An entire new blog

So I've decided to take this blog from every day events about nothing to something more informative.

As you know Big E and I are currently living with his parents due to Big E getting out of the Army (his contract was up and he didn't reenlist). We decided on this move together as, even though we were living well in the military life, it wasn't the greatest. He started his military career in the National Guard, went to AIT (specific training for what you'll be doing in the military) over the summer and by the time he got home in August he was told he was leaving in 2 weeks to train for deployment and then deploy. At that time we got married and 5 days later he left for 2 months of training, came home for a week in October and was gone again for 12 months to Kuwait.

In 2008 I graduated college and went into the Army full time for 3 years. During that period Big E decided that he was going to switch to active duty Army, which he did, but he had to change his MOS (specific job). So that meant after I had spent 3 months away doing my training he then went away for about 3 months for his training. He got home and about 2 months later deployed to Iraq for 12 months. The last 3 months of his deployment I was deployed to Afghanistan for a year.

Than Little E came and that's when our idea of what we wanted to do with our careers changed. Big E was working from 12 noon to 12 midnight or later every night. So he'd stay up until Little E would wake up, usually about 1-2am to feed him and rock him. This was the only time Big E would get with his son usually unless Little E stayed home from daycare on Big E's day off. I, on the other hand, would be up at 4:30am to get myself and Little E ready for work/daycare, go to work all day, get home around 6pm and feed him. After that Little E would usually go right to bed and I would make some dinner, get bottles and his bag ready for daycare the next day, and whatever else I had to do, then hopefully be in bed by 11pm. So Big E and I barely saw each other either, it was rough.

When Little E turned 6 months old I came off active duty and went reserves. This meant I got to be a stay at home mom. It was nice, but in that time period we had Big E away at WLC (more training), ALC for 2 months, and going in the field for 1 weeks, then out of the field for 1 week, then back in for 1 week (that lasted for 3 months). Plus the added odd work hours. Then he deployed again for 9 months to Afghanistan. He was barely around for Little E the first 2 years of his life due to the constant away from home and the very long hours he worked.

When Big E returned from deployment this past summer is when we were definitely sure he wasn't going to reenlist. Little E needed someone to be constant since I'd be away for training sometimes with the reserves (and while Big E was deployed Little E had to go stay with someone else to take care of him). Now he's be on leave since December (which is when we moved back to our home state and in with Big E's parents) and his contract will come up this month. Also, in that time Squirt has become a reality. After a lot of scares and not thinking the pregnancy would last, it seems like it is now (as I will be 31 weeks tomorrow).

Even though Big E has been looking for a job since the holidays ended he hasn't been offered an interview as of yet. We're waiting on a couple that would be ideal, but even about 20 others he would do just because we need the income. So at the moment we're a little strapped for cash and trying to prepare for a baby. Thankfully, through me and the reserves, we have health insurance and some money coming in (as well as unemployment) so we're not terribly off.

But, due to money constraints, we've had to get creative where Squirt is going to sleep. How we're going to teach Little E as there's no money for preschool at the moment (the cheapest is $450 a month), and wondering what we'll do to save money.

I want to take this blog to our struggles through that. How we're going about setting up for Squirt. How I'm planning on teaching Little E so he isn't behind. And maybe some other things as I think them up. Hopefully it'll help others that may be in our situation or find themselves in the situation later on in life.

Jalee