Is it normal for a baby to be this cranky?

[Mammalian]

We love our LO to bits, so lucky to have her, and her little smile just melts my heart, but seems like we've spent the last 13 months just trying to keep LO happy! It's making it hard to do anything/go anywhere together. Also making me and DH snap at eachother.

She was a colicky/reflux baby, so cried almost non-stop for the first 3 months. She rarely slept (day or night), one time going 48 hours without sleeping at all, when she was a few weeks old! She would fight to get out of the sling, didn't want to be held or in pram either.
At about 8 weeks, she got her first tooth, so as she grew out of the reflux... the teething took over. Trying to just bring her to doctor/ baby yoga/ baby massage was always a disaster as I just couldn't put her down to pack her bag, and then she'd cry in the car, and be restless in the class, cry on the way home.
From about 5 months until now (13 months), she loves swimming, playgrounds, playgroups, beach etc, and is actually very happy once we're there. But trying to get her there is just so stressful- get her dressed, get myself ready- disaster!, hates being in the pram, hates being in the car, hates even when i leave the room to get her stuff into the car.
She has been teething non-stop (has 12 teeth already), and has gotten quite a few coughs and colds, so all of this keeps waking her up at night...
We're still waiting for the illusive 'sleeps through the night' and are up 2/3 times every night (for over a year) and just feeling so exhausted!

I'm just trying to figure out:

• Is this normal? I see people out walking with 2 or 3 kids, double buggies, toddlers on scooters and they all seem content enough.
• If we have another, what are the chances it will be like this again? All my friends had babies in the same year as me, one even had twins, and they're all sleeping, they drive over an hour to visit eachother (i just can't)! Maybe some babies are easier than others?

Some babies just really seem to hate being babies. It gets a bit better once they are more independent and ready to do stuff.

Any chance there might be some kind of dietary intolerance?

Is she walking yet? My little boy was much much happier when walking. Also he talked quite early and being able to tell me what the problem is took away 90% of the tears. He slept through from 17m and that obviously was a big factor as we were all finally getting enough sleep. He is now 2.5 and I'm finally having the next one and terrified to go back to baby days as he is SO easy now!

My one has always been like this. Obviously has my personality instead of DH's. Even at 2.5 yo is impossible to eat out. He will sit down for 2 minutes and needs constant amusement.
I think it is luck of the draw

Oh, we had 5/6 wakes a night until he was 2

I agree with the walking comment. 13 months is young to be sleeping through. We coslept from 6 to 22 months. She stopped waking for formula at 13 months but she still regularly woke up after the time we stopped cosleeping.

Sounds fairly similar to my DS. Crap sleeper, hated the buggy, hated the car! He's now 2yo and much better. We found a change of buggy to a more lightweight one (forward facing, lower to the ground) really helped as he quite likes being in that one (he even sleeps in it which is a miracle). In the car is easier now as he can actually hold / play with a toy - he was never too interested in those dangly toys - and he can chat too so he knows we are going to see nana or to the shops or whatever and that staves off too much crying. In fact, generally being able to talk and walk had made a huge difference along with his better understanding of things. He also (mostly) sleeps through now and I NEVER thought that would happen! I'm now pregnant with number 2 though so clearly I'm a sucker for punishment, haha!

DD is now 3.2 yrs and I have a 10 day old and it’s hard but I’m glad we did wait this long as she can reliably and independently go to the toliet, dress herself and play. It breaks my heart at the moment that o can’t give her as much as before but things will get better and it would have been a lot more difficult for all of us if she was still going through the terrible 2 trantrums.

Thanks so much for replies.
BertieBotts we've looked into all that with doctors, health nurse, paediatrician, not much help really as they say if she was allergic she'd be vomiting, rashes, loose nappies etc, which she doesn't have. But yes we could discover something.
JentC I'm really hoping that happens, she is very close to walking (moves along the wall, or holding my hand etc), and yes I definitely think once she can talk that will help, as she points and shouts a lot, and sometimes it's hard to figure out what she wants. That's brilliant he's much easier for you now. Best of luck with the next, hopefully it'll be different with this one!

Katniss I might try that with the buggy too, good idea. She is facing outwards, but it's a big bulky pram, I hate the site of it myself! Good luck with your second baby, fingers crossed!

Sounds like DS1.

With regards allergies and intolerances, DS1 was allergic to cow's milk protein as a baby with obvious symptoms, but when we started trying him on cow's milk when he was 12 months, there were no obvious symptoms other than him being very cranky, sleeping much worse, and having a constant bunged up nose and itchy eyes (neither of the latter he'd had as symptoms previously). No tummy upset or sickness. We didn't make the link until he started getting eczema as well. So it's worth looking at diet just in case!

It sounds like my DD. She was a very desired child but hard work. Constantly crying, teething and requiring entertainment. She also had multiple ear infections making her wake up 15 times a night. I was extremely tired. At 14 months she had 16 teeth and so far it gets better she sleeps 8h at night and that gives me some break. However, she requires me to sleep in her room for reasurance.