First feeding.... gone horribly wrong

So much for my hopes of a smooth first feeding, hopes of Little H loving the first spoonful, wanting more and eating it all. Don't let the picture fool you. He "ate" about 5 spoonfuls, in between some gagging... after which he threw it all up. I felt so bad for the little guy. Here's where I think I went wrong:

First, the consistency was probably too thick. When I made it last night, the consistency was much smoother when it finished pureeing (but it was also very warm which I think helped). Even though I heated it up before I fed it to him, it wasn't quite as smooth. I added a little warm water to it after the first couple of spoonfuls, but maybe I didn't add enough. When we try again tomorrow, I'm planning on adding a little warmed breastmilk... and maybe even some rice cereal.

Second, although I don't think taste was the issue, the sweet potato may not have been as "sweet" as it should have been. As you can see in the photo, the sweet potato I used was not the typical orange-y color. They didn't have sweet potatoes at our local store, but they did have yams. I've always been unsure if sweet potatoes and yams are one in the same, but I erred on the side of caution and didn't buy the yams (also because the girl at the cash register told me they were different. Not exactly an expert source).... even though they always taste the same to me. So I went to a nearby market that sells local and organic foods, and they were selling sweet potatoes... but the color resembled regular potatoes. A guy there assured me they were indeed sweet potatoes, just a different variety. Who knew?! I was a little skeptical but I bought two anyway. When I got home, I did a little online research. According to WholesomeBabyFood.com,

In the United States, Yams and Sweet Potatoes are one and the same and the terms are used interchangeably for the same vegetable.... The difference between Yams and Sweet Potatoes in the United States is only in the labeling, the color, the texture and the marketing. What is referred to as a "yam" in the Unites States is the darker reddish skinned, orange fleshed sweet potato. It is typically more sweet and moist.....What is referred to as Sweet Potato on the other hand, is the lighter, brownish skinned type. This variety is more dry and starchy than the "yam' and is not as sweet. It also resembles the texture of regular white potatoes.

Hmmm.... so maybe I should have gone with the yams for a sweeter flavor. Hindsight is 20/20. First I'll try adding some breastmilk and/or rice cereal tomorrow and see if that makes a difference. Fingers crossed... again!