My PB + J

Sneak Peek!

Last Tuesday we had Payton’s newborn pictures taken at our home by the very talented Tessa from Grin and Share It Photography. I met Tessa three years ago when we were planning our weddings through theknot.com. She posted a few of our beautiful babe’s pictures on her blog and I would love nothing more than for you to check her site out! She is truly amazing with the camera and for those of you in the San Diego area you should consider Tessa for your next family shoot!


Thank you again Tessa, we cannot wait to see all the pictures you captured!

Happy New Year!

What a year 2009 was for the Atkinson Family. We started off the New Year with the adoption of our fur baby, Delilah. We never thought we would be parents to anything with fur and low and behold Jim gave in and we adopted our first baby. Jim spent the beginning of the year traveling and with one long, long trip to Miami in March he returned home with another insight that would soon bring us the news that we were expecting a baby, again, something else we never really saw in our future. I was blessed with a healthy pregnancy, except for the flu and bronchitis in September but overall, it was easy despite my bitchy comments here and there about how it sucked. I wouldn’t take any of it back, because now, (cannot believe I am about to say this) I actually miss being pregnant; even after my horrible experience during labor I cannot imagine my life without my piglet. Jim and I are both lucky to have kept our jobs this year and will continue to work for our understanding employers in 2010. If someone were to ask me what I am most thankful for this New Year’s Day I would have to say that I am thankful for my family. They have shown me more this year what it means to be a family, I am going to strive more in ’10 to be a better daughter, sister and mother. I respect my parents and the trials they went through as parents and what my sister has gone through thus far while raising her three beautiful babes. I cannot be any happier or in love with my life at this moment and I anticipate all that 2010 has to offer.


Happy New Year.


. . . and happy two-week birthday Pay. Time is already flying by.

Merry Christmas!

This holiday season carries something extra special to Jim and I this year. With the arrival of our baby girl just one week ago we have been overjoyed with emotions of her first week of life. She has already brought us so much joy that we cannot ask for anything more this Christmas Day.


We want to wish everyone a happy and healthy Holiday. Enjoy everything that the season has to offer and remember to enjoy the company that surrounds you.
Merry Christmas!
Jim, Melissa, Payton and Delilah

38 Weeks 5 Days

Okay, I am still here. Obviously. Our little peanut is not ready to make her grand entrance, we keep chalking it up to the rain and cold weather. Whenever she decides to come we are fully ready and so is our family and friends. The waiting game is not fun, so little Payton, my darling little girl, please hurry up, Mommy has been waiting patiently and would really appreciate it if you came before your due date so she doesn’t have to spend Christmas in the hospital, it’s just a simple request. For now, our bag sits packed, our refrigerator slightly empty and Christmas gifts are spread along our dining room table awaiting to be wrapped. I keep wanting to bake Christmas cookies or do something but I have finally decided to take it easy and finally rest. I haven’t really done this since the first trimester and it’s great, but boring. I know life as we know it will not be boring in a few short days and I should soak it all up, but really, during this time of year you just want to absorb everything that the season has to offer even though all I have to offer is hope.

On another note, Jim has been so cute. I know he is scared for the unknown. At least for me, I have witnessed my three adorable nieces and nephew’s entrance into this world. But for him, he has no idea what to expect, how to act or what to do. Every slight moan due to pain he alerts and asks, “is it time?” or “we can go to the hospital right now”. I keep wondering to myself how he is going to react while seeing me in labor. I know there will be some sort of joke made, because honestly, serious situations never go without a Jim-ism. Let’s just pray that when this moment occurs that I have already received my epidural. I know that when the moment happens, when we see our little girl for the first time that he is going to cry like a baby, I cry even thinking about him crying. I cannot wait for it. The two most non-criers out of anybody I know are going to cry like the baby they brought into the world.

Now, for the other two lovely ladies that will hopefully be in the room. How are they going to act? I honestly don’t know. My Mom and Sister are going to be present. I can only think that my sister is going to laugh at me for the pain I am in. Even though for Ethan’s birth, I was so mortified that she kept checking on me while pushing through her contractions. During her deliveries we were jovial, laughing at every little thing that arose or remembering the previous delivery. My Mom can go either way. I know they love the “I told you so” aspect of situations, but this situation (me actually being pregnant) wasn’t something that we ever saw for ourselves, so for my parents they are receiving a fourth grandchild they presumably thought they might never get. Which now, I am grateful. My parents provided the best upbringing that any parent could have provided and they continue to do so in our adulthood. They are the best grandparents, and I couldn’t imagine bringing a child into this world without knowing their Grandma Barr or Papa. I love watching my Mom with the kids, it reminds me of my childhood and it allows me to see what I couldn’t understand as a child. I am more than grateful to have two of the most important women in my life present for this event. Now it just needs to happen!
Okay, I am not done.

My last hope for this birth is the wish that my Grandmother gets to see Payton. I know she is holding on to see her seventh great-grandchild, because she made this promise to me. My Grandma has been there for me for every event in my life. She is one of my best friends, and honestly, I miss her. As many of you don’t know, my Grandma broke her hip back in October and has been bounced all around from rehabilitation centers, to a hospital where they recently operated on her fractured arm and now she resides in Redlands at a rest home. It is not the ideal situation for anyone, but she needs full assistance as she cannot walk or use her arms. It is so hard for me to see her hurt the way she is, and for me going to see her is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I wish my Grandma would be able to see her minutes after her arrival, but it’s not possible. This is one wish I know that can not be fulfilled; I can only hope that a few days after that we will be able to introduce them to one another.

This wasn’t the plan for this post, but I decided to go with the emotions that I am feeling at the moment. As you can imagine, I am in a whirlwind of emotions, fears, and anticipation.







  • How many Weeks: 38 Weeks 5 Days
  • Weight Gain: 50 Pounds even!
  • How big is baby?: According to the most recent growth scan the nurse said she is a little peanut and will most likely weigh in between 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 pounds.
  • Maternity clothes?: Nothing feels right except for pj’s.
  • Stretch marks?: Just a few red ones on my hips.
  • Sleep?: Is getting accomplished but every hour I am awake. My left hip is causing me more pain than ever!
  • Movement?: She’s still in there, so she’s still a movin‘
  • Food cravings?: I have been craving spicy foods and the other day I really wanted Olive Garden’s salad so we went there.
  • Labor signs?: I just need my contractions to stay consistent. I am a third of the way dilated, just need labor to start.
  • Belly button in or out?: Still in. If I eat a lot it looks like a winking eye. 😉
  • What I miss: Being able to see my toes!
  • What I’m looking forward to: Going into labor
  • Milestone: full term