There is only about 4 more days until my husband gets home. It almost seems like the hardest time right now. I'm sleeping even less than I was before. I'm getting excited and anxious to see him, but I'm also getting nervous. I went to a "Reunion and Readiness Brief" that was "strongly recommended" to give all spouses a good idea what to expect. They also told us what to look out for. Now I know my husband, and I know he loves me. But I know he's not invincible. They briefed us about combat stress and post traumatic stress disorder and what the symptoms are. I don't know what all Joe saw over there and what he had to do. Of course being the oblivious wife back at home I automatically think that it was just a routine deployment in a new location. I thought the same thing when my dad was there. But there's a big difference between being a daughter in grade school, to a wife with a child. I'm nervous about how it will be. Every time he comes home from a deployment is the same. It's like a first date all over again. I think it's cute. This time it's different. He's been in a different enviroment, and he's coming home to a baby who was 6 months old and just started sitting up on his own when he left. Now he's crawling jibbering and getting into everything. Who also is learning discipline. So much has changed since he left. We've been apart for long periods of time before. The first year of our relationship he was here in Okinawa, and I was back in the states. He came home for a 3 week leave for us to get married, and then came back here. It took 6 months to get our tour conversion approved and all the paperwork finished. I'm just confused. The whole 4 hour brief tells me to pretty much walk on eggshells for the first 4 to 6 weeks. And to not take him in to large crowds for pete's sake. They say no spicy foods(yea right. all who know Joe know that's not going to happen.)That sudden noises and flashing lights could startle them. That habits they had back in Iraq could linger for a while. For example: One guy who did the brief said every time he went on his patio to smoke, his old habit of picking up his rifle would show. Not to ask questions about over there, and not to pressure him to do anything. Joe says not to listen to them and that I know him better than some protocal brief. I know all will end up fine, but like I said, the last few days of waiting are the worst.
posted by: Michelle  |  date & time: 4:00 AM  |  comments: