jenelle etc.: "Pregnant at Sixteen"

My new guilty pleasure is MTV's "Sixteen and Pregnant" show. I have now seen two episodes.... each episode is a day-by-day of a high school girl who happens to be pregnant. When I decided to tune my DVR in I expected to see a few responsible moms and then a lot of whiney girls. So far I have been incredibly impressed and moved to tears by these girls.

The situations they are in are HUGE and overwhelming and scary and exciting. I am just blown away by the manor in which these girls... these high school girls have just picked up and became mom. Both episodes were about girls who were star students and devout cheerleaders to boot. They both finished school and immediately started college.... and took labor by storm.

The episode tonight- Farrah.... while getting a tour of the hospital a few weeks before her due date the camera pans to her face and she looks terrifed. The look on her face resinated with me- deep. Hesitating to ask "gross" (her mom's word) questions she looks at her mom for reassurance and her mom rushes her along telling her not to worry about these "gross" questions right now. My heart just sank for her. I wanted to hug her and tell her all about episitomys, mucus plugs, and breast feeding (which she opted not to do because her mom told her it would make her boobs sag).

Farrah's mom made me feel even more grateful for the support of my family- my mom especially. How would things have turned out if my mom had shunned my questions and hesitated to help me labor? I feel like she was this minature (no, seriously like 5'0'') cheerleader clapping and clapping and clapping and cheering her loudest for me (she still does). And Jessica... my backbone! Jessica who didn't give me any dissapointed-in-you looks and was always there for anything my pregnant appetite could have dreamed up. Oh Applebee's Blondies you will forever reside in me... in the form of enourmouse love handles.

Back to Farrah- she's awesome and I feel led to pray and support all of these young moms. Maybe God has something in store for me...