Introducing Solids

I have a confession: I'm a planner. I like to know well in advance what is happening from one day to the next. I don't like surprises. I like knowing what's for supper before breakfast is even over with. And I like to plan for my baby's future, both short and long-term.
Recently I turned my obsession with planning to learning all I could about the weaning process, and introducing solids to a baby. I really didn't know much about it before I looked into it; I had just assumed that everyone started their baby on cereal at 6+ months of age. Much to my surprise, I found that there was an entire community out there who believe that babies should be fed real food, and learn to choose for themselves what they will eat, eating a variety of foods of differing textures, rather than cereal and purees. Right away, this idea appealed to me. I like the idea of giving McKenna some choice in what she eats, and letting her choose what she wants to try. I like the idea of waiting until she feels that she is ready to put something in her mouth, rather than rushing the process by putting her food in for her before she is ready. I even like thinking about how silly and messy it will be for the first little while. Imagine giving a 6-month-old a piece of pineapple or watermelon, and expecting them to actually get the majority of it in their mouth. Of course it's going to end up all over them, you, the floor, and anything else within a three-foot radius. While she's only 3 months old now, it won't be long before she'll be paying more attention to my food, and trying to swipe things from my plate. And I guess I'll take my cue from her...