Snowed in

Since we are snowed in, I have plenty of time to play with the spreadsheets.  Nothing too exciting there since things are set to auto-pay.  I miss the days of finding extra cash to throw at things.  Now the budget is pretty streamlined...and really just boring :(  Oh well, now that we have our system down, we are paying off about $1100 per month (not including interest).  Not too shabby! 

Still waiting on all of our paperwork to come in so that we can start on our taxes.  I am going to attempt to do them on our own, but we will get a pro to officially file for us this year.  I don't know/remember enough about how to do DH's taxes now, and I would just rather not bother with it.  Its worth paying a pro to take care of to make sure everything is right.  I think we just need a couple more items, and we can find a preparer.

DH has some pending cases out too.  With our refund & any cases that clear, we will be able to fully fund maternity leave and then start in on our trip to NM later this year.  I think we have decided to only go after the baby is born, instead of trying to squeeze in two trips.  Work added in more training classes, so we would have to go early April or not make it before I can't fly anymore.  And there is no way in heck I am making a 20 hour drive at 36+ weeks pregnant!!  Maybe we can stay out there for a full week if we only go once, so that we can spend plenty of time with Grandpa. 

We had a good talk with MIL the other day.  We worked out some details for her to be our DCP - talked about schedule, discipline methods, whether or not we would feel comfortable with her taking the baby on her daily errands, etc.  Right now the biggest thing keeping her from committing is just seeing what happens with SIL and the babies.  So far SIL has a team of people lined up to help her - and we would not need daycare until the quads had been home for almost 5 months, so that would be plenty of time to adjust.  But, with them being so early, if anyone has a disability that would obviously increase the need for care & MIL feels she would need to be there.  I completely understand...but it makes me nervous just waiting it out.  Hopefully we will still have time to line up other daycare options.  We should - but I like to plan and it makes me nervous when things still are not settled.

Maybe I will spend some time tomorrow filling out our registry.  Its taking me forever since I am doing it online, and researching the heck out of items to get product reviews & recommendations before adding to the list.   I think I was able to add 11 items last time :)  Since we don't have much room, I want to make sure we register for only the things I think we will need.  The only big ticket item that we have on there is the carseat.  Everything else has been passed down to us by friends & family members!  With co-pays for Dr visits included, I really think this baby won't cost us more than $1000 the first year.  That's if I can BF - obviously it goes up if we need formula. 

And...we finally decided on a nursery theme!!  We are not going to paint - the walls will stay the pale blue that they are now.  But boy or girl, we are going to do a baby punk-rock theme :)  DH has his guitars & amps in the room right now, and they will have to stay since we dont have another place to store them for now.  We found some great blue/black/silver fabric that would be perfect for a little boy, and some super cute pink & blue guitars fabric for a girl (the blue matches almost perfectly, and we could play up the pink accents).  I will buy the fabric online, and have my mom make us some bumpers & a crib skirt.  We will either do the bumpers that weave in & out through the bars or do the individual bar ones so that they can stay on.  We have a dresser that I don't really care for because of the paint.  Instead of stripping it, I am hoping to sell it on Craigslist & buy one that matches the bed.  Hopefully we can end up doing a straight swap.