Meadow I also found the baby stage really tough so you have my sympathy. DD was a crier too. She spit up a lot so I came to the conclusion that it was probably reflux. She slept really well at night though, so maybe not? Cuddling her seemed to help but then it was hard to get any housework done or meals cooked. As soon as I'd put her down, the crying would start. I can still remember the frustration. We went through a phase where she had some bad evenings and even cuddling her didn't help. DH and I would take turns walking her around the house whilst desperately wishing we had ear plugs. Maybe she was teething at that stage? It's all a bit of a blur. And then you're getting unhelpful advice from people around you which leaves you even more confused. DM told me I was spoiling DD by cuddling her all the time. MIL suggested I try flat 7Up for reflux as she knew someone with a baby with terrible reflux and the 7Up woked wonders . She got a bit easier somewhere between 4 - 6 months but by then my maternity leave was over (we only got 18 weeks ML back then). To be honest, going back to work was quite a relief as I was finding it all a bit intense. It gets a lot easier when they get older and start to respond and then they finally reach a stage where they can actually tell you what's wrong with them and you're not trying to play the guessing game to figure out if they're hungry/thirsty/tired/have a virus/teething/none of the above (turned out to be chicken pox). Hang on in there - it will get easier, although I'm also reluctant to suggest a time frame in case your DD doesn't play by the rules. I found the toddler stage a lot easier even though I had to watch DD more because she was exploring everywhere and investigating everything. But she was less needy and less dependent on metoo busy switching on the washing machine and eating the plants.
em sorry DS has a nasty virus. Hope he feels better soon. Sounds like you had a lovely evening together.
Welcome Nursie. Meal planning and online shopping helped me save money because I only bought exactly what I needed and I didn't have DH and DD adding unnecessary stuff into the trolley. And there were no nasty surprises when I got to the till. If the total was looking too high, I'd got back and take out the frills. I need to get back to that again as things have slipped a bit the last few weeks. I don't have teenage DSs to feed - that must be a challenge! Could you aim to cut back on your grocery bill by £5 this week and maybe a further £5 the following week? Only you know if it's doable though. For me, letting DH do the shopping is a disaster because he buys all kinds of weird and wonderful things because they're bargains or special offers even though we'd never (in a million years) eat any of these things. He did the big Christmas grocery shop once and spent €300! That didn't even include the turkey and ham as we'd ordered them from the local butcher. He thought he was doing me a favour by saving me the stress and crowds and fighting over shopping trolleys etc. but I was horrified at the expense. Sorry for rambling. I guess what I'm trying to say is that me doing the grocery shop (instead of DH) is a big saving in itself.
Lonely I'm sure I've said it already but I'm so pleased you got the loan and can pay off your credit cards. Properly pay them off, not just keep up with the interest. The relief must be immense!
warm I'd be inclined to keep either the cleaner or the yoga for the sake of your sanity. It must be tough doing everything yourself (not just the physical care but carrying the mental and emotional load too). I really hope that CMS can generate some extra income for you by forcing your ex to pay for his kids. How old are your DC now?
Cag glad you survived the root canal.
mammy I'd hate DH having access to my bank account in those circumstances. The sooner you can separate your finances, the better.
Fluffy we've had dishwashers before but it's been a few months since the last one stopped working (maybe April or May?) so we've had to do without one for a few months. We waited for DH's bonus before we replaced it. Hand washing was a pain but we got through it and we're really appreciating the dishwasher now. DD used to moan about emptying the dishwasher but she says she'll never moan about it again 
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