You know as I sit back and look at my life....what I have..... what God has given me I am very thankful!!!! He has given me a family, daughter, friends, job, a car, a house, and recently sent the love of my life to me. But it did not all happen at once or over night.
June, 7 years ago is when I found out I was pregnant....at that time I did not think I was so blessed. All I could think about was being 17 years old, it was the summer before my senior year, I am pregnant, and Madison's biological father and I were not together and I did not love him. What am i going to do? I was so scared, but not one time did abortion cross my mind. To me that is not an option!!!!!! Everything happens for a reason and I knew that there was a reason that God has blessed me and gave Madison to me. I went over to a friend of the family's house Mrs Christine and spoke with her that day. There was a lot of tears, I needed her to help me tell my mother. So that night she came over to my mom's house and sat her down while I sat on the couch and broke the news to her. I think not only was mom hurt but very shocked!!! It didn't take long and my family realized that there was nothing we could do, the only thing we could do at this time was be happy and prepare for a bundle of joy that would be here in 9 months. We went on our yearly family vacation to Port St Joe in Florida the first weekend of August in 2002. While I was down there i had got a call that her biological father had gotten on a plane and went back to Oklahoma, where he is from. When I finally got in touch with him he informed me that his best friend had gotten in a wreck and was in a coma. I asked him when he would be home and he informed me that he did not know, he was going to wait for him to come out of his coma. I finally just had to tell him that I understand that that's his friend but he needed to realize he has a responsibility down here now. Well off and on he would call and I continued to call him. I started my high school Senior year in August, but my great friends never looked at me any different. They really supported me! I prayed about the situation and finally just woke up one morning and said I am done, if he doesn't want to be part of her life, then I am not going to force him, I can do it without him. The last time I talked to him was December 7, 2002 it was after the baby shower my friends threw for me. He never tried to contact me after that day. On March 17, 2003 at 6:35pm my daughter was born a beautiful blue eyed little girl. I couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy and delivery. Everything went great!!!! I was out of school for 2 weeks after giving birth. When she was exactly 2 weeks old I went back to High school to finish. In May 2003 I graduated from Robertsdale High School with my class and my 2 month old baby sat with my mom watching in the stands. I was so proud!!!! When Madison was 6 months old I went and met with my lawyer and got papers drawn up to send to her father (btw his name was not on the birth certificate). He could not sign his right over until he was 19 years of age. He had a CHOICE to either pay child support and would unfortunately be able to see her or he could sign his rights over to me. We never heard anything from him, so a court date was set and my mother and I showed up and there was no sign of him. I was so nervous...but I stood before the judge as she asked me questions like, When is the last time you spoke with the father, has he ever sent you money, where is he at this time, when was the child born....she said my lawyer would need to have the papers drawn up and she would sign them. Well he, my lawyer was on top of things, because he had them in hand and ready to be signed. The judge then signed the papers which terminated all rights that he had to my daughter. I was so relieved I walked out crying tears of joy!!!!! SHE WAS ALL MINE!!!!!! That afternoon, I got a call from my lawyers secretary informing me that they had received the papers in the mail from her father and he signed his rights over. So they were terminated and signed over to me all in the same day. Now since then about 2 1/2-3 years later he did contact me and I had let him see her, to me it felt like he wanted more to do with me than her. So I stopped it and we went on with our lives and he never tried to call again. Without the help of my friends and family I could have not done it all. On October 31, 2006 I signed on the dotted line for the best investment ever, our home. Without the help from the USDA Rural Development I would not have been able to afford it, but because of them I have been a homeowner for 3 years now and we are enjoying every minute of it!!!!!!
For the young mothers out there that think they can not do it, I am here to tell you that you can!!!! But you have to make up your mind that you want to be the best mother that you can and set an example for your child. There are too many young mothers that think they can have children and pawn them off of their parents to take care of while they go out partying and that is NOT right at all. You need to take responsibility, you brought that child in this world and you need to take care of it. There are too many families out there that can't have children and would love to be able to have just one!!!! It doesn't matter how old you are, children are precious gifts from God and you need to take care of them! Get a job and be a great mother and support the child. Don't depend on everybody else to do it. BE RESPONSIBLE!!!!! There is help out there for single mothers, believe me. You just have to find it and want it!!!
When we thought our life couldn't get better he blessed us with Brian and Beckham. Brian is so awesome and wonderful to us. We have been best friends for 9 years now and have always been there for each other. At the beginning of the year we started dating and couldn't be happier. We are planning on getting married on December 12 of this year in Robertsdale. He helps me around the house, opens my car door, always tells me how beautiful I am, helps me with Madison and most of all LOVES me and my daughter. You know the little things is what means the most....the things that some people may think isn't a big deal.
My mother and I have always had a close relationship and over the years I don't know that I could have made it without her. I really look up to her. She is such a strong and hard working woman and would do anything for her kids. She is always there to help me and she believes in me and I think that means the most to me!!!! If it was not for my mom and my dad I would be as responsible as I am today. I was raised working every summer at my dad's business, Billy's Seafood. Although I hated it because all of my friends were at the beach and I was working, it really taught me a lot. I also saved up money and my dad matched what I had saved and helped me purchase my first car when I was 16 a 1995 Mazda 626. When I graduated he bought me the car I still have today, 2003 Honda Accord. My parents divorced when I was 3 but I am lucky to have a wonderful step family also.
We also have Aunt Julie and Uncle Paul....they have known me since I was a baby....and have always treated me as their own. They stood by me after I got pregnant with Madison and Aunt Julie was actually in the room when Madison was born. She is Madison's Nana;-) They would do anything for me and Madison, no matter what the cost. They have helped us out in so many ways that I could never be able to express all of my thanks to them!!!!
Thank you to all of my family and friends for always standing by me!!! I love ya'll!
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I was reading this and had tears in my eyes. I have had the worst week ever it seems and this helped me a lot. It is SO hard being a single mother, and sometimes I don't know how I can do everything by myself, but Addison is worth every bit of it. I want her to have everything she could ever dream of, but it makes it hard supporting a child alone. I know I don't have to tell you all of this because you already know. It is so encouraging to see all of the wonderful things you have accomplished at such a young age AND being a single mother for 6 years. It gives me hope that seems hard for me to find sometimes when I see how wonderful you have done. It reminds me that there isn't anything that I can't do that a married couple can. Addison and I are living with my dad right now, and I hope so much that within a few years I can have us a little house built as well. I'll have to check into the USDA thing as well. I don't have huge dreams, I just want a normal life for Addison and I worry so much that she might miss out on something. I know I've told you before, but it's amazing how well you've done. There aren't many mothers who could compare to everything that you've done for Madison!
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