Redeployment


Redeployment. Confusing, huh? Or maybe it's just me, but the first time I heard it I was confused. Redeployment - as in, deploy again? What? But now this isn't my first rodeo. Now I know that when you start hearing reports of redeployment (now I've typed that word enough that it's starting to look like it's not even word) it only means one thing. They're coming home.

And come home he did.

Ben returned stateside at the very end of November and then came to Tennessee on December 10. At the ripe age of 19 months, Violet wasn't old enough to experience the anticipation of the reunion as we were driving to the airport. I, however, had enough anticipation for the both of us.

We made a welcome home sign. We practiced holding it at home and Violet did awesome. We got to the airport and she threw it down and even stomped on it a couple of times.

Keep in mind that to Violet her Daddy is someone who exists on a computer or phone screen. For the last 10 months the only interaction she had with him was via Skype. I was nervous about how she would react to seeing him.

So the first time she saw her Daddy again in real life was a little confusing. As he approached us she first held her arms out and said, "Dada!" Once he got close enough to hug her she put her arms down and took a step back. After a second she decided it was safe to administer a leg hug though. Then she held his hand as we walked to baggage claim. From that point on he became her new favorite person. In fact, she became a little obsessed with him.

Ben gave Violet a bath that first night he was back. I walked into the bathroom to find her filling a little plastic toy goblet with bath water and hand it to him. He then took a gulp of it and gracefully held a leg and his arms out as if he was a fountain. He squirted the bath water out of his mouth in a perfect stream back into the tub. That, my friends, is why Ben is the fun parent.

The following night Violet had a cup of juice. She walked into the living room, took a big gulp, held her arm and leg out and fountain streamed it all over the carpet. The truth - I didn't even care, not even a little. Because Ben was there to watch it (and clean it up.)

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