Our little man is rapidly approaching half a year old. In a couple of weeks, I’ll update the photograph above the article so you can see how much he’s changed.

It still seems impossible how small he used to be, compared to the relatively huge baby boy who now fills his car seat and is wearing clothes designed for nine months and up.

Weaning him onto solid foods has well and truly begun. His reaction to anything not served in liquid form is always the same.

First, the spoon goes in and he wears a quizzical expression. Next, he mashes whatever it is into the roof of his mouth with his tongue. Third, he pulls a disgusted face, as if we’re trying to feed him a mouthful of live bugs. Finally, assuming it meets with his approval, he smiles and sticks his fingers into his mouth, then pulls them out and wipes his food onto his face, bib or chair.

Baby cereals are a big hit, though barley is his least favourite: like his daddy, he prefers oatmeal. Once he got used to the cereals, we began adding other foods to the mixture.

We’re determined for now to avoid introducing fruits, as apparently a baby gains a sweet tooth and won’t take to vegetables so easily once they are used to apple and banana.

Judging by his, er, output, carrot is surplus to requirements (it seems to go straight through!), but everything else works fine. Avocado suits both us and him, because it requires very little preparation and fulfils his requirement for a high-fat diet. (It’s also about the only thing that looks worse going in than coming out.)

Jasper’s grandparents are arriving from Spain this week. Unlike the parent of an older child, far from wishing that my offspring is on his best behaviour, I hope the little man is on top form: farting, throwing up, getting food everywhere, delivering monster messes in his diapers.

It’s not everyday that keen, unpaid labour arrives, after all! Sleep well.

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