Separation Anxiety

Every week I get emails from Baby Center describing the stages and milestones for London's age (and monthly milestones for the triplets) This latest update was right on...

7 Months 3 Weeks

A natural stage many babies go through is called "separation anxiety." Your baby may turn away, cling to you, or cry in the presence of someone new -- even a familiar relative or friend. Granted, this can pose a problem if you're trying to have someone else take care of him for a while, but the reaction will disappear with time -- and there's an upside to it. "Separation anxiety shows that babies have started to figure out who they know and who they want to be with. It's a big cognitive step," says pediatrician Jason Homme of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota


We are SO there! London has always been a momma's boy, but lately it seems to be super intensified. And although having a minute or two to myself now and then would be nice, I wouldn't trade this stage for anything. I'm trying to savor each and every second of my little man because I know too well how fast these stages fly by.

I LOVE how he lights up when he sees me and he gives me the best little hugs. He's really started saying "Mamma" alot and when he reaches for me my heart absolutely melts.

And speaking of separation anxiety, it goes both ways. Today I went to a bible study and dropped the kids off at the church nursery. There were tears, LOTS of tears, and not just from the kids. I had to compose myself in the elevator and in the hallway before I was able to walk into my group. I was able to keep London with me but the guilt of leaving the triplets in a unfamiliar place was pretty overwhelming. Luckily, when I picked them up (an hour and a half later) they were all smiles and talked all afternoon about how much fun they had. I think next week will be much better for all of us and I'm sure each week will get easier.

I've always hated leaving them and I think it stems all the way back from our NICU days. Leaving them each night while they were so tiny and fragile was such a horrible thing to go through. I went to sleep each night wondering if they were awake, if they were crying, if they were in pain and some nights even had to wonder if they would make it through the night. I wondered what they were thinking and if they noticed that I wasn't always there. Each night when we left the NICU I felt like I was abandoning my babies and I felt incredibly guilty any second I wasn't with them (our NICU didn't have parent rooms, so staying with them wasn't an option). Just hours after they all had heart surgery, we had to kiss them goodbye (their surgeries were all done late at night and the NICU was shutting down for the late night shift change) and drive nearly an hour home. And even during the day, there were periods when we had to leave due to shift changes or procedures on other babies in the unit. Two specific times, I remember having to leave even though the babies were upset and crying. Not only were they critically ill, but a good bit of it they had to endure all alone, without their mommy. Ugh...I hated those NICU days. Think I'll go kiss ALL of my sweet babies just because I can :)