I’ve spent some time reflecting upon the life I’ve known for the past 28 years as a new chapter quickly approaches.

For the last 12 of those 28 years, I’ve gone through life with my husband by my side. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we were both just 16 when we started dating and we’ve come so far down this road together. I didn’t know then that we would be a military family or that we would live in so many places and one day we would start a family together.

My pregnancy is so near the end (in fact, by the time many of you read this, there’s a good chance I will be at the hospital meeting my little boy!), but it’s still surreal to me that I am becoming a mother.

About 8 months pregnant here. Almost time to meet my little one!

I’ve seen many of my friends, and even women much younger than me, take this step in life and I’ve always wondered how they (especially younger moms) could do it. Even though I thought I would have had at least one child by 25, I look back and realize was definitely not ready. Even now, though I’ve had much more time to prepare, there’s still part of me that hopes my age will allow me to adjust to such a big change more easily. (I also hope my kitties will not have too difficult of a time adjusting to a new tiny human invading their space!)

As a military family, I always had some reservations about becoming a parent in this type of lifestyle. You move around a fair amount, and Daddy gets deployed sometimes or has to do long bouts of training. How do you explain that to your children? I know it can’t be easy on kids when they have to deal with adult concepts like war, deployment, and why things are sometimes unfair. I think about how this will affect my child through his life and hope that it will not be too difficult for him to deal with.

With that thought, wish me luck. The hard part is just beginning. I’m sure many of you mamas already know what I’m talking about. Here’s to the next chapter in life!

How did life change for you when you welcomed your first child to your military family? What advice do you have for new parents? Sound off in the comments below!