Little Maegann's senior pictures

*Photographs courtesy of Maegann's Grandpa Joe, Joe Ramirez Photography

I met Maegann at the end of her seventh grade year, now she is a senior. Wait, when did that happen? We call her Little Maegann for a reason. Feel free to join me as I refuse to let her go quite yet.

Pregnant: 14 Weeks

Things are good. At our last doctor's appointment we got to hear the babies' heartbeats and we were told everything looks great. I am feeling better, I just have yucky headaches. There is no denying that my belly has arrived! Below are some of the comments I've received so far. I've decided not to get offended, for now I'm just laughing :

1. In the office in front of staff and students, "Oh my gosh you are getting fat!" This was said by a teacher who knows that I am pregnant. I just laughed nervously and replied, "Pregnant. You can say I'm looking pregnant."

2. As I'm walking across the quad area at lunch, students all around, "Wow Mrs. Beck! Why'd you get so fat?" This was said by a student. I turned around and walked up to her and her friends, "K, that really hurt my feelings to hear you say that in front of everyone. I'm pregnant, I'm going to have two babies." To this she replied, "GROSS!!!"

3. We were out to dinner and ran into some friends. The wife was super sweet and excited for us when we told her about the twins. I told her I was a little nervous because I'm already looking huge at 14 weeks. "Oh, no you don't! It just looks like you have gas." Ummm...great.

4. I treated myself to a pedicure after work this afternoon and as I sat down the lady's eyes zoomed into my belly. "Oh, you have baby!" I proudly beamed, "Yes, I'm having twins!" "Oh, she have twins!" She began to yell across the salon, "She have twins! I a twin! She six month with twins!" Er, six months? What? Where'd she get that? I made the mistake of correcting her, "I'm actually only 14 weeks." "Oh, hee hee," she began to laugh. "You get so big!" I could have been a tad bit offended, but she spent the rest of the time telling me how lucky I am to be pregnant with twins and how special it is to be a twin. She has an identical twin sister. She certainly was excited for me- she even told me to close my eyes and relax when she massaged my feet, "You and big twins deserve."

We certainly do.

Sweet Pea and Lil' Peanut

Dear Babies,
12 weeks down! You are growing bigger and bigger every day. It seems early, but my belly is already swelling! At our last ultrasound we saw you moving around like crazy. You made me laugh so hard the screen got blurry because my belly kept moving. Everything I do and think about now is about you- you are already a part of our family. Your big brother Michael and big sister Maegann ask about you all the time. They want to know if I can feel you and they love talking about what your names will be. It seems like so long until we will get to hold you!

These days you have me craving cole slaw from KFC- cole slaw of all things! Tonight I'm wanting pancakes and hash browns...hmmm, yummy. Grandma Judie brought us the cutest present that reminded her and Aunt Tanya of the way you look right now in ultrasounds. She brought us two little stuffed babies in sacks, their names are Sweet Pea and Lil' Peanut. They made me laugh and I cuddled them up, thinking that soon I will get to be snuggling with you. I'm thinking about you all the time.

Sweet Pea and Lil' Peanut

Hanging with the fam

Saturday was enjoyed by shopping and eating in San Luis. Yummy food and good company. I love you family!

Grandma Judie and Lil' Meg

Meg and her boyfriend Chad (yes, he got suckered into coming with us...and he had fun!)

Tanya and Charli
Camryn
Michael, Me, and Meg (Judie smiling in the background)

Awww...

I was looking through old pictures and I found our engagement photos ('see more photos here' in the right column).

The memories of our engagement came back to me...Mike took me to 'our spot,' Windmills, out on a bluff in Cayucos. We spent lot of time there when we first met. Mike would fish off his kayak and I would read books in the sand. When Mike proposed, he was recovering from a dirtbike accident and we were supposed to be going out to dinner to celebrate his birthday. We were going to our favorite restaurant, Schooners, so we stopped by Windmills before. Overlooking the water, I felt Mike fidgeting with his crutches and I turned around. He proposed down one one knee, broken femur and all. I had known for a while that I wanted to be Mike's wife. That night he told me that he had asked my parents and that his kids were thrilled. Little Maegann even helped pick the ring out. We celebrated afterwards with friends at Schooners and I fell even more in love with Mike.

Cameron Ingalls, the best photographer alive, helped us capture our love for each other and the beach by taking our engagement pictures where Mike proposed. Looking back at these pictures makes me smile...I love my husband.

Home

I spent last weekend with my family in Santa Maria. I had such an amazing time just hanging out with my parents and my brothers. I can't even remember the last time we were together for that long. To say I was showered with love is an understatement. Homemade meals, a massage, and a detailed car top the list of ways in which I was spoiled. And I laughed. No one makes me laugh like my brothers do. Thank you family, it was so good to be home.

Dad at the BBQ

S'mores in the city

Mom and Dad

Yes, this is actually how we roasted marsh mellows

Me and my boys

It's Getting Bettter All the Time

- 10 weeks-

I am feeling better! I really am. I still feel nauseous, but I am not actually throwing up and it is SO MUCH BETTER. I have been taking Zofron, an anti nausea medication for patients going through chemotherapy. I feel defensive about taking it because I don't want to do anything that will harm the babies, but I feel OK about it. I have read a lot about it and it seems to be a godsend for many women.

There's a lot you hear about before you get pregnant that you think has prepared you. Clearly I did not get what "morning sickness" was all about until it struck. My latest surprises have been weird dreams and....constipation, um, OUCH. Seriously, OUCH!

The dreams always involve the babies. Highlights include: one of the babies fell out and Mike was mad at me because I didn't call him to be a part of the birth. Uh, excuse me, but there was no birth. The baby FELL OUT. Another dream/nightmare featured a scary bald man chasing me with a knife trying to cut the babies out! Yucky! But this morning I woke up smiling because in my dream the babies were cuddled up with Mike and I. I reached for them when my eyes opened but realized it was a dream. I put my hands on my tummy instead and prayed a prayer of thanks...