just this last week or so valen has insisted on eating everything all by himself! i have given him the spoon for bites before but never the whole bowl, he would just dump it out. but all of a sudden he is getting it. he figured out drinking from a cup a while back and he is such a pro! no more sippie cups for him now, he is so picky!! i actually put pureed fruits and veggies in a cup for him to drink since he cant use a spoon with such soupy foods, and he loves it. he does not like us to give him bites anymore, so this works well.