if you think that her turning one will be the end of fussiness, you are going to be disappointed.
one thing i remember saying when my son was younger was "dont expect more of your child than he or she can do".
babies are not supposed to sleep well, they are not supposed to like being left alone in a crib, they are doing these types of things for survival and attachment. around a year old they start to figure out that they can cry just cuz they are tired or upset and it doesnt have to be as urgent as a cry that they are hurt or scared....
what im getting to is that your child is NORMAL for her own needs.
i encourage you to check this out:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T051200.asp
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T050100.asp
the first one is a list of links on fussy babies, the second is on high needs babies. dont be surprised if you are reading it and you all of a sudden burst into tears. i did the same thing when i read the things dr william sears has to say about high needs babies. MY SON was a high need baby. this isnt a disability like adhd or anything like that, its simply that your child has strong feelings about what she needs and shes very vocal and adamant about getting those needs fulfilled. this can be exhausting, and frustrating at times. IVE BEEN THERE.
the most important think to remember is that high needs babies with unfulfilled needs turn into high need toddlers, and they never really grow out of that strong feeling of needing something, someone, etc.
the more you can respond to your baby no matter how often she cries, the more you can hold her and be attentive to her, get a sling (i recommend the moby wrap which you can find online) and carry her with you as you go about your day.... these kinds of things will give her comfort, and will help you not only be able to have a baby who isnt fussing all the time, but it will give her a sense of "ok, moms got me, and look at all the fun things i get to watch her do!"
all of a sudden her needs are being fulfilled simply by your instinct.
you will KNOW the best thing to do for your daughter. im SO GLAD that you are nursing her, this is going to help you A LOT with staying connected to her emotionally, and physically... and it helps her really feel good in a way that formula cant. i encourage you to keep it up! find a local la leche league in your area (mine is an hour away - so remember to search for groups in neighboring towns if there isnt one in your town...) and they will help give you the support you might need to keep nursing no matter what! :D
just have patience. hitting the one year mark is NOT a magic day, she will most likely NOT stop being fussy just cuz shes a year old. however, she will be able to start communicating with you in other ways, especially if you start NOW giving her something to work with. she might not start actually using it for 3 months or so, but you can start using sign language with her. my son started using the sign for milk himself at around 9 months, and i wasnt very consistent in showing it to him until around 8 months. you can probably find things online for sign language, but whatever you choose, make sure that its american sign language, not just baby sign language - that way, if you learn a lot of signs and use them often, it can often turn into a second language for your child, and it qualifies in college as a second language!! LOL. we have NOT kept up with it, but my son knows milk, more and eat !! :D
milk is basically squeezing your hand like you were milking a cow or something LOL. this will help her start to be able to communicate a need easier and earlier than talking. and YES its possible and NO it doesnt delay actual speech, especially if you are saying what the sign is when you show it to her. so, when you are nursing, just use the sign in her eyesight and tell her milk, yes, milk, etc.
its fantastic. it will help you immensely in the future.
i cant think of anything else. just have patience and give it time, pretty soon she will have moved on to something else, and you will almost forget this time. good luck! if you have any questions just write me!