Just received my call....:(

[Jodie]

I just received the call from my husband that he is at basic. It was so scripted and cold. I was thrown off and just told him that I was glad he was safe, I knew I couldn't say it back but I loved him and to have fun.....I felt award about it all. Then I cried. A complete mess. I made it the whole day without breaking down and then bam, it's like it all became a reality. I wrote him a letter the moment I hung up and found that it actually helped me. I know he can't receive letters yet, but I can always send him any letters I write before then all at once or in multiple envelopes. One day down....63 more to go. I can't wait to receive his P.I.R date so I have an exact date to look forward too.
Any other ideas to keep occupied?

[Sailorswife2716]

Well just know that if his a school is over 6 months then you'll definitely be able to move with him. We don't know the location of my husband c school yet either and since his a school ends right at 6 months we weren't able to move to be with him. He reports to c school as soon as he checks into our duty station so we can either move while he's there or wait for him to be done.

That's a great way to explain it to your 4 yr old though :)

I'm so sorry tonight is rough tho :( there will be nights like that, and even when there's communication there will still be nights like that. It won't get any easier but you just get stronger and learn how to deal.

I don't have many friends either, especially ones that understand this new lifestyle. I met some of my really great friends through my husbands PIR facebook page and their significant others were in my husbands division, I literally talked to them every day of bootcamp and we helped each other. I still text one of them every single day now lol. Other than that luckily my immediate family understand our new "normal", you just really learn who your friends are through this.

I hope today is a better day for you :)

[Jodie]

His A school is only 9 weeks, at least that's what we came to understand. But they told him his schooling can take up to two years total. So I guess we will see once he gets his orders. Which I am hoping is sooner rather than later (; I have written him three letters already. One for each night he has been gone. Then another letter that is just documentation for his transcript to be sent to his recruiter. Then my children's letters to him. They will write their second one tomorrow.

I can't wait to learn his PIR date either so I can schedule time off work. Fix my count down I made the kids, and to book a hotel. Which I will definitely need suggestions on!!

Once I have more details, the more I can plan and the more I can feel comfortable. Being in the dark about everything is horrible. But everyone keeps telling me "welcome to military life".

I can't wait to meet new people although I am pretty picky haha I hope that him and I are both able to build new friendships. It would be healthy and great to be able to both have friends that we can trust and who know what we are going through.

It's 2am and I am still awake. Little Ezra is just moving around (our unborn son) and it's just not the same without daddy here. Once I do get used to it.... I'll be making him sleep on the couch when he is home (; lol

[Sailorswife2716]

Yeah if a school can take up to 2 years then you will most definitely be able to move with him, he's nuke right? Every nuke wife I've met has been able to do so. He will have hard orders for a school by PIR. If he flies out for a school then you will only have from after PIR with him till about 7pm. And then you can meet him at the airport early the next day and get a gate pass with you and the kids till he boards the plane. Makes for a long day but it's so worth it and luckily your PIR won't be when its deathly cold like ours was in November lol. If he stays in GL for a school then you have the whole weekend with him, you still need to drop him off at night but you get to spend Saturday and Sunday with him all day.

I highly suggest staying at the navy lodge, it's affordable and it was a pretty decent place. Many PIR families usually stay there since it's really close to base. Plus as soon as you find our your PIR date you can book it and you don't have to pay a deposit and they don't charge fees if you need to cancel even the day of.

You will constantly find yourself in the dark as far as waiting for them to get orders, but as far as bootcamp everything is pretty general,you know what to wait for.

Meeting new people is great, however I am VERY picky too and I was completely surprised that the good friends I made were some years younger than me, and they are girlfriends. I think we hit it off because we had the same humor, and I see a lot of myself in them lol. BUT there will be some people where your like "ok... No." Lol. But you both will meet some great friends. My husband has met his best friends in BC and they're like his brothers; and now they're like my brothers and our son has lots of navy uncles lol. It's great, and even if friends are not married, it's a great feeling to know they really respect you as his wife, and really respect your marriage. I hope he makes friends just as great :). Same for you too! It's important to have friends to really understand what your going through.

It's funny that you were up so late because I was the same exact way, I'll tell you that my sleep schedule has changed drastically since BC. I never got any sleep while he was there, and now that he's at school I'm on his time zone and no matter what I'm always up at 6am my time. So it's literally an adjustment in every aspect of life lol, not only for BC. And that's so funny about him sleeping on the couch lol. I hated my husband sleeping on the couch but he would fall asleep on it watching tv some nights and it drove me crazy lol.

[Jodie]

I can say this, my house has never been cleaner lol
He is in AECF. Hoping to be picked for ET.
We were looking into the residence in. I read a lot of great reviews. The Navy Lodge is also on my list of places. I can't wait to find out what his actual PIR is. Everyone is fighting over who gets to attend the drill hall ceremony. I don't really care, I just know I am one of those people.
To keep myself busy I have also been planning to what I'm wearing to the ceremony haha. Pathetic I know. But it gives my mind a distraction. I will be super pregnant but I found the perfect dress. I will also be working on the specific hairstyle that I want, practicing until then. Plus I picked out my shoes and what my nails will look like. A lot of details I have already picked out.
Next I'll be working on my kids.
I have never been apart of a forum before so this is all really new to me. It's nice to talk to people in similar situations because I feel like I am bothering people that don't know what it's like.
But I also wish it was easier to communicate on here.....
My phone is the only way I access this website and it isn't exactly mobile friendly in my opinion.

[lemonelephant]

Counting Fridays will be easier on you than counting days until you get to the last week. See Arrival and What Happens at the RTC.

[Lilo54]

Hang in there Jodie.  I hated that call too - clearly scripted!  The waiting is hard but writing the letters are a good thing.  It will also mean a lot to him to get those letters when you have an address and can send them.  I wrote my son every week, sometimes twice.  When I talked to him a few days before graduation, he told me that my letters meant the world to him.  He didn't have time to write back but it was a bit of home sent his way!  My son just graduated and I went through all the phases.  Be prepared, aside from the form letter with his address and graduation date, you will get "the box" (Fed ex - you have to sign for it) with his belongings which will be emotional too.  But just know, that he made a good decision for your future and this is only 9 weeks which believe it or not will go fast!.  You will get a few calls from him which will not be scripted and will be wonderful!  In a few weeks, keep your phone handy and look for an 847 area code.  This website is a great way to keep in touch with all the Moms, wives and girlfriends going through the same thing.  When you find out his ship and division number, join the group for that and connect with others in the same group.  This website will keep you connected and occupied!  Any questions you have, just ask us and you will get an answer.  Good luck.

[Jodie]

Thanks for your awesome response! I keep telling myself it's only nine weeks (; he goes straight to A school afterwards which will be an additional 7 to 9 weeks. Just a lot to think about! Good thing I am keeping a schedule, a busy one at that!

[maureenwithfive]

Most importantly, be positive, supportive and proud in your letters.  It's all right to let him know you miss him, but not so much telling him how sad and distraught you are (we've all been there!).  We always need to be uplifting in what we say, because during Boot Camp they are being dragged through the mud off self-doubt and "can I do this?"

Regarding news clippings, articles, pictures, stories from books, puzzles, riddles etc  All of these CAN BE included in your letters.  Just scan them into the letter.  For example, scan a magazine article and paste it into your WORD document.

We sent our son the maximum number of pages allowed in each letter, and by doing so, we were able to send him a whole Sherlock Holmes story from one of his favorite books (in letter form) while he was at Boot Camp.

We also sent him three riddles each week for him and his friends to try to solve, and followed with the answers in the following week's letter - they loved it!

Best wishes - you can do it!

[Jodie]

That's a great idea! Thanks for the support! I'll have to try it haha