THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 11, 1994 TAG: 9412090069
SECTION: HAMPTON ROADS WOMAN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
HERE IS a portion of Debra Owen's diary:
Oct. 16
My article came out today. When I read it, it choked me up. I guess I'm pretty excited about having this boy. I think about it all the time. I can't wait for January.
People come up to me all the time now and say they've read my story. They say I've inspired them and others. This delights me. This makes me happy. I put my weight and my feelings in the paper. Thank you for telling me it makes a difference.
Oct. 19
I met Dr. Hammer today. He seems to be another nice doctor at the practice. I'm really happy with this group. It makes a big difference when you like and trust your doctors. I'm about to start my seventh month, and I've gained eight pounds. I guess that's pretty good. But I'm anxious to get to the weight loss scenario again. Sometimes I feel jealous of people around me who are losing weight. I know that's silly.
Everything checked out fine at the doctor's office. I'm just a little bit anemic, so I'm starting on iron pills. Sometimes I get a bit faint and my bowel movements are highly irregular; other than that, I feel great.
Oct. 21
I'm feeling great. I worked out with Wendy today. We've been working on the nursery a lot, too. It's looking great! Keith put together the crib and changer today. We decided to paint Brooke's old dresser to match the room, and all the bedding my mom made is awesome.
We're still debating on junior's name. We're rather undecided on the exact combination. Right now, we're thinking of Nathan Cole Owen.
Oct. 31
Suddenly I have put on a lot of weight . . . at least 5 pounds on my scale. I wonder what this is about - water weight? Baby stuff? or FAT! I really hate seeing that scale go up! I haven't had very good eating habits for the last few weeks. I've been keeping an odd schedule while working on a project at work. I've been keyed up and a bit anxious, and I found myself popping food in my mouth a little too frequently. I hope I haven't done too much damage. It's impossible to be perfect all the time. If I wasn't pregnant, though, I could cut way back for a couple days, but not this time. I just better start doing better now.
I am a bit obsessive about my weight, but I think that's better than not caring about it at all. I didn't care about it when I was pregnant with Brooke - I gained 90 or so pounds. This time, I weighh every day and exercise and try to eat right - so far, in my seventh month, I gained about 10 pounds. I hope it stays low.
Nov. 2
My friends are throwing me a shower on Nov. 19. I can't wait to see all the cute baby things. I need everything! I've given all of Brooke's things away!
There may be some good news on the baby-sitting dilemma. One of my neighbors is seriously considering baby-sitting. She's real sweet and I'd trust her completely. Plus, she's very convenient. I hope she decides to do it.
I guess baby-sitting is my biggest concern. I want a home environment for sure with not many kids - a caring, patient, loving woman and I want Brooke in the same place. Since Brooke is in school, that means I need a baby sitter in the Great Bridge Intermediate School district or I need someone to come to my home. I also need a break in my monthly budget so I can afford this. We definitely had not planned on a baby when we moved into our new house . . . but I want the BEST for my children and I'll sacrifice all that it takes to get it for them.
Nov. 3
I've been doing pretty well with my walking. It really keeps me healthy. It will help with my back and labor, and most of all, it gives me more energy. I'm proud of myself for keeping it up. It looks like my weight is a little more stable - no more drastic increases.
Nov. 13
I was surprised last night! Really surprised by my friends Pam and Annabelle and my sister Pat who threw me a surprise shower. My wonderful neighbors and friends were there, and so was my mom. It was so neat. I still can't believe this is all happening to me. It was so much fun to open all those cute little baby things. I looked at the tiny booties and remembered how tiny he's going to be. What a miracle! I'm so lucky!
Nov. 15
Tomorrow, I go to the doctor. I am terrified by the scale. I think I've gained at least 5 pounds this time. I wonder if it's fluid. I wonder if the toxemia is back. I wonder about gestational diabetes, too. It runs in my family, and I feel like I'm having a reaction to sugar. I definitely am in need of some encouraging words from Dr. Gray. So I'll quit all this worrying.
Nov. 16
Well, I'm fine. No toxemia, and I only gained 3 1/2 pounds! A total of 11 1/2 pounds at 30 weeks - not bad. But I'm not sure about diabetes. I had the test today. But I'm feeling really great about my health. I'm so glad I've kept up my walking. Little Nathan (his current name) is quite active and strong. He can hurt me with some of his kicks. Brooke's kicks never hurt. She had the hiccups a lot. Nathan has never had the hiccups, but he can keep me awake at night with his movements. It's interesting how different even the womb experience is.
Nov. 17
I've come down with another cold. It's very uncomfortable. I'm taking the best care of myself that I can. I hope it's better soon because I want to be well for my shower on Saturday. I also hope Hurricane Gordon doesn't spoil the weekend. by CNB