Sleepless nights and new responsibilities are soon to become a reality for sophomore Amber Rupp.

Rupp is among many girls either parenting or preparing to have their first baby,  and she knows firsthand that having a child is a big responsibility.

“I don’t think that I could hold a baby for nine months and not love it. Baby is going to be No.1 priority,” Rupp said.

Three months ago Rupp was a typical 16-year-old teenager. Now she is an expectant mother of one.

“ I got pregnant the very first time that I had sex. I was 15,” Rupp said.

Rupp is four months pregnant and said she is extremely excited to have her baby. All of her friends are staying positive and “they are ready for this baby to come out,” she said. Rupp’s mother is also supportive, but her dad doesn’t know yet.

 “My mom was trying to stay calm at first, but after a while she freaked but then she got really happy. She’s excited to be a grandmother,” Rupp said.

However, not everyone was as supportive when junior Holly Komeotis became pregnant. Komeotis said she lost some of her friends because she had a baby.

 “I don’t have any friends anymore,” Komeotis said.

Komeotis’s son, Leon was born on December 11, 2011.

“I had friends that made promises. They told me that they would be right there by my side, and as soon as I started to get bigger I stopped having friends.”

Concerns with money are being taken care of by both of the girls’ parents.

 “My mom is helping out a lot, and so is his mom,” Rupp said.

Even though Rupp is attending school, taking care of herself and dealing with her family, she isn’t concerned about money.

 “I still plan to go to college. My mom is helping me right now, but I know that she won’t always be there to help me.”

Komeotis is focusing more on just getting out of high school. 

“Sometimes it’s hard to still get up and come to school, but I know I need to get my GED. It really helps that my boyfriend stays up with the baby so I can get some sleep.”

Preparing to have a baby in high school is a challenge and so is trying to juggle a baby and textbooks at the same time, but both girls said they are trying to make the process as simple as possible to make it out of high school.

Between paying bills, trying to keep relationships, and learning how to be a good mommy, “you have to stay grounded,”  Komeotis said.

“(Having a baby) is actually really exciting. I spend so much time with him , I find it a good experience.”

Even though she enjoys her son’s company she doesn’t think that anyone should just go out and start making babies.

“It’s really hard, but it’s a really joyful feeling.”

“People think that we are trying to get pregnant, but I got pregnant the first time that I had sex, and I was most definitely not trying to get pregnant,” Komeotis said.

Leon has made a habbit of waking up at 3 a.m. and not going back to sleep until 6:30.

“I didn’t think that he would be so regular about it,“ Komeotis said. “I can expect him to get up at three. That’s why I have an open first.”

Along with being tired, Komeotis has to deal with the looks that come from other people.

“I just had to start thinking to myself that if they don’t like it they don’t have to look,” Komeotis said. “This is my baby, and I’m not going to be ashamed of it.”

Rupp recently left to attend Paris Gibson Education Center to finish her high school year, but Komeotis plans on staying at CMR.

“I feel strongly about staying at CMR,”  she said. “This is where I started and this is where I kinda want to finish.”