Recently, Jessica's been very interested in watching Kevin and I eat...

This is supposed to be a sign that it might be time to start the baby on solids (well, mushies, more like it, as baby "solid food" isn't solid.)

Displays curiosity about what you're eating. Your baby begins eyeing your steak or reaches for your forkful of mashed potatoes as it travels from plate to mouth.

Of course, they also recommend not starting solids until six months, although that seems to vary depending who you talk to.

Jessica's been fascinated with the whole eating process for about a month now. And Kevin and I aren't adverse to letting her smell or taste what we're eating. Just a taste, mind you. A dab of yohgurt or a drop of ice cream or a tiny bit of salad dressing. She usually spits it out and looks at us with the same hurt expression that the cats do when we offer them something. "That looked so much better when you were eating it!"

Last night the Brookses came over for dinner. I made Atkin's friendly soup (Cream of Rueban Soup), salad, and Jello for dessert. We put Jessica in her buzzy-seat so she could be in the kitchen with us while we ate.

She was watching Kevin with his Jello so raptly that he offered her a spoonful. "I didn't really expect her to take it," he protested.

But she did. The whole spoonful. And slucked eagerly on her romper front where a little bit of it had spilled. Fascinated, Kevin offered her a little bit more. Which she also promptly ate. And cried when he ran out.

Great. Our child's first solid food - strawberry jello.