My daughter has never been a cuddler. From very early on (I'm talking the first few days/weeks of her life) I noticed that she just wasn't that "type" of kid. Whenever I held her, she was way more interested in what was going on around me than snuggling up to good old mom. She would squirm, and twist, and as she got older and stronger she would literally PUSH me away when I would try and hold her on my lap, or when I was carrying her around. She just wanted to be left alone, to explore this vast new world that she was now a part of.
And even though I pretended like I was totally cool with the fact that Kailyn was not the snuggle-up-in-your-lap type of baby ("my independent little girl.." I would say), it made me sad. I longed for those moments of gazing at my lovely, chubby-cheeked little girl as she lay curled up on my chest. In fact, even though I felt awful the first time she had a fever at six-months-old, part of me enjoyed it...it was the only time she had ever really wanted to just lay on mommy's shoulder.
But times, they have changed. Just in the last few weeks, Kailyn has turned over a new leaf. She has become...*gasp*...a hugger! Now, in the mornings when I pick her up from her crib, she grips my neck and holds on for dear life. Two days ago, I brought her into my bed in the morning and she actually fell asleep on top of me, with my neck in a death grip. It actually hurt but I loved it so much that I just let her sleep like that for 45 minutes.
So yes, my baby girl (eek...I guess she is actually a "toddler" now) has finally learned to hug, and snuggle, and cuddle. It only took 13 months...but it was totally worth the wait.
