back from camping!

WHAT AN ADVENTURE! for the most part it was very very nice. Llistening to the crickets while we sat by a fire ...and just anjoyed the music of the night....while J was sleeping.
We camped in a VW Eurovan...where the top popps up and our bed was there...and we THOUGHT Julianne would sleep down below..but in the end she slept mostly in her car seat...as she would not let me hike her over the back seat into the back of the van into her sleeping quarters.


she did have crying fits at 3am mixed in with schreaking. no fun at a campsite...no floor to walk with her...I just we messed up her schedule a bit by going on vacation.


she is a the point that all she wants is momma t..to hold her and be inthe room with her.
She is almost 8 months old..so I guess it's a separateion anxiety stage????/
she will even cry in her excersaucer when it is next to me in the kitchen while I wash dishes.
this is HEARTBREAKING as well as SSTRESSFUL!!!!

(it would normally take us bout 2 hours to pack up the van to go cmaping. WE started at 9am,...and hit the road at SIX PM! no napping for J, wanted to held all the time, etc)

tell me BTDT moms, I KNOW deep in my heart that I am supposed to be happy she is in this stage cuz it is the next stage of development...knows she is separate from her mom and dad...and this is exciting and scary! ...tell me how to make it thru this...with my mind...without spoiling her or setting a precence I dont want to set

help

Just stay close to her when she needs you but when shes ok to be down by herself let her be. Going on vacation probably screwed her up. She will get back to normal when she is in her normal surroundings. IMO you shouldnt deprive of her of the attention she is longing for when she wants to be held... let her know that mommy and daddy are available to her when she needs her. You cant spoil a baby.

She'll be ok. I hope mommy is ok too...

I'm glad you had a nice trip, but I'm sorry you are experiencing 'stranger anxiety'. That mustn't be fun at all.

Oh, poor Phyl! Sorry to hear Julianne is suffering separation anxiety - that is difficult, but like you said, a necessary step in her development.

Like Karen said, do you best to reassure her when she needs it, but don't over-coddle either. She does sound very clingy, and when she's like that maybe it would help to distract her with a toy or favorite song.

I don't know what else to say since this is an inevitable step in her development. Just give her lots of TLC, and she'll be her old self in no time.

Feel better, Phyl and remember - we are here for you!

Your post sounds like it is describing my daughter, not yours. She is 8 months too and having major separation anxiety. I can't offer much help. I try to keep her in the room where I am doing chores. If I can't, she calms down shortly after I leave and cries again when she sees or hears me.
Glad you had fun camping. Your packing experience is not too far off from mine. The day when we are going to leave, my DH works 6-2 in hopes to be on the road by 3. I am supposed to pack the trailer so we can just hook it up to the car when he gets home. When he gets in he says, 'I am going to pack my bag and will have the trailer on the truck in a half hour, you ready?' I usually have to explain why I need him to watch Annalise while I pack my bag and hers, eat lunch, etc. He says, 'You had all day to pack. what happened?'

Phyl, your not alone and Victoria, that made me laugh when your hubby said 'you had all day...' Men just dont understand!

John Anthony has been having major separation anxiety, but I try my best to distract him like Claud mentioned with a toy or something he likes to watch on TV. It really is hard when you have things to get done and the little one is clinging to your knees.

He's been walking alot, hold on to the furniture so he will be in the kitchen with me, walking from one end to the other, then when he reaches me, he stops and stands at my knees with his arms up crying till I pick him up . or sometimes when I pick him up from sleeping, I'll bring him into the great room and try to set him on the floor and he TOTALLY tells me he doesnt want to be put down He makes his legs go limp so that he doesnt stand, and he clings to my knees so I cant walk away . If he is in the exersaucer (Which he is getting sick of, basically at the end of its use for him! ) or even if he's waking up in his crib, If he sees me or hears my footsteps or my voice, he will babble/whine to me till I go get him...

I just see it as a normal stage in their development. They are communicating with us the best they can, *and pushing out buttons the best they can *

He is not overly clingy. If I leave him with anyone else, he may not want to go at first sometimes, but he will get over it right away, and not complain. He's great about that. I can leave him with anyone any time.

Hope you girls get over the hurdle soon

hi girls-
Thanks for the hugs. She doesnt do it all the time- but it seems to happen the m ost when I need to get a lot of things done fast! hehe

Now she will cry in the excersaucer when it is next to me when doing the dishes! I literally touch her face, back every so often just by reaching over and sometimes it is not good enuf.
I just keep singing to her, talking to her, pressing her musical toys...sometimes she cries AS she is playing.

right now I am hiding inthe kitchen typing and she is in her swing, squeaking happy noises to DORA the Explorer. but if I peek out my head and she sees me she will start to cry.

soemtimes I can work around it by puttin gher int he baby bjoen but there aare some things I need to do that r too dangerous with her: laundry, cleaning, etc. ooh well, will perservere as best I can.

YES ANNA this is the button pushing stage!
I dont know how my mom did it ( unfortunely she is deceased so I cant ask her). she would just give us this LOOK and we would freeze and be on best behavior. She was pretty strict and tough...sparingly gave kisses, praise, etc. believed in the spare the rod technique. I am hoping to practice only the GOOD things she taught me and not fall into her hard line and other bad habits.

i love her , I miss her, and wish both mom and dad were here to see her. oh well enuf of that or I will cry all day.

thanks again girls....will keep u updated. later!

Glad you had so much fun camping. Seperation anxiety is totally normal for her age. Go here phyl and good luck.

Seperation Anxiety