Hey, it’s a start.

Damn thats a big belly!

Goodluck Gabby.

My morning cup of tea that she leaves covered on the kitchen counter, prepared the night before. The “I love you” note she surprises me with once a week in my lunch bag. The lunch in said lunch bag. The warmth in her eyes that take away all the tension of the day the second I arrive home.

All that is amazing about her gets lost in the shuffle of my routine. I find myself constantly pressing for a better life for my family, and as that goal comes closer, it can be easy to lose track of why there is a goal in the first place.

The truth is that on most days, I worry about Makayla and about Aiden, but not about her. I wonder about the job I am doing as a father with Mak, and about how I am preparing for the arrival of our little man. How my  actions will affect their future.

But not her. She has always been the constant. The hand that guides me through my lost moments is always hers. It has been there for so long that I find myself often forgetting how lucky I am to always be able to count on it.

So today, before I go to buy her a bag of M&M’s (our tradition,) before she wakes up to start her day as our Superwoman, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate her.

I Love You Gabby.

P.S. Now sleep in until noon so I have time to go buy something last minute honey.

She was crying, and I screamed.

Makayla had been sick for the past week and had grown very attached to Gabby. It was the first time Makayla had gotten sick, and truthfully it was difficult. She’s usually the easiest baby to care for, and I guess I was spoiled by that.

When your daughter gets sick for the first time, she reverts. She becomes a 3 month old. She needs to be carried for comfort. She is quicker to cry for attention. She needs you. She deserves that too.

But I still slipped. I can make a ton of excuses for it too. Maybe it was the 12 hour shift I just worked. My dad’s recent health issues. The paperwork I had to handle. Knowing I was going to get 3 hours of sleep on that night, as I had to get up early.

But they don’t excuse my action.

One word was screamed.

Gabby couldn’t leave to the bathroom for 5 minutes without me losing my temper, and in turn, I ruined our night. And all I could think about was the result.

Did Makayla stop crying? No.

She was scared, as I’ve never lost my temper around her before. Her eyes went back in fear, the right side of her face where her lips meet and blend into her cheeks quivered. She lost her balance and fell back, crying louder then before. Uncontrollably.

Gabby, who has always put in more time with Mak, who was easily the one dealing with our sick daughter the most, who really just needed some time to herself to shower, was sent rushing back to our daughters rescue. From me.

It was a reminder. I always said I’d be more patient with my kids then most of the men in my life were with theirs. And I’m glad that in my first year of fatherhood, this is the first time I felt I truly did her wrong.

But it was one time too many. It was one time I wish I could take back. It was one time, that I hope to not repeat.

The Newest Almonte

But it’s a secret. The baby’s telling us to shhh! lol

Dad's a bit rusty at feeding me.

So I had some trouble feeding Mak. In my defense, she headbutted the spoon. Regardless, it’d been almost 3 weeks since I last fed her. I need some practice.

It wasn’t enough to go two-and-a-half weeks without my girls. Nope. But their flight had to arrive at the very end of Sunday.

This has been a lot harder then I expected it to be. The house seems far too quiet. My life felt far more unorganized(some time during the last 6-7 years, Gabby has become our family-time-manager.) Everything seems to go by slowly.

But that’s over. My girls will be home tonight.

P.S. Thanks to all of my peoples who helped make the time go by a little faster.

—–Edit at 5:45 pm—–

Just got an update from the Airline. Flight has been delayed until 11:30 pm. They want me to wait ALL of sunday as well.