Hoody - I hear ya hun. It is probably the most trying thing on a relationship that you are ever going to face, and so many couples do eventually break up over it (maybe in 18 years time when the kids leave home and you are left wondering what you see in each other anymore). It is SO important to take time out for yourselves. Set a goal maybe to go on a date at least once a month. We get Caden looked after by a friend (well, we have done twice now in 2.5 months) and go out for dinner together. It is like it is our first date all over again! As for YOU time, that is very important too. Again, leave bubs with DH or a friend and go for a walk, go shopping, just a drive or go get drive-through coffee. That way it gives you a moment to reflect on your feelings, what you want out of life besides mothering. There IS more to life and before you were a mum, you were a person too.

Willow - great to have you back. Your holiday sounds good, although it does sound exhausing. It sounds like your bubba was the same as Caden - couldn't work out how to put himself back to sleep. I guess it depends on how brave you are (I couldn't have done it without the help of Ngala) but maybe just keep trying until he finally does it on his own. It may take a few hours (on our first day with Caden it took over an hour) but will be worth it when he finally works out how to fall back asleep. I think I ended up digging a hole with Caden, in that initially he would just fall asleep in my arms anyway cos he was so small. Then I got into the habit of rocking him to sleep (right around 6 week mark where he had "the week from hell"). Then it got so bad that he would only sleep for 40 minutes before I got him up again and had to hold him in my arms all day so he would sleep. Obviously this was exhausting, I had a grumpy baby, and was a wreck! Now I just pop him in his cot and off he goes. I hear him cry after about an hour, but he settles himself again and only ever cries for a few minutes. I sabotage it if I go in there too soon. As for your ETA - sounds like he has the idea, just keep reinforcing it by allowing him space to self settle.

As for us - all is good! I can't believe what a difference Ngala has made. Now when he is awake he is happy and when he starts to grumble, I put him down without complaint. I have also learned to back off and allow him floor time by himself. I think I got so afraid to leave him because he just cried, that I ended up smothering him all day. Now I can let him play under his mobiles and he is happy until sleep time. This gives us some great together time, as well as his own space.

A question on thumb sucking - Caden has learned to suck his thumb, which is great as he can self-soothe back to sleep. Only now it seems that he focusses on sucking so much it takes him a while to fall back to sleep. AND he has a sucking blister on his lip! I encourage him to fall asleep on his own without putting his thumb in his mouth, to ensure that he can get to sleep without sucking. I am just concerned that by the time I think he is ready to get up, he has actually had less sleep than what I think because he has been trying to suck his thumb. Oh well, one drama just leads to the next! But things are TOTALLY getting better and I am so much happier.

Well, thanks for listening to me whinge over the last few weeks. It is only now things are improving that I realise how bad it had gotten. DH is much happier also.

Have a great week (we have a funeral tomorrow ) and it is going to be 40 degrees!