New Year's Resolution

For Sawyer. Not me. Sawyer's resolution for 2011 (made under duress, and made for him) is to quit nursing...soon...like now.
I love nursing. There is nothing sweeter than a downy head in the crook of my arm, a tiny hand holding my finger, and sweet blue eyes drowsily gazing up at me, as they slowly lower and surrender to sleep. I cherish the time my babies and I have together, time that is ours alone. And so it is with bittersweet feelings of remorse and loss that I must take away Sawyer's most favorite thing in the whole world. I have much guilt. Much. We only began this morning, and I have nearly given in. Twice. But he must quit. For the sake of the tas, he must, because my sweet Sawyer has become a biter. He has two innocent looking white nublets nestled in his bright pink lower gums. They are the cutest chompers too. So tiny. So sweet. But they pack a punch, especially when they nip tender parts. He has had his teeth for a little over a month now. He was a nibbler before he had teeth. I was hoping he was merely gumming because he was teething and he would quit when they came through. Wrong. He has been biting since they day they broke through, and both the frequency of bites and the tenacity of the bites has increased substantially over the past month. I have tried putting him down and walking away when he bites. I have tried telling him "No" firmly. But to no avail. So yesterday, my sweet husband suggested that for the sake of the tas, I quit nursing our little savage. Sawyer is sad. So am I. Will is sad too because he has taken over as primary comfort giver during this difficult time, and has already logged several miles bouncing and consoling. Sawyer stubbornly refuses all bottles and sippies and any form of liquid found therein. Worrying about dehydration, we have been tirelessly filling the end of a straw up with milk or juice and offering it to him. He acceptance has been grudging. I know that this will all be a wrinkle in time very soon, but for today, Sawyer and I are struggling, he with wanting, and me with feelings of guilt and a pair of very tender......well, you know.