Signs that I am now a target market:

babyGap now makes little boiler suits for small persons with tattoo sleeves.

These people have fabricated an iPad case that looks like a Moleskine book.

Bettye LaVette's new album (which is killing me with how good it is) is all covers of Brit rock songs.

Through the magic of the intertubes, Hawaiian red coconut balls are now available by the pound.

And though I have resisted all such accoutrements for quite some time, I am obviously going to need one of these incredibly handsome, handmade leather cuffs at some stage.

sticks and spoons

Not metaphorical spoons, but actual: my son has started eating little bits of foods. From a spoon. We feed them to him, of course, but his spoon holding and manipulation are surprisingly good (though, I suppose, it is true that his chief occupation at the moment is grabbing things and sticking them in his mouth).

I went online for some kid-spoons with smaller bowls, and while I was at it, some ends for chopsticks (the flexible bit designed to allow beginning users to practice). I'm startled to realize that by wintertime, he'll probably be ready to start hunting and gathering Cheerios with them.

I also note that it's very satisfying to be parenting with someone who shares my sense that introducing children to lots of things/people/places/foods early is generally* beneficial to them, and is willing to expend some effort to make that work. There are many parenting things about which we agree, but watching my husband dab a dot of red bean paste onto our son's tongue is totally heartmelting.





*please do not write to warn me about honey/sunlight/strawberries/river water/haircuts or whatever else you believe babies cannot be brought into contact with. This kid has six grandparents; we're getting plenty of advice as it is. Also, I can read.