Sleep and Seperation Anxiety

So lately my son (8 .5 months) is extremely attached to me. I normally rock him until he is almost asleep after nursing him and then lay him down. He gets comfy then goes to sleep. But lately when I lay him down he will keep popping his head up to make sure I am there. If he notices I am close to the door he starts screaming. I’m not sure what to do because he still wakes up 2-3 times at night, and we go through this process every time! I’m extremely tired. I try to bring him to bed with me and he just stays up and picks at my face the entire time 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😂. Need advice on how to help this phase pass!

Picture of my sleepy turd ❤️❤️