3/10/2003 11:35:34 AM|||Amy|||I wish I could be as positive as you, J, about my husband being out of work. Friday was his last day as well, except that he won't have a severance package. We were already living paycheck to paycheck and now everything is much, much worse. I'm trying to keep my stress levels down, but it isn't possible. I went through this exact same thing when I was pregnant with my daughter, and I didn't do too well then either. On the bright side, at least this time I'm not being threatened with a lay off myself and as long as I keep doing my job, my position is secure. So what if I haven't made my student loan payment in months and I have an almost thousand dollar tax bill due April 15 - not to mention that when I go out to have this baby that I will have to take the time as unpaid leave? At least I have this job, and my children are healthy.

Anyway, on another note, today I realized that I am two days into the second trimester. So far so good. No weird bleeding.

My emotions are in the toilet with no hope of being able to swing themselves out. My finances are in utter ruin. My children are about to be forced to deal with leaving their friends at daycare because Mommy and Daddy can't come up with the money to keep them there anymore. And I am searching for information on the internet about food stamp and WIC eligibility, as well as any other social service program from which we might be able to get some benefit. When I was pregnant with my son, I was without a steady job and John, being an Irish citizen, couldn't legally work. Even then I resisted having to go on food stamps and WIC, but now I realize that sometimes you have to ask for help in order to step out of the quick sand.|||90466632|||