Separation Anxiety?

Sarah has been a good sleeper for a while now. When it’s her naptime (we’re on a schedule) I can typically lay her down and she’ll go to sleep on her own. Maybe fuss for a little bit but never a problem. Lately though she CRIES for every nap and bedtime. I have posted before that some of the sleep training methods would never work for us b/c once she was in her bed she would scream HARDER if we came in to pat/console her. So it’s been straight CIO from the beginning. She doesn’t like to be rocked so on those screaming nights I go in and bounce her on the exercise ball until she’s asleep. Then I lay her back down and she cries again but usually she’s tired enough at this point she’ll fall sleep within a few minutes. I’ll also throw in that she’s NOT a cuddly snuggly baby. She’s Miss Independent.

Soooo the reason I’m posting is because of something weird/different she’s been letting me do the past two nights. I’ve had to go in and bounce her but this time she’ll let me lay her down and stand over her crib and stroke her back. That was unheard of before. I don’t know if she’s feeling some separation anxiety at bedtime now and she just wants to know I’m close…or what???

I vaguely remember reading in one of my baby books that they go through this phase eventually at bedtime…just curious if anyone else has experienced this around a year old? She also just started taking her first steps this week so maybe the new independence has her feeling more clingy?? Any ideas???

Of course SICKNESS, TEETHING, and REFLUX are always possibilities too!!!