Just the mention of 'bed' sends her to tears. Every night before bed I say okay girls, night-night time!! Katie starts singing "Nap time, nap time...." from Yo Gabba Gabba and Charlotte starts to sob and say "No!! No!!"
I decided there MUST be something physically wrong with her. There must be! An ear infection maybe, ah a nice simple ear infection. We'll give her some antibiotics and soon my calm, happy girl will be back.
So off we traipsed to the doctor who obligingly checked LaLa over from head to toe and every spot in between. And declared her to be 100% perfectly healthy.
Damn.
The doctor's diagnosis - separation anxiety. Damn again.
He told me the same thing my mother said - that i need to go out more often and she will learn that it's okay, Mommy goes away but she comes back. He told me this is very typical, especially with stay at home moms. She is so used to me always being there... my not being there one night just triggered this anxiety in her.
So yesterday I took Katie out to lunch with my friends and left Charlotte with my aunt, where she had a great time and apparently was happy as a clam (meanwhile Katie spent the entire car ride pointing at Charlotte's car seat and going "Huh? Huh?" and shrugging her shoulders then had a total meltdown when she saw LaLa's picture on my cellphone, pointing at it and sobbing hysterically).
But, Charlotte is definitely not cured yet. After I picked her up from my aunt's I took her to the supermarket where she proceeded to cling to me, refused to allow me to even put her in the shopping cart, screamed like a lunatic and at the checkout hung on to me so tightly while i tried to bend over she caused me to lose my balance, i fell down hard on one knee, wrenched my back and she pulled down my shirt while trying to hold on for dear life. I think the young male cashier saw my nipple. He looked horrified. And will probably remain a childless bachelor forever thanks to the two of us. Sorry kid.
We did have a great Memorial Day, and it was the one day Charlotte went to sleep without a problem. I think we just wore her out.
20 comments:
Heehee- don't you love it when your kids expose you to total strangers?
I hope this phase passes quickly!
I love your blog! You are such a great writer and your kids are gorgeous!
Very sweet how Katie was missing Charlotte!
Also, very funny about the cashier/childless bachelor for life. Caused me to laugh out loud! :o)
Oh, poor Charlotte (and Mom) I have no solutions for you but hopefully she will get over this quickly for Mom's sake.
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ROFL....exposing yourself at the grocery store! SO sorry!
Hope your knee is feeling better and that Charlotte learns to sleep better soon. :)
Oh I feel for you and know what it is like to have a kid clinging to you for dear life. I know your story was not funny but I couldn't help but laugh at the grocery store scene. I had a similar experience at a Birthday party I took all 3 to by myself. Hang in there.
you just confirmed my belief that i, too, need to get out more. i am so right there with you.
Oh my, I just laughed at my computer screen about that young cashier now destined to be a childless bachelor!
I'm a SAHM too and my girls are attached to me as well. Unfortunately, we don't live near any family at the moment and it's hard for me to expose them to the Mommy-is-going-out-but-WILL-be-back theory like I did with their big brother.
Oh my...nipple! lol
I FEEL YOUR PAIN Megan. Sleep has become tricky again and they are clinging for dear life. I'm jealous of your respite!
Feel so badly for you, but it is almost comforting to hear that someone else is going through the same anxiety issues as we are. I've been told it passes quickly, but I'm not sure what exactly "quickly" means. Good luck with this and you may have made that cashier's day. At least he had a story to tell in the break room. :)
This post made me almost pee my pants. Probably so funny, because I know how you feel. I have never posted before on your blog. Trust me, she will stop doing this. Both my girls went through this. My 2 1/2 year old can throw a fit like you have never seen before.(and not just at bedtime.) The things we do and put up with for our kids :-) Hang in there!
Cracking up at the childless bachelor! (On a side note, I always think one view of the mesh hospital panties could do the same for most teenaged girls...)
GL with the separation anxiety. My wise friend Jamie says "Remember everything's a phase." It's gotten me through lots of rough spots! Just keep saying, "This, too, shall pass." :-)
So soon Katie will have separation anxiety from LaLa!!! I wish you the best in trying to get LaLa over her separation anxiety. I'm sure you were the cashiers highlight for the day!!!
I am laughing out loud!
Your kids are beautiful and you are too funny!
So, so funny (well, it will be to you in several years' time, I'm sure...)! :) So sweet that Katie cried for her sister, too. The girls seem to be going through the same stages my little one is, too, even though he's nearly 2 (he's not as mature, I guess... ;) Noah is going through major separation anxiety, too. We went out for the first time in - I don't even know? - the other night. My mom babysat. She said he was fine up until bedtime; then she brought him upstairs, he looked at her and announced calmly "Crying." She said, "No crying - sleepy time." She brought him to the crib and he repeated: "Crying." She said "No crying" and put him in the crib, where he commenced with the wailing. At least she was warned! :)
I'm sure you weren't laughing when it happened but that makes for a damn funny story.
Madison has just started to freak out at nap and bed time when previously she was an absolute angel. She hasn't acted any differently during the day though. If I figure it out I'll let you know!
I love your blog and laughed out loud at this posting this morning.
I'm right where you are with the separation anxiety!! My son is only 10mths tho. It just started a couple days ago. Now if I leave the living room (where I have him gated in) he stands at the gate and screams. It's a lot of fun.....NOT!!!!! lol
We have been going through some similar naptime issues lately but he's only 8 months. I can hardly take the sight of him grabbing onto the bars of the crib and crying! It's heartbreaking, but then I realize I can't keep going in and picking him up or it'll just continue. Sigh! Good luck, hang in there, and it's nice to hear another mom going through something similar! Your girls are too cute!
Summy's been going through this phase too. For us it is "one more mama hug" This is great in theory until you're on hug #2,384
((HUG))
I love the way you write! from the sad to the funny....thanks for sharing!
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