cereals Vs Porridge

for the past 2 months, caleb has been in lack appetite for porridge. My homemade porridge. he just refused and closed his lips tightly.
I've tried giving cheese, some chicken stocks, vege stock, pigeon soup stocks which is tasty because of the salt in it..but he just refused.
I did taste it. Even when hubby and I think the food taste yummy..he won't take it!

and so I feed him cereals. Nestle is his fave...any kind of flavour: mixed vege, mixed fruit, apple and cranberry, grean bean, wheat n honey, chicken flavour..he likes all nestle products. I know it's sweet coz it contains sugar. Many people will not choose this brand because of the sugar. I had my dilemma.
but I would rather give my son food that he likes and he will eat than he doens't eat at all.
Of course, I still make fruit puree and caleb takes it well. pear, apple, avocado,papaya, pumpkin - at least there are food that is not instantly prepared like cereals.

Some mothers tell me that if babies refuse to eat porridge, maybe they want rice.
I keep thinking about it. Because there is nothing wrong with the food I cook. It taste yummy. If I taste it and I don't like it, I can understand if caleb refused it. but if it's nice and he still doesn't like it, maybe it's true..it is because of the porridge. I should try rice. very soft rice. but when should I start it? he is not yet 9 months old...will it be too early for him to eat rice?

but if nothing else works, I bet it's just teething. teething is so baddd baddd..
I once read that it can baby fussy and picky over meal.

oh well..