Can't think of a cutsie title for this one...But it is cute.

James began sitting up by himself last week. He gets better at it every day. He's entered, what I consider to be, the best of babyhood. He laughs, and jibber jabbers, and plays with his sister. Siblings are great. So what if they fight later, at least they keep each other occupied. I was an only child and practically begged my parents for a baby brother or sister until I was about 14, and realized that people might think that it was MY baby, and that would be so not cool. I love how my kids think they are so hilarious. Hannah will run circles around him saying something goofy, always in her high pitched jokey smurf voice, like, "Look James, my ears can't touch each other - HAHAHAHAHA!" Then James does his adorable baby laugh that sounds like a fusion of a motorcycle and a bird hiccuping, if you can imagine, which then sends Hannah into belly laughter and pure glee that her joke pleased the baby, and then decides to do the same thing continuously, until some one gets hurt.

We also have felt a little tooth making it's appearance on James' gums. So I thought, hmmm, he's sitting up, he's teething, he salivates at our food every time we eat, perhaps he would like to start solids. Now, those of you whom have not entered the tricky world of parenting, may not know how controversial the timing of introducing solid foods is. When Hannah was born it was 4 months, but about a week after I began feeding her (which was a wee bit earlier than 4 months old - but more of that shortly) a bunch of bored, over payed pediatricians decided to make it six months. The last thing I heard was between 4 and 6 months but no earlier. But forget them! I decided this time I would do it whenever my baby seemed ready. So here we are. And for the record, I think solids are pretty unnecessary for babies. They are just practice food. If, James wasn't showing interest, I would be just as content to wait.

When Hannah was a baby we lived with my parents. And another FYI for those of you without kids yet - your parents and in-laws WILL want you to start feeding your baby solids when they are 5 weeks old. They will suggest all kinds of things that may make you wonder how you are still alive today. She was about 3 and half months when I succumbed to the pressure. Hannah made a giant mess of rice cereal all over her face and shirt. It was adorable.

Feeding James was so different. He actually opened his mouth, tried to grab the spoon, and as I slid the spoon into his mouth and then back out sliding across his upper lip, he sort of looked around the room with a very serious look and I could see his little mouth moving. He looked as if he had just coughed up a giant loogie and was was unsure what to do with it. Should he ask for a tissue he could spit it out into, or would that be rude? Maybe he should just gulp it down. He decided the latter. I spooned him some more organic brown rice cereal, and he kept eating it, looking completely underwhelmed the whole time. The whole thing was very anticlimactic and without any mess at all.

Maybe he was slightly disappointed in the bland taste. I will mash him up some bananas later today to invigorate his sophisticated palate. And you wonder what stay at home moms do all day!