This is what crazy looks like

I've been exploiting Indiana's neurosis. He has this stuffed giraffe that he guards and obsesses over. He hides it under the desk and in the hall bathroom, two places that he knows Freckles will not visit. Freckles, for the record, does not care about the giraffe and probably has no idea that it has this strange power over Indiana. We usually don't let Indiana have the toy for too long because it's too pathetic to see him furtively moving it from room to room, like it's the one true ring and he is a demented hobbit. However, after Indiana woke the baby up about four hundred times last week by barking at the construction workers across the street, I've decided that Indiana can permanently have his stupid toy because at least it keeps him quiet. Whenever he starts to growl I say "Indiana, where's your toy" and he grabs it and runs to another room to admire his precious. I feel slightly guilty but mainly proud that I've outwitted the dog. The current score is Indiana 400,000, me 1.

He takes after his mother

He loves his food. I still have some reservations about starting solid foods this early (four and a half months) but it seems that Joseph is at least somewhat ready. He helps stick the spoon into his mouth and eats at least as much as he smears all over himself. I hope that's a sign that it isn't ridiculously early to start with solid foods. He was also showing the signs the pediatrician said meant he was ready for solids (constant hunger, waking up more often at night, etc.) but the pediatrician has also said a lot of things that don't make any sense, which is a topic I will not even start on.

Except to say that I'm pretty sure that pre-Neolitihic humans didn't have rice cereal as their first food, so it can't be that stupid an idea to start with fruit or whatever. But we did wind up feeding the baby cereal because 1) I am chicken, and 2) as my father said, those Neolithic people were born thousands of years ago, whereas Joseph was born in September.