Meet BabyHomePages.net member Bridgette
and her daughter Amaya!
Bridgette is a working mom, student and a member of the US Air Force.
Amaya’s dad is also in the US Air Force and has been serving
in Iraq since January. Bridgette is scheduled to deploy next year.
We talked to Bridgette about being a mom, raising Amaya with her
father away and their plans for Easter.
How do you do it all by yourself?
I just live everyday for my daughter and do the best I can. Not
to mention, I have one of the best day care provider’s around
that helps me out in every way she can. Right now, I don’t
have any “me” time but that is completely fine for me.
I live for the weekends when I can spend the whole day hanging out
with my Princess. I guess I don’t know it any other way so
doing it by myself is just my “normal.” I worry about
her Dad every single day. He is not in the “thick” of
things but his base gets bombed very frequently. He is a very strong
man but his emotional state is what I worry about most. He is really
struggling because he has to see all of the traumas that come through
his ER. He may see someone eating in the chow hall one day and then
they are laying in his ER with no arms and legs the next. It is
very sad.
Will he be home to take care of her when you go?
Yes, he will. We are assigned to different “buckets”
so he comes home approximately 19 May and I depart mid Jan 09 for
this cycle. We will get 6 months together before we are separated
for 4 again. He has missed first steps, first dancing, beginnings
of talking, and will miss her 1st birthday. I will miss her second
birthday and all of the great stuff that goes along with those months.
Is there a chance that both of you would be deployed?
Yes there is always that chance. Does that happen? That would typically
only happen if they decided to do what the public is hearing called
a “surge.” For us that just means they may send more
than one “bucket” at a time.
Favorite hobbies?
We both love to roller skate! I also love to read, swim, and take
our dogs to the beach.
Challenges you've had, advice to share, encouragement for
other mom's (and dad's!)
There are lots of military couples that go through this so we are
not alone in this. I was terrified that I wouldn’t know what
to do a with a baby especially because I waited until the age of
31 to have her.....it’s the most wonderful thing that has
ever happened to me. It was like I was born to do this mom thing.
I do ask a lot of questions but most of it just came naturally.
She has been a wonderful, healthy baby which helps. I would just
like women my age to know that waiting to have a child was the best
decision I ever made. I have completed my degree, established a
good foot hold on my career, and gained a world of patience that
I never would have had 10 years ago.
What would you say is the number one concern for military
mothers today?
The biggest concern with military mothers is the war and deployments.
Most of us love our jobs but since the war has started and we are
being force to be gone for 4mo to 1 year from our children there
are many of us who are choosing to get out of the military. I think
all mothers are concerned about the lack of time we have to spend
with our children. I am a very independent woman and need to work
to feel complete but working 10-12 hours a day, plus going to school,
this leaves maybe an hour or two a night with my daughter during
the week. I look at her every day and wish that I had the option
to stay home and just experience her life.
What Easter plans do you have?
The base had a little Easter Egg Hunt for the kids last Saturday
but it really wasn’t much for the little one’s like
her. She basically only got to have her Polaroid done with the Easter
bunny. We are driving to Mobile this weekend to shop for her birthday
and hopefully to get a nice Easter Bunny picture at the mall. Easter
Sunday we will be going to mass on base with her BFF whose Daddy
is deployed also. We will also go somewhere for a nice dinner.
And Amaya just started walking! Check out her site here. (http://www.babyhomepages.net/princessamaya/)
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