on growth spurts and separation anxiety

(this post is dedicated to all my girlfriends -- you know who you are -- who don't yet have kids, who are fighting the good fight.)

so i've read that babies hit growth spurts on the 3's and 6's: three weeks, six weeks, three months, six months...

aidan is nearing the end of six months and i'm semi-delirious for lack of sleep. i'm lucky if i get four straight hours any given night. he does sleep for five hour stretches, but they start around 8PM. and although i'm exhausted, work and human connection (i.e. chatting with my husband) preclude me from turning in anytime before 11PM. that means, i'm up two hours later (1AM) for the next feeding. after that, it's two hour intervals at the most. i believe i've aged fifteen years this month. scratch that: this week.

and then there's the issue of separation anxiety. he doesn't want to be apart at all. not at all. sometimes, if i'm just standing behind him he'll lose it. he needs me in eyeshot pretty much the whole time he's awake. he'll have momentary bouts of independence, but they're stubbornly short-lived moments of joy.

i long for an eight-hour stretch of sleep and for the day aidan says "mom, i need some space."