What is a real life mama moment you have had recently?

Eric’s deployed, so I took all 5 to my prenatal appointment and they were lined up on the bench in the waiting room. The waiting room was silent and filled with mothers holding their tiny babies. We probably looked like a sight: 5 of them 8 and under wiggling and struggling to sit still and me holding my stomach with number 6. After 45 minutes of waiting, one of mine looked at me and smiled as big as he could and just free-fell forward onto the ground smashing his head on the hard concrete floor just to see what would happen. They got us on pretty quick after that.

Can you share a bit about your experience, being a mama whose husband was just deployed?

We have our days where everything gets done and I feel like I’ve just gotten it down after 12 years. And then of course we have our days where everything is on fire. It’s humbling to try and parent solo. It’s okay to have highs and lows, but every day we wake up striving for the highs.

Do you have any advice or inspiration for any other mamas who may be going through this shared experience?

Stay busy. Find a new hobby, read a new book, learn to garden, learn to sew, take a trip, pour into your neighbors, and get out of the house to do something that excites you every single day. FaceTime friends and family just to say hello. Stay plugged in, and find ways to continue to enjoy your life rather than wish these days away. These days are an opportunity for you to pour into getting to know yourself better, getting to know others better, and to learn something new. Reach out to other military spouses. You may move a lot, but it’s never the places that make somewhere home. It’s the people.