We are now into March!

Let's see... I'll try to give a quick update on the family... My sweet little (taller than me) sis is once again being laid off. Do you know anyone in Biotech? She's a Microbiology major and she does NOT like working in Quality Control for food plants and the like. She prefers sciency/medicine things. :) I'm sure that's just the descriptive she would use!

I am back in the yuckies of sickness. This week I made it to our Young Women's activity with just a stuffy nose but then I came back down with a hacking cough (I was up for THREE hours last night before I gave in and took cough syrup. Whatever the studies say - it works for me. It's wasn't instantaneous but I did finally get to sleep just before 2am.) We are going on 3 weeks now - give me break!
I'm scheduled for a doctor's appt this Friday(group B strep test - pray it's negative so I don't have to have that IV). I'll be 37 and 1/2weeks - getting closer! If you haven't been around a pregnant lady in a while - Group B hangs around sometimes in the general baby delivery area and isn't a big deal unless you're pregnant. Then it can pass to the baby during delivery and cause all sorts of yuckiness. I hope that I don't happen to have it - I'm a bit worried since my immune system seems to be broken that my body might have a greater propensity to be streppy!

Rick is now into aromatherapy. I borrowed a book for him from the library on massage for pregnant ladies and it gives TONS of info on essential oils and how to custom mix oils for everything that ails you. He made up some spray with water and Lavender oil and has been spraying it around the house religiously. I'm not sure if this is because it has antiseptic properties and he doesn't want to get sick or if it's because of its calming properties and he thinks I'm cranky. He even put some in the bath with the kiddos! He also has made up some massage oil for now and for when I'm in labor. I'm not sure if it's going to work though since I can't SMELL ANYTHING! It's driving me bonkers! Cooking and eating have lost their appeal and I'm not cooking anything tasty on purpose so I don't waste it on a day when I can't fully enjoy it.
Rick was also released and then recalled as a counselor in the Stake Young Mens Presidency which means he will still be super busy each week. He has a lot on his plate!
He also spent a good deal of the day Saturday cleaning up the garage. Nothing is organized, really, like the painting stuff isn't with the rest of the painting stuff and the gardening stuff isn't by other gardening stuff, but things are moving onto shelves and off of the floor! And it looks really great! We now have room for the little car in there if we want. And I can now walk out to my freezer without feeling like Indiana Jones stepping on the stones to spell out "JEHOVAH" in the Last Crusade movie. (Meaning I am not risking life and limb - there's a lovely wide cleared area to walk on).

Nathan is now all done being sick! I figured out last week that the "tired red eyes" he's had from being kept awake with Ashlyn's coughing at night was actually pink eye - the last vestige from his cold from a month ago. Good thing we were all staying home anyway or we might have been spreading this nastiness around. Man, this is a virus that doesn't give up easily! This morning he woke up with not a trace of pink so I think next week we'll all try and head to church! I haven't been for 4 weeks (or maybe 5?) either keeping sick kids home or being home sick myself. Since Rick has had to be at all our stake's ward conferences (7 wards) he was only able to take each kid to church during that time once each. So we are all eager to get back and be spiritually recharged.

Ashlyn still coughs occasionally throughout the day but nothing anymore at night. I'm racking my brain trying to remember how many nights we had a problem with her to see how many more I might have ahead of me. :) But then I remember the "adults get it worse than kids" comment from that news program I mentioned earlier and I wonder if it even matters. We had her 2nd parent/teacher conference this past Thursday and she's still doing fine. Her teacher says she still has problems following directions. Not that she's contrary, but she'll go ahead and start on a worksheet or assignment without looking or listening for directions because she thinks she knows what she needs to do. :) Sounds normal to me! Other than that her reading has really improved - she is absolutely amazing! I can't believe she's just 5 and a 1/2 and has the skills she does!

Baby's still alive and kicking. :)

And after all my anticipation for this past Saturday's paycheck - nothing. The paycheck isn't representative b/c of a mileage reimbursement that was included so I still don't know what taxes will be and therefore don't have the data to plug into the IRS's withholding calculator. (Which was down for maintenance anyway!). I took a look at last years tax returns and the tax tables and did my own figuring, though. They can't take that away from me! :) Looks like with the new baby we'll need to pay about $300 in federal taxes for the year (we've already overpaid by about $700 dollars) and $1155 in state taxes. Isn't that messed up? The state allows us basically no deductions. All we get to deduct from our federal taxable income are our 529 contributions. I want a state child tax credit. :)

That's about it! We are looking forward to March! Lots of good stuff - Mom turns ancient, I mean 60; Easter; St. Patrick's day; and a new Baby!