Finger Foods/ 9 month well baby visit

Lately I have been having to fight Alli to get her to eat her supper at night.  She wants more and more to feed herself.  I wasn't sure exactly what I should or shouldn't be doing as far as finger foods for her.  So at her 9 month check up the other day, I talked with the doctor about it.  Dr. Cruz said to try giving them to her and that it was good for her to want to be picking up her food by herself.  So Monday night, Alli had her first big girl meal.  She ate chicken, green beans, and potatoes.  She loved it.  She ate quite a bit, I gave her a little of cereal (just to make sure she got enough to eat), and her bottle.  She did great!  This was not the case last night.  Nothing went well.  She cried, screamed, and slapped food out of my hands.  It was horrible.  I was upset, she was upset and it just made for a bad night.  She wouldn't eat ANYTHING except her bottle, so that's what I gave her.  She slept horrible.  I don't know if she was hungry or not, but I didn't want to give her a bottle because I don't want to have to do that every night again.  I just don't know what her deal is with eating.  I am sure it is just a phase, but man it wears me out.  But after being so frustrated and scared because she is not eating, she can give me her smile and laugh and it makes everything right in the world again. 

Alli's 9 month check up went great.  I thought she was going to have to have shots and was relieved when she didn't have to.  They did have to prick her finger to check her hemoglobin level.  It was so funny.  The nurse pricked her finger and Alli looked at her like "What did you just do?"  I wish I could have gotten a picture.  She made an "O" with her mouth and looked at me as if to say "Why did you let her do that"?  She cried for about 2 seconds and then calmed down.  But the nurse had a heck of a time getting the band aide on because Alli was bleeding to bad.  There was blood everywhere.  It was just running out of her.  Once we got it stopped, I had to hold her while the nurse cleaned off the bed.  Alli weighed 23 lbs 2 oz and was 31 1/2 in tall which put her in the 90th and 97th percentile on the growth chart respectively.  She is just getting so big.  Dr. Cruz said everything looked good.  I still can't believe my baby is already 9 months old.  It will be 10 months in a week.