Only Three Weeks

One of the things I loved most about the guest posts this week is the lack of sugar-coating. 
These ladies tell it how it is, and today's post by Chantal from Scattered Seashells is no exception. 
I remember how intimidated I was taking care of Millie during Sky's first drill weekend after her birth- and that was just two days! I completely identify with her fears and feelings in this.

The first time I was left alone, truly alone, for a long period of time, with our daughter was in May 2012. She was five months old.

It sounds silly, coming from a military spouse who is used to her husband being gone. In my defense, though, I had gotten used to him being back. He came home from Iraq in June 2011, and I was 15 weeks pregnant (she was an R&R baby!) He only missed one appointment, my 12 week one, and from then he was there for everything: appointments, classes, and the birth. Once she was born, he was there to hold her and help me, only leaving for a few hours a day to go to work. We were in transition, moving to a new place and starting school. He was around a lot and I took advantage of it.

Anyway, part of his schooling required that he leave for three weeks with no communication at all. Whatever, I said, this isn’t anything new. I can handle it.

The day after he left, it was as though a switch flipped in my sweet five-month-old baby. Her already short naps shortened to only 30 minutes, which is not a long enough time for either of us. She started sleeping even worse at night too.

Couple the sleep exhaustion with the lack of spousal support or even someone to complain to, and it was a rough three weeks for me.

Though it wasn’t all bad. I was the one who got to experience every moment with our daughter at a time when she was changing so much (she learned to sit up days before he came home!) I set out schedules and followed through. We had some special moments together watching TV, cooking dinner, and doing various errands and activities.

What’s most important is those tough three weeks taught me that I could do it. I could take care of our baby without help. I could be a mom, through thick and thin, and come out triumphant in the end.