A couple of baby-related events:

1. I think Cate is teething. In the past week or so, she’s suddenly started chewing on her hands all the time, and trying to bite on Dave and me as hard as she can. She’s always been a pretty oral baby, what with the constant stuck-out tongue, but this biting thing is new, and it makes me think that those first couple of teeth must not be too far behind.

2. She finally figured out solid food! I was still doing my lazy “offer it once a week or so and see if she gets the hang of it” approach, and when we tried it on Monday, it’s like it magically clicked in her head that if she would just close her mouth on the spoon, the food would stay there long enough for her to swallow it. So she’s getting rice cereal every day now, and she’ll be ready to start veggies when she hits her 6-month birthday in two weeks.

I know that’s probably not a big deal to anyone except me, but mixing formula and washing bottles is a daily chore that I am very much looking forward to lightening over the next several months. I can’t wait until I can give her some finger foods and a sippy cup and let her feed herself a snack rather than being at her every little beck and call.

Unrelated: Yesterday we met up with my friend Janet and her baby Isabella at the park, which was nice. Cate particularly enjoyed rubbing her toes on the grass (something she can’t do at home, since our yard is… well, sort of scary). The grass was also fun to reach over and grab, since it doesn’t scream when it’s being yanked on. Unlike, say, Mommy’s hair. And we tried out the baby swings, but she was not a fan of them at all. She lasted about ten seconds before she started screaming. Oh well, we’ll try again when she’s a bit older.

Next on the agenda: Janet’s condo complex has a pool (actually, it has four pools – it’s a big place), so we’re going to try it out with the babies and see how they like it. Based on how much Cate adores bathtime, I’m guessing it’ll be a hit.