feeding self

I have a love/hate relationship with the whole concept of "baby feeding himself". I love seeing his joy in accomplishing what seems to us as a simple task. I love watching him hold the teething biscuit in his chubby little hands as he studies it and eventually brings it up to his little mouth. Seeing all the nooks and crannies where food ends up is always a fun surprise, both in and around him as well as everywhere else. But the messiness of it all I could do without. And this is just a teething biscuit. It's going to be an entirely new ballgame when he's using utensils and food is flying around the room. That's how I picture it anyway. Food all over him, us, the dogs, the kitchen...