl

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born? Best advice for getting through a deployment? STMs, best advice with kids?

No Deployments anytime soon thank goodness. He was eligible to start his deployment band in Dec. When they decided his job is non-Deployable for now. I have no clue why but I'm certainly not upset.

jessech89 · January 2014

@NavyMrsOT I've never been stationed in Bahrain but we stopped there for a port call on my last deployment. People aren't lying when they tell you it is god awful hot! The base is really nice though, you never have tto leave if you don't want to bc they provide everything. Getting off base to explore is worth it though.

LyndseyLC · January 2014

I like this! felt bad when I saw the title of this post at first because I had never seen it before. but to find out this is the first one, exciting!!

DH is in the MN Air National Guard. He is currently deployed at Andrews AFB in Maryland/ Washington DC area. He will be home in about 2 1/2 weeks!! He left Sept 13.

It was a little sad at first when he left then nice now I cant wait for him to get back! Feeling anxious.

DD and our dog will be so happy too

I am due 4/14/14 with a boy. naming most likely Lucas John.

jessech89 · January 2014

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed? I just converted from AD Navy to Navy Reserve. I haven't started drilling yet, anyone have any tips for me? My boyfriend is still active Navy. He's been going to bio med tech school at Ft Sam in TX for the last year and a half so we've had plenty of time apart! He just got orders TODAY for Pensacola, FL so I'm super pumped to live in the pan handle. And to live with my boyfriend finally. We'll be moving in 3-4 weeks!

Due date? April 11

Boy/Girl? Girl

Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born? Thankfully, my boyfriend is going on a 3 year shore rotation so he won't deploy unless he goes on an IA but it is doubtful. I have 2 years of nondeployable status since I'm coming off of active duty.

Best advice for getting through a deployment? When my boyfriend and I were living together in Norfolk, he would go underway a lot. But my ship was in a yard period so I rarely went underway. So while he was gone for those few weeks at a time I would practice cooking new things, a lot of partying with friends, and I played with and trained our dog who was a puppy at the time. His goal was at least one email a day and if something important came up he would call me. The few times I was underway and he was in port, it was easy to keep busy because I was always working.

mamrotu73 there's nothing sucky about a stateroom! haha I got to stay in one once during an underway on a small-deck amphib and it was amazing.

jessech89 · January 2014

@mamrotu73 Thanks I will check it out! We want to save money to buy a house so we're going to attempt to live under our means. I saw an apartment complex complex online called Stoddert Place. Have you ever heard of it and is it any good? It seemed almost too good to be true lol although I'd love to get out of an apartment and into a house, I'd love to save money.

Jodash24 · January 2014

My fiancé in the Royal Navy, we are due 27/04/14, he's currently away until the end of the month, but due to leave in April this year (good timing) I can't wait for him to be around more!

He did a deployment of the gulf last year, was awful there's no advice really u just get through it. We also have a 6 year old.

Avion22 · January 2014

jessech89 said:

@mamrotu73 Thanks I will check it out! We want to save money to buy a house so we're going to attempt to live under our means. I saw an apartment complex complex online called Stoddert Place. Have you ever heard of it and is it any good? It seemed almost too good to be true lol although I'd love to get out of an apartment and into a house, I'd love to save money.

I was in Pensacola for Nav School an embarrassingly long time ago (a decade!), and I remember Stoddert Place. Some of my classmates lived there. I would NOT recommend it -- it was run down then, and a chunk of the apartments are set aside for subsidized housing. I lived in AustinWood (just down Blue Angel on N. Loop Rd, closer to the back gate) which was only a few years old then, and was pretty nice. Apparently there is a newer apartment complex right next to it that is supposed to be nice too.

Nor sure what your price range is, but there are usually a lot of rental houses in the area, so it's worth checking out houses in addition to apartments. I remember some developments off Gulf Beach Hwy (so if you go out the back gate, then take the first left toward Perdido Key).

J&NL · January 2014

I'm pleased to see how many people are in the Milton/ pensacola/ ft Walton area! I'm originally from Pace/ Milton so it's nice to see there are so many bumpies there

MrsMeatball41 · January 2014

What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?My husband is in the Marines and currently stationed at New River. Although we love about 30 mins Away to get out of the military town of jacksonville, NC. Due date?4/22/14 Boy/Girl? Girl Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born? he is going to a new unit that deploys around April, but we don't think he is going with them. This is his first, my second but he is my sons father as he stepped up in that role

alysemci · January 2014

MrsMeatball41 said:
What branch are you/your husband in and where are you stationed?My husband is in the Marines and currently stationed at New River. Although we love about 30 mins Away to get out of the military town of jacksonville, NC. Due date?4/22/14 Boy/Girl? Girl Any upcoming deployments or deployments soon after the baby is born? he is going to a new unit that deploys around April, but we don't think he is going with them. This is his first, my second but he is my sons father as he stepped up in that role

We were stationed at new river for a year! What's his mos?!

NavyMrsOT · January 2014

@jessech89 thanks for the heat reminder!! My poor pasty self is gonna struggle!! We actually have to live off base so I will be forced to interact with the locals (probably good though, I may have just stayed on base all the time otherwise!)

MrsMeatball41 · January 2014

He's an ammo tech!

MJClark0413 · January 2014

My husband was stationed at ft Riley as a tanker then sniper he was in 5 yrs & I was in the Marines we obv met after our military days

little girl due April 11!! 2 days before our 2 yr wedding anniversary first child- living in Iowa where he's from I didn't want to raise a family in Philly where I'm from Iowa is much better

we just moved from Wilmington NC about a year ago I miss it once I got out (stationed in Jacksonville NC) made a life for myself in Wilmington was there 6 yrs met my husband 5 years into living there

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