Separation Anxiety - The Sequel

Just before Sumayah's 1st birthday, I posted about her separation anxiety. I remember being frustrated by it, but optimistic that it would pass as just another phase. Well it did pass, but I'm afraid it has emerged once again... but this time for very different reasons. This time it developed after a short period of time in her life that was bursting with change. And as we all know, change is the Kryptonite of childhood. Bilaal also experienced quite alot of change in his little lifetime, but it was managed over  a period of time. But this past festive season was very hectic for Sumayah.We had 2 weddings in 2 countries with 2 different families. The first leg of our little adventure began in Cape Town, where we were preparing for my sister-in-laws wedding. Sumayah had a marvelous time bonding with her grandparents and meeting all her cousins and aunts and uncles. Then we left the warm but windy (Sumayah hates the wind) Cape and departed to the UK to prepare for my sister's wedding. She was showered with love and affection and lots of attention once again, but this time by her other set of grandparents and aunt and uncle. To top it all, daddy and boeti were not with us so although she was loving her time in the UK, she really missed them terribly. Then finally, we took another long plane ride home, where she was once again very well behaved, only to discover that the next day all those warm fuzzy people she had just grown to love were once again nowhere to be found. Understanderbly, with me being the only meaningful constant among all the change, she has become very attached to me. She doesn't let me out of her site and the first few nights of sleep (or rather lack of sleep) was hellish to say the least. She has been sleeping alot better as she settles back  into her own room, but when she does wake and doesn't see me there next to her she screams a tormented cry... poor gal. Tomorrow I am supposed to return to work so I am a bit worried, but fortunately I am in a position to ease her into it gradually. In the mean time, Bilaal started Grade R this week, and it was an absolute breeze. In fact to him it was like no big deal at all. He entered the class and just slotted in as though he had been there for a whole year already. But more on that in another post.