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My PB + J

house update #3

As we enter week #9 of our house drama it has taken yet another drastic turn. A turn I wish was for the better but as our luck would have it we have entered what our adjuster has stated is, “the worst he has even seen in thirteen years in the business.” Sweetness. Let me back up a little. A week ago last Friday we had an abatement company coming out to prep the house for the removal of our acoustic ceilings and to create the pathways for our re-piping. Since they began on the Friday before the holiday weekend they could only E.T. up our house and then they began their work on Tuesday. Fast forward to Wednesday. I spent the morning at my girlfriend, Janelle’s house for a play date with our kids. On my way home literally 1/3 of a mile from my house I reached for Payton’s milk bottle and seconds later she had projectile throw-up all over herself. In total panic mode I stopped by my house only to find clothing in my car to wipe her clean, strip her and then the diarrhea started. Even better, right? I got her all clean and I noticed that the thugs scrapping my ceiling had the meter cover off and my garden hose was stretched across my near-dead grass. Already in panic mode of my daughter who just ran into the middle of the street I totally screamed, “why the F is my water turned on?!” I drove away and erased this from my mind until I received a phone call Friday morning from my plumber who I thought was calling to me alert me he was already at my house, which in fact he was but he was already inside. I was there in a minute and he had bad news, my bedroom and office were flooded for a third, yes, a third time! How can this be? My mind went immediately back to my stressful Wednesday afternoon and I put everything back together. I slowly started to pace the floors, panicking, calling Jim, calling the adjuster. The plumber’s assistant came in and he was joking for him to stay away from me since I was in his words, “pregnant and ready to strangle someone”. I laughed because this situation is surreal and I just want to wake the hell up! As I paced the empty house I started to notice careless gouges taken out of my new flooring, scrapes inches long and as the sun reflected off of my porch onto my flooring I noticed the boards bubbling. Not only in one place but in several places throughout the house. The adjuster called me back and he agreed to send Service Master back out to investigate and check the water damage. As luck would have it, the controlled area we originally had was now spread all the way onto the other side of the house into my dining room, which equates to all of my new flooring that Jim slaved laying will be pulled up. It is ruined. My carpet heavily stained, yet according to the professionals, “salvageable”. The abatement company of course is denying any liability but luckily for some throw-up and our adjuster who saw the cover off of the meter we damn well know who did the damage. The drying process has begun for the third time to stop any mold from growing in my walls and carpet, the plumbing process that would have been finished by this Wednesday is now being put off and it looks like we’ll be out for another month, placing us out of our house for three months. Can we say time to sell? 
one of the gouges in my dining room. 

what the bubbling looks like. 

my room where the carpet was pulled back from the newest leak. 

entry way and in front of the door where more water damage is. 

Payton’s room. 

June 6, 2011 1 Comment

17 Weeks

I am just trucking right along with this pregnancy. It literally is flying by but that is because I do not have the time to focus on my growing belly. The second kid really does get kind of robbed, I am enjoying it more this time around knowing it is my last so the change in my mindset is allowing me to take each day as it comes. Which with my current living situation and everything else it is probably best that I keep it this way for my sanity. I had my 17-week checkup yesterday and I have to say that I love my midwife and I am so thankful I ditched Dr. downer from my first appointment. I went in yesterday stressed out because let’s face it, everything around me is a crazy mess. I have been working what feels like a lot more and I have found myself way more stressed out at work this time around. The work is more demanding and we’re busier so I do not have the down time like I did at my previous employer. My midwife, Robin, placed me on a modified work schedule which has me on a strict eight hour max work day and at least a twelve hour difference between shifts. It sounded pretty sweet at the time because I am worn out, but now I just wish I would have just opted to go straight on disability. She will reevaluate my progress on July 5th at my 22-week appointment. She has also placed me on Zoloft since I had to stop taking my meds, she is allowing me to take this approved antidepressant to help aid me during this super stressful time. I know you might think I am whining about my life, but living in a hotel or really without any of your “stuff” is crazy stressful, add in a seventeen-month-old and a fifty+ work week and life gets a little more difficult. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel. 🙂

More about this little guy in my tummy.

  • How many Weeks: 17 weeks 4 days
  • Weight Gain: 5 pounds
  • How big is baby?: the size of an onion, 5 oz or so. 
  • Maternity clothes?: Just pants. 
  • Stretch marks?: nope. 
  • Sleep?: is wonderful. 
  • Movement?: Felt my little guy really kick the other day! Best feeling in the world. 
  • Food cravings?: not really. I just eat what I want. Little man doesn’t like spicy foods which is killing me because I love ’em. 
  • Labor signs?: I did have some braxton hicks while at work a few weeks ago, hence, why the doctor did what she did. 
  • Belly button in or out?: it’s a crater. 
  • What I miss: Nothing. 
  • What I’m looking forward to: moving into our house to start the nursery. 
  • Milestone: second trimester and feeling first movements. 
  • Big Sister: If we ask Payton where the baby is she pulls up my shirt and pokes at my belly button. She will get it sooner or later. 

June 2, 2011 1 Comment

the stroller debate

minutes after learning we were expecting baby #2 I went into panic mode about all of the baby things we will either need to replace and/or upgrade. Of course, I knew I would have to wait to learn the sex of the baby before I started tossing out all of Payton’s cutesy pink items, which with our luck we are having a boy so a garage sale and craigslist will be my new best friends as I attempt to sell her baby items in order to purchase gender friendly items for our dear baby boy. I cannot place him in a pink swing, now can I? I have tossed the idea around of just covering the swing with a new fabric but then there is the girly netting and butterflies that hang from above, what would you do? Our biggest purchase will be our double stroller. It makes me sad letting go of our current jogger because I absolutely love it. Whenever anyone uses it they always rave about how well the turning radius is, how easy it is push, how it fits everywhere and it always fits all the crap we need underneath in the storage bin. We currently have the Baby Trend Expedition, which we purchased solely on the fact that we did not want to purchase a car seat separately and it was the only jogging set sold at BRU. Again, we love this one and all it has to offer I am just not in love with their double jogger. Below are the strollers that I am debating between right now. Each has a pro and con which will be listed underneath, I have not “test drove” any yet. I would love some suggestions if you either currently own one of these strollers so I can formulate a better opinion before I go to the stores to see which one suits me best. I need to start savings my pennies because each of these cost a pretty one. 
Baby Jogger City Mini. Both top and bottom pictures are the same. One is a 2010 model and the other a 2011. 
Pro: The shade goes down really far, love that! I never liked how short mine currently is. Light and compact. 
Con: Technically six wheels. Can you really jog with this stroller? 

Tike Tech: 
Pro: My current fav. I love having three wheels, it seems more like a true jogger and I enjoy the fact that the bar is already there, I would just need to purchase the snack pouches.
Con: Purchasing snack and cup holders.  
Bumbleride Indie Twin: Both top and bottom are the same just deciding which color. 
Pro: compatible with our carseat, sleek and love the color choices
Con: Not in love with having to purchase all the accessories:  snack tray, bar and cup holders. 
 I have ruled out the BOB. Not a fan and everyone and their mama has one. 
Suggestions, comments and straight up opinions are much appreciated! 

May 23, 2011 6 Comments

Groovin’ to Gaga

Last Wednesday we were all home together including my Mother who was staying with us. We had just finished eating an actual home cooked meal in my own kitchen of: grilled chicken, artichokes and gnocchi. It wasn’t anything amazing but the fact that we all dined at our dining room table in the middle of valances on the floor and ribbon scattered along the remaining quarter of the table we still managed to enjoy eachother’s company, laughing about the past few weeks and watched as Payton inhaled her veggies. After our meal we sat down on the couch after bath time watching Pay as she scattered her toys across our living room floor, my Mom on her computer and we revisited Lady Gaga’s HBO special. Jim was amazed by her talent, some may beg to differ but seeing her before she exploded, acapella, three people away from her was amazing and I will always be a fan from that night at the Hard Rock. Mid conversation we look down at the floor and saw Payton tapping her feet and wiggling on the floor. I’d say we have a Gaga fan on our hands. She danced through a few other songs as well, this kid I tell you, she is a crack up and loves making us laugh. Make sure to watch around a minute and fifteen seconds where she slows down to thrust her hips and wiggle what her mama gave her. 😀

My kid. I swear.


groovin’ to gaga from melissa on Vimeo.

May 20, 2011 Leave a Comment

wondering where I’ve been?

probably not. But, I wanted to let y’all know I still have a beating heart just not a hand that has felt the desire to tap, tap, tap away on the keyboard. We were officially out of our house for four weeks and six days, we moved back in the Friday before Mother’s Day only to find out after five short days that we would be moving right back out. Yep, you read that correctly. My gorgeous new flooring was soaked, the plumber was called and we were checking into Chateau a la Schack once more. I was devastated, crushed and had never wanted my house to suddenly burn down to the ground as much as I did that Thursday morning. The original leak was fixed but this time there is a slow leak coming from the pipe going into our water heater and in my closet which leads to our washer. Our insurance adjuster feels so badly that he as somehow coerced Farmer’s into allowing him to approve a complete partial redirect of our pipes, sweet right? The work will begin tomorrow, the contractor was out this morning to assess the reroute which will go over in our ceiling and will be capped off in Payton’s room which means the dry wall in her room is coming off, luckily, I always buy too much paint so I have plenty for that re-do. Jim has finally seen my point on why I wanted to move so badly (besides the obvious of which is our shitty, white trash neighbors) so we have finally considered as a couple that once all the repairs are 100% fixed we will look into renting and/or selling. Please let the sun shine down on the Atkinson’s abode for once in two months, this mama would sure appreciate it.

So for now, and the next two to three weeks we are residing in a two-bedroom suite a few miles up the road while a portion of my new hardwood flooring is ripped up, acoustic ceiling is cut into (and hopefully scrapped off), pipes are cut and re-directed all of which will one day bring us to normalcy again. I just have to thank my lucky stars that this little boy is not here yet because I don’t know how either us would be coping with the biggest challenge our relationship has even endured.

So, there you have it. I am alive, whiny and bitchy as ever. Positive posts to come. . . 🙂

On a sidenote, I have felt the first flutters of my little Brayden. Ahhh. . .the best feeling.

May 19, 2011 1 Comment

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Hello! I am Melissa, a quad espresso addict, health-nut wannabe, mommy to two adorable kids and married since 2007. I love sharing about our family life in San Diego. We visit Disneyland way too often, make sure to follow me on @treatsofdisneyland. I love movies and I have a photography business, @mypbandjphoto. You're likely to see a little bit of all of that here on my blog that I started in 2008.

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