My dh is gone to korea and won't be back until next aug/sept. our oldest recognizes him a little over the phone but not as much as dh would like. He is so worried that the baby won't even like him and that the toddler won't have anything to do with him. I don't really need advice but i just feel so bad for dh! I kinda know how it feels to be rejected by your own kid be/c my son doesn't have anything to do with me if his aunt or grandma is around. I just want to cry for my man...poor guy!

well, i dont know what to say........except show lots of pictures, and maybe get a video tape of him that he can send back to you so the kids can watch. or tape him reading a bedtime story and let them listen at night. my dh just left in september when ds was only 2 months old. he will not be back till like april of next year, so he will be like almost walking........i am dreading the day he does come home because of the fact that i think he will scream his head off becaus ehe does not know who this strange man is!-hopefully not. but i wish you the best of luck, and i see you are feeling a little better today!where exactly is jackson located at in al?

south alabama....about an hour above mobile on HWY 43.

Cassie you could try video chat. You can do it through msn messenger and I think yahoo will let you do it too. I'm sure he has a laptop by now anyway. Just get some cheapo webcams and you're set. Tandis loved that in AIT. (so did I :sex :giggle)

south alabama....about an hour above mobile on HWY 43.

oh, ok, i was just wondering. i hate that bridge in mobile(i think thats where it is at)i live in anniston, you are way down form me:D

Cassie you could try video chat. You can do it through msn messenger and I think yahoo will let you do it too. I'm sure he has a laptop by now anyway. Just get some cheapo webcams and you're set. Tandis loved that in AIT. (so did I :sex :giggle)


oooo you are naughty! :devil.....but i will get a webcam for noah too....maybe i will send one in scott's christmas package. he borrows his roommates but can he just hook it up and use it whenever?

oh, ok, i was just wondering. i hate that bridge in mobile(i think thats where it is at)i live in anniston, you are way down form me:D

I am down and west....almost to mississippi...i hate that bridge too btw! I am so scared of that thing falling....the tunnel also makes me panick! :eek

Have ur DS hold a pic of his dad while he's talking to him on the phone so he associates the voice with the face. Have ur DH send some tapes or CD's recorded reading stories that ur kids can follow along with. If he has access to a video camera, have him make some movies of himself the kids can watch at home (I have a DVD I made of just DH and DD and it REALLY helps her when he's gone-she LOVES it and gets so excited watching it).

I still think Daddy dolls are a great idea even though DD mostly throws hers around (she JUST started hugging it and using it as a doll instead of throwing it across the room). I also have had a poster made from Walmart.com of DH that's hung in DD's room-when he's gone, we say good night to the poster every night and give her Daddy poster a kiss. I also made a collage of pics of DD and DH to hang on the seat back in the car for her to look at when we travel, but I never put it in there, so it's hanging in her room now. I also had small spiral bound photo books made from DD and DH pics (and some of the 3 of us so she gets the sense that ALL 3 of us make a family) at Walmart.com for cheap. I just had 2 like 6 or 7 page books made for only $11.

I talk about DH all the time when he's gone and make sure to never sound sad when talking about him so she associates him with happiness.

For the baby, have him sleep in a shirt, put it in a ziplock as soon as he takes it off and mail it to you. You can have her cuddle it to get his scent.

If you have access to a webcam, it works wonders. DH was deployed and able to come home for 3 days after DD was born before going back on deployment. She was 2 months old when his deployment ended. In the mean time, we used the webcam pretty much everyday, and when he got back, she knew who he was and would let him hold her and stuff. She even copied him on the webcam opening and closing her hand after he would do it.

As long as he has internet service with an air card or something, he can use it basically anywhere. :) It came in handy big time. :lol

I second the Daddy Doll, or heck: even a Flat Daddy (lifesize cutout! So cool!)