Wednesday, March 3, 2010

You Mean... We'll Be Normal?

A few posts ago, I mentioned how I would only have X number of days stretched out before me as a working woman. Eleven days, as a matter of fact. Eleven more days of waking up four mornings a week, putting on my proverbial "nurse's cap" and tending to the terminally ill. Holding hands, administering chemotherapy, laughing and crying with my patients, many of whom I have known for the last five and a half years. We've shared birthdays and holidays. Vacation stories and anniversaries. Over the years, we've become family and as excited as I am to begin a new chapter in our life, I'm not sure I know how to be anything other than a nurse. Sure, staying at home sounds like a blast- but with 23 weeks until Baby Boy arrives, I'm worried about how I will spend that time. Will I still feel.. Useful? Important? Needed? Will I continue to make a difference in people's lives?

Not only do I have eleven days left as an active registered nurse, but more importantly, I have 22 days left until Hubs and I become a "normal" married couple. Normal. What exactly is normal? I'm not sure. But in my head, it's consists of a marriage where both partners are together each night. Cooking together. Walking Sheepie together. Curled up on the couch, catching up on our DVR together. Getting into bed together at the same time each night and kissing eachother goodnight. No more "goodnight phonecalls." No more having to make lists of things to "remember to tell Hubs on the phone tonight."


And in 22 days, that will finally be Hubs and I. Normal. After six very long, very travel-packed years. Did you know, one year, he spent 190-something nights in a hotel? That's half of the year. Away from home. Away from me and from Sheepie.


Granted, it wasn't like I never saw Hubs. I don't want to make it sound worse than it really was. He's always been home on the weekends, landing Thursday or Friday night and flying back out Sunday evening or Monday morning. But now? In 22 days? He'll be home every night. He'll come home to me every night. Words can't even begin to explain how excited I am. How long we've both waited for this. How hard he's worked to get to this point.

What will I miss? The vacations. The frequent flyer miles. The hotel points. Pretty much the only silver lining to being a Consultant's wife. Now we'll just have to plan and save for vacations like normal couples. There's that "normal" word again.



Normal. I can't wait.

28 comments :

  1. So stinkin' happy for you two!! My hubby is done with the military in T-minus 12 months...we can't wait to be normal, too!!

    And holy crap lady, that wedding picture is just gorgeous!!

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  2. You're going to LOVE being "normal". Reading your post I realize how much I take for granted :-) Enjoy the last few days of this season in your life!

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  3. Oh normal life is so wonderful! This coming from the wife of a former soldier. We haven't even had a full year of normal yet (with our prior record amount of time together being a full month), but I'm already so used to it that I would die if it ever changed again! I'm excited for you and I know you will cherish each normal mundane task with your hubby!

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  4. Yaaaaay! Congratulations, girlie! You are going to be an excellent mom and you guys are going to have a wonderfully normal life together!

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  5. Normal is overrated :)

    I am excited for you guys!

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  6. That is such wonderful news! Try not to view it as being "normal", but embarking on a whole new chapter of your life ;) Best of luck and enjoy!!!

    ps - gorgeous, gorgeous pics!!!

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  7. That is such fabulous news!! I'm so glad you get to have your normal life :) How perfect to have your husband home especially now that you have a baby on the way. So excited for you!

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  8. So happy for you guys. 'Normal' is nice!!

    Enjoy it, especially with a little one coming soon.

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  9. My dad was a consultant for over 10 years. When I was growing up it just seemed "normal" that my dad travelled Mon-Thurs (sometimes Fri) and we saw him on the weekends. Now that I'm married and older, I can't imagine how hard that was on he and my mom. She was basically a single mom during the week..granted I was in highschool by the time most of the travelling started, but even still.


    I'm so excited you guys get to experience normal soon! My favorite times with the hubs is at night. We might not be talking, we might not even be watching the same thing, but at least we're together. Enjoy it!!

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  10. I am SO excited for you!! Your patients are going to miss you, but it will be so wonderful your you and your hubs to find what normal is for you. YAY!

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  11. I am so happy for you! :) I don't know what it is like to be away from Pat for an extended period of time because we've only ever been apart for a few days at a time, if that! And since we both have "normal" jobs we get to spend evenings and weekends together...sigh... some people don't get that luxury but I am SO thrilled that you and hubs will be able to start sharing that!! YAY!!!

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  12. you look gorgeous in your wedding photos!!! congrats on being normal that is so exciting!!!!! have you entered my giveaway, xxxoo

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  13. So I'm totally on day 4 of "normal" since as you know we have lived the exact same life Mr. J and I. It's not to bad... sure I'm a tad on the fidgety side and I had semi grown custom to having to deal with issues and dilemmas on my own or over the phone but I think I can cope with it.I think you can too :) and yes I said the same thing " but but but... the points! the miles! :("

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  14. Such a beautiful picture from your wedding! Normalcy sounds oh-so-nice...congrats! :)

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  15. That sounds like such a wonderful adventure and learning experience for both of you!

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  16. New follower here! Congratulations on such an exciting time in your life :)

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  17. L.O.V.E this post! I'm so excited for you and Sheepie to have a normal husband/dad :)

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  18. I excited for you on your new journey!

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  19. Normal is really really great! When Hubby was trying to decide which job offer to take (rememeber those days when you graduated and got more than one?!) I wanted him to pick the job where he would travel less. I have to remind myself that when I am missing my family because we are far away from them. If he had picked the other job, he would have been away from me more.

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  20. yey! how great for you! You have some exciting things happening in your life right now:)

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  21. that is so exciting!! i hope you enjoy it all! :-)

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  22. i found your blog through a friends blog and i must say, LOVE it! i am a cpa's wife who travels quite a bit and i so get where you're coming from! happy thursday!

    ps - your pup is just precious.

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  23. That sounds positively perfect! I remember feeling that major sigh of relief when I got my hubs back after 3 years of law school and the dreaded Bar exam. I still relish in the "normal-ness" of our lives now. Congrats, friend. I'm so happy for you and this new journey you're on.

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  24. Awww! That sounds wonderful! My husband and I aren't always "normal" either - too many call nights. But someday maybe we'll be "normal" too!

    Congrats to you both!

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  25. my husband is a consultant who travels Mon-Thurs/Fri also - it's hard! Last year he had a local project over the summer and it was so great. I can only imagine how excited you are to get that normal married life experience! I'd love to get back to that... hopefully it will happen sometime!

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