Media Misunderstanding

Alice and I were flipping through a Christmas pop-up book (no, I haven't put them away yet) and Alice stopped at the pop-up manger scene. She always likes to point out the baby Jesus and Mary. This time, though, she asked if she could hold the baby. I wasn't sure what to say. I told her it was a picture, not a real baby, and that she couldn't hold him. Pouting, she pinched and pinched at that baby Jesus in the manger until she was so frustrated she collapsed into a sobbing heap on the floor. A hug and distraction later, she was off playing something else.

The next day, we were looking through a magazine and there was another baby and his mom. Alice asked again if she could hold the baby. I told her it was a picture again, and not something she could really hold. I could tell she was distraught trying to figure it out. She asked, "Baby Mommy deet-do (deet-do translates into "hold or pick up you/me/it")?" I agreed that the baby's mommy was indeed holding him. Then she asked, "A-yiss baby deet-do?" and I had to reply that this baby was not one that Alice could hold, but she could hold the picture with the baby in it. She snuggled the picture and kissed it, then asked to hold the baby again. She started pinching at the picture to try and extract the babe from his mother's arms. To no avail. This episode also ended in a frustrated, sobbing heap of babe.

Then we were watching a movie together and there was yet another baby! This baby was moving around and interacting with people! Alice asked to hold him. I was prepared this time. I agreed that this baby would be lots of fun to hold, but he was only a picture and therefore not holdable. I asked if she would like to hold HER baby instead. She smiled and we ran off to find Baby before watching the rest of the movie together. All three of us.

Tonight, as we read her bedtime stories together, she pointed out a cute little black dog. She then had this little conversation with herself:

"Deet-do doggie?" (Can I hold the doggie?)

"Nooo. Ni-nuhr doggie." (No. That's a picture of a doggie.)

"No deet-do doggie." (Can't hold the doggie.)

"Mummer." (Bummer)

"Behr nine!" (Prayer time!)

I found myself all sad and happy and bewildered at once. She figured it out. She worked herself through the whole situation and didn't even need a hug from Mommy. I kinda like giving those comfort hugs, so I was a little sad to have missed it. I kinda like her finding solutions to her own problems, so I was happy for her. I kinda like to watch her do emotionally complex stuff, but I was bewildered that my BABY was capable of this. Well, she used to be a baby.

And, for the record, she has yet to ask to hold a REAL baby. She'll point them out anywhere, anytime. She'll dig through piles of blankets and toys to see if there's a baby in that carrier/carseat. She can identify a baby cry, squeak, or sniffle from a hundred yards away, but she hasn't asked to hold one. Yet.