It's just a phase... IT'S JUST A PHASE!!!

So recently Maddox has started this new thing where he just likes to whine and cry and whine and cry ALL. DAY. LONG.

I'm seriously about to go out of my mind. From the moment he wakes up he starts with the whining that quickly turns into crying. SO, I pick him up. He's quiet for about 30 seconds and then he starts to whine again. Then cry. So I put him down. Again, quiet for about 30 seconds and then the cycle starts all over. I've tried the bouncy-jumpy thing. No deal. I've tried his exersaucer. No Deal. I've tried toys, Cheerios, fruit, Tylenol, outside, inside, car rides, sling, stroller, food, bottle, water, sippy cup, books, pictures. NO deal. I've tried his Baby Einstein videos. Deal for about 5 minutes. Then no deal.

The one thing that gets me through a day of him screaming and crying and whining is the fact that I have convinced myself that this is just a phase. Although I have seem some adults who act the same way, at least at that point you've already kicked them out of the house. But I'm almost positive that when Mattie was about 7 months old, she started this whining and crying, too. I don't think it was as bad as Max. Other blogs I've been reading have mommies that experience the same clingy neediness about this age in their infants, too. So I just keep telling myself that this is all just a phase, that this will pass, and even though it's been going on for a few weeks now, I know that it has to stop at some point.

I think one of the problems is that Maddox gets so frustrated that he can't do big-kid things. He wants to walk SO very badly. He makes me hold his hands and walk all around the house (he actually walks, too, it's not just me holding him up, he can do it minus the balance part). I can't do it all the time though. My back starts to ache badly. So when I stop he becomes furious and screams and cries.

Another issue I think he's dealing with is severe separation anxiety. I can't even go into the next room without him freaking out.

One of my biggest fears is that I will raise a whiny, needy, overly demanding child. I'm sure Maddox is too young to start worrying about this, but it's always in the back of my mind. I want to make sure Max matures into a self-sufficient man. I want him to be as independent as possible. I don't want him to need me. I'm not sure if that makes sense to anybody but myself. But there it is.

Plus, how can you not want to hold this little sweetie pie??