Now I know I’m all awash in postpartum hormones, but your post made me cry. I miss my husband so much right now. His work schedule has been absolutely heinous since our third baby was born in April. It’s been tough juggling the three little ones, especially since my older girls definitely miss their daddy (and sometimes their behavior reflects this). My preschooler has a whole list of things to do “when Daddy’s schedule gets better.” 

But it’s not just that I miss having reinforcements in the parenting arena. I miss HIM. We’re like ships passing in the night. Tonight he got up to go in for a 12-hour night shift and we just sat there and hugged. I know I’m sounding really sappy here, but I didn’t want to let him go. (I just may have to turn this cheese into a post one of these days…)

Yet, there’s light at the end of the tunnel and I realize these tough periods really do help us to not take one another or our time together for granted. He has the whole weekend off coming up, and you better believe I’m going to enjoy having him around!!!

Until then, I’m going to try and embrace your Pollyanna attitude and stay positive about his absence as well. Thank you for the reminder. Enjoy your week at the grandparents’ AND celebrate your husband’s homecoming!

Blessings,
Kate

Hang in there.  The week will fly by and he’ll be home before you know it.  My husband has done a lot of travel over the years, and it’s always tough on the kids.  Even our dog misses him when he’s gone and he acts out.  One thing that helps ease the separation is my husband calls the girls every night at bedtime to say goodnight.  On days when he can call more, he tries to talk to them while they’re eating breakfast and dinner.  We put the phone on speaker and put it in the middle of the kitchen table.  We have also recently started doing iChat with him.  The kids love when they actually get to see their daddy.

I so identify with your post.  My husband goes out of town fairly frequently—he was gone for a week in May and June (with lots of 12 hour days in between travel as he planned and ran a conference), and he’ll be gone for a week in July.  It’s really hard on him, me, and our two girls (five and two).  What I find especially difficult is to integrate Daddy back into family life after he returns, especially if he returns in the middle of the week.  If he comes back on a Friday, then he can spend all day Saturday and Sunday with us, but if he gets back on a Wednesday, it’s just more of the same routine until the end of the week, and the kids really feel it—they want extra attention when he gets back and he can’t give it to them under those circumstances.  I keep telling myself that it will get better as they get older!

I’m praying that the rest of your week will go quickly and smoothly.  My husband traveled for work- he was gone 260-plus days last year.  It was so hard with all the little one, so lonely for all of us, and he hardly knew our little girl.  He quit his job four months ago… he still hasn’t found a new job, but the financial strain is so worth having him *home*.  I pray that he will never have to go “on the road” again no matter what the sacrifice.  My heart really goes out to all “sometimes single” parents no matter the situation it is tough.  I’m very thankful God answered my prayers and allowed us to change that unhappy situation.  God bless!

My husband just returned from a two week trip.  It was the longest he had been away in our 13 years of marriage.  I stayed at home and just continued our homeschooing routine and that made the time pass by more quickly.  I missed him tremendously though.  Talking to him really helps me to process my thoughts and what has gone on each day.  One thing that I did while he was gone was I prayed the rosary a lot, in particular the mystery of the Visitation.  I prayed that Mary would come and be with me and my husband in a special way while we were separated.  I definietly did feel Mary’s presence with me and I am so thankful for her intersession.  I hope that your week goes by quickly!

You can do it Arwen!  My husband came home on Sunday after a week away—the only time he’d ever been gone more than one night.  The last couple days were dicey and all of our patience was shot, but we made it.  I’ve never seen my 5 year old move so fast as he did to run to daddy coming off the bus to jump up and give him a huge hug.  I’m extra-appreciative of how smoothly things can go when we’re both here this week.

The first time my husband left was only a couple of weeks after we were married.  For the first time in my life I was living hundreds of miles away from my family, and I hadn’t yet met anyone in the area.  It was sooo lonely.  My husband still has to go away a lot, but now that I have kids, although I miss my husband all the time, I don’t have that same feeling of being completely alone.  It’s a bit more stressful with kids (I also have two little ones, 1 and 3) but I’ll take the stress over the loneliness any day. 

One thing I like to do when my husband leaves is ask St. Joseph to be a foster father and husband for our family.  It’s nice to have a “husband” you can ask for help from when the kids get too much or something breaks, especially if you can’t talk to your real husband at the time.

Good luck with the rest of the week!