Shyness and Separation Anxiety

Shy? No way. Well at least that is what I thought to be true until this weekend. While there are a few rare exceptions, E seems more than willing to strike up conversation with anyone at the grocery store, Target, etc. And sure when he is meeting new people, he is a little more attached for the first few minutes but after that he is off and running (literally). So this weekend when we went down to visit my family, I was a little surprised that he was hiding behind his daddy and motioning to be held. However, like usual after a few minutes of getting settled (and being enticed by new toys) the shyness wore off and he was the life of the party.


So what about separation anxiety? I have read at length about separation anxiety rearing it's ugly head in late infancy and possibly extendingthrough early toddler hood. I honestly thought it just didn't apply to E. Sure there was the one time, we dropped him off with my aunt and he was upset but that was a fluke, right? Oh and that period of 4 to 6 weeks when he screamed when we left the room but that was just him not wanting to be alone, right? DUH! That is/was separation anxiety! Normally, Emory seems to be more than willing to take off and play with other kids which is serving a motivation for me to get my butt out of bed on Sunday morning to take him to "Sunday School" aka the nursery. The first time we went was back in May and he loved it! It made my heart smile to see him playing with other babies his age. The same was true when I took him last week. He moved up to a new class with more mobile babies and again he was happy to play the other kids. It was a no brainer...until yesterday. I went to check him into class. He was the first one to arrive. Not thinking anything of it, I handed him over to the nice lady and BAM! The crocodile tears starting flowing. He looked back at me with his face red, tears streaming, and reached his tiny hand back to me. It was HORRIBLE! The logical part of me knew he would settle down once other kids arrived and he no longer saw me lingering. All I wanted to do was swoop him up and run out the door. What did I do? I did what I should which was grabbed my parent pager, took a deep breath, and walked away. It was one of the hardest things I have had to do but honestly could he have been in better hands? I mean these ladies willingly volunteer that time to be in a room full of babies who may cry, drool, puke, poop, or any number of wonderful things little one are known to produce. Of course, I was a bit distracted during the beginning of the service and was sure my pager went off. Guess what? It didn't. In fact, it never did. I did finally relax and before you know it the service was over. (I did sneak out a few minutes early, but hey I am HUMAN!) When I went to pick him up, he was playing with the other kids just like he had the times before. He did however burst into tears again once he saw me...oh the guilt. I know many moms go through this much earlier when they drop their children off at daycare. I am fortunate that E stay with his papa so when I leave for work, he is sound asleep. So what I have I learned from this?



1) Expect the unexpected. Just when you think you know what to expect, these little ones change it all up.

2) Make your exits quick! More often then not, your baby will settle down as soon as your out of site or shortly thereafter. Lingering makes it worse for you both.

3) Make sure E is not the first one in the nursery :o) He seems much more willing to run in and play when other kids are around.

4) Maybe dragging the bambino to church the morning after being in a car all day, off schedule napping, and going to bed late isn't the best idea.

12 Month Check Up

This is going back a few weeks!

September 14, 2010

We had E's 12 month check up this week. I say it all the time but I just can't believe it has been a year already! This visit we saw a new peditrician since our previous one moved to another center. She is just as awesome as the first! According to her, he is growing and developing just as be should be. In some instances even ahead of schedule.

My oh my, how he has grown!

Emory at Birth:

7lbs, 2oz

20.5 inches long

Emory at 1 year:

22lbs, 2 oz

29.75 inches long

My New Life

This picture pretty much describe my life as it is today. It was taken the morning after E's 1st Birthday Party. He is proudly sporting his new Spider Man pajamas and running down the hall. Gone are the days of guilt free naps, sleeping in, taking long showers, girls weekends, and monthly pedicures. Sure I could still do some of these things but the truth is, I don't want to. If I have learned anything over the past year it is how quickly the moment can pass you by. Our son has grown from an a tiny newborn to a toddler is what seems like an instant. So one day, I will happily return to all of those things that were part of my old lifebut for now I will blissfully live my new one.

Firsts

September 1, 2010...can September already be here? Can it really be the 1st? As I sit here this morning I am struck by the word, first. The word first evokes specific meaning to everyone but to me I think of it as it relates to a special time or event. This leads to me to my real topic of the day, my first born Emory Abram. I will try to make it through this post without too many tears!

To my sweet baby boy,

Could it be possible that we are approaching your first birthday already? Where has the time gone? I am amazed that although it has gone by fast, it feels like we have a lived a lifetime in this past year. We have experienced so many firsts together as a family. You first day of life, your first night home, first bath, first smile, first Halloween, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, first time rolling over, sitting up, first foods, first tooth, first road trip, first bottle, first play date, first time crawling, first steps, and the list goes one. This first year has been filled with milestones that I feel so blessed to be able to share with you. It is odd because no one event seems more special than the other, after all there were your first. You have become such an amazing little person in only a year.

I am not sure what the future hold or whether we will add more children to our family but always know you hold a special place in my heart because you are my first. You were the first to grow in my belly, the first I held in my arms. I will never forget the day I found out I was pregnant with you or how I felt seeing you on the sonogram with your Daddy by my side. I had no idea what the expect in the coming months and every week was filled with excitement to see what happened next. I enjoyed being pregnant and the time we shared together. When you were born, I was filled joy, excitement, maybe a little fear, but mostly love. A love that only a mother can feel and describe. As our first hours turned into days, weeks, months, and now almost a year my love for you has only grown. It is odd that although you have only been here a year, I feel like I have known you all of my life. So my sweet boy as I approach your first birthday, I want you to know that I am anxiously awaiting all of your next firsts and will be here to share each one.

I can't end this without giving acknowledgement to the one I loved first. To the one who gave me the most precious gift I have ever known. NK, I love you more than I could have ever imagined. I have shared so many incredible firsts with you, my first real date, my first dozen roses, my first time falling in love, my first puppy, my first home, and all of the other experiences we have shared over our 16 years together.

My first year as a mother has been a wild ride and although every day has not been easy, at the end of the day I have what I have always dreamed of... a family.