Here are some photos from weeks 18 and 19, including our trip to Cambridge and Bridget's first taste of solids.

After three days of baby rice mixed with Mummy's milk (which she found perfectly edible, though uninspiring) Bridget had her first proper solids meal. Parsnip puree. More than two ice-cubes' worth (Hester says three). And she guzzled it down smilingly and rapidly. Go, go, parsnip girl!

As for the rolls: Bridget can (when not wearing her gigantic proper nappy) roll from her back to her right side. She managed this first last Sunday when only I was present. As of yesterday, Hester now believes me...

For the last few days we have been picking up vibes that Bridget might be interested in something more than Mummy's milk. She's been fussy about feeds; she's been waking up in the night again (though her cold may well have had something to do with that) and she's been watching every single mouthful that we eat at our own meals, disconcertingly following spoons or forks from plate to mouth and back again.

The health visitor recommended that we waited until we got home before doing anything about it, so today we sat Bridget down in her chair with a bib, and introduced her to the wonderful world of baby rice, made up with Mummy milk to a consistency of slop. We think that she liked it. We didn't have the classic mouth opening wide eager for more, but we certainly didn't have her spitting it straight back out again. She polished off most of the tablespoon prepared and nothing came back up later. Utter dependency on Mummy is now over, and the era of messy mealtimes has begun.

On Friday we set off on our second major expedition with Bridget. Since I had a concert in Cambridge, we had arranged to stay the weekend with our friends Keith and Mel in Downing College. Once again Bridget slept all the way across the country, only waking to be fed, and was in fine form when we set ourselves up in our guest room. This was our first experience of sleeping in the same room as Bridget since the end of November, and it was not wholly successful. Bridget found it difficult to get to sleep with us in the room, and we found it harder to sleep ourselves, when we were constantly alert for any noise from her. She also woke each night for a feed at about 3 in the morning, but that may have been as much to do with the remnants of a cold as any insecurity.

Mike nobly held the fort while I went to my rehearsals on Saturday and Sunday, bringing Bridget over for instalments of milk and to show her off to the rest of the choir. Saturday evening included a trip to Dave and Erica and their boys. Then on Sunday morning we went to the college chapel, where Keith is the chaplain, and all enjoyed the service. Bridget stayed with me while Mike attended evensong that evening. And then there was the highlight of the visit for Bridget. While I went to my concert, she and Mike were the guests of honour at high table in the college: I wonder whether they've ever had a baby dining before! She then retired to the Senior Common Room to enjoy the candlelight and watch the others sampling port and madeira.

On Monday morning Mike went off to the university library, to cram in some time photocopying yet more material on Rowan Williams. Meanwhile I took Bridget to meet people at my old department - History and Philosophy of Science, where she was much admired, and signed up for the second-year course. After that it was time to come home, via a visit to Auntie Ruth and cousins Daniel and Alexander.

All in all the weekend was a success. I enjoyed my concert, and it was good to see lots of people. Travelling with Bridget is remarkably painless, but we'll probably try to avoid single room sleeping where we can, and prepare to be rather more tired than normal if we have to.