Ah, the pumping station. We have all sorts of medical equipment in this house that I try to disguise in various ways. Notice the blanket on the baby scale? And that's my breast pump in the big basket, its tubes and cords covered by a blue silk.

I have very mixed feelings about that pump. On the one hand, it allows me to continue to provide my baby with my milk, with all of its nutritional and immunological benefits. On the other hand, it is a huge pain. I have to sit in front of its swish swoosh, swish swoosh, four or five times a day to continue to produce the amount that Lachlan needs - much more than a typical baby because his one working ventricle is pumping blood to both his lungs and his body. Superbaby heart! Hats off to you, heart ... but man, could you eat a little less?

This diminished appetite will come, but not until after his second surgery. Until then, he seems to have gotten the hang of feeding from a bottle, with the rest of his (huge) milk requirement going through his g-tube after he tires of drinking. He still breastfeeds, but it is more difficult for him. We will continue to work on breastfeeding (because, well, the pump sucks, both literally and figuratively.) It is a lesson for me in letting go and following the needs and cues of my child.

One of the ways I've kept my spirits up while pumping is doing something with my hands. And so - thanks to the long pumping sessions, I present to you the Oatmeal Pullover!

Yes, it was completed just as the thermometer reached 95 degrees. A funny time to be knitting a sweater, but I'm pretty pleased with it. I knit the size 36 with Quince and Co. Puffin in the Lichen colorway. I also used maybe a skein's worth of human hair. Hello, post-partum hair shed! Better in the sweater than clogging the drain? Anyway ...

Used size 13 needles to get the correct guage. It fits pretty well, and I'm betting that I'll like the fit even more once I lose the last bit of pregnancy weight come cooler weather.

Next keep-your-hands-busy-while-pumping project? Something for Finn, I think.

*** THANK YOU for your kind words about the book! I'll be showing off a few more projects from its pages in the coming week or so.***