September 6, 2007

• Had a Bad Day

  Okay, I’d like to retract a statement. Remember a few posts ago when I made the following comment :

  Also, we did get the final word on Derek’s deployment: He’s NOT GOING. There’s a 99% chance that he’s not going. The only way he could go is if every available person and secondary backup person was abducted by aliens. (Put on your tin foil hats.)

  Kay, well I jinxed us by making that statement. So now I’m retracting it and reversing all the damage that was done.

  Derek’s being deployed and not to Turkey or United Arab Emirates, he’s headed to Iraq.

  Fortunately, it’s a relatively safe base by Iraq’s standards. He’ll be headed to guard a prison for suspected Iraqi terrorists and the US military boys who get in trouble. It’s on the border of Iraq/Kuwait and not in the firing zone so I’m blessed for small favors. The biggest shocker is, it’s not happening in February like we thought. Remember how they’d told us since we were about to get out of the military next year that we wouldn’t have enough time to go on the February deployment, thus saving us from it? Well they’re making time for us. He’s going this December and his training will start next month at the end of October. (we don’t know what date yet.) The training is in New Jersey and family is not permitted to come with you… So within the span of a few weeks, we went from having no deployment at all to losing my love by next month.

  Plus, he’s not going to be around when Aidan’s born.

  Seeing as how I won’t be able to travel in my third trimester, I can’t just go to Texas when he leaves. So I’ll probably stay here in Ohio until a week before Aidan is due and then go stay with Derek’s family in Indiana to have the baby. I look forward to being able to have his family around when the baby is born, but there’s not going to be any sort of replacement for Derek holding my hand when our child comes into the world. Those first precious cries won’t be heard by daddy and that breaks my heart. Aidan’s first smiles, words, teeth will all come while Derek is gone. Underneath my sadness at losing my husband, I’m thrilled that his parents and sisters will get to be around for so much. We haven’t figured out when I’ll be heading down to Texas, probably in December or January whichever is best for everyone. (meaning whatever is best for the babies) I’m hoping to stealthily kidnap his sister and force her to fly with me to the Lone Star state to help me with kids on the plane.

  Derek will come back from deployment around June and we’ll come back to Ohio for another 4 months until we’re out of the military for good.

  I suppose the benefits of going back to San Angelo are still there, I’ll have an opportunity to work at dispatch and pull an extra paycheck. (anybody want to babysit my kids for a living?) Our savings account will be overflowing with the money we’ll be saving for when we *do* get out of the military and I’ll have already re-established a connection with PD for a nice foot-in-the-door. *sighs* I know none of this is relevant to any of you and is relatively boggled… I’m just rambling and I know it. I suppose idle chatter makes me feel better about the whole situation. Anyhow, nothing is set in stone yet and as more information comes about, we’ll post it.

  Until then, every moment will be more precious than it ever was before. I don’t want to lose my best friend, but I’m praying for the strength I need to survive this. Derek’s got it so much harder than I do, so I can only *imagine* what he’s going through. Keep us and Derek’s family in your prayers.

  • 5:12 pm
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