Comments (1) So did you give up on me ever blogging again? Honestly, I just about did. So much has happened this summer and I really should have been writing through it instead of leaving you in silence.
Just wanted to say that I’m back. Excited to be writing again.
Start here.
I gripped my arms around Haus pressing my face against his chest to block out the Seattle terminal bustle. “Three weeks,” I muffled with a sigh into his shirt. Pulling back I asked again, “Why do I want to go to the East Coast?” He smiled down at me and brushed my hair behind my ear. ”You’ve never been, remember?” The gate agent announced last boarding call and I stiffened with a new flood of tears. ”I’ll miss you so much,” I said before kissing him and dragging myself to the plane.
I squeezed into the airline seat and tried to remember my day. A month of training ended with a ROTC Advanced Camp graduation in the morning, lunch with Dad and Haus after, hugs farewell and good luck from Dad, then four blissful hours alone with Haus. Now onto my next commitment. When I signed up for the cadet exchange program in the spring, I thought, why not go to Virginia? My only time further east than Utah was spent in the fifth grade when my family took a trip to Disneyworld in Orlando. Florida’s not really the East Coast though.
I felt tears pool again as I stared down at my jeans and almost dipped into a “I miss Haus” pity party when the passenger in the next row distracted me. He was about my age I guessed with a high and tight haircut and brown Army t-shirt barely visible under his collared shirt. Must be a ROTC cadet like me, I thought. It was pretty apparent that the entire time I was snuggled up to my Haus wishing the clock would tick slower, this dude was consuming all of alcohol he missed out on during the month long Advanced Camp. I laughed a little despite myself as he drawled on about the intricicies of the Apache helicoptor to the passenger next to him. Hard to have a pity party when you’ve got that dude drawling on. I closed my eyes and let the whiskey fumes waft around me before finally falling asleep.
Virginia was hot and sticky as I departed the bus with my fellow exchange cadets for our hotel rooms. Smart Alyssa, I thought as the heat and insect buzz enveloped me. Virginia in July. The Cadet Troop Leader Training program or CTLT paired recent Advanced Camp graduates with Army Lieutenants for job shadowing. My participation in CTLT mean following a 2nd Lieutenant at the Fort Eustis, Virginia Transportation Advanced Individual Training (AIT) school for three weeks. It sounded pretty cool on paper when I first received my assignment. I imagined studying a Platoon Leader in action, seeing how the Army really worked. In reality, the LT I was shadowing was on leave, some Captain AIT commander didn’t really have time to teach anything, and the Drill Sergeants assigned to the company had enough on their hands with the Privates right out of Basic. Oh boy.
On the positive side of things, I quickly learned the ins and outs of an Army chow hall (Hey troop, you ain’t eatin’ in here with them flip flops), found out I run pretty well in humidity (while my clothes retain sweat in humidity even better), and got my first taste of an East Coast summer (ate a variety of bugs). Without a car, I was pretty much stuck. Thank goodness I wasn’t the only stuck one. A friend of mine from Advanced Camp also found himself “shadowing” for a different company on Fort Eustis AND had family close. One of my weekends off, he and his brothers took me to Virginia Beach and then the next weekend he took a few of us stranded cadets to Washington D.C., my first time at the Capital.
I did what I could to help time pass during the week by working out, asking the Drills questions during training time, trying not to annoy the busy AIT commander, and writing letters to Haus. I had my own hotel room with a phone which was a huge improvement from talking to Haus on the pay phones next to the barracks during my camp training. I remember one night in particular leaning back on my pillow and hanging up the phone after a late session of me goobering to him about how much I missed him. The Army stuff was easier with him, I thought, easier to handle when I could vent to him, easier to go through when I knew how proud he was of me. I stared up at the ceiling as my air conditioner hummed.
Yikes, I thought suddenly sitting up in bed. I think I always want him there… which means… he’s the one?
To be continued…
We’re having another baby! Here I can prove it…
I took our first test back in January. And, yes, I peed on that little plastic stick and it’s totally appropriate to post the picture proof on the internet, right?
Remember all of the non-posting I’ve been doing these days? Welp, now you know why. February and March instead of blogging, I was throwing up… a lot. Finally came out of the funky first trimester in April which was about the time Haus commented I must be feeling better as I was actually showering and making dinner again. Oh Haus, you’re so lucky I laughed at that.
Here’s what the little peep looked like last month:
And if you were too creeped out by its little spine, here baby is flashing a peace sign:
Unlike both of the boys, we aren’t finding out what we’re having this time. We’re delivering at the local birth center where Haus can catch so he’ll be able to announce. Pretty sure it’s a boy or a girl.
Next step? Figure out how to make maternity ACU pants. I refuse to pay for them (active duty always loaned them to me and the Guard wants me to buy them) and considering this is how I held up my pants for drill today…
I think it’s about time I look into other options.
P.S. I LOVE being pregnant and can’t wait to meet this little babe.
P.P.S. Feel free to make your guess now… boy, girl, Army commando, etc. I’m due sometime around the beginning of October.
Exactly eight years ago, I returned home safely from my first deployment. Today the boys and I remembered those that never returned. We visit the same memorial every year with flowers for the fallen. It’s not much, but I’m hoping it’s enough to ensure the boys never forget.
If you’re interested in the history of Memorial Day, please see this post.
- I like you too much to have your conversation constantly interrupted by, “Moooooommmmm!”
- I’m changing a poopy diaper
- I hear it ringing but have no idea where the boys stashed it
- I’m in the bathroom (or debating whether you will hear the toilet flush)
- In a public place chasing down the kiddos
- Too tired to talk
- I forgot to take it off of silent/vibrate
- I’m playing monsters or spies or pirates
- I’m in the shower (some days this is at 2 p.m., just being honest)
- I’m driving (we made a rule to not answer phones in the car after watching this video)
- I’m talking to Haus (he trumps all other callers)
- Dealing with spilled milk, laundry, dishes… take your pick as they happen daily
- I’m in line
- I’d rather text… hate to admit that if you really want to get a hold of me, text me.
P.S. Thanks to my BFF, Ames, for inspiring this post with #12 from her list
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