Computer Kisses Keep Daddy Close

 

Anastin coos at her deployed Daddy, SSgt. Brian Dorr, via a webcam.

By Jackie Dorr

During previous deployments, I was able to webcam with Brian often which was nice because it insured that we had face time and real time conversations. This deployment has been very different.

Between difficulties with the site where he’s located and the demands on his time, the girls and I have only seen him a handful of times. Now, I am not complaining by any stretch of the imagination. It just makes the moments we do see him much more memorable.

Brian gets to see the girls more often than they see him, however, because the video feed of him doesn’t get reciprocated. A few days ago we were surprised! He “called” us on Google and his face popped onto the screen. Paisley jumped up and said “DADDY!!!”

There he was his handsome smile from ear to ear, “Hey babies!” 

Paisley in her princess pullups.

Paisley was standing there in her pull-ups and nothing more. She showed him the princesses on her pull-ups naming each one, “Tiana, Cinderella, Belle…”  He was in disbelief that his baby knew the names of the Disney princesses.  Then, Paisley told him how Grandma took her shopping, how they played and all about her sister. She ran to get her new shoes and socks to show her Daddy.

Then, I turned the lap top to face Anastin. The last time he saw Ana on webcam all she did was drool and sit like a lump on a log, haha.  The day before his call, she sat up by herself for the first time.

Brian got to see this, “Ana are you sitting like a big girl?” She cooed in response. Together Anastin and I showed him her latest trick. I sang, “How big is Ana?” She lifted her hands and I said “SOOOOO BIG!” This made him laugh. Then he sang, “How big is Ana?” She smiled and lifted her hands.  The two of them played this game for a little while and I couldn’t help but smile, it was almost like he was sitting right there.

Paisley came running back in with a shopping bag and said “My turn Sissy!” With that she turned my laptop to face her. “Daddy, hug?” She leaned forward and hugged the screen of my laptop. Brian giggled and leaned forward hugging the monitor of his computer. To top it off, he said “Kisses Paisley” puckering his lips for a kiss. She obliged and kissed the computer screen.

Anastin learned to sit up by herself and showed her Daddy via webcam.

She took out her two new pairs of shoes, her new socks and showed her father.  Just as he was about to respond, the sound cut out on his feed. Our astute toddler did something she had only seen me do a few times before. She pointed to her ear to let him know she couldn’t hear him. 

Brian smiled hugely again and fixed the problem. When the sound came back, Paisley said “Daddy you fix it?” He replied,“Yes, and Daddy knew exactly what you were telling him, you are so smart stinker!”  She nodded and said, “Yup.” Then, she showed him how she can put her socks and shoes on.

Brian was on shift so he didn’t have much time to talk and that is difficult to explain to a 2-year-old. He told her he had to go and they exchanged hugs and kisses again.  She cried exclaiming she wanted her Daddy and how much she missed him. The smile on Brian’s face disappeared. He looked so sad again.

Brian via webcam during a previous call for Paisley's second birthday.

I know he misses his babies and wishes he could be here to play with them. I told him not to worry that we were so blessed to get to see each other.  We exchanged our “I love yous” and he smiled again. I leaned Anastin close to the screen so she could “kiss” her father and with that we said goodbye.

The call was not a huge or monumental thing, but it made me happy to see how Brian is still such a big part of their lives even if he is on the other side of the world. For the rest of the day, Paisley talked about Daddy and Anastin started to babble “Da Da.”  These are the moments that make life good!

Jackie Dorr is an Army spouse, mother of two, president of the MacDill Enlisted Spouses Club and contributor to Off the Base.  Her other entries include:

Five Years, Two Kids and Four Deployments Later

“I Love You the Mostest!” an Army Spouse Goodbye

The Day I Saw My Future Husband Cry