What sort of baby pictures would we have if the self-feeding adventures weren't documented? He still prefers fingers to the fork, but his spoon action is improving. I should've let him use the spoon here.

After months of negotiating with the local grocery store to carry "Pears & Mangoes" baby food, they finally started carrying it - after Alex stopped eating it altogether.

Yes, well.

Alex loves the ocean. He has to be held back, this time by Grandma, with Mister GQ himself in the background. (See, I wrote this after the family reunion in September.)

Time at the beach is limited to the attention span of the adults holding him back - I figure it's about 10 minutes per responsible adult. So we were there just a little more than a half hour. But then we went to Sammy's for lunch. I consider such an outing to be a success.

Grandma throwing the baby into the water. Barbara says the water isn't as warm as it is in Hawaii, but much warmer than it is further up the coast where she had experience with the Pacific.

Right around move-out time, Barbara and Jack brought over heaps more toys. Almost all of them have wheels.

But I do have to say that I like Thomas the Tank Engine. Even though the TV episodes aren't always that nice. George Carlin narrating a children's show, anyone? Maybe it just struck me as odd.

And I have Alex has something new to collect. Only $20 a pop for those trains!

A use for the Mac. Travis bought this laptop, I'm sure, mostly to keep me from using it. But I have to say, it plays Badger just as well as the PC. And look, big fake looking keys!

So Alex now says Badger ("Bahb bahb") and Snake ("Nake"). He hasn't expressed any interest in Mushroom yet. Oh, and he likes Footy too... England, England, Score, a Score!!!

Oh, and it was hot. Hence the lack of clothes. Probably.

Alex and the cat playing with the Dragon Friends. (This was purchased before I was aware of how sexist the show is. It is not Tivo'd.) But it's cute, I think, how the feline and baby play together. Caira was batting the little dragons between her paws.

The pool at Grandma & Grandpa's house. I keep hoping that we'll be able to use the pool as an event to wash or at least rinse the baby's hair - he has become nearly impossible to clean up top.

But he does have fun at the pool. And manages to keep his hair dry.

Alex admiring Caira's togs.

She's actually wearing the pajama tops to the bottoms Alex already has on - it wasn't some horrible clothes combination that was planned for the baby.

Well, Caira didn't really like wearing his shirt. Which is just as well, because Alex doesn't share well.