Making connections

mom and dad have been adding people like crazy to Facebook, but Lil' Genghis has been making lots of connections of her own.

Now, the human brain develops in some strange ways. Babies like peek-a-boo because it's so fun -- they have to learn that objects are permanent even when they're out of sight, and peek-a-boo kinda plays with that.

Still, a huge chunk of brain development occurs by age 4, so her brain's making all sorts of internal connections. Lil' Genghis is also learning to make all sorts of logical connections that seem obvious to us, but is pretty darned cool when a baby does it. Let's let dad babble on:

I had her on the floor, trying to convince her to stay still for a diaper change. So we were just sorta hanging out near the changing table, which has a cabinet underneath.

And she starts playing with the doors, opening and closing them, pulling out baby perfume and baby wipes and disposable changing pads and all the other sorts of detritus that a healthy toddler needs at some point or another, and then she's helpfully putting 'em back.

At one point, she opens up the right door and points at a 1-inch/3cm tall picture on a package of these swimming diapers -- "Dora!" she says, pointing at one of her favorite cartoon characters. Mind you, she hasn't been swimming in a good while -- and these things are for babies up to 15 pounds/7 kilos, which hasn't happened in a while. Then Lil' Genghis closes the door and plays with stuff on the left side of the cabinet for a while.

Minutes later, she gets excited, shouts "Dora!" and rips open the right cabinet door again, points at Dora, makes a little paddling motion with her left arm, then pulls both arms together as in a hug and says, "Coowd."

So let's think about what she was thinking about:

• She remembered Dora on the package
  
• She remembered the package held swimming diapers she hasn't worn in many months
  
• She remembers swimming diapers are for swimming
  
• She remembers how to swim, sorta
  
• She knows how to communicate swimming and temperature
  
• She remembers it's cold outside
  
• She remembers most swimming pools are outdoors
  
• And she realizes, though she's never tried it, it would be bad to swim in the cold

Sometimes I'm not sure how to balance my deep feelings of pride with my strident feelings of terror. Pretty smart little cookie we got here.