I can remember reading about separation anxiety when Iyla was a few weeks old, the article was giving advice about not getting too stressed. I actually said, ‘stressed, it can’t be stressful, it must be really nice having someone cry for you when you leave the room’. Haha this is now in the same category as when I said I couldn’t wait for Iyla to crawl.
The clueless thoughts of a first time mum category. Separation anxiety has started and it seems to have turned her into a clingy scaredy cat.
Although I wasn’t totally wrong in what I said, I do like it when she screams for me all the time but it does make life a lot more difficult. It doesn’t just seem to be when I leave the room that sets her off but if I put her down on the floor then within two seconds she is climbing up my legs and screaming for me to pick her up again. This results in me having to hold her while I brush my teeth and let her sit in the bathroom with me while I go to the toilet. She even cried at someone for the first time today, a lady in the Italian restaurant we were in came over and pulled a face at her and she started screaming. It was slightly awkward as I felt sorry for the poor lady who didn’t know what to do!
Earlier in the day she had been rummaging through my friends bag who said ‘no’ to her (in a joking way) and she stopped what she was doing, whimpered and then started crying and came over to me (yes, this made me feel good too!), it was also very interesting as when I say ‘no’ to her she either ignores me or laughs!
It is so strange to see such a dramatic change in her character, she used to smile at EVERYONE but now she looks at people in a strange way as if she’s thinking, ‘who the hell are you and why are you staring at me’. I know they all go through it as they are become aware of the world around them and I do love the fact that I can pick her up and make her feel safe and secure (even if it is the 8th time through the night I’ve done it!) but I’m hoping it doesn’t last too long as its quite hard to get anything done when you have a baby attached to you 24/7.
I was in a charity shop yesterday and they had one of those weird hairdressing heads on the shelf, so I poked it round the side of her pram to see her reaction and her face was an absolute picture. Everyone must have thought I was an absolute nutter as I was stood there in hysterics waving around a weird head. Mean Mummy!
How long does this phase normally last?!
I can see the novelty of her crying every time I let go of her wearing off at some point! Maybe I should stop waving strange looking plastic heads at her……
Uh oh, so you have to literally carry them around? Just picturing what it’ll be like a month ahead. And hahaaa yes you mean mummy!!
the head thing does sound quite funny!! 
I used to wonder if it was ‘bad’ of me to like the fact that my baby wanted me and only me. It was like a sort of affirmation he was giving me, but now when he will not stay with anyone but me at night it can be tiring. Pretty soon I’ll be back at work, dunno how we will adjust to it but he has his ‘settling’ in days at nursery coming up, so fingers crossed. Its true we do strange things to entertain our kids help them adjust to changes in their lives. Good luck working out this period and don’t be too sad when she no longer clings so much, think about the next exciting phase you will move on to :0)