So this is a bit of an update, a bit of a ran.

December 4, my ex finally had our baby girl. We named her Jolene and she looks just like me, it's insane. I'm in her life as much as Telly (my ex) will let me be. I get her maybe two hours every night (which is better than what quite a few dad's get, I'm aware), it still doesn't feel like much. I'm trying to make sure that bond is there between her and I. Telly's boyfriend and my former friend, Christian, lives with Telly and my daughter. He sees her so much more then I do and I'm plagued by the fact that he seems to think he's taken on the father role. Telly doesn't set him in his place very often, but I do. Today was one of those days. Telly and I had set it so that I would pick Jolene up at 4 pm and I'd have her till 8 pm. Unfortunately, her dad stayed longer then expected so I didn't get Jolene till 6 pm. Her bed time is 8 and since Telly is breast feeding but can't use the pump, I'm pretty well SOL for over nights at the present moment. When I went to drop her off, my girlfriend gave Jolene her soother (which is something both Telly and I are trying to keep as a last resort), well it was an honest mistake but unfortunately when I dropped Jolene off Telly remarked it and harped me on it. The final words were "Remember that you're the parent not her"; well Christian chimed in "He's barely a parent". So I bit my tongue cause I wasn't about to lay into them on their front porch while I was fuming mad. I decided to go home. I got home and I had a text from Telly saying "I didn't mean for my comment to discredit you. I just really don't see the point in giving her the soother if she doens't need it. You should know better." Now I explained to her over text that I didn't give her the soother, I barely use it. It was my girlfriend who did and I told her as soon as we got in the truck that Jolene isn't to get the soother. But it's the comment Christian made. If my girlfriend had said something like that to Telly, I would've amonished her for it. You don't let statements like that go, especially not when the father of your child is ACTIVELY in your child's life, sees her for a few hours everyday (because you can't use a pump) and pays you twice was he's supposed to in support so that you and your boyfriend (who works full time at a coffee shop) can pay rent because you blew your money on Magic cards and video games and new cell phones. Am I wrong here? Like I understand, I'm lucky that I'm allowed in my child's life because there's so many fathers who wish they had what I did. But I feel like in this I'm getting completely short handed. Can anyone tell me where it's written that I have to support not just my child but her as well when she left me? Or where it's written that a proud father who wants to be in his child's life more can't be, especially when he works a great job, makes better money then the mother and her boyfriend combined and can provide all that child needs? Like all I sought after with our custody agreement was joint custody because I felt it would be wrong for one of us to be locked out of our childs life..I've heard from a few people it seems like she's trying to cut me out and use me as a cheque.