There is no going back and recapturing the past. So, I will simply share these photos of our reunion taken by Shugar Shots Photography back in November when Greg came marching home. There were no cheering crowds, no posters, no media. It was just me and my boy, dressed in his "Best Day Ever" T-shirt and waving two little flags when Greg stepped back into our daily lives. Andrew took his father's return in stride but there were some hiccups, as we expected. At first, he wasn't sure Daddy could do anything -- change a diaper, get him a drink, give him a bath and still, there are times when only Mama will do. After 15 months of going it alone, I can assure you Mama is happy to step aside and let Dad give it a shot. Yet, Andrew is still a Mama's boy, even as we approach the four month mark of Greg's homecoming. But our world is much different than it was and there has been so much change in his life -- his entire landscape is new -- that I tend to cut him a lot of slack.
We left our little trailer house (which Andrew was certain was a train car) back in December and after a brief visit home for Christmas, we came back to Louisiana to begin the last leg of our Air Force life. Retirement looms ahead and Greg and I are both thrilled and terrified by the thought of it. For now, Andrew and I have settled into a pretty good routine here. He and I enjoy slow, cuddly mornings, long afternoon naps and a pretty happy existence. He goes to a Mother's Day Out program at a local church one day a week and I use that time to shop or run errands or have a quiet lunch with Greg. We go to the library for toddler story time on Friday mornings. We visit the parks and playgrounds and take walks around our neighborhood. We talk to Grandma and Papa on the phone. We jump on the trampoline in the backyard and we watch Thomas the Train. I've stepped out of my comfort zone in an attempt to have a social life here, joining the MOPS program at a local church and attending events for spouses in Greg's squadron. It has made life here less lonely and bearable. The heartache of leaving our family is still there, but has been eased by a visit from a good friend we hadn't seen in many years and a meet-up in Dallas with a couple of good friends for my birthday. Andrew and I will head home for Easter and that keeps me going.
I intend to begin to blog regularly again because I know the moments are slipping by and how easily I forget the little things that make parenting this boy so magical and funny and infuriating. Our decision on whether to try for another baby remains up in the air. For now, we remain focused on our Andrew and that is enough. It is more than enough.
