“I’ve been waiting for that day for 12 years.”

Graduation is an event that most have looked forward to since childhood. Senior Alyson Marsh* is getting excited as her graduation day and her due date get closer.

“I’m excited to have a baby,” Marsh said.”There really isn’t anything to be worried about because my mom and grandma are such a great support.”

Last time we talked to Marsh, she was scared to tell her mom because she didn’t want to disappoint her mom and she was trying to prove that she is mature and responsible enough to take care of her child.

“My mom was very upset (when she found out),” Marsh said. “Furious actually. I was hurt by the way she found out, and I knew I had disappointed her. There was a lot of yelling and we didn’t talk for a while. The next day I went to my friends’ house to give her alone time and we ended up talking everything through.”

Marsh was one of the naive teenagers that thought it would never happen to her.

“It can happen to anybody,” Marsh said. “Teens think they are invincible and they need to throw those thoughts out the window.”

Marsh still plans to attend MSU and work to support her child.

“(Right now), my mom is providing everything the baby is going to need because I don’t have a job,” Marsh said. “Because I am going to go to college in the fall, my mom and I decided I’m not going to start working until the baby is at least one month old. My mom and I already have everything taken care of.”

Marsh feels like there is still a lot to prove to her mom.

“I have already proven a lot to her.” Marsh said. “How I live my life has already changed drastically and I’m only 25 weeks. She knows how mature I am and she knows that when I put my mind to doing something, then it will get done. Now i have the chance to show her how good of a mother I’m going to be. ”

Even though her mom was angry about the pregnancy, she was at Marsh’s side for the first sonogram.

“It was amazing,” Marsh said. “I really couldn’t believe I had a little baby inside me and I could see the heart beating and heard it. I couldn’t stop smiling.”

Marsh says her mom is very excited to be a “mimi” and wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Everything will change,” Marsh said. “My daily routines, my free time. None of it will be the same and I am one hundred percent OK with that.”

Friends are excited and very supportive of Marsh.

“I haven’t really heard anything negative (about being pregnant),” Marsh said. “People were really surprised because I was the last one they expected.”

For the first time in 15 years, the number of teens having children has increased by 3 percent.

“I think it’s a good idea (to wait until your married to have sex), but it’s not going to happen,” Marsh said.”Kids are starting to have sex at a younger age almost everyday.”

Pregnant or not, this senior says she is going to stay strong and graduate with her friends.

“I’m not going to let anything stop me. Unless I go into labor of course.”