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Last June we welcomed our 2nd child, a girl to go with our little man, we were so happy. 5 weeks later my hubby was deployed to Afghanistan for 6months. It was the hardest day for both of us. Trying to explain to our nearly 3yr old son that Daddy wasn’t coming home for months was very difficult.

There were lots of tears for the first month until we settled into a routine of our own. Taking Jack to day care and getting Isabelle to all her newborn check ups and Drs appointments would have been easier with a second set of hands but it’s surprising what you can cope with when you have to.

My hubby was only gone 4 weeks when he rang me with the news we were being posted back across to the other side of the country to Newcastle! All I could say was ok as all of a sudden lots of thoughts and lists started popping into my head of what would need to be done, inform my work, change day care etc. but knowing I still had 5months until hubby was home I wasn’t too fussed. That was until my hubby came up with the brain wave of since I was already going back to Sydney in October for the last 3 months of his deployment, why not organise to have everything packed up and moved before I left!

At this stage I had 6weeks until I flew to Sydney :/ So with 2 kids in tow and support from my hubby’s section on Base and my family, who live in Sydney, 6weeks later we were watching the removalist’s work like machines packing our house and putting it all into storage, they were great with Jack who was concerned his toys wouldn’t get to his new house! It was during this already hectic 6wks that Isabelle was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and put into a hip brace requiring regular hip ultrasounds and Drs visits, like I wasn’t busy enough

My dad, who is ex-military, came to help that last week and to fly back with me and the kids. He was a great help especially when my stress levels went through the roof.

Settling in to life at my parents house was easy, it was nice to have adult company as well as my kids while we waited for hubby to return.

Then in November we got some unexpected news, hubby’s rotation, which would be the last one sent to TK, was coming home earlier! He would be home for Christmas :’) Jack and I set about making a welcome home poster and t-shirts for him and his sister. Jack still didn’t believe me on the day we drove to Sydney International that Daddy would be there, but when Jack saw his daddy come through the security door he took off running and flung himself at him. All I could hear Jack say was “Daddy you back! Isabelle, Daddy’s back!” It was the cutest thing.

This was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through, but also one of the best if that makes sense. Just the normal life of a military wife during deployment lol

Posted by MPember24, 29th January 2014

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