Wonder Week 55

Some of you will already be familiar with what this is and why our LO's act so miserable at this age. It really helps me to know that its normal and it will end. So here is a little copy and paste I picked up and I hope it explains your LO's wacky behavior.

For the record, this is my 2nd baby and I have been *dreading* this developmental milestone. It is by far the worst.

Wonder Week 55

Around about the fifty-fifth week (plus or minus – meaning that it can start anytime between the 49th to 53rd week), comes the eighth and final wonder weekOpens a new window that a baby goes in his first year of life.  This final wonder week is known as the world of programs.  During the last wonder week, baby learned about sequences which simply refers to events that follow a certain pattern or objects that fit together in a certain way.  In this wonder weekOpens a new window, baby will learn the meaning of more activities that may not follow a particular sequence, for instance, doing the laundry, having lunch or tidying up.  This wonder week usually lasts about 4-5 weeks although it can be as short as 3 weeks and last as long as 6 weeks.  During this period, baby will be quicker to cry than usual, more cranky, temperamental and unmanageable.  At times, it may seem as though they want to be around Mummy all day long.

How do you know when WonderWeek55 is coming around:

• Baby may cling to Mummys clothes to stop her from leaving or he may want to be carried all the time. Sometimes, they just keep coming back from "Mummy refill" where all they seem to need is some brief contact with Mummy before they are off again"

• Baby may be more shy with strangers, this includes their own family members.

• Baby will want close physical contact as much as possible. The only person who is allowed to leave is baby.

• Baby may be jealous.

• Baby may be moody. He can be happy, then sad, then angry with no apparent reason for the change in his moods.

• Baby may sleep poorly.

• Baby may daydream, where they sit and appear to stare out into nothingness.

• Baby may lose his appetite "a child who is still being breastfed usually wants the breast more often, not because he really wants to nurse, but so he can stay close to his mother."

• Baby may act unusually sweet. Baby may come up to Mummy for a cuddle for a few moments before going off again.

• Baby may reach for a cuddly object more often.

• Baby may be more mischievous - this usually done to get your attention especially when you are too busy to attend to him.

• Baby may have more temper tantrums, he may go berserk as soon as he fails to get his way. You may even see a tantrum that comes out of nowhere, perhaps because he is anticipating that you may not allow him to do or have what is on his mind.