When Popsicle was one year old and you told her not to touch something, she gave you a dirty look and then toddled off to find something else to play with. Baby Yam, in contrast, persists in touching the forbidden object until you become quite umambiguous in your condemnation, at which point he wails and cries and then redoubles his efforts.

When Popsicle was one year old and you put a bowl of food and spoon in front of her, she industriously shoveled the food into her mouth and then used ASL for sign for more. When you put a bowl of food and spoon in front of Baby Yam he throws the spoon away, spreads the food on every available surface, and then screams and blithers because he's hungry.

Popsicle liked to turn the pages in books and coo over the pictures. Baby Yam, in contrast, simply attempts to eat the book.

When Popsicle was one year old she would obligingly assist in getting dressed by pushing her wee fists to the end of her shirt sleeves and holding still so you could do up the snaps. Dressing Baby Yam, on the other hand, is like wrestling a greased seal.

When one-year-old Popsicle was tired she curled up in your lap to laze and pout. When one-year-old Baby Yam is tired he runs around shrieking and, due to exhaustion induced deftlessness, falls down and hurts himself a lot. This leads to more shrieking.

When Popsicle wanted a bath she tugged on your pants and said, "Baf pease!" Baby Yam catapaults himself into the empty tub and then hollers and bleats because there's no water, and because he can't get out again. "Baftuh! Baftuh! Baftuh!"

Popsicle's attention span was about thirty seconds; Baby Yam's attention span is just under five. Six, if you hurt yourself while trying to entertain him.

He tries to be polite. If you give him something he sometimes says, "Sanks."

He is awfully cute, however. And now, I suppose, we understand the evolutionary purpose of this.