Separation Anxiety

Hannah must know that something is about to change because she is so so clingy! She will hardly go to anyone else and the other day I walked out while she was sitting in her highchair in front of Stuart and she had a melt down! I LOVE her Mothers Day Out program. I absolutely, whole heartedly know that she really enjoys it, likes her teachers, will have a wonderful day, and is in great hands... But every morning I leave her there, major melt down! When I pick her up, she is great! Playing and doesn't want to leave. But even today, I went to pick her up, she saw me through the window, I walked to the door, she couldn't see me anymore, went hysterical! She has been having a rough time going down for her naps and bed, she cries and cries for a few minutes and wakes up crying if I am not there right away. Not just a cry but a hysterical screaming cry! Eventually she is fine and goes to bed but it just breaks my heart! Today, I took a nap too and for some reason the monitor in our room wasn't on. So when I woke up, I heard her screaming! I ran in there, just screaming, crying, saying Mama, Mama! Poor thing! (She also took her diaper off!... another paragraph!) I am having a little separation anxiety too I guess. Hannah has never been apart from us and when I have the baby, she will probably spend the night at her Mimi and Pop's. I totally trust that she will be fine there. She naps there regularly and loves it there, I just can't imagine her not being under the same roof as me or Stuart. I am really struggling with what do those days I am in the hospital. I do not want to jilt her routine in any way. I want everything to be normal, I want her home when the baby is here, I want her sleeping in her own bed, as little change as possible. Totally illogical, I know. So, for the next few weeks I am relishing in the fact that I can give all my love to my only child! She is getting lots of extra loving and attention from her Mommy! I know she will do fine when the baby comes, she will love her new brother, and because she is so young, she won't be jealous, but she knows that things are about to change. Yesterday she ate a fortune cookie at lunch, the fortune read... "You will soon meet a new acquaintance that will change your life for good." How fitting.

So, on to the diaper and potty training. Initially I had thought that it would be a great idea to have one out of diapers before the other came. I bought potty chairs, Hannah sat on them. We watched Elmo potty time, we were really "into" the potty (and toliet paper!). She wasn't talking as much then and wasn't really telling me that she was dirty or needed to potty. She was only about 15 months... So now, this little 18 month old brings me diapers, says diaper change, tells me "stinky" when she is poopy, doesn't like to be poopy where it used to not bother her, and now takes off her own wet diaper! Do I try it before the baby comes? Will she regress once he gets here? I had just decided that it would actually be easier to have her still in diapers (makes traveling a lot easier!). I want to be able to devote that time to potty training and was afraid that as soon as I sat down (every 2 hours!) to feed the baby, she would want me to take her potty... I just figured that she would wait. Now what do I do?