He's a Biter . . .

Carter has six teeth these days. His first tooth came emerged more than four months ago. Since then, I've fielded numerous inquisitions about nursing a toothed baby. I replied each time that I had my own reservations about it, but that he seemed to have an instinct not to bite. Until yesterday.

Carter's in a definite discovery phase (isn't this true of the first, oh I don't know, six years of life? and even then it only slows down--never stops). He's been playing with his tongue--seemingly learning that he can control it. He also uses his pincer grasp and bites his crackers in half with his teeth. He sometimes even tests a new activity and then looks to us for a reaction. That's kind of how the biting unfolded . . . He finished nursing and bit me as if he were eating a cracker. I said "ouch" and tried not to laugh. He was looking up at me, waiting for a reaction. I smiled at him--wrong choice--and he did it again. I said "ouch, no" and removed the temptation. Then, at his bedtime nursing, he went through the same process when he was finished. That time when he looked for my reaction, I said "no, that hurts mommy" and had to look away (otherwise, I'd be sucked into his sweet smile and probably smile back). This morning, he went three for three on biting at the end of nursing. I think it's some combination of his discovery of chewing/biting his food, and wanting to entertain me.

I only have three months left until he turns one. I have no intention to introduce formula to him, and will pump and bottle-feed exclusively if I have to. But I really don't want to. I want to be able to nurse him mornings, evenings and weekends until he turns a year old. But what's a mom to do? Is this normal? Will he stop? I'm telling him "no" but he doesn't really understand the meaning of the word yet. Until now, we haven't had to correct any of his actions, except for pulling Marley's hair (something we're still working on). How can I correct this behavior? Or is it futile and I need to just ween him early?