One option would be to just learn to program better or market products during your less busy time on the job. Maybe you can start by making some application to improve your day to day work, or operations in the company. So if anyone asks, it is clear that you have time on your hands, but you are using it in a relatively productive way. Then you can apply what you have learned later outside of work, probably after the baby is bigger and you are not so sleep deprived.

In my experience, non technical companies can be a bit irrational about releasing software. They don't understand it, so it's hard for them to value it. They will have a knee-jerk reaction and just say no. Or think that it's more valuable than it is and want to keep it for themselves, and be unable to do anything with it.