What am I doing wrong?

Two days in a row, and J has no interest in rice cereal. No interest. Whatsoever. None.

He wakes up in the morning (I've been told morning is the best time to introduce the cereal to him). We change him into a clean dry diaper, and then I feed him and burp him; all advice I have received says to do this first. (Cereal is supposed to supplement his regular milk, not replace it, so feed him first). Then he goes into his high chair with his plastic froggy bib with the big scoop at the bottom, and I give him a little plastic spoon to play with. He plays happily there, chewing on his bib and his little spoon, while I mix up his rice cereal.

I mix it up in his froggy cereal bowl with freshly expressed milk to a thin, watery consistency, just like the books say (watery applesauce, they say; I even saw a dietician do it at NMN, so I know it's the right consistency). I check the temperature and then warm it slightly until it is a nice lukewarm. I stir it all up and check the temperature again. It is perfect. Then I bring his little froggy bowl over to him, with the little silver spoon his Auntie gave him, and I sit down and get ready to feed him.

And through all this, he plays happily in his highchair, putting his little plastic spoon in his wide open mouth, and he talks to me, telling me all about his night.

I take the little silver spoon that is just the perfect size for his sweet little baby mouth. I put a bit of rice cereal on the end, and I hold it up to his mouth. He sees the spoon coming, and suddenly clamps his mouth tight shut. But he gets a bit of the taste from the end of the spoon. He cries. I try to give him a little bit more. He screams and pushes the cereal out of his mouth. Maybe two more attempts, and I am forced to concede defeat. (Don't force the issue; you'll turn him off solids completely.)

He is sobbing by now. I put the bowl down, take him out of his high chair, and cuddle him. And he is happy again. Holding him in one hand, I rinse the bowl, spoons and bib with the other. (I will wash them properly later, when I don't have a baby in my arms.)

I feel discouraged. If he won't eat his cereal, I am going to have to get him started on iron supplements. He is over 6 months old now and, according to all the literature, his iron stores are becoming depleted. But he simply will not eat his cereal, and I don't know what to do about it.

I'm really not sure if it is normal for him to be quite this deeply uninterested in solids.