Do you have Dr. Sears' book about "high-need" babies? You might find something helpful!
My first one was a nightmare, too ... combination of an edgy baby and inexperienced parents. Hang in there! If the wife's flipping out, she can come visit me - I have lots of baby-holding help!
Thanks, Oh Dominatrix of Nice. :) All our books tell us that it's a phase...she went through a period at two months where she just screamed for two hours a night, guaranteed, due to gas and colic. She's more or less over that, but in the evenings she always seems a bit frantic...when I put her down on the changing table she's wiggling, flailing, eyes wide, little fists balled up. But she's not in pain, there's nothing wrong with her, she's just extremely high-maintenance right now. Fortunately she's also incredibly cute.
We accept the fussy evenings as the price of her sleeping 6-8 hours through the night, almost every night, as she has since the incredible age of six weeks.
And she gets to take her first airplane trip tomorrow. Foxfire4 and daughter are flying to Atlanta, and I follow via truck on Thursday, then we go do a craft show over next weekend and drive back (Atlanta to Richmond, one day, straight through) with Gracie in the truck. Should be, uh, interesting?
}:-)4