Separation Anxiety

I remember when my kids hit about 9 months old and entered into the "separation anxiety" phase. They wouldn't go to anyone but me. They would cry if I walked out of the room. They would cry if a stranger reached out to them.

It passed. At about 2 years old they evened out, and got used to other people.

Recently, something strange has happened with MiniMe. She has re-entered separation anxiety phase. Neither of my other kids did this, so I'm not really prepared.

She follows me everywhere. She gets upset if I walk out of the room. She always wants to know where I am. Going to bed at night? Ugh. Leaving your kid in a room at night when she's screaming "I NEED YOU!!!!!" with desparation in her voice does wonders for the nerves.

And today? I'm sitting on the can, taking a moment for myself, when I hear her desperately crying out for me.

"MAMAAAAAA!" with real fear in her voice. So there I am....and I have to YELL that I'm in the bathroom so she can come find me. Which she does. Crying.

"I was sad! I didn't know where you were," she sobbed.

Moms are nothing if not multitaskers, right? I can do my business and hug and comfort my distressed child at the same time. Gross, I know. But, what choice did I have?

MiniMe is like my little shadow. When I do the laundry? There she is. In the kitchen? Right there. If I go down to the garage to get something out of the car, she follows me down.

Now, I love my baby girl. And I have an enhanced, bitter-sweet appreciation of her sweet little girlness, since she's my last. But there is only so much five year old chatter I can handle in one day. I mean, I've heard the recap of "Madagascar's" funniest moments more times than I care to mention. Occasionally I comfort myself that I'm modelling good parenting to my older kids when I say, "Sure honey, tell me all about what you thought was funny in the movie you watched last night." But it wears me out.

I suppose she'll grow out of it. And then, I'll probably miss it, right?