Toots,

When I started working Full Time again, DD was 3 yrs old & we had been together every day of her life. She lost all the hair behind her ears & wet her bed 3 times in the 3rd week, I took her to DR who said it was seperation anxiety...
I felt so guilty, but we needed the money & the job.... Dh was waiting for his visa etc, so he was not here all the time...

I can honestly say the best thing I ever did was continue to drop her off at my friends house she has 3 kids & everyday she had DD.
I noticed a 100% turn around in confidence in DD from her being home with me to being to having to mix with other kids, it has been the best thing for her, she coped really well in 4 yr old Kinder, then in Prep took to it like a duck to water & now is in top of her class in grade 1, she is actually now doing grade 2 work.

I think having a sibling for Jacob, will not only be good for him, but also for you.
I realised I had probably cotton wooled DD from many things, yet allowing her time to be her & have her own personality & get to mix with other kids & deal with things other kids deal with like not sharing, snatching, fighting, the competetiveness has been great for her.

I know I will feel sad having to put this baby in Family day care at around 6-8 months of age, 2 days per week, but I think it will also be better for this baby than what DD went through when we finally did have to be seperate, so i think it will be good for Jacob to have a sibling so he can deal with his seperation issues (and yours, I know I was a mess) inside your family unit, before he has to go to kinder, school etc & believe me it comes around all to quickly!

You will cope... We all do, somehow or another!!!!