Giving solids to BIG babies

[vancouverbabies]

Hi there, my little guy is six months/1 week and I started him on solids about two weeks ago. He's done just great with everything he's tried and enjoys his meals. He is a big baby, and I mean he is over 23 pounds this week. He is solid and very long. He is a very BW'd baby. Before starting solids he had four daytime bottles and a dream feed, so total he drank close to 32 ounces. Now that we have started solids 3x/day he's maybe cut down to 26-30 ounces formula. This is my issue-when I offer him his dream feed I only offer 5 ounces and he seems to want more than that. However, he'll sleep until 7:00 and hang out until 7:30 and doesn't get a morning bottle until 8:00ish, then he'll only drink maybe 6 oz of that (I offer 8 ounces).
Just now I dream fed him and he finished the 5 ounces and seemed to want more, but I just gave him a soother and put him to sleep. I know the recommendation is to wean the dream feed at 7 months, and I plan to start in a couple of weeks, however I'm concerned that he is very dependent on it. Being such a big baby, the fruits and veggies and cereals may not add enough to sustain him I'm thinking? My family doctor said to wait until 9 months for meats which I think is a little late...I think I did 8 months with my daughters and they did just fine. My point is, if I wait so long for meats and other sources of protein/fats will my son still need that dream feed until then?
Would love to hear about other experiences.
As a reference, here is our rough daily routine:
7:30/8:00 Bottle (offer 8 oz, might drink 6 or so)
9:00 Breakfast (Oatmeal, Various fruits, I also offer a bit of water in a sippy at all the meals)
11:30 12:00 Bottle
1:00 Lunch (Veggies and Fruits)
3:30 Bottle
5:00 Dinner (Barley or Oatmeal, Veggies, Fruits)
6:30 or so Bottle
10:30 Dreamfeeed (Only offer 5 oz)

[Shdef]

I did the dreamfeed longer as well, also because when he was 8 months, it started to get VERY hot and I fed water at the DF until perhaps a year or so. I would still do it, because if it ain't broke, don't fix it 

[creations]

In the UK the guide is to introduce meat and fish at 6 months, which is what I did.  My LO is a small baby (only between 9th and 25th centile) but took to solids in a BIG way.  However he didn't take to meat and fish as quickly as other foods, he liked canned fish more than fresh, would taste meat but not really eat much.  What I did was include lentils or beans, in with meals.  If a made a meat and vegi stew I chucked in a can of black eyed beans and he'd eat lots of those and veg but just a taste of meat.  Lentils are great in curry or vegi 'shepherds pie'.  The cans are just cooked beans in water (no salt) so they are healthy but very quick and easy and a great source of non-dairy protein.  He would also eat an entire egg (hard boiled, fritata, omelet).  Also humous is good if you are puree weaning, chick peas are great protein.
My DS was reliant on the DF because of silent reflux, it was only the BT and DF when he'd take a good amount.  For that reason I delayed weaning the DF, but eventually around 8 months I had the courage to give it a go and it went really well.  He made up for the 'loss' in the day either with milk or solids, possibly not noticeable in any one meal but his weight never dropped at all and he slept well so I think those are good signs.

[*Kara*]

n the UK the guide is to introduce meat and fish at 6 months

Canada too... meat is actually recommended as a first food for BF'd babies.