Then why is it that every fealty-swearing movie scene, whether medieval, (Practical) magical, American western, Ya-ya-ical or Middle-Earthian, has fealty swearers slicing their palms, and in many cases, slapping the bleeding palms together to share the infection? In what universe is a gimpy-handed fealtor useful?

Yes, and with perfectly stoic expressions. Of course, if you did it on purpose, you'd bypass the "Wha? SHIT!" part of my reaction today.

It's really pretty hard to screw up raising a baby; they're more resilient than people give them credit for.

This is true. I'm just feeling a little sensitive on the feeding issue because it seems like everyone is surprised Annabel isn't eating more solids. I'm absolutely glad I quit that moms group, but this is one of those cases where I wish I'd found what I thought a moms group would be--a place to share war stories and ask if I was doing things right.

Earlobes! I've had pinpricks in earlobes that were okay!

Oh yeah, that was much better than the finger prick. They won't let you do that anymore for blood donation. Apparently it doesn't measure iron properly. Which is likely true, because I never got turned down with the earlobe test. With the finger prick otoh, between the iron count and my blood pressure, the blood people ususally seem surprised I can hold myself upright.

Susan, in all seriousness, I didn't eat solids until I was over a year. I had no interest in them.

it seems like everyone is surprised Annabel isn't eating more solids

When she's ready for more things, she'll let you know. And as long as she's healthy and growing, whatever you're feeding her is fine.

And with the cup, just try it from time to time. If she's not interested yet, wait a week and try again. It might not be the cup, but whether or not she's intrigued by it yet.

Oh, a trick a pediatrician friend passed on: Babies who are at the gnawing stage love pizza crusts.

I'm just feeling a little sensitive on the feeding issue because it seems like everyone is surprised Annabel isn't eating more solids.

I get this, too! And I feel like I'm stuffing him with all kinds of solids. My family is just mostly impatient to feed him pizza, I think. I have to balance out DH who can't stand to have a messy baby. He wants to feed Owen and not have the baby's hands and face covered with baby food. He wipes his face after every three bites or so and freaks out if I try to feed O in a restaurant because he thinks it's "too messy".

My MiL says he gets it from her because she can't stand a "baby yuck face" either. *sigh* I'm like, "strip 'em to a diaper and let him feed himself if he wants."

I've got baby on the brain today. I sincerely hope I'm not boring people to death. But it's nice to have Susan around to bounce stuff off of since O and Annabel are so close in age.

I'm like, "strip 'em to a diaper and let him feed himself if he wants."

Feed 'em nekkid and hose 'em off.

Cash and Connie. I had two kids in diapers (well, training pants for one) that I fed that way and then would let them into the front yard to play with the hose. We lived in Yuma, Arizona so it was virtually a year round activity. I have pictures for proof (and come to think of it, the son was nekkid.)

Feeding naked leads to pee in the food.

"strip 'em to a diaper and let him feed himself if he wants."

Yep. Witness my little cousin Aidan a couple years ago: [link]