Quite a while back we introduced Lillian to the mirror. Recently she's started interacting with her reflection. Leann started calling the baby in the mirror "Reflection Lillian", which she then shortened to "Rillian."[1] After Rillian scared Lillian a few times I started referring to her as "Rillian, the Reptilian Lillian". As with many things, when it comes to Lillian, it's hard to get a video of her talking to Rillian—she gets distracted by the camera. But this time it comes with a twist. Even though I'm holding the camera behind her, so she can only see it in the mirror, Lillian still figures out where it is on this side of the mirror and tries to grab it. Observe:
In this first one it's probably just an accident that she found the camera.
In this second video you can see that the camera is behind her. But she does turn her head, so it's possible she just happened to spot it out of the corner of her eye.
But in this last one she's too quick for it to be anything but intentional. Now I won't quite go so far as to say that she's figured out how a mirror works or that she understands that Rillian = Lillian.[2] But she's definitely learned how to find the camera when she sees it in the mirror.
And that's why you'll probably never get to see Lillian talking to Rillian.
Notes:
[1] This could also be a play on the way left (Lillian) and right (Rillian) get reversed in a mirror.
[2] This happens when babies are 9 to 24 months of age. See http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/understanding-how-children-mature-ga6.htm. I've tested her to see if she'll reach for other things she wants (she does) or if she reaches for the camera when I hold it behind her and we're not in front of a mirror (she doesn't). It's often taken as proof that a child can recognize themselves in the mirror if you put something on their head while they're asleep (so they don't know about it) and see if they retrieve it when you put them in front of the mirror. However, Lilli doesn't reach for things on her head regardless of whether she knows they're there or not, so this method is insufficient to test her.
In this first one it's probably just an accident that she found the camera.
In this second video you can see that the camera is behind her. But she does turn her head, so it's possible she just happened to spot it out of the corner of her eye.
But in this last one she's too quick for it to be anything but intentional. Now I won't quite go so far as to say that she's figured out how a mirror works or that she understands that Rillian = Lillian.[2] But she's definitely learned how to find the camera when she sees it in the mirror.
And that's why you'll probably never get to see Lillian talking to Rillian.
Notes:
[1] This could also be a play on the way left (Lillian) and right (Rillian) get reversed in a mirror.
[2] This happens when babies are 9 to 24 months of age. See http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/understanding-how-children-mature-ga6.htm. I've tested her to see if she'll reach for other things she wants (she does) or if she reaches for the camera when I hold it behind her and we're not in front of a mirror (she doesn't). It's often taken as proof that a child can recognize themselves in the mirror if you put something on their head while they're asleep (so they don't know about it) and see if they retrieve it when you put them in front of the mirror. However, Lilli doesn't reach for things on her head regardless of whether she knows they're there or not, so this method is insufficient to test her.
At least Rillian isn't a Rime Gleen Rizald of Pedestrian fame. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou have a prima dona on your hands, Matt. Whatever will you and Leann do when she's old enough to hunt the camera down in the house and demand portraits? :-)