Child LOVES to Scream!!!! Mommy HATES IT!!

Oh, good -- reading the other responses, I'm comforted, because at about 9mo-12mo, my baby did the same thing. It started to feel like more than just a stage after about 2 months of it, and it wasn't cool for her to do it when we were out shopping, or visiting, so her daddy and I just began to whisper to her, "We talk in quiet voices" and so on. We really worked on regulating our own volume, too. We never yell at each other or anything, but when she would get wound up like that (and it was most of the time) we'd exaggerate "gentle voice". She kicked the screaming habit about 1 or 2 months ago, and it's been a big relief.

Oh, how I empathize with you! I have an almost-10-month-old and he was into the whole shrieking/screaming gig starting at about 8 months. It is a phase (they're experimenting w/ their vocal chords, good sign!), but man, can it be LOUD. My husband seriously put in earplugs at one point when he was walking him down to sleep one night, and I can't say I blame him. :) I sometimes would try to change the scenery (give a bath, walk outside, do something silly/sing a song in front of him) to see if that would "distract" him out of it - sometimes that would work, sometimes it wouldn't. But hang in there, it does improve.

Also, Eliza's suggestion of modelling the volume/gentle voice that you want your young baby to use is FANTASTIC - this is so important in general, to model the behavior you want to see in your child. Easier said than done, of course!!! But really worth the effort. I loved Eliza's description of how they handled this with her baby.

Congratulations on the birth of your son and your upcoming nuptials!

Cassandra,
I have been there and let me tell you the phase can go on for awhile. I put my little on the stool when she did that after the third time of telling her no we use the indoor voice. She started about the same time your did and about a month of the chair she got the idea.
The bad news is they go through it again at around 2 1/2. Here I go again. Only now they know it bothers you so the do it more and more often and just as loud if not louder. We are back in there chair again. I have to even pull my car over a couple of times because she pulls it in the car now too.
Your best bet is find a safe, but isolated place when she does that and let her know that she can't do that. It will owrk to a point. When they put it together that screaming takes them away from mommy and daddy they seem to stop it. It not full proof all the time. I know you love her, but I know that screaming can get on the last nerve.
Congrats on your Wedding!

I feel your pain!! My daughter has been doing this for almost a year! It drives me CRAZY!!! She looks at me screams, laughs and goes abotuher business. It drive me boarderline insane. If anyone knows a sure fire way to stop it. I've tried everything I think. I don't think I can take it for another year. Plus now I have an infant that crys enough for the both of them.

HI Cassandra...
My son is 11 months (12 months next week) and does the same thing. I think its just an expression of using their voice. It seems to get better if I ignore him.
Good luck...

By the way, is this Cassandra Kelvers?