Poor little DD is having a bit of a time of it at the mo. She is cutting a bottom incisor next to her two existing bottom teeth and generally seems to be very grumpy, irritable and miserable at the moment.
Chief cause appears to be Mummy who doesn't always understand what she wants when she is asking for something which sends her into a hissy fit, or Mummy not picking her up when she wants to be picked up because Mummy is on the loo, or Mummy giving her a cuddle standing up and then daring to sit down to carry on the cuddle due to a sore back, or Daddy daring to pick her up instead of Mummy, or either of us putting her into her high chair for her tea..... you get the picture.
When she gets upset she wails the house down, arches her back, kicks her legs, the lot. As she is still very small and is probably feeling very overwhelmed by working herself up into such a state I try to cuddle her until she has calmed down but this doesn't always work and isn't always practicable. The window of distraction is nil - she does from quiet to foghorn in the blink of an eye. Different things upset her but mainly Mummy not picking her up when she wants or sitting down for a cuddle when for some reason she really loves being cuddled when I stand up. Sitting down cuddles are apparently no good.
The tantrums usually come at the end of nursery when we get home around 5.30, she eats and sleeps well at nursery though and nothing has changed about her routine so there's nothing to particularly unsettle her. I was wondering if maybe her teeth and nearly being able to stand up by herself and doubtless be walking soon is all a bit much for her and is making her so grumpy.
Needless to say she is an angel at nursery although they have remarked that she is very clingy with two of the staff she is particuarly attached to and cries if they have to leave her for a moment to go to one of the other babies. She is very clingy with me and wants Mummy most of the time, Daddy won't do (and I have to say DP is starting to feel rather hurt as this has been going on for a while now).
I suppose what I am wondering is can anyone help me figure out what is upsetting her so much and why she is so uncharacteristically miserable and grumpy, and am I doing the right thing by cuddling her when she is kicking off, it doesn't feel right to me to leave her or ignore her.
I do work 4 days a week but pick her up every day and give tea, bath etc and give her bottle in the morning before I go to work so I give her as much of my time on my working days as I can.
Your thoughts much appreciated, please excuse the ramble!