Christmas Revelry vs. Over-Stimulation
Dear Ashley and James,
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Dr. William Sears is/was one of the advising physicians for the La Leche League. He is a pediatrician who had 8 of his own children. He has written several books that are still in the LLL libraries. The Fussy Baby is one favorite. I have been getting this newsletter for some time. (About 9+3 months) Yeah, it has more ads than I wish, but the advice is a good place from which to springboard.
In this entry, he mentions "Over-stimulation". It's not impossible that even your chaos-loving cherub could experience this by the end of the month, so that's why I'm posting this.
With Petey's 1st two major holidays, I had to take him down to the bedroom dungeon in the in-laws basement to nurse off to sleep. It wasn't crying/fussy/anxiety from over-stimulation, which is what you usually think of with this concept, but with Petey there was just too much to see and do, and he would have starved to death rather than miss anything ! Petey was 11 months old at his first Christmas, though, so a far different stage than Makayla. And I had to stay right there in the bed with him for the entire nap, or he would have just given it up.
I don't remember Petey ever going through "Stranger Anxiety/Separation Anxiety" either. But he was SUCH a people person - always on stage, always working the room. That, and he was pretty much never left for many months. But Stranger Anxiety can occur even with the parent in the room, not just when leaving with sitters.
James was nearly 8 months old at his first Christmas. I took him off to an upstairs bedroom at the in-laws, rather than the damp, pitch-black dungeon of total silence that Petey required to focus and then fall asleep. (Quite an improvement for me anyway.)
I don't remember James having much of any Stranger Anxiety either, but again, he was almost never left either. I could probably have come back down to the family celebration with or without the sleeping Jamie, but by then, I was the one that needed the peaceful moments. It was a really big family ! That, and cuddly James wasn't in my arms Enough for my taste.
Everyone wanted to snuggle him - he was everyone's Tribble. (Forget Stranger Anxiety, James was in the arms of other people much more than uncuddly, wiggly Petey. James was such a snuggler that I would actually GIVE him to sad people to hold. He made them feel better. NOT kidding ! You know how they say that stroking a pet cat can lower blood pressure and releases happy endorphins ? Forget cats ! Everyone needs a Baby James Pet Tribble to hold.
So......
This Christmas, with all the visiting and family functions and happy noise, keep in mind that their "need" to hold, see, and play with your baby is SECONDARY to her real NEED for the security of YOU and James. In their minds, it is a big priority to interact with the baby because she will never be at this stage again. In HER mind, this is the most bewildering time of her life and you are her Protector and Comforter. Be firm if you need to be.
HUGS !!!
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribble