Ethnography

Greg DeSilva
10-14-09
Ethnography
Pappas

The Life of a Young Mother

Jenny exceeded in many things from pitching a softball to writing a brilliant paper for English class. Playing softball since she could walk; she played until about her sophomore year in high school due to a shoulder injury. It was very much dramatic as she came to the conclusion she would never put her cleats on again. Being a very intelligent young lady school came easy to her except for math. In English she passed with flying colors as reading and writing became more of a hobby then an assignment. After high school she moved on and started college at URI where in her sophomore year decided to become an English major after much thinking and finding herself. Her first semester was spent living on campus and the next semester in a house.
Living in a household of four, with her parents and younger brother she and her brother were somewhat spoiled; making it a little hard when her parents split up as she was a freshman in college. Luckily her parents are very understanding and are able to talk. Her father is still at the house every day regardless of the split. Also having an older sister that lived in California at first had both her and her brother convinced that they would go to school across the country.
Now everybody had that one high school crush that can never be forgotten. Well lucky jenny had a big crush on a certain boy who was a year older then her. After high school he took a liking in her also. She was now 20 and he was 21, and a mature relationship started. They took it slow and went out for a good year before they both decided it was time to take another step in the relationship. All went well until one day jenny didn’t feel too good and this lasted a couple days. A pregnancy test bout at the local Walgreens showed she was in fact pregnant. Jenny was in shock and over whelmed not knowing what to do.
As Jenny went on to tell her boyfriend he was very shocked and knew they had a decision to make that all came down to what jenny wanted to do. Going to the doctor a couple days later, she was told that she was in fact pregnant. Confused and scared it was very hard to tell her parents and later on her brother. After many tears, long and intense family talks/fights, and talks with her boyfriend Jenny decided that she would go against what everyone else thought would be best and have the baby.

The decision put a lot of stress into the household and nobody knew what was to come of this decision. Her mother was behind her completely while her brother was somewhat in the middle and her father had a very hard time coming around. After a couple months the family was informed and Jenny had the support she needed.
The pregnancy was not easy for her as she had really bad morning sickness every day and was eventually put on bed rest.
As the due date got closer her brother had to get his wisdom teeth out. He said to her watch I’m going to get my teeth out and be all hopped up on vikes when your water breaks; and not be able to drive you to the hospital. Sure enough that night her water broke, but luckily her mother had not taken her sleeping pill and was able to drive her to the hospital. After 8 hours, Blake was born and Jenny got to hold her baby boy for the first time.
Obviously the Blake came out the perfect little boy. Unlike most babies would look like little old men at birth, Blake was the cutest thing Jenny and everyone else in the room had ever seen. Jenny life is now changed forever and the future withholds many things.
The pregnancy not only brought in a beautiful young boy but brought her family closer together and another family into the family. Her and her brother used to fight all the time but now get along so well. Her father is over the house everyday and her older sister will be flying out soon to see her little nephew. Jenny made a decision that has changed her life for the better and I truly believe she has no regrets when I see how she looks at her baby boy.