Weather Widow

My husband is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS), a federal agency under NOAA. Before you ask, because I know many of you will, he is NOT on T.V. He is NOT a T.V. meteorologist. He works for the government. The meteorologists for the NWS are the ones that many T.V. meteorologists go to for their forecasts.  The NWS puts out all the weather watches and warnings too. There are many NWS offices across the country. These offices operate 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They never close.

Before my DH and I got married, I learned that his job as a meteorologist meant that he worked strange hours. In his current position, he works one of three different shifts on a rotating basis: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 8 to 4:30 p.m., or 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.  He does not work your typical Monday through Friday shift. Sometimes he may have to work seven shifts in a row, other times only three before having a day off. I knew what I was getting into when we got married, and I was prepared for it. When we were first married, it was not a big deal. It has become more of a challenge since having two children. There have been days where I have felt like a single parent, but I make do, and my DH is fabulous about helping out when he does have time off. 

Soon after we married, I was friended by another wife of a meteorologist at my husband's office. She welcomed me to the club of the Weather Widows. We are a special "club" of spouses who know that our lives revolve around the weather. If there is severe weather, it is likely that my husband will get called into work or have to put in overtime. Severe weather includes blizzards as well as thunderstorms.

My baby girl in the middle of her crying fit.

Over the last couple of days, we have had a lot of severe storms coming through. My DH, and those he with whom he works, have been quite busy at their office. They have been putting out watches and warnings, as well as working on forecasts and processing observations. Yesterday was a particularly busy day. My husband had taken the morning off to go to our daughter's two-year doctor appointment. He headed to the office right after, reporting for work around noon. He didn't get home until 12:45 a.m.  A long day. 

Not only was it a long day for him, it was a long day for me. Our toddler behaved great, although she did have a temper tantrum while I was trying to feed the baby. The biggest challenge came when the baby, Grace, wouldn't settle to sleep.  Instead, she screamed and cried for 25 minutes straight, waking her sister, until she wore herself out. It is times like that when I miss my husband the most when there is severe weather.  However, it is part of his job and part of mine as a Weather Widow that I have come to accept. Besides, I know that the work my DH does helps the general public. He takes that of his job most seriously. And, honestly, in the grand scheme it is a minor sacrifice I make in comparison to the spouses of military serving overseas.