5 Ways Military Life is Like a Newborn

My husband and I recently welcomed our first child to the world, and I now find myself with much more time to reflect on life (translation: I don’t sleep anymore). As first time parents, we’re currently in the throes of the newborn phase, that trial-by-diaper, sleep-deprived state of constant cluelessness that can make even the strongest person cry like a—well—baby. In this state, I’ve realized that military life is like a newborn.

As both a military spouse and the parent of a newborn…

1. You’ll probably have to deal with a lot of poop.

Let’s face it, at some point along the way, we all hit our fair share of poop, whether it be a deployment, a PCS to a less-than-desirable post, or that terrible rental house that smells like cats and doesn’t have any closet space. Just like with newborns, in the military spouse world, how you handle poop is all in your perspective. You can either dwell on the stench, or you can celebrate the fact that your baby is well-fed and healthy.

2. You’ll accumulate a lot of stuff.

The world will try to convince us that our tiny humans require an enormous amount of stuff (that they’ll outgrow in less than five minutes). Similarly, years in the military will leave you with a lot of stuff. Your garage is likely stuffed with military gear, your home with curtains that don’t fit on the current rental’s windows, and your closets with mementos of duty stations past. Take my advice: purge the excess, and treasure the few things that really matter. The memories are really the most important thing, after all.

3. There will be lots of tears.

Frequent moves mean leaving friends and loved ones behind. Deployments mean extended time away from the people we love most, and sometimes stress just gets the best of us.

However…

4. There will be lots of smiles and laughter.

Those moves also mean brand new friends and the opportunity to reunite with friends from the past. Deployments also mean creative care packages, silly video messages, and incredible reunions. The stress is balanced by the fun, silly, and absolutely ridiculous. You try not to laugh when the movers pack your unmentionables in a box marked “lady bits.”

Most importantly, remember….

5. This time will go too fast.

With all the poop, stuff, tears, and laughter, it’s easy to get wrapped up in life and forget about the big picture. Both with newborns and with military life, time will disappear before you know it. One day, everything is brand new, and the next you have a toddler, or a high schooler, or you’re on your fifth PCS, or you’re approaching retirement.

 

So, value each moment and remember to, at least occasionally, stop and smell the roses. Or, if you’re lucky, stop and smell that sweet baby’s head.

How do you savor your military experience? Share with us! 

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Retired Blogger

Retired Blogger

Army Wife Network is blessed with many military spouses who share their journey through writing in our Experience blog category. As we PCS in our military journey, bloggers too sometimes move on. Their content and contributions are still valued and resourceful. Those posts are reassigned under "Retired Bloggers" in order to allow them to remain available as content for our AWN fans.

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