Being a young mother.

 
   I was barely 19 years old when those two pink lines decided to blatantly show themselves to me in 2011. I knew that I was pregnant before I had even taken the test. I was a nanny at the time, and I had spent the last week curled up around the toilet during nap times. Paul was away at college, and only came home for the weekends, or I had gone up to visit him. This time, when he came down, I told him to bring a test home with him.
   I had dropped out of college at this point and moved back home with my parents. School wasn't for me at the time, and my heart and soul weren't in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, when it came to a career, and I wasn't about to waste my money on something I wasn't entirely sure of.
Paul and I immediately told our parents. It wasn't something that we wanted to hide.  We were scared. We were unsure of how things were going to play out, and we were totally clueless as to what our next step was going to be. But we knew one thing was for sure; we were without a doubt going to have this baby.

My parents were incredibly supportive in our decision, and also agreed that every child that is brought into this world is a gift from God. That made my journey through pregnancy so much easier. I began to embrace the fact that I was creating a beautiful being inside of me, and the bump that continued to grow so gracefully with each passing week.
  As the weeks went by, and I started to really show, I noticed that I was starting to get looks and sometimes even rude comments from people, due to my age. Even though Paul and I were already engaged, I would have women tell me You do know what birth control is, don't you?  Or, Well now, don't you think you're a little young? What do you plan to do with it?

I was beginning to realize that I was being casted into the 'Teen Mom' stereotype. And I didn't like it. At all.

Who were these people to judge me? They had no idea what I was going through, or what my situation was. I began to get angry, and not want to go out much. But then, one day, I realized something. I have to embrace the life that God has given me. Even though it wasn't necessarily playing out the way that Paul and I had planned.
  It's hard being casted into that stereotype. Seeing a young woman, pregnant, automatically they get casted into a bad shadow. And to be honest, it really sucks.

Most wouldn't think that at 19 my husband and I had everything and more that our baby boy could have possibly needed. Most wouldn't understand that we were happy with the way things had ended playing out.

At 22 years old, I am a mother of 2 beautiful boys. We have our own home, a fabulous marriage, a absolutely wonderful church community, and amazing family and friends. I doubt the people that give me glares at Target, as I push my cart with my boys in it, would think that was the case.
Being stereotyped isn't fun. And starting out as a teen mother was a challenge. But I wouldn't change anything for the world. Some ask me Well don't you wish that you would have finished college? Don't you wish that you would have chosen to do things differently? 

Not a bit. Not for a second. My boys are my world. They are the reason I get up every morning. I know that I was meant to be a mother. And I feel like God meant it to happen exactly at the time that it did. Because becoming a mother at such a young age, taught me so much. And I am so grateful for every moment that I have been given to do so.