articles

Salute to Mom - Mia Baba

November 3, 2017

Would you like to be Macaroni Kid's Military Mom of the Month?

​Tell us about yourself HERE!

​Every Mom deserves a salute!

*******************************************

Mia Baba

NAS Lemoore

My husband and I got married in 2011. We had our first child, Isabel Grace Baba, prior to my husband’s enlistment in the US Navy and graduation from boot camp in November 2012. Our second child arrived after my husband’s eight month deployment with USS Boxer. Our son is, as we call it, a “homecoming baby.” His name is Michael Peter Baba, born in January 2015. Currently, we are stationed in Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA. My husband is a Petty Officer Master-at-Arms (MA) in the Navy.

What do you like about military life?

As a Navy wife, I have a high level of respect and admiration for our military service members and their families. It is an honor to be a part of a diverse military community where children can learn and grow up to become future defenders of our country.

What do you not like so much?
Life in the military may appear stellar to some people after watching popular films like Top Gun, etc. However, most people lack the understanding of a military family's common obstacles such as preparing for a last minute PCS move, assuming the role of a single parent, and sacrificing family time, holidays, and other special occasions due to deployment, ongoing trainings and drills, and other duty-related events.

Do you have special talents/hobbies? How do you spend your time?
Those of us who are stay-at-home moms have a need to develop a hobby while raising our children and tackling those tedious house chores. I found joy in baking sweet desserts and shared my passion of cooking healthy meals with my children.

Being a full-time stay-at-home mom is a stressful but rewarding job, since you can watch your babies grow. We must not take this time for granted because once our children are all grown up, they may not have enough time to spend with us. We also do our best to maximize the bonding time with our Papa Baba. It is always nice to have our sailor at home.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I aim to focus on building my career skills and discover new talents in marketing and federal government agencies. I can also see myself being an active participant at my children’s PTA meetings.

What's the most rewarding part of your life?
The most rewarding part of my life is to serve alongside with my husband and embrace my role as a military spouse. Our experience living in the military has enabled us to share a precious gift called self-giving love to God, our country, uniformed men and women, and families.

What's the most challenging part?
I would say that each day holds a new set of obstacles. Most military families encounter different stages that require physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional toughness. In a nautical perspective, one must be quick to adapt to rising sea levels.

How would you say being part of a military family shapes you?
Being a military spouse has shaped me in many significant ways. Living a military lifestyle has made me stronger and fearless of change. It has heightened my love of patriotism and helped me develop a new level of respect for our military troops and their families who have sacrificed everything for our freedom.

What has surprised you about military life?
Practically, everything about the military life was a surprise! Transitioning back into the civilian world is also exciting for our family since we will begin a new chapter and encounter more trials in 2018. But we will be ready for battle!

What advice or encouragement can you share?
Be brave. Stay strong. Pray and have faith in Jesus. God bless America and our military families!