Ashley's Entry For The "Blogging for Progress" Scholarship

Hello All,
Welcome to my blog area.

Today I would like to talk about one of the most main issues affecting us young people in today's society.

Two words. Teenage Pregnancy.

Although there are possibilities of stopping it. By education, counseling, or even better yet, birth control (well the ones with low side effects). It just seems like it's getting out of hand.

Have you ever seen the Tyra Banks Show or The Maury Show? U know the episodes where they actually make the teenage girls go through the slow process of taking care of a child??
And most of the girls come out, not wanting a baby. That's how it should be.

Sometimes I wished that I could win the lottery to make a facility for the teenage girls & boys. So that they could see the HUGE responsibility that has to be taken while caring for a baby.
It would be free to any teens planning a pregnancy, or is already pregnant.

It would have classes that made the teens experience the work life, the economic expenses, the depression, & the responsibility of caring for a child while they're a child.
And though this program may scare the ones that are already pregnant, the company wouldn't support abortions in any way, they would supply adoption information.

If only if.

If only if they had something like that before I got pregnant.
Yes I said pregnant.
I got pregnant at the age of 17. It was the summer before my Senior year.
It was the end of my teenage life, and a new beginning to my adult life.

Of course it started with having my 2nd boyfriend in high school, then after a while we got bored with going to the movies, skating, and bowling all the time.
So of course we tried new things, such as amusement parks, walking together in the parks, going on day trips, and then of course that got boring too.
I mean don't get me wrong, We were 16 & 17 years old. What is there to do in Kansas?

Well,
We dated for a while, then of course after everything any teenage couple could ever do was done, then the curiousity of sex was in the air. I had previously been active before with my 1st boyfriend, so I was somewhat experienced, and from what he says, he wasn't a virgin either.
Yup, so you know that situation occurred. And occurred. And occurred. And Oh boy, I can't say how many times, but OH BOY!

So, you know everyone's got the nosey parents. Gee Whiz!
My mom asked me one day if I was having sex. *Pauses the story*
-(Seriously, you guys, who wants to tell their mom that they're getting the same thing they get every night?! Not me.)
*Back to the story*
I told her no! Yeah I know I lied. White lie, right? Wrong!
So, it happens again and again, again, again, again, AND he said we had to stop because he had a vision of being a father. He said it was a sign from God.
So we stopped. We stopped for a full 5 weeks.

Boy, temptation is crazy!!

It happened 2 more times. I believe I got pregnant the last time.

So I know this sounds crazy, it's this odd myth my mother and I have.
*Sorry fellas for reading this*
Okay, so, whenever my mom receives her cycle, I get it. Or I'll get it first, then she'll get it.
But we always get ours in the same week or so.

So June of 2005 came ...She got hers...Nothing from me. So we really didn't notice it.
So July of 2005 came ...She got hers...Nothing from me. I still didn't notice, but she did.
She hit me with the heart dropping question, "Are you pregnant?"
"Nooo!! And how I had a full ride scholarship all lined up for me and how having a baby would ruin my life." She believed me. I believed me too.

The first week of July, My mom took me to the doctor to get on birth control since we both knew I wasn't pregnant. The results came back, and I was 7 weeks pregnant. My heart dropped. I couldn't believe it...I was really pregnant.

I told my boyfriend, he didn't believe me either. I ended up swearing everything that I could to him, and he believed me. He tossed away his full ride scholarship to a local university for Track, and enlisted in the Navy. He wanted to take care of his family.

I went to school and took a night class to help me complete my credits early. I wanted to be done with all my schoolwork before Christmas break of 2005. And of course, I did complete my courses, I was just waiting to walk the stage. I wanted to focus on the last month of my pregnancy, so I stayed home.
I turned 18 in November then I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy in Feb. of 2006. My boyfriend was able to be there and he helped me, he watched and he cut the cord, and he got to hold his baby boy.
My boyfriend had to leave approxiamately 4 days after our son's birth. He had a scheduled deployment and he wouldn't see us for 6 months.

I had to take care of our little one all by myself. I had nothing else to do except wait for May 17th to roll around. I had the help of my mom, my boyfriend's mom, and friends of course.

**During those few months by myself with the baby, when my boyfriend was out on the waters. It was so hard. I couldn't imagine the pain that the women, the girls, or even the young girls that goes through with this by their selves.**

The end of June of 2006- My baby & I met up my boyfriend/baby's father in Hawaii.
We got engaged. How sweet?!!

From when we got back in July until Mar. of 2007 I was still in Kansas taking care of the baby by myself with Navy $ help, and my fiancee was stationed in Washington.
Feb. of 2007 - We got married, and in March of 2007, Our son & I moved out to Washington state.
That is where we currently reside.

End of the Story

I have no clue what the moral of that story was. Maybe you could figure it out.

I would maybe like to say to those who are thinking about getting pregnant at an early age, or is already pregnant.
My situation is a blessed situation. Not young man is going to stick through. And as easy as it sounds, it's not.
It's very difficult. Emotionally, Physically, Mentally, Financially, & even Sexually!

You'll never be able to feel the same, look the same, think the same, or be in the mood the same way you were before you got pregnant. Yeah, it's nice to have the feeling that someone will love you unconditionally. But for what price are you willing to pay to have that love at such a young age??

I'd like to add something.
I am now 20 years old. Our son is 2 years old.
Unlike my classmates, I am just now starting school. I mean I could've put school first after the baby was born, but that would've been selfish.
I decided to wait until he could talk in order for me to go to school.
I'll be starting school in the fall of 2008, to pursue an English degree.
My husband is still currently in the Navy, and will be getting out very soon.
We both plan to attend college after the Navy life, and have higher dreams & hopes for our baby boy.

I love my family but I didn't like the idea of getting pregnant at such a young age.

Back in the day,
When women were getting pregnant at such a young age. It didn't matter then, because they didn't have much to look forward to. Their daily routines were being a house wife, and making babies.
In today's society, everyone has something to look forward to. There's College, there's getting that dreamy career started, meeting the perfect guy, getting married, AND THEN there's having those children.

Being stable plays a huge role in being a parent. Unless you live off of welfare & wic, then that's a different story.
Me & my boyfriend didn't want that for our child, let alone ourselves. We still don't to this day.
My husband & I plans to have one more child...That is after we both get our degrees, and start our careers. In about 5 years or so.

Hmm mm.

How not to get pregnant:
-Be abstinent (not have sex)
-Use condoms (And don't say they break or it broke +that just means you weren't using them right)
-Get on a birth control plan & one that doesn't have bad bad side effects. Avoid the ones you see on tv!! Try getting the IUD inserted. With that you can't get pregnant for 5 years. But it doesn't block stds or any other dieases.

Thank you for reading my wishes, my story, my thoughts, and my tips.

Please leave comments. Play nice.

~Ashley~