Friday, August 6, 2010

Honey, I'm Home

It has been an entire month without...

...anybody stealing my covers or nudging me to roll over so I stop snoring.
...anyone filling up the DVR with their shows and all of which start at the same time so MY shows don't record.
...anyone complaining that I have been spending more time blogging than with them.
...anyone saying "I don't know, whatever you feel like making" when I ask what they would like for dinner.
...an alarm going off (other than the house alarm which I forget I've set and walk downstairs to set the alarms blaring-sorry, neighbors).
...having someone to talk to whenever I feel the need.  At least someone who answers back in something other than toddlerese.
...having a partner-in-crime by my side.
...sleep because I am hypersensitive to every little noise that I hear at night.

...my husband

Today, he returns home. 

I couldn't be happier.

Madison now stands for a few seconds at a time.  Emmy can open the refrigerator (which I have learned is a very bad thing when she took out the ranch dressing to eat for a snack).  The two of them will have conversations with Emmy talking to her little sister in her big girl voice and Madison just babbling away happily. Madison more than ever wants to do whatever her big sister is doing.

I was happy about these things but in all honesty, a little melancholy to in my heart.  Whenever I relayed our day and all the new things they were learning and doing to my husband over the phone or face to face on Skype, I could feel my heart hurt for him.  He wasn't there to see these things.  Hearing and seeing them over the phone or through a webcam just wasn't the same as being there and being able to reach out to them to hug them or to exclaim over their achievements in person.

There were days where all I could think about was how tired I was or how much work there was to do on my own around the house.  There wasn't a lot of free time to just sit and relax especially when Madison was up at night teething or when the stomach bug paraded through our house.  I can't forget when I left a gel ink pen in the living room when I was doing bills late one night and the girls found it and decided to decorate the ottoman and chair with their artistic flair.

Yet, I realized how much harder the separation was on my husband.  A hundred times harder.  Yes, he had a great opportunity with his work, a chance to help get where he wanted to go in his career. The nice hotel room, the nice dinners, and the quiet weren't home.  I had the comfort and familiarity of our house-our space.  I had our daughters to hug and laugh with. I got to see them continue to grow and they did in such a short time. I was the lucky one. 


Emmy excitedly told her grandmother yesterday that her Daddy was coming home from Cal-e-forn-ne-yay. Later, she told me he was bringing her a dolphin carriage and gummy bears.

Uh...I hope he knows that. If not, I think she will forgive him.

All that I want him to bring me home?  Just himself.

Have you ever been away from your spouse for an extended period? 
How did you cope?

14 comments:

Nicole said...

My fiance is in the Marine Corps (a reservist now, thankfully) but we were apart during his boot camp training and then job specific training. We communicated through only letters for the 13 weeks of boot camp. But I was luckily able to see him for the other 3 months of job training. It was a little awkward for us when we reunited after boot camp, just because we hadn't seen each other in so long, but after about a day we were back to normal! We moved in together after he finished training and I really think the whole process has made us stronger as a couple! And I'm sure your time from your husband will do the same! It's great to see them after so long of not being with them, regardless of how long it's been! :)

Courtney said...

Luckily I haven't. Great blog! Found you from Hop and you have a new follower :)

HannahAchrissmile said...

When my husband and I were dating, I was away at school for 4 months, and that was very very hard.
Five months after we got married he had to go away for work training for a week. That was a different sort of hard! I was never so happy to have him back home!

jmt said...

How do people have the guts to show up at your blog, click on the comment section of one of your posts, and totally IGNORE what you what about? Not comment on what you wrote about AT ALL?? And then have the guts to ask you to follow them?

I'm sorry. I'm baffled by the comments you've received. LOL Is that mean of me to expect your other readers to actually...well...READ...what you wrote? And blogcare enough to show that they actually READ it?

Oh, and umm...it sounds like you really enjoy your spouse. Is it horrible that I sometimes wish me and my spouse had work travel obligations that allowed us more days of separation? Okay that really does sound bad. I do love him! Honest.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend. Happy Friday.

Sarah said...

I can totally empathize with you- time away from your husband is so hard! I'm an Army spouse and my hubby has deployed 4 times, so we've had our share of not fun goodbyes and time spent apart. No matter what, goodbye is goodbye though, and it's hard being separated. Homecoming is such a sweet thing and it's nice having them around the house again though- definitely makes you appreciate each other!

One Photo said...

My husband goes away a couple of times a year for about 10 days on business trips. That length of time always seems OK - I never sleep well on my own any more, I think since my daughter was born in fact so it must be that I worry for her safety. I would find a whole month tough though and so would my daughter. So enjoy your weekend with Daddy home.

Joy@TPMG said...

It's going to be a fabulous weekend! The girls were so excited this morning. Em had a hard time going down for her nap because she thought her daddy was going to leave again.

I'm not sure he would ever do it again.

KLZ said...

Having them far away can be so very hard...especially with teething or sickness. But I must admit, I like having the bed to myself :)

Anonymous said...

First of all, I LOVE your blog design! Too cute! :)

So happy to hear that your Husband is coming home. It's never easy being apart from your best friend. :)

I'm following from New Friend Friday!

Bibi @ Bibi's Culinary Journey said...

Yeey for happy home coming and I sure hope he knows about the presents,lol.

My husband works on oil rigs so in a winter we don't see him 3-6 weeks at the time.

The first trip when the season starts is always hard, but then we get into out groove and do our things till daddy gets home.

Sippy Cup Mom said...

I have never been away from my husband, but so glad yours is coming home!! Yay!

New follower from Chickadee! ;-)

Dawn said...

So happy to hear your hubby is coming home!! I am a new follower from ff :)
http://flipoutmama.blogspot.com/

Lourie said...

My husband was in the Coast Guard for 21 years. He went underway on patrols to Mexico, Alaska, and Russia. He would be gone for 2 to three months at a time. There was also schools ranging from 3 weeks to 2 months. I was lucky as the patrols were before we had kids. And he was never sent to a hot zone. I coped with lots of support from family and friends and snail mail. I love technology!

The Drama Mama said...

I think in our 6 years, the longest we have been apart is a week, if that long. I never handle it very well, but it's more about the way he handles the whole situation that takes him away then it is the fact that he is away.

I love your post though, and the way you describe all the things you have gone without, and how they are really nothing in comparison to being without your man. Beautiful, eloquent, touching.

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