Solids, Solids as a Rock!

The time has come. After 5 1/2 months of a mandatory liquid diet, Otter is ready to embrace the joys of solid-ish food. Like a dieter jonesing for a reprieve from meal-replacement shakes, she's been eyeing (and grasping for) all the good stuff - cookies, pizza, cheese. And while I'm not sure she knows what to do with it, the girl certainly knows what she wants.

And it's not rice cereal. But then, I can't blame her.

As I poured the flakes (which sort of resembled sawdust) into a bowl, I had serious doubts that this could lead to any good at all. Mixing in breast milk only succeeded in making the sawdust into a sludge, which disconcertingly reminded me of the caulking we used in our bathroom. I convinced myself that nuking this glop would make it more palatable and, reassuring smile on my face, camera in hand, I made my approach.

After months of being denied, Otter had prepared herself for this new phase of her dining adventures, imagining (no doubt) that it would be filled with tasty morsels. Instead, she was presented with something that looked like watery tooth powder. She regarded me suspiciously.

Undeterred, I plunged ahead. The first spoonful dribbled out, pooling on her bib, as she looked at me in astonished disbelief. The second made it's way down the hatch, to which Otter clearly took great offense. The contents of the third spoon were spat back at me with offended anger. And so, mealtime was over.