For the last seven months, 1-year-old Regan Pilard has only seen her parents through a web cam on a computer screen.

One-year-old Megan Pilard recently viewed her dad, Daniel Pilard, during a live Internet visit. Megan’s parents, Daniel and Malyn, are in the miltary and recently stationed in Iraq. They could only visit with their daughter via the Internet. Today, the couple will come to Lake Havasu City to be with their daughter — the first time since May.

Today, Regan will be reunited with her Army parents, Daniel and Malyn Pilard, for the first time since May — when she was only six months old. Daniel, a staff sergeant, and Malyn, a sergeant promotable, were stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq, before recently receiving leave for the holiday.

“We don’t know how she’s going to react to us,” Malyn said while riding with Daniel from Ft. Hood, Texas to Lake Havasu City Christmas Eve. She’s always happy to see us when we talk through our web cams, but in real life, I don’t know how she’s going to react to us. I want to hold her but I don’t want her to freak out.”

The Pilard family’s situation is not unique. When either a single parent or both parents serve in the military, the Army requires children to be placed into the care of another guardian. In the Pilard’s case, Daniel’s mother and Lake Havasu resident Patty Pilard has been taking care of Regan while the couple served in Iraq.

Patty Pilard said she was more than happy to take on the role as Regan’s guardian.

“(Regan) is so sweet and she’s always happy,” Patty Pilard said. “She’s an absolute delight and it makes me so proud that my son and daughter-in-law are serving their country.”

Despite not physically seeing her parents for months, Patty Pilard said Regan has no problems recognizing her parents.

“She knows that’s her parents. She just lights up,” Patty Pilard said. “She gets happiest when she can see her mommy or daddy on the computer. So we try to get on the computer as much as we can.”

Malyn said it was sometimes difficult not being able to see her husband or daughter for long periods of time.

“While over there, they have wireless Internet, so we were lucky that we at least got to see each other,” Malyn said. “(Daniel) was on a different patrol base so I didn’t get to see him either for a while. When we would get time, we would try to see each other as often as possible. But we made sure to try to talk to Regan almost every night.”

In only a few short weeks, the Pilard family will again have to separate.

“We only have leave for two weeks so we’ll be taking Regan with us to Ft. Hood,” Malyn said. “Luckily we don’t have to leave for Iraq again until May so we’ll be together until then.”

The couple will then drive Regan back to Lake Havasu City to stay with her grandmother.

“We know it could be tough if she doesn’t get to see us so that’s why we make sure to talk to her on the web cam as much as possible,” Malyn said. “My husband and I are going to be in the military for life or until they kick us out. But we want our daughter to know we’re here and we want to always be there for her.”

You may contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com