> Unfortunately some things are not practical in today's society.

nobody is victime of today's society , it is all in the making , right now ,
by each ones of our decisions .
No matter where we come from it is allways possible to choose  where we want
to go .

  Have you
> ever breast fed a baby 3-4 times an hour all day long?

breast feeding on demand is actually done by millions of women world wide
and even in today' western society. the rewards of doing so are many .

 As is my baby eats on
> demand which is pretty often (not the "recommended" 3-4 hours) wearing the
baby
> around all the time is just not practical.

i am so sad to hear that .! children in our today's society are seen as a
burden not worth  to be carried all the time .
this trait( being carried for the first year) , typical of humanity,  is
genetically programmed in our species  .Hard wired
the "practical" denial of that reality is paid in today's society many times
and many folds the little "saving "of not doing so .
 there is little effort required for that commitment  just a shift in
priorities and certainly a way to heal the pain of having been deprived of
that birth right.
there is enough studies done to show all the benefits of that practice on
the neurological development to at least consider it .
there is many "practical" ways of carrying a baby while freeing the hands .

 I would not go as far as to pre
> chew food. As for starting with meats, you are probably right.  Our
pediatrician
> advised us to start rice cereal at 4 months, so fruits and veggies is a
good
> compromise. I'm thinking of starting chicken at 6 months. Thanks for the
> warning regarding peppers.  I understand spinach is another food to avoid
for a
> while due to the oxalic acid (sp?) which binds calcium.
>
> I wonder when a safe "Time" is to introduce these foods?

when a baby is allways in contact with mother or other closed care givers ,
there is not "a time " to introduce foods , foods is introduced from day one
and it is up to the child to decide when to go farther in that process to
the point of wanting to ingeste which  food first .
when the food is in its natural state,  the instinct kick in and it is easy
, things are more confusing when foods are less recognisable from having
been denatured ,  mixed or not specific to our species .
keep it very simple , the least denatured and trust your baby's choices .
 If a food is not safe for babies it is not safe for adults ever ,either
.any foods that is safe for an adult is safe fort babies .Ther is no such
things as baby's food apart from milk .

no dad's thinking can beat millions of years of evolution of feeding
instinct. Step back and observe !

<Thanks for the input,>

you are welcomed,  hope you can take it !
jean-claude