What Do Babies Dream Of?
In the movie the Hangover, it was Stu who first posed the question, “What do tigers dream of, when they take a little tiger snooze?” Sadly, Stu never discovered the answer to that age-old question, but he did learn that “Tigers love pepper and hate cinnamon.”
Maddie’s first bad dream didn’t come in the middle on the night; it actually hit her during a nap in the early evening. Gina was talking on the phone and had the sleeping baby on her lap when all the sudden Maddie jerked awake in terror.
One look at her face and you could tell she not a happy camper. She started howling immediately and was completely out of sorts. I scooped her up and pulled her close to my chest while gently talking to her. Maddie scanned the surrounding area and gave me a look that said, “How did you manage to let that happen?”
We went downstairs where I sank into the couch and kept holding the baby tightly. I dried her tears and she literally fell right back asleep as if nothing had ever happened. Her total time awake probably equaled less than 90 seconds.
This begs the question, what do babies dream about and what could be that frightening? Experts say that the brain development from 3 to 6 month olds is off the charts, but of course they have no way of knowing what the baby might be dreaming about.
What was equally interesting was Maddie’s rapid recovery time. No sooner had she been assured that there was nothing to be afraid of or worried about when she picked up right where she left off.
Maddie has been sleeping more and more at night, but this incident DID NOT seem to throw her off at all – though it was quite alarming for her parents. It’s also interesting to note many of the things that trouble us as parents, don’t seem to worry Maddie one bit. It seems that our little munchkin is on that never-ending quest to keep her parents engaged and guessing at all times.
Stu Price: So, uh, are you sure you’re qualified to be taking care of that baby?
Alan Garner: What are you talking about? I’ve found a baby before.
Stu Price: You found a baby before? Where?
Alan Garner: Coffee Bean.
Stay Home PaPa 