Military Moms - Jan-Feb '09!

[~Katie~]

Happy new year mamas! I wish you all the best and much prosperity, health, and happiness! Here's to this year being better than the last!

[Alohamelly]

Happy New Year!!

[~Katie~]

So now I really need some advice. DH is deploying for sure between April-June, there is no doubt about it. This babe is due at the end of May, and if luck is on our side we can keep him here until just after this babe is born. I'm already having a post-partum doula so that will be a giant help, but for everyday life I'm wondering how I'm going to survive with a newborn and a very high-energy toddler. How I'm going to get everyday things like grocery shopping done I have no idea, its already hard enough with just one. Has anyone been through raising a new baby on their own for the first year in addition to other young children? Do you have tips for saving my sanity?

[MarineGurl020412]

Hi Ladies!

I am new to these boards and would like to join you. My name is Billie Jo and we are a Marine family currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan. DH and I have 2 DDs together, Mireille who is 5 and Melinda who is 3, and a third DD on the way (EDD 4 March 09).

[BellaLuna Rayne]

Happy New Year!

Today was a really hard day for me. DH is on mission and I really want/need to talk to him. I got an email this morning at 1 am so that was nice. So much for things calming down for him.

to all.

[kirstenb]

Happy New Year everyone!

Welcome Billie Jo!

Katie, I didn't have two when DS was born but DH was deployed... what saved me was having a lot of food cooked in the freezer and a lot of things in the fridge and pantry that required little to no cooking. The last thing I wanted to do was cook and since it was just me it was super easy to take something out of the freezer and heat it up.

I relied a lot on my friends out here, too.

[MarineGurl020412]

I have to second what Kristen said about the meals. Our first deployment I was pregnant with DD2 (DH came home 10 days after I delivered). DD1 was 18 months when he left and I was still active duty.

When I would feel like cooking I would make double batches and freeze 1/2 for later. This was a godsend on those days where I just didn't want to do anything.

Grocery shopping is ahole other thing. Do you have a friend nearby? My friend and I would either take turns doing our shopping while the other would watch the kids or we would all go together and I would help keep an eye on her kids while she would help with mine. Also my MIL did fly out to help and left a few days after DH got home. If there a family member that can come and help you for a while?

[~Katie~]

Thanks for the info ladies. I plan to do a lot of freezer meals like I did last time so I know that will be a big help. The friend thing is kind of a weird situation right now. I've become the resident weirdo I guess to all of my neighbors because I cloth diaper and own a cloth diapering business and apparently all of my other parenting choices like breastfeeding are strange as well, I'm "that mom" to avoid supposedly. I do not fit into this role very well and I can't fake it well enough to play the game in order to have friends I guess. I don't have any family members who can help out for an extended period of time, my IL's work full-time and the only person I'm in contact with on my side of the family is my brother. At this point I'm just trying to find as many short cuts as I can and make do.

[MarineGurl020412]

I don't know if Bragg still does it but you may want to check the CDC. I know most bases have started implementing a certain number of free childcare hours a month (usually 10) for spouses of deployed service members. You could utilize that for some of your shopping trips. Though you would have to know in advance when you want to go and pretty much make sure to do your shopping during the week.

[AFWife]

DH heads out for Air Force Basic Training next week...then I'll OFFICIALLY be a military mom! :

Good God, though, I'm going to miss him.

[Mommyofalmost6]

Hey ladies can I join in? My husband is in the Navy. We have a little one due in May and are doing our first PCS in June. I am feeling very over whelmed right now!

[katiemoore27]

pcs ing in march

scary, we are leaving the base to go on recruiting duty - in lincoln, NE with no base for 60 miles- what will I do with no military housing- gonna be a change- baby # 4 on the way and I want another homebirt, turns out the only 2 states not allowing is NE and Wisc.

[~Katie~]

Originally Posted by katiemoore27

scary, we are leaving the base to go on recruiting duty - in lincoln, NE with no base for 60 miles- what will I do with no military housing- gonna be a change- baby # 4 on the way and I want another homebirt, turns out the only 2 states not allowing is NE and Wisc.

There may be some underground midwives who can attend you, or midwives who travel from out of state. Check the local FYT forum for the area you're moving to.

[~Katie~]

Originally Posted by Mommyofalmost6

Hey ladies can I join in? My husband is in the Navy. We have a little one due in May and are doing our first PCS in June. I am feeling very over whelmed right now!

Welcome!

[crazyeight]

katie~ you can always make a non military friend and sign them in! they may like getting cheaper food from the commissary (if thats where you go obviously this is easier!) and still get the help you need while they get the chance to shop on base. if they use cash it should work fairly easily.

i did all the shopping with the kids when they were little although dh was home i took them with me a lot. its practice either way. good luck

[Mommyofalmost6]

Originally Posted by KatieJD

So now I really need some advice. DH is deploying for sure between April-June, there is no doubt about it. This babe is due at the end of May, and if luck is on our side we can keep him here until just after this babe is born. I'm already having a post-partum doula so that will be a giant help, but for everyday life I'm wondering how I'm going to survive with a newborn and a very high-energy toddler. How I'm going to get everyday things like grocery shopping done I have no idea, its already hard enough with just one. Has anyone been through raising a new baby on their own for the first year in addition to other young children? Do you have tips for saving my sanity?

My advice is sling baby and pop toddler in cart so you have both hands We are up to baby number 6. I still hate taking all of the kids to the store with me but it is manageable. It will take come trial and error for you to figure out what works best but it will be ok. I remember when I wasnt from one to two and I was like how do I do this? Natural reaction I think.

[marlne]

Originally Posted by katiemoore27

scary, we are leaving the base to go on recruiting duty - in lincoln, NE with no base for 60 miles- what will I do with no military housing- gonna be a change- baby # 4 on the way and I want another homebirt, turns out the only 2 states not allowing is NE and Wisc.

Its definately a change!! We're living it right now, my DH began in Sept. so we're still pretty new in it ourselves. We've got 3 kids and one car and it hasn't been easy. Especially since there's no bus system here.lol

I don't like being off base really but we do what we gotta do, right?

[~Katie~]

Originally Posted by Mommyofalmost6

My advice is sling baby and pop toddler in cart so you have both hands We are up to baby number 6. I still hate taking all of the kids to the store with me but it is manageable. It will take come trial and error for you to figure out what works best but it will be ok. I remember when I wasnt from one to two and I was like how do I do this? Natural reaction I think.

I can usually get 5 minutes out of DS in the cart before he's screaming to be free and running around and destroying things, hopefully that will change once the new baby arrives but I'm not counting on it. I honestly don't get any shopping done with him at the grocery store now unless DH is there to follow him around or take him out of the store if he needs to. This applies to all other outings as well. He really isn't manageable, that's why I'm having somewhat of a breakdown right now

[kirstenb]

Originally Posted by KatieJD

I can usually get 5 minutes out of DS in the cart before he's screaming to be free and running around and destroying things, hopefully that will change once the new baby arrives but I'm not counting on it. I honestly don't get any shopping done with him at the grocery store now unless DH is there to follow him around or take him out of the store if he needs to. This applies to all other outings as well. He really isn't manageable, that's why I'm having somewhat of a breakdown right now

Your DS sounds like exactly like mine in a shopping cart. I bring in quite a bit of food and water when we shop and I pretty much bribe him the whole time with that. If I shop quickly I can usually finish right as the food is running out.

[Mommyofalmost6]

I am sooo not above bribery in the store when I have to get stuff done lol. I have a little one that was like that. I got a soft back pack that I put on him and could hold on to.. he could walk but not run off and I could get stuff done. I used to hand him things in boxes and what not that he could put in the cart too. Keeping him busy seemed to help. He is 2 1/2 now and will walk nicely in the store so keep faith he will out grow it