8 months and not digging the solids... help. (LONGish)

jess!ca

I've really been struggling and could use some advice.  DD is turning 8 months this week.  She has been really tough to BF lately.  VERY distracted.  She only BFs for like 5 mins on one side during the day.  I am not sure if she is getting enough milk during the day.  She's also been sick.  First strep and now Coxsackie virus, so I think that has made it hard too. 

I was told at the Dr that she should be working up to solids 3X a day by 9 months, and that she can go 4 hours between feedings of milk and could take 5 oz at a time.  (Right now she has been going like 3 or 3.5 hrs and taking 4 oz, but it takes her like a hour to eat a bottle sometimes because she eats like 2 oz, then 1 oz, then 1 oz with a re-warm in there...)

So right now she's been having solids at dinner time.  She usually has like 1/3 of a stage 2 jar of veggie or fruit mixed with some BM and a tbsp of rice cereal.  (I mix it all up for her.)  Sometimes she'll also have a few bites of a 2nd fruit or veggie with that.  So not a ton of food, and she doesn't always eat it all...

I've tried to offer her solids (a fruit or veggie) about an hour after her AM feeding, but she's really not into it.  Overall, it just seems like she is not digging the food.  (Purees.)  Should I be trying "table foods" instead?  Pieces of fruit or veggie?  I am so worried she is not getting enough milk or food, and I am not doing a good enough job of getting her eating food and teaching her.  I'd also like to make sure she gets back to getting her calories during the day and cuts out those night feedings, but that is when she is currently nursing best, and with her being so sick recently I haven't wanted to try to hold her off at night.  (I am willing to try doing something like that (ie. sleep training) at night again in about a week now that she is on the mend.)

 If you made it this far, and have any advice about whether 5 mins a session is enough, how to get her to eat more solids, or anything else, you are wonderful.

 I think I am overtired and overthinking this!