Separation Anxiety

Ugh, this is brutal. Marlee does not want me out of her sight for a moment. She was starting to show a few signs over the last couple of weeks that this stage was coming, but it came on full force Saturday. Dad and Wendy wanted some Marlee time, so we took them up on their offer to babysit and went to a movie. She was pretty good, just slightly fussy while we were gone. Instead of greeting us with the usual smiles when we got home, MJ took one look at me and screamed. I mean SCREAMED. It was like, "I just saw you and remembered that you left me. How could you?!" I picked her up and she squeezed me so tight and smothered me with her big wet slobbery kisses for several minutes. Since that moment, she wants to be within touching distance of me at all times. I'm making her spend a few minutes every few hours playing by herself (which used to be her favorite pastime), but she just cries. When I put her in her crib, she grabs my arm like she'll pull it off if I dare walk away. She was never much of a crier, so it kills me. I'm torn between tough love and rescuing her. We've also been dealing with some nursing strike issues, and the combination is wiping me out. I know both are just phases, but if they could end sooner than later, that'd be great.