Grand Rapids Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Come out....come out..
where ever you are?
They Lady Gaga post brought out some people we haven't seen in a while.
Lets get an update from everyone, both regulars and part-timers:
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc):
update on the hubby:
How old are the kids (if you have any): EDIT and How are they doing?
How are the Pets:
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March:
Re: Come out....come out..
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): Meh. It's work. I don't hate it. We're starting to get busier which is good, but my motivation isn't where it should be
update on the hubby: Doing good. He's really excited about baby Wop.
How old are the kids (if you have any): 14 weeks
How are the Pets: Houston the dog is a big sweety! She's my little shadow, and loves to cuddle.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: I'm looking forward to the end of March so we can have April!
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): - Meh!!!! It's a job. I started by four day work week this week. I kind of wish I took one extra day of vacation to get things in order and give the girls one day to hang out at home.
update on the hubby: Doing good. It was nice to get away with him for a few days and relax. Between Amelia teething and being sick, we were getting up a lot during the night. That was getting old and we were getting cranky with each other.
How old are the kids (if you have any): Allison is 3.5 years old and Amelia is two now. Amelia is talking like crazy, it seems so strange.
How are the Pets: Still missing Ozzie. Some days it hits. No plans yet to get another dog. We said when the girls are older. I told Brian when the time is right (so maybe a little sooner than he was thinking)
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: I'm going to a wine tasting next week. Also we have a Groupon that expired in April so hopefully we will get a date night in the next few weeks.
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): Still SAHM. Attending GRCC for pharmacy tech. I should start my internship sometime this month, just don't know where I'll be working. My class is done the first of June, and then I just have to take and pass the certification test.
update on the hubby: He became a security supervisor the beginning of Feb. So we've adjusted to him being off 3rd shift. He gets 3 days off, 2 of which are the days I have class, so we don't need a sitter. He's still working at Meijer on his days off from the mall.
How old are the kids (if you have any): Baby Rebel is doing really well. He got his first tooth just over a week ago. He's a happy, playful little guy. I love getting to spend my days with him!
How are the Pets: n/a
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: Hopefully getting a new-to-us car. Haven't even begun shopping, but hopefully the process isn't to painful.
My Profile
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): It's a job and it pays the bills. Thankfully, I don't haaaaate it.
update on the hubby: Works a lot. Hopefully taking some time off later this month
How old are the kids (if you have any): Oops. Reading comprehension fail. He is 13.5 months old. How he is doing...lol: Lovely! Learning new words and new things all the time. He says "Hi!" everytime he sees someone. Like this morning when I opened the door to get him out of his carseat to bring him into daycare, he said "Hi!" lol. He makes us laugh everyday, we are so so so in love. He also says "mama", "dada", and "doggie" <--- doggie (which comes out more like doogie) is his favorite.
How are the Pets: The "doogies" are fine
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: Warmer weather, less snow, more sunshine and St Patty's Day!
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): The same. Don't love it. Don't hate it. I coordinated a huge (for me) seminar last week which was interesting and stressful.
Update on the hubby: He's very angry at the continued winter, but other than that, he's good. His company is doing some restructuring and he may get a promotion as a result. So we're waiting to hear how everything (everyone) lands after the restructruing.
How old are the kids (if you have any): n/a
How are the Pets: Good. Zoey's very cuddly these days -- I love it. Jinx is the same old Jinx -- lots of fun and super sweet. Her health is continuing to challenge us though. The vet recommends that we have her teeth cleaned. Doing so would require putting her under general anesthesia. However, due to her heart condition, general anesthesia could potentially be dangerous for her. We're struggling with what to do here.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: Life getting back to normal. February was a crazy month.
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): I hate it. I have been warned about getting fired, etc. More motivation to find another job.
update on the hubby: doing well. Working a lot of hours at wk. We have 2 dates this weekend
How old are the kids (if you have any): Stepdaughters - 11 and 8 now
How are the Pets: Simba and Buster are doing well.
March - college basketball finals and spring!
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): not loving it, but it's tolerable for now. It will be a lot less crappy when the weather warms up. right now I hate getting up in the middle of the night and going out in the cold and snow.
update on the hubby: Doing good. Looking at buying a truck.
How old are the kids (if you have any): Ben will be 2 in April! Getting so old!
How are the Pets: The 3 cats are good. The dog Meeko isn't doing so hot. We just increased her pain medication for hip dysplasia. We are hoping the warmer weather helps her feel a little better. Its been a hard winter but she usually perks up in teh spring.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: We are going to go to FMG to see the butterflies at some point. I've never been to FMG and I think Ben will love the butterfliesI get a fail too D&M.
Baby Rebel is just over 8 months old.
My Profile
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): It's pretty good. It's super busy season for me, so I hardly have time to sit down (and aside from 2 weeks in March, it will only get worse until May 1). I'm not planning on returning to work after the baby is born, so I just keep telling myself this is the last crazy season I have to get through
update on the hubby: He's doing well. Still loving his job. He can't wait to be a dad. He's doing lots of home projects to get ready for baby.
How old are the kids (if you have any): 13.5 weeks in utero. So glad to be in 2nd tri and have some energy back!!!
How are the Pets: Boston is great. We are puppy sitting an Aussie puppy (12-13 weeks old) for 10 days starting tomorrow. They are going to have so much fun, but our house will be crazy!!!
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: I'm with Wop - I can't wait for April!!! March is okay though w/ lots of birthdays in the fam. We're also going to Great Wolf Lodge the end of March w/ my B and SIL and nephew/niece. That will be fun.
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): Hmm. Work is the same. Except, I love a lot about my job (flexible schedule, good company/good benefits, ability to work from home, good coworkers), however, I've never been wild about what I do. I'm working below my potential in a field I'm not that interested in. I don't know if and/or when I'll start to do something about that though, but I guess I've been becoming more bored over the past few months.
Update on the hubby: He's good and not currently injured at the moment. :-) He's lost 20 pounds in the past 8 weeks and still wants to lose about 10 more. His work has been very challenging for him this past year, but he just got a nice bonus last week and I'm super proud of him.
How are the Pets: Toby is healed! He got the go ahead for the dog park, which was our ultimate goal. We're waiting until Gordie's shots are updated (in a week) and then we'll be renewing our membership. I also am on the waiting list to start Toby on the way to becoming a therapy dog. I'm also contemplating classes for Gordie to help with some of his issues that we haven't been successful at making better (we've had him exactly a year now). He's made improvements in that year, but I want him to become a more secure, anxiety-free dog if at all possible. He will still occassionally act out aggressively toward other dogs and whine/scream when he sees another dog or human on our walks. Not fun, and I can't imagine he's all that happy if he's exhibiting that kind of behavior.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: I'm going to North Carolina to visit one of my best friend's this weekend and my other BFF is going to be having a baby any day that I can't wait to meet.
WOOO WHOOO!!!! YAY TOBY!!!!
Ditto. Great news, JuliD!
Ha ha, thanks guys! We're so glad this saga is behind us. Until he tears his other one of course.
In related "My dog is too excited about life to think before acting" he was going (read: flailing wildly) down the stairs yesterday and he had so much momentum (read: lack of control) he basically threw his entire body into the landing, puppy whinced (read: saddest sound ever) and started limping and putting no weight on his front paw. I was terrified he was broken again, but then he laid in the snow for 5 minutes and the limp disappeared and he was fine on our walk and I was relieved. Although I think I have come to realize that he'll always be kind of "broken."
Status on work: I had some really good responses from my students this week, and we did a multi-cultural unit, so that was fun. I dislike my commute, but the job is good. How can I not love making music with kids? I was told I had to move my office again, though, so this week has been full of sorting, purging, & packing up instruments and manipulatives. That part I don't love. Soon it will pass. Until they tell me to move again. I figure if they care enough to have me move, that means they won't be discontinuing my contract too soon.
Update on the hubby: He's decided he actually kind of likes cooking when he has plenty of time to focus on it. So, he's cooking once a weekend all of a sudden. He has no concept of adjusting a recipe to cook for two, so we end up with tons of leftovers. Works well for me because now I hardly have to cook unless I get inspired!
How old are the kids (if you have any): n/a
How are the Pets: Same as always, as far as I can tell. Kitty is about 14 years old, so I'm always checking to make sure she's breathing. She's never had health issues, so she should live a long time.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: It is currently syrup season and the weather looks perfect. Last year sucked & our stock was depleted. I look forward to stocking back up & not having to worry about running out.
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): Liking it. Have an opportunity coming up I'm crossing my fingers for.
update on the hubby: Nothing new. We work opposite shifts right now so we only see each other on the weekends. It's like we're dating again.
How old are the kids (if you have any): EDIT and How are they doing? n/a
How are the Pets: We just got a dog in January (2 year old Chow/Shepard mix -- rescue from Holland) and the cats don't trust him yet. It's a process. The dog has adjusted really well and made himself right at home, but the cats are still leery about the whole thing.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: We're going to Boston the 10th-15th so DH can go to PAX (Penny Arcade Expo). We've got 8 people going, and we're driving. Should be a lot of fun though. We've got a condo we're renting for the weekend in Little Italy. Of the 8 of us only one other girl and I are not going to PAX. The two of us are going to explore the city.my read shelf:
First - YAY for Toby being better! That's wonderful news!
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): Love it! I started a new job at the end of November. I'm doing work I love at a place that appreciates me! The extra "perks" of the job are pretty awesome too!
update on the hubby: He's doing good! He is keeping busy, as usual, with extra work.
How old are the kids (if you have any): EDIT and How are they doing? Brielle turned 2 on February 10th. She is SO funny! She is at such a fun age. We pretty much keep ourselves entertained with her.
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How are the Pets: The pets are good. We just went through a "flu" with Kita and one of the cats. We also had a couple of cases of upper respitory infections with the cats. Everyone is back to being healthy now.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: I'm not sure that I can pin down one thing. We're taking Bri to Disney on Ice next weekend. I have some Tastefully Simple parties coming up (I'm super excited for the new products). Brielle is also going to daycare for 2 weeks this month. Exciting stuff!
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): The little job is going well. I've had 2 meetings with my HS girls, and the difference from the first and the second was huge. They're going to be awesome by the end of the school year.
I had an intense week of interviews last week for a bigger job elsewhere. 3-5 weeks from now, I might have some news.
update on the hubby: Jim just got back from DC where he and one of his athletes were lobbying for continued support from Congress. He got to meet a fair amount of folks from MI, and literally ran into Sen. McCain in the hallway. His athlete gave a very inspiring speech that really helped refill some of Jim's reserves for a stressful job.
How old are the kids (if you have any ): EDIT and How are they doing? Willa is 4 and 11/12. Gulp. She's starting to read small words and sentences. Pals, it's better than watching her learn to walk. Awesome. Henry is 2. Totally, completely 2. When he knows he's made a bad choice, he cuddles up to me, bats his eyes, and says, "Mama, I lovvvvve you. Are you happy now?" and giggles.
How are the Pets: Arlo is somehow recharged by the snow. He's 9, but in the winter, he acts like a puppy. Greta gets to go to "show and tell" with Willa next week. She took Jim's spot on the bed while he was gone. I couldn't get rid of her.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: SPRING!!!!
That is awesome!! Very cool.
And good luck to you on the job front!
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): I *love* my job. Love love love love love. I get up at 5 am everyday, leave my house at 6:15, get home at 5, never stop in between, but I LOOOVE it. GRSP: You watching Willa learn to read is my job x 17 kids... well for the most part. Some of my kids aren't reading yet, but we're working on it.
update on the hubby: Doing great. He joined me in my Weight Watcher's quest and is doing such a good job on that. He's also AMAZING because he's picked up a lot of my housekeeping chores during my first year of full time teaching. I couldn't ask for anyone better.
How old are the kids (if you have any): EDIT and How are they doing? Mere is 19 months old and absolutely hilarious. The things that come out of her mouth crack us up constantly. We've been dabbling in potty training and she'll try for a marshmallow
She loves food, but you can't tell since she's a whopping 21 lbs.
How are the Pets: We found a new home for our kitty. My mom's friend's daughter took her and she's doing great. I had a lot of guilt over re-homing her, but my health is more important. My allergy meds are $50 EACH to refill, so it was time for Cider to go. Lola is doing ok. We had to adjust her shot schedule (she has Addison's Disease) and she's up to one shot every 25 days rather than 30. She got in a scuffle on Christmas Day with my parents dog and she had an episode, which used up her supply of hormones from her shot causing her to have another episode a few days later. We had to put her on some steroids in addition to her shot, which caused weight gain which caused a UTI. I think she's FINALLY better now. Poor dog. On a positive, she adores Mere and Mere adores her. Lola is the first "person" Mere wants to see in the morning. They play together a lot.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: We are going to see my BIL, SIL and nephews for spring break (ok, that's technically in April, but we leave the 31st). We haven't seen them since my MILs funeral, which really wasn't a pleasant, relaxing time together. I'm so excited to see them AND go visit New Orleans with them.
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): Not loving it, not hating it. Definitely looking.
Update on the hubby: He's still the most fantastic man I've ever met! He is also looking for a new job.
How are the Pets: The cats still hate each other, but love us.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: Well, it was the Hawaii trip, from which we just returned! (Yes, I realize this post was started a week ago.) Kind of a bummer to have the highlight of the month already done with, but it was amazing so I can't complain.
Hi ladies! Just hopped on today to see what's shakin'!
Work: Loving it! I've been doing some mentoring in the off-season, which I love, and the back-end business stuff that I don't love as much. But still good.
Hubby: All good! He's excited to be a dad
Kids: One on the way, due April 29! He's been kicking, hiccuping, and wiggling around like crazy. It's awesome
Pets: Lexi (mini dachshund) is great, she's been a little more attached to me than usual, I think she knows!
Looking forward to: Warmer weather!! I am so ready for sandals and sun dresses!
Hi all! I haven't posted here in a while, but I'm happy to see that everyone is do so well! As for me...
Status on work (loving it, hating it,looking, etc): finishing up my last year of school, and can't wait to be done! I'm also consulting part time (will transition to full time when I finish my diss) and am loving it.
update on the hubby: He's fantastic! He just got matched to his #1 choice for his clinical psychology internship (like a medical residency) in Portland, Oregon, so we'll be moving there this summer!
How old are the kids (if you have any): No kids yet, but the baby fever keeps getting hotter!
How are the Pets: Mia is great... she's such a good dog, and so adorable. She desperately needs a haircut, though! I've been putting it off b/c I don't want to her to be too cold, but I think I'll take her to get groomed next week.
The thing you are looking most forward to in the month of March: Hmm... I suppose just progressing more on my dissertation. (And St. Patty's day celebration with friends!)