My son has BAD habits for an 8 month old.

[LauraB78]

Ugh, Jaxson has been sooooo cranky. He has one tooth popping through, and another coming shortly behind. He has been taking an unscheduled nap at around 6:30 PM, but then wont go to bed until 10 or 11 pm. I am about to lose my mind. He is sooo cranky most of the time.Also, throwing up a lot. What happened to my sweet baby? He will only fall asleep if being held, and Ken keeps referring to him as a "little brat." Honestly, I think he is becoming one.. Any advice on how to curb this awful behavior? I know he is pain becasue of the teething process, but I cannot and will NOT hold him ALL the time. I dont want him to get used to that, you know?

He also has grown very accustomed to having constant attention. Ken & I have both been home with him since the day we brought him home from the hospital. We are incredibly lucky to have this time, but if I leave the room to go potty while Ken isnt here, Jaxson cries. Its like he needs someone around all the time. It is increasingly frustrating and I am just hoping someone has advice. We have moved 3 times since he was born. he is almost 8 months old. He crawls so he gets into everything and that is hard too. because we just moved in here and our new home isnt baby proofed yet. I think I am just tired and am hoping I am not alone.. Thanks!

Hope everyone is well, I havent been on medhelp regularly since Jax was born! No time. =(

[KM604]

My daughter is 7 months and just getting to the point where she gets upset if you leave the room (mostly me more than my husband) but she knows we are her parents and she looks for us.  She also just had a tooth break through, which I didn't even realize until after it broke through.  The only thing she did out of the ordinary was cry harder when she cried but she isn't much of a crier so I really didn't think anything of it.  When she was 3 months she was sleeping through the night then at about 4 months she all of sudden started waking up with a 2-3am feeding!  It only lasted for a month, so maybe she was going through some sort of growth spurt.  As far as the going to bed late, Mikayla has always gone to bed between 930-1030.  When I'm not working she gets up between 930-103am and when I do work she gets up when I do, around 630am (don't ask me how she knows! LOL).  She also takes a nap around 7-730 every night and it lasts about 20-30 minutes.  It's a late nap but it's her third for the day and it doesn't stop her from going to bed a few hours later.  I think it's ok if you have to hold him to go to sleep, it could just be a phase or he just needs the lovin.  If he isn't feeling well that's what he may want also.  What you could do is try and put him down as he is gettin drowsy so he gets used to falling completely asleep in his crib.  It's tough because we rock our daughter to sleep in one of those bouncie chairs then move her to her crib when she is asleep, so we need to start getting her used to fall asleep on her own in her crib.  I don't know if my input helped but I do want you know your not the only one who's baby is going through this, so your not alone!  

[LauraB78]

Thanks Grandmatobe. I hope so too! =)

[Grandmatobe]

For the most part, the definition of "parent" should be "flexibility"......I couldn't remember alot of the issues with my own kids, but now having my granddaughter (and her Mom and Dad) living with us, I get to go through this again.  She is 15 months old and she started going through the separation anxiety around 8 months too.  I hate to say it, but she still has a fit when one of us leaves the room (whether it is Mom, Dad, Grandpa or Grandma).  I think she now understands that we are coming back, but she still gets mad when we leave.  Also, when they are teething, or have a cold or anything is bothering them, the sleep schedule goes right out the window.  They are uncomfortable, and they want to be "babied" a bit more.  She used to be a great sleeper for her parents, until she hit about 8 months, then she started waking up all of the time during the night.  Once they start crawling and walking, they find that those activities are WAY funner than sleeping.

I know it is frustrating, and fortunately, I don't have to deal with the middle of the night stuff (so glad to be a grandparent), but it is frustrating for my daughter and son-in-law too.  How each parent handles these situations is entirely up to them.  Some will bring the baby to bed with them, so everyone can get a little sleep, and some parents will let them cry it out.  Personally, when a child is sick or not feeling well, I tend to baby them, because if I didn't feel good, I would want someone to baby me and not be mad at me for being cranky.

It takes a lot of patients, and we all get frustrated, but your baby still cannot communicate their needs in any way, but crying.  I hope you can get him back to a schedule you can all live with.

[LauraB78]

Thanks!

We DID have him on a perfect schedule. HE changed it with the unscheduled naps, and I had let them go b/c I figured he was extra tired from teething. Maybe I will just keep him up regardless of how cranky he is.. Thanks for your input though, I really appreciate it! =)

[dnikki0928]

Well at 8 months he could certainly be going through the anxiety thing when a parent leaves the room and he can't see you so he thinks you're not coming back. Mine son went through it twice and it does get frustrating. I always used to talk loud so he could hear me when I was in another room and tell him that Mommy and Daddy always come back.  As far as the napping thing, get him to a schedule that you want. Like getting up at 8a.m or whatever time then napping right after lunch. I'm not going to lie, it will take a few days of crying and such to get him used to this. Does he take more than 1 nap a day? This is how we had our son scheduled and he took 2 naps/day until he was like 15 months.

630-7am. Wake up, have breakfast...
Wakeup-9-930 - play and read books and whatnot
9-930: Nap time - he would crash on the floor if we didn't put him down for a nap
11-1130: Wake up from nap, play some get ready for lunch, have lunch. After lunch play more and doing good interactive activities.
2-230: Went down for another nap and would wake up about 4-430. And then you have the rest of the night. We always have dinner about 530 or so and then by 730 you have a tired baby and give little man a bath and get him settled down for bed.
8-830: Story time and bed

Our son is almost 3, and he still almost goes by this schedule. He obviously only takes one nap a day from 1-130 - 3-30. But it works out perfectly for our day. And he still goes to bed about 830 which is really nice. Like I said, you don't have to make this exact schedule, but it's what worked for us. Just be patient when/if you are going to turn things around. It will take a few days of crying and then just when you think it's not worth changing his days, he'll be used to it. Good LUCK!!!

[LauraB78]

**BUMP**