
I know it looks like some sort of cruel torture device on poor Miriam's head. But really I'm just letting the good folks at the Rutgers Baby Lab use her as a language development guinea pig. That thing on her head is a Geodesic Sensor Net; it measures brain activity in response to sound.
She was really pretty patient as they put it on her head and then adjusted each of the little sponge-covered sensors. And she probably lasted through a good 15 minutes of the actual test.
But then she slipped a finger behind one of the elastic bands that ran from the bonnet, across her cheeks and to the strap under her chin. She pulled on it, and SNAP!
Needless to say she wasn't very happy after that. She was too pissed off to even nurse.
We've only been twice, and so far it's been very interesting. And Miriam, of course, has just been a model subject.
There was only one awkward thing: being video taped playing with Miriam. Seems straight forward enough, but it was really kind of strange.
They led us into a room with a bunch of toys -- soft blocks, brightly colored balls, stacky cups, etc. -- scattered across a blanket on the floor. And then one of the researchers says, "OK, so just play with her, nurse her if you need to, and we're going to video tape. I'll be back in 15 minutes."
She was out the door before I could process it.
It's not that I minded being video taped -- I knew that would be part of the deal -- but I just wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with all that stuff.
Miriam is just now getting control of her hands, so I really don't play with her with toys. I do a lot of tickling, and kissing, and nuzzling. And I do a lot of talking to her as I carry her around in the sling doing stuff around the house, walking the dog, grocery shopping, taking the kids to and from school ...
I had no idea what to do. I don't really think I said much of anything for what seemed like an awkwardly long time. But the I found myself saying things like:
"See the red ball, Miriam? Ooh, bumpy!"
and
"Look at the duck. That duck is riding on a saaaiiil boat."
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that is just not how I talk to Miriam.
I guess I need to tell them Monday that that was some impostor they got on video tape.