. kristy & preston (16 & 17) .

I first found out that I was pregnant when I was 4 months along. I had been spotting before, so I figured that it was my regular periods.

I was in my US History class, and he kicked for the first time! It was amazing. I knew that I had a living child inside of me, but I kept it to myself until I was 7 months along...that is when I finally told my mom, she was very surprised that she couldn't tell that I was pregnant, so in other words I did a really good job of hiding it.

She took me to my pediatrician, where they ran some tests on me, and he guessed that I was about 7 months along...from there he sent a referral to an OB/GYN doctor. I was very scared of what was going to happen, after all I was only 14 at the time.

I started reading numbers of various books about pregnancy and birth, but everything I read seemed like it wasn't enough information for me. I wanted to know more about teen pregnancy, but there was really no books or magazines on the subject.

I continued to see my OB and he told me that I was taking very good care of myself and my child. After all I gained 79 pounds total in my pregnancy. I craved water and McDonalds McFlurrys...My Ob told me that the reason I gained so much weight is because I drank 5-6 gallons on water a day (and believe me, I made plenty of trips to the restroom, lol)

I had an ultrasound done when I was 7 and a half months along, which showed that I was having a baby boy...he was 14 and a half inches long, and weighed 3lbs and 8ozs at the time. Which my OB told me it was a perfect size...I was sooo happy!

Around this time I contacted the father, we had broken up before I even knew I was pregnant, I told him that I was having his baby, and he told me he wanted nothing to do with me or the baby, because he didn't believe Galen (my baby) was his. I ignored the fact that he was denying it, and went on with life.

Around my 36th week, my OB started checking my cervix and told me that Galen was in the correct position for birth and that I would have no problems. At this time I was very scared of birth.

In my 38th week, I went in for my check up and my OB told me that I was dilated 2cm, but I wasn't having contractions. So I was safe. He told me at this time to stop having any sexual intercourse (which I wasn't anyway).

On April 1st (April Fool's Day) I started my contractions at 1:00pm, they were very mild and didn't disturb my sleep at all. Next day came along (April 2nd, which might I add was my due date)...my contractions got more intense. I called my OB and he ordered a non-stress test for me, which from there I found out that my contractions were 5-6 minutes apart. The nurses where I had my non-stress test done at, sent me over to my OB's office to be examined so they could find out if I was dilating any. They said no, I wasn't going anywhere, they told me to go home and get some rest, so that is exactly what I did.

Next morning (April 3rd) when I awoke, I had sooo much energy (I had heard that when you get ready to have your baby that you get a surge of energy)...so I walked and cleaned all day. Around 5:30pm my contractions started getting more intense and they were in regular intervals. We (me, my mom and my boyfriend at the time) all went to the hospital and I was admitted at 7:28pm.

As soon as I was admitted the nurse took me into a room where she strapped on the monitors and checked my cerivx...she then told me "I have good news, and bad news, which do you want to hear first?" I told her I wanted to hear the good news first. So she said "Well the good news is you are 9cm, the bad news is you don't get an epidural or any drugs". I was sooo very worried, because I had practiced everything with having an epidural. I wasn't ready for natural childbirth, but my mom walked me through it and in 15 minutes I was in a delivery room panting and blowing, trying sooo very hard not to push (which is really hard when you have that urge to).

After all the hell I went through (meaning they gave me 2 Novocain shots in the vagina, a episitomy, and they also used forceps on me), Galen Kai Wilhite was 'finally' born at 8:27pm, that wasn't even an hour after I was admitted into the hospital. He was a healthy 7lbs and 12ozs, his apgar scores were 8 and 9. His head was 13 and a half inches around and he was 21 inches long. He was sooo very perfect.

Now Galen is almost 10 months old, he can crawl, and pull himself up on things.

It has been a wonderful experience being a teen mother, but I am not gonna say that it hasn't been hard, because it has, it has been 'very' hard at times. Galen's father (Preston) is now taking responsibility for him...but I am still not together with Preston nor will I ever be. I think we will raise Galen just fine, if not better just staying friends. I have a wonderful boyfriend now (Isaac) and he and I have talked about having twin girls someday. Which is fine with me. There is only one thing that I regret. I wish that I would have watched Galen being born. That was one of the most important things that I wanted to do, but never got up the nerve to do it. Maybe next time, 'if' there is a next time.