Winding Down & Going & Going

I guess the most significant thing about this week has been weening myself from the pump. Almost done. I am hoping to pack away the pump this weekend, although I'll be packing extra shirts for Detroit. And I'm okay with this. It was hard at first, but as I've been pumping less and less I've been enjoying my extra free time more and more. Now I'm just going to have to do some research on how best to take breastmilk with me on a plane.

Other highlights of the week:

• Grandpa Earl has been working like crazy cleaning up the garage, the downstairs, and making runs to Goodwill. It's looking amazing.
• Grandma Linda has completely spoiled Jordan, who fusses now if she isn't being held. Luckily she gets to be held about 14 hours a day. When she's not holding Jordan she's cooking. She's made so many wonderful dinners (each day and to freeze) that now our freezers are all filled up and she has to stop!
• Both grandparents have been relishing in the daily grind -- feeding, playing, bathing, and decoding "Avery speak." Avery is quite the Jackson Pollock these days -- with paint and with glue (just Elmers, but boy is that fun to squeeze all over). Cutting shapes, gluing, painting, coloring, "writing," it's all about creating these days. And lots of pretending, too!! Maybe she has Devon's imagination & artistic talents (I sure hope so).
• Devon is busy managing the house projects during coffee breaks and into the night, and working his real job during the day. There are a gazillion things to do around this house Earl seems to have decided to do them all (I am not complaining, I'm just worried he's taken on too much). Hopefully he's not feeling any stress to get these projects done on a tight timetable, because we aren't. We've got the main living area of our house under control, so everything else they get done this week, or this month, or this year is just icing on the cake. Yippee. They're preparing (physically & mentally) for texture coating all of the entire downstairs walls on Saturday. . . . It could be a long day.
• I have been free as a bird this week -- relatively speaking. I've run so many errands all by myself it's bizarre. I'm disoriented. I wander through stores like a kid on her first trip to Disneyland. Then I feel the pangs of guilt: I should be home feeding Jordan, doing this, doing that. Earl & Linda must think I'm an absent parent with all the time I spend out and about when they're here. I feel bad for "abandoning" her with them, but when I return I always find them snuggling her and grinning, so I guess it's not as bad as I imagine. They seem happy being in charge of her, so I might as well let them do it and get some errands run by myself.
• Yesterday I bought a great new stroller for Jordan. It's very supportive and versatile. We had a great walk in it today. I also monkeyed around with our spare 3 car seats (and various attachments) to make one more secure for her to be in. She is still floppy as a noodle, but we don't want to spend $600 to $1200 on a carseat that essentially has lots of nice, soft, extra padding. I think I've bought everything I can find -- most of which I'll take back when I finally find the magic combination.
• I have been getting relatively good sleep for the last couple of nights and it makes a big difference during the days. Jordan's still on the sick list, but getting better for the most part. I really have to learn how to use her suction machine appropriately!
• I've had so much free time to do other things, and to sleep, that I'm days behind on e-mail, pics, blogging, and other household chores. OH WELL. I'll just count my blessings! There's always time to get caught up on those things. I have to take advantage of work release when I get it.

Speaking of sleep, I better start heading that way. We have a big outing planned for the Portland Children's Museum tomorrow morning.