Jamie Lee

First of all, giving_up, please know that I repeated that prayer for you as well. I work in a child specific emergency dept, and I have seen many children in situations of life long abuse. You and your baby need to get out and to a safe place. I know you don't feel that you are strong enough, but you have to be. I have seen mothers sit back and do nothing when their child starts to be abused, and later they are found at fault as well, even if they themselves are abused. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get to a safe place. I have seen so much of this in families, and it is very real, and very dangerous. I have seen children taken from both parents, one of them the abuser, the other the one who did nothing to stop it (which could be you one day). It is very well known that those that abuse, were abused themselves. Your husband is a person that needs INTENSE counceling, and he isn't willing to do that. I myself have been emotionally abused by a previous boyfriend, and I know how they can make you feel... like this is all your fault and you don't deserve happiness....you need to get past that stage, and look at your baby. Your baby is your number one priority, think of it that way, you can't let your children grow up in an abusive home. Get yourself a good lawyer, and I know there are safe havens for women of abused relationships. When I was in college for my degree, I had a rotation through one of these places, and the one thing I remember from that rotation, those women were beaten down and emotionally lost, but they got out. Please know that you and your baby need to be safe (if I haven't said that enough already).
Here is a website for you to check out
http://www.giftfromwithin.org/html/spousal.html
Vanessa&Tony: This day in age, you should be well aware that people are severly abused in more ways than one. You have now added to this womans abuse. Think of a child that has been bullied for years, and finally stands up to their bully...they get up enough guts to stand up for themselves and fight back. Please don't make this into a 'it's all your own fault' instance. Say that to a woman that has been raped, do you contend that they asked for or deserver it? I suggest you read this website that I posted.
We all need to stand up to violence in the home, it is not acceptable, and people and children do die from it....I unfortunatly have seen that first hand and words can not describe the severity of this situation, and the turmoil that it creats.
giving_up: your are in my prayers.