Are any of you also pursuing a graduate degree while parenting a baby?

I seem to be in a particularly unusual situation at the moment.  I am trying to finish my Ph.D. dissertation while working as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate course.  My husband is a suddenly-stay-at-home Dad because of the current economy.  (He was laid off in December).  I'm having a hard time getting my reading, grading, and writing done with both my husband and my 7.5 month old daughter home nearly all the time.  They do occasionally go out and give me some time at home to work, but lately (and understandably), my husband is getting tired of caring for our daughter nearly all the time.  He has asked me for a well-deserved day off, and I keep telling him that I will give it to him; but my academic work, which has always been hard for me to manage time wise, keeps piling up and I can never give him more than a few hours one day a week to catch up on sleep.  We don't have the time or money for day care and babysitters right now, and we have no family in the area to help.  Friends occasionally pitch in but most are busy graduate students themselves and have no children or parenting savvy.

I'm just wondering if there are others in similar situations.  My non-parent friends are tired of hearing me complain about juggling academic work and parenting, so I'm seeking other outlets....

THANKS!

I understand how you are feeling.  I am still in undergrad and I know how hard it is to juggle school and a child.  My son is 21 months old and I am expecting another baby in May.

Thank you, Rachael.  Are you in the Pasadena area?

Haha no, I am on the other side of the USA.  Pennsylvania to be exact!

I'm a stay-home dad in a graduate program studying K-12 Art Education (probably won't go for the full Masters' Degree, as I already have one in Art History and as such only need 25 credits to get certified to teach)...taking care of a 5 1/2-month-old son.

It's a ton of work even with only one or two classes a semester - I can't imagine how hard it must be to work on a dissertation.  I sympathize with both you and your husband!