Day 3 of the Nursing Strike

So, here we are at day 3 of the nursing strike. It started Tuesday morning after Travis bit me 3 times, and I told him no and put him on the floor to play. I didn't realize it was a strike until Tuesday evening when I thought back over how little he ate all day and the big fit he threw when I tried to feed him dinner. We've been using bottles because any time he thinks I'm trying to feed him, he starts screaming and crying like he's being tortured. So here we are...and my heart is breaking.

Sure, I know he still loves me; he follows me around the house like a puppy, and cries when I get too far ahead. He crawls towards me when I'm on the floor, and wants to be held while he plays with his toys. I know it's not a rejection of me. I know he's scared, teething, and in pain, and doesn't want to keep biting me. But there's a difference in knowing all that, and then listening to his screams, and watching his little lip pucker and the tears start when I try to cuddle him. I'm trying to be patient and upbeat, but surely he knows something is wrong, and my distress continues to keep him away.

I had planned to wean early, but I hadn't planned to wean at 8 months, and certainly not like this. He still can't drink regular milk, and I worked so hard to get him off of formula in his first few months that I refuse to put him back on it for 4 more months (until he's 12mos and can drink milk). Since I am an information gatherer, I've already done tons of research to discover what is going on and what I should do. Babies don't self-wean before a year, so I know it's not that. It's likely that he got scared after he bit me and I yelped. The prevailing suggestion is to have patience. Great, just what I'm good at, but meanwhile, my heart is breaking and my baby is crying.

Dear God, please let this end soon, and please don't let me give up...