I'm just feeling... tired, I think, by it all. DH and I work full time and have an 18mo DD. DH works on a shift pattern that includes nights, which while it is great for childcare, means we don't have much quality time together. We moved to a new town just before DD was born and I have made good friends with other mums, but my oldest, closest friends aren't close by, and the local mums don't seem interested in going out to socialise, just meeting with the kids. Most of them and their DH's work 9-5 so weekends are very much family time. I have made one good friend whose partner also does shift work, and some friends are understanding, but it is me alone most weekends with just an odd 'pop' to see someone for an hour or so. Our families are supportive but not so close that we don't have to arrange seeing each other in advance, or that they can babysit for an evening. They will take DD for a weekend etc if needed which is great, but isn't much help during a long weekend with no real adult company. DH and I very, very rarely get any quality time together.
DD is great and I know I shouldn't complain, she is a very good toddler - sleeps well, eats well, no significant tantrums etc - but 18m seems such a difficult age in some ways. She wants our attention and involvement a lot but is yet to start playing anything we can fully interact with, iyswim. I get out and about loads but swimming and the library isn't as much fun on your own sometimes.
It's just recently started to feel that every day is the same. Work days - work, come home, do all the dinner time and bedtime stuff, then sit in on my own as DH is at work. Weekends - out and about but to the same places, then come home and... sit on my own as DH is at work a lot of the time. It's not the parenting so much that is Groundhog Day, DD is a lot of fun at this age, but the rest of it. Our jobs and where we live won't change for the foreseeable future, my local friends all have very young DC and I can't see them suddenly wanting to go out in the near future. We're not struggling for money, but not so flush that paying a babysitter to just do down the pub for a few pints is practical.
I'm just bored, and a bit lonely, I think.
Sorry this is so whiney. It's drizzling here so we won't get out too much today, maybe that's put me in a bad mood.
AIBU to ask if anyone else feels like this? And if you do, how do you challenge it and make it better?