When Mac got home Abi was screaming from her crib and Harm was no where to be seen. Mac quickly placed her things on the couch and picked Abi up.

"I'll be there in a minute Abi." Harm yelled from the direction of the kitchen.

"Shush honey." Mac rubbed her daughter's back. "Shush, Mommy's home." She rubbed circles on her back until she burped. "See just gas." Mac smiled as Abi stopped crying. "I'll just change your diaper and everything will be okay."

"Abi, everything is going to be fine." Harm said as he walked into the living room. "You're home."

"Uh huh. Having problems?" She asked.

"I dropped her bottle on the floor, so I figured I should get her another one. I put her in the crib while I went to heat it up, that's when she started screaming."

"She had gas." Mac supplied. "Even you just feed her a little bit you need to burp her otherwise she will get cranky. She also needs her diaper changed." Mac took a second to look around the living room which looked like a bomb had hit it. "What happened here?"

"Things go a little hectic."

"So it would appear. What's for dinner?" She asked her stomach rumbling.

"I haven't had chance to make dinner, we'll just have to order take out."

"That's okay; I'll just see what you got at the store to tide me over." He shook his head at her. "You didn't get to the store?"

"I told you things got a little hectic around here."

"At least I hope you did the laundry."

"Most of it."

"Harm what exactly did you do all day?" She inquired.

"Look after Abi."

"And made a mess. What happened to 'If I can fly a tomcat I can sure as hell look after our daughter all day by myself'?" She teased.

"It's harder than it looks."

"It really isn't." Mac smiled. "Abi let's get your diaper changed then we'll your finish dinner. After which it will be time for your bath and bed." She headed for the stairs. "While we're busy Daddy's going to order dinner for him and Mommy and then tidy up the mess he made."

"She's asleep." Mac said as she came down the stairs thirty minutes later.

"How did you manage that?" Harm asked.

"Easy practice." She came and sat down. "What did you order for dinner?"

"Chinese. It should be here about ten minutes." He let out a long slow breath then yawned. "You it really is harder than it looks."

"It isn't if you set up a routine and stick to it."

"A routine?" Harm questioned.

"Harm, you're a Commander in the US Navy I'm sure you know what a routine is."

"Abi has one?" He questioned.

"Of course. She wakes up between 0530 and 0600 because she is hungry and wants her diaper changed. Once that's done she get dressed for the day and usually while I'm making breakfast you play with her for a few minutes until you have to go to work, after which she promptly falls asleep. She then wakes up around 0900 - 1000 because she's hungry again after she's been fed, she either sits in her chair happily for a couple hours or we go out. Usually some point during that she falls asleep. Once she wakes up which is usually around 1330 she likes to be entertained until she gets hungry again. We usually sit and I read her something. Once she's asleep again I usually fold the laundry I've done earlier that morning, and decide what to make for dinner. After that I just play it by ear depending on what kind of day we've had until you get home. Then she gets fed, bathed and put to bed. After which she usually wakes up a couple times during the night." Mac explained.

"You know it would have been helpful if you'd told me this earlier."

"You have to figure out your own routine, otherwise you'll never get anything done and at some point during this routine it has to involve laundry and going to the store. Oh and the park, she likes the park."

"They're still hard work."

"You just have to know how to handle them. It's like sailors you just have to let them know who is in charge."

"And just who is in charge in our relationship?" He asked.

"Oh that would be me and I have the Colonel's birds to prove it." She kissed him. "I'm thirsty do you want a drink?"

"Juice would be good."

TBC