ILR question

Hello,
I have few questions to ask:
First i came to UK on student visa on the 13th of september 1996. I graduated in 2001 and since then i have got work permit to work in here from 15th August 2001. Before receiving the workpermit i breifly went to back to home country for three weeks. Recently i changed job and was given a new wrok permit which is valid till May 2010. I am planning to apply for ILR since i have in combination of two workpermits for 4 years by July 15th 2005. The question i have:
1)What is the date i shuld be putting in for as date that need to be put in the application for in section 5.1 in the form Set(0)
2)Section 3.1 says who pay for my partner support? My partner is wroking part time , although i pay for everything else her own expenses she manges herself, do i need to mention that.
3)We are also going to have a baby in August end. If i and my wife get my ILR status before then what will baby nationality and what are procedure for getting a passport for the baby in that case. If we dont get the ILR by then how do i proceed for the baby.

I'll just pick up on your question no. 3 :-

If either you or your wife are settled in the UK before the birth of the baby in the UK .... that is either of you is a British Citizen or has ILR ... then the baby will be British as soon as he/she is born. In that case it is simply a question of filling in a British Passport application form as available from any (main) Post Office. Needless to say the status of the parent(s) will need to be proved when the application is submitted.

However if neither of you are settled when the baby is born in the UK, but get ILR later, then it will first be a question of applying for the baby to be Registered as British. Then armed with the Certificate of Registration a British passport can be obtained.

The baby having any other nationality as well? That would obvious depend upon the nationality law relating to yourself and your wife.

Others hopefully will answer your other questions.

Thanks John. However i have two more question:
1)In the last four years i was away for 101 days altogether of which i was away for 43 days on two differnt business trips. Do i need to get a letter from my old employee saying that if so in what format. I have not been out of the country since November 2003
2)My wife was away for more that 10 months altogetther in various spans out side UK in the last four years . Will she be still eleigible to apply with me? She has not been out of the country since July 2004.