Peek-a-blocks baby

I recently came to the realization that Matthew was ready for some more challenging toys. The old rattles just weren't cutting it anymore. I dragged up Cameron's old Peek-a-blocks and wagon and Matthew has been going to town with them! I've been amazed by his coordination -- picking up blocks, placing them in the wagon to make the lights and music play, and even getting up on one knee so he can reach across the wagon and grab a block!
Along with this new found agility, though, come new hazards. Suddenly, Matthew is exceptionally adept at picking up small objects and popping them into his mouth. Earlier this week I did my first "dive and swipe" maneuver, retrieving what turned out to be a raisin from his mouth. Hey, it could be worse! We've separated baby-safe toys and big boy toys and have taught Cameron to identify choking hazards. Cameron actually seems to relish the role of policing Matthew. "Choking hazard!" he'll shriek, yanking a big boy toy from Matthew's hand. And if I'm not mistaken, the fun is just beginning -- we have a good couple of years left of mouth swipes and probably a few "guess what gross thing Matthew put in his mouth" posts to come!