Chrispy spotted him before we even did and he leaped, literally, out of my arms and into a crowd of people coming the opposite direction crying with his arms out wide to make a landing right into his Dada's arms….my heart exploded into a million pieces…a moment that we really had been looking forward to.
After getting him home and rested for just one evening I was off to Indiana with my Momma who flew in from South Carolina just the day before. It was the first time I have ever spent the night away from Chrispy as well as a full day…but I knew he was in the best of hands with his Dada that wanted to do nothing more than snuggle his little man :)
After a quick trip to Indiana to see some family and attend an awesome wedding, we headed back to Ohio but first made a quick stop at an Amish food market that was so awesome!!! First of all, how are the Amish not fat after the kind of food they make? We left the market with cheeses and meats from the deli, spices, pies, jerky, and real homemade pickles. Might have to make an two hour trip out of my way to grab some more goodies one day.
We made it home just in time to do nothing for the rest of the day because everyone in the house was so tired. After ordering junk food in and watching cartoons all night, we all throw in the towel at 8:30… yep, we really know how to live it up :)
The hubby had some last minute errands to run at work so I spent the day with my Momma and Chrispy browsing the aisles at Ikea, they don't have one in South Carolina, and thought at one point we were going to have to buy a new suitcase for the plane for my Momma with all the stuff she wanted to buy. I know Momma, I know, I love Ikea too! I would love it more if the kids play area would've allowed little kids that aren't potty trained yet too but I guess only some miracles can happen. *Note to self, work on potty training!!!
After another day for play it was time for the Momma to head home and for the hubby, Chrispy, and I to get our week of family time before we had to let him go for a solid 6 months. :(
We took our time together very seriously and spent most it just playing games, eating, ready books, and lots of snuggles. Jay made sure to take his evening walks with Chrispy as usual but every time they headed out it was just a reminder what little things we were really going to be missing.
It seemed that the week came and went in a flash and before you know it I was driving hubby to the airport with a loaded down car full of military uniforms, equipment, and a baby. We managed to get to the airport at a respectful 2 hours before take off time and once the hubby and I had to be separated to go through TSA, Chrispy about lost his mind trying to get to the hubby, and I knew this was going to be hard.
We spent the next hours at the terminal, playing on the floor with Chrispy, talking about last minute details like travel plans and bills, and just reminding ourselves we could do this, we have before, and we are strong. It seems no matter how many times we say goodbye to each other it still never gets easier. We held each other in a circle of three as everyone else had boarded the plane and kissed each other goodbye and he walked away. The door closed behind him and I could barely catch my breath as tears went rolling down my face.
Chrispy looked at me with a big smile but concerned eyes and said, "Momma, okay" and wrapped his perfect arms around my neck and just hugged me tight as I walked out of the airport as fast as I could. The ride home was nothing but tears from Momma and Chrispy singing along with his DVD.
So far, every day is a challenge but we haven't had any extreme meltdowns just yet…I'm sure they will happen on really bad days. We are trying to keep ourselves super busy. It is honestly so nice to be a stay-at-home Momma now while hubby is deployed for the simple fact that I can devote all my time to Chrispy and his well being during this emotional time. I even have time for myself to go the gym, shopping, or pamper myself when needed. The hard part for me now is at night, after Chrispy has gone to bed and I'm left to entertain myself.
In the days leading up to his departure I kept praying for another day and another, but now I realize that there would never have been enough time to make up for how much we miss him. 6 Months and counting down…
Happy Weekend Y'all!
