T.,
You are supposed to start feeding them rice cereal for 4 to 5 days and then you can feed them oatmeal for the same amount (4 to 5 days). While they are on the oatmeal you can give them rice too. The reason that they do that is to see if they are going to be allergic to it. If they are, you know what you gave them that was new so you know what it is.... you won't have to start all over to find out. So once they have had the rice, you never have to stop,.... you can keep feeding them rice but ADD the oatmeal. After the oatmeal you can add another cereal... if you want to go to vegetables, then do ONE vegetable at a time the same way. It doesn't matter what vegetable... just pick one. Most pick one like green beans or carrots (something that they will be exposed to alot) After they go through the vegetables then you can start the fruits.... ONE at a time. When they are a year old, you can start the baby foods with the meats in them. Again, only one at a time for allergy concerns. It also protects them from becoming allergic.
Now... I almost hate to tell you this, but I fed 3 boys like this and followed the rules to the T. I had a little girl later in life and she wouldn't touch the baby food. She wanted what we were eating. I would open the jars, she would take one bite, push it out of her mouth as if she hated the taste and she was done. I waisted more money. Finally I said forget this, this child has got to eat. So I just started feeding her whatever vegetables that we had. I didn't add salt and I mashed it up with a fork till smooshy. I made enough of the vegetable to last me a couple of days for lunch warmed up. I never went by the rules with her but I DID try to do one new thing at a time for allergy purposes. The only thing that I did wrong by doing this is I gave her mashed potatoes which got her constipated. Starchy things tend to constipate and I didn't know that. To this day, she loves to eat vegetables, she is a good eater... not picky... and she is tiny. I have always heard that if they are a good eater, that starts their metabolism out strong and those are the ones that don't get fat very easily. Boys tend to be better eaters and gain a little more weight.
Hope that helps.
M. T