Our 2011 Christmas Letter

2011 has been a great year for The Nixons. I have never done this type letter before but I thought I would start now and make it a yearly tradition.

In February we celebrated Banks first birthday. What a sweet child he is. I always thought my boys would be exactly alike but they are so differant. Banks second birthday will be here before we know it. He talks so much and plays rough. Last week he got his Big Boy bed and is doing great.

April came and I turned the Big 3-0...I am 30, been married 6 years, and have two kids...wow! I still love my job with the March of Dimes and am so greatful to be able to work from home. 2011 was a great fundraising year and I look forward to what 2012 will bring. Working to help babies be born healthy is a mission I am truly passionate about. Having two babies in the NICU was a very difficult experience.

I am so proud of Mark and his success with his new job with Farm Bureau...We were able to take Grant on an all expense paid trip to San Antonio TX in July. This was his first time flying and first trip to Sea World. Our resort was beautiful...the pool side movie was fun along with the lazy river that surrounded the pool. Can't wait for our Couples trip to Banff Canada in March!! Way to go Mark.

July also was Grants birthday..5! My child is 5 and in Kindergarden at WS. He is learning to read and making great friends. I am so happy he is at the same school I spent 12 years in. He is an awesome child and we are so blessed to have him in our lives.

After moving to "The Delta" it took me a year without getting emotional thinking of Madison..I really missed the City, our Church, and friends there. Along came August of 2011 and we purchased a new Home. I never in my life imagined I would have an Avon, MS address...but we absolutlty love it here. 15 min one way to my parents and 10 min the other way to School. It just works perfect for us!

The rest of the year has just been busy with the boys, haloween, thanksgiving and the wonderful 25 Days of Christmas. Oh and the news of baby Catelynn..Coming in May.

I will try to post pictures of the past year in my next post but for now...Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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it's been a while....

Wow..July 25 since my last post. I have been telling myself weekly to update the blog but something else more important always comes up. We have been really busy...now NOV 3 and it feels like back to school is finally slowing down...Grant played soccer for the first time this season and well....he didn't LOVE it, but he liked it. Grant was more interested in playing with grass and picking flowers for me..needless to say i am glad its over until spring. He really likes WS and loves his teachers...Mrs Trammell and RoRo.

Latest Funny-...Grant and some other classmates were playing school on the playground when Suzi Paige (the teacher) found a cup and told Grant (the student) to tee tee in it behind a tree while she held the cup. They got caught...how funny this will be to tell when they are both in high school. I am sure that Mrs Trammell talked with both of them about how inappropriote this was.

Then there is Banks...he is 8 months old now, 6 teeth, crawling, and not far from walking. He is ALL OVER the place. I would love to say that he is sleeping all night but that would be a lie....he did for a short period of time and now gets up several times....wearing us all out! Grant and Banks love each other...I can tell that Banks wants to be just like big brother and do everything Grant does. I wish he would slow down and not grow up so fast.

enough typing...now for some pics

My Boys

Quick update on the BOYS

Grant just turned 4! He is so excited about Washington School and playing soccer this fall. His new favorite movie is Toy Story...all three of them..He has every character from the movies and plays with them just like Andy does on the movie...Sometimes I feel like Woody is sad when Grant takes Buzz on a trip with us instead of him....

Grant loves living in the Delta and sadly never talks about Madison and missing it at all. I still get sad when I think of all his sweet friends and school he went to. He loves his little brother and sometimes gets a little rough but Banks just smiles at him...like "I'll get you back one day..just wait".

Banks is 5 months old....his birth still feels like yesterday. He has adjusted well to the new house and will never know the differance. He is the happiest baby ever...smiles more than anyone I know...he will even smile during an emotional breakdown if you look at him and say "hey little booga booga"' he has been eating baby food for several weeks now and love fruit....vegtables..not so much. he can roll over and weighed 13 lbs at the last dr. visit...I am thinking he is at least 15lbs now... We will find our next week.

I love these two boys so much...I am so proud of both of them and can't believe how sweet they both are...

Moving "Home"

I am excited that I can finally announce that The Nixon Crew is moving back to the Delta. In the next few weeks we are moving to Chatham, MS aka Lake Jackson to raise our kids "in the country". This is something Mark and I have talked about for a long time but did not see happining this soon. It is kinda bittersweet to me because I really love Madison and First Baptist Childcare Center...Grant has made some great friends and it breaks my heart to take him away from them....I have planned his birthday party for June 19 (one month early) so he can celebrate with all his friends here before we move.

Grant will start Washington School in August and I am so excited to see him grow there the same way I did for 12 years. Mark starts on July 1 as a Farm Bureau Agent for Washington Co. and I will continue to do what I love and raise money for the March of Dimes.

Our house in Madison is on the market so if you know of anyone looking for a house let us know...you can look it up at Charlotte Smith Real Estate.

3 Months!

Three Months....oh my! Banks is the sweetest baby. He has such a differant personality than Grant..I can tell he is going to be a tough little mommas boy. He is sleeping through the night and has been off and on for several weeks. I have been feeding him a little fruit here and there (a little early) and he loves it. He is a great eater but still has reflux and spits up ALL the time. It does not seem to bother him so we just wipe it up and keep on going.

I am having so much fun with my two boys! I really don't know what I would do with a girl.

2 months and Hospital Stay

I guess since I am spending night 2 at Blair E Batson Children's Hospital with my 9 week old....I will blog.

Banks is two months old now and started daycare on monday...four days later he is in the hospital with a fever virus. Lovely! On Thursday night he woke up with 103.5 fever and of course I was waiting outside as Children's Medical Group opened on Friday morning....Much to my surprise Dr. Ellison said he needs to go straight to Batson...Since he is so little and on had 1 round of shots he is really not vaccinated from anything so they had to treat it like it the worst... When we arrived they took a blood culture, urine culture, and spinal tap to check for various infections...after 24 hours they cultures are still fine...It is Saturday at 10:00 and we just began our 24 hour fever free count down...Looks like it will be at least monday morning before we will go home.

I had never been to this hospital until I started working for March of Dimes and after making a few visits to some volunteers here I told myself...I hope my children NEVER have to come here...Kids just aren't supposed to be sick...

I am thankful for just a fever virus because I have seen some much sicker kids roaming these halls...One little girl had her door open and they whole room was decorated to look like her room at home...She has been here for a long time and is not going home anytime soon. I don't know what is wrong with her but I can't imagine how her family dealing with daily hospital for such a long period of time.

At Seven weeks Banks got his first set of immunization shots and weighed in at 9lbs 8oz....at Nine weeks he weighed 9lbs 10oz...not much weight gain in three weeks...I hope that is ok.

Magdalena's Feet

I met the Robert's Family a little over a year ago but never got the chance to meet their sweet Magdalena. Julie was scheduled to speak at my March for Babies kickoff lunch on a Thursday in January but the Tuesday before sweet Magdalena went to be with Jesus. Her funeral was held the very hour of our luncheon and Julie had a good friend come to replace her to speak about the Life of Magdalena.

They have become great friends and volunteers of the March of Dimes since the day they discovered their daughter would be born with Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18). In 2009 Magdalena's Feet team raised over $17,000 for March for Babies and are on track to do the same in 2010. BUT....they need your help!

Southern Belle designed a shirt for them to sell as a fundraiser and they want to sell as many as possible. Please leave a comment if you would like a shirt. And....go to http://www.noahandjulieroberts.blogspot.com/ for more of their story...Her version is much better than mine

In just a few days Banks will be 1 month old...He is the sweetest, most laid back baby. Not at all the strong willed child that his NICU nurse said he was....He only hates cold wipes :) Banks is a good sleeper and an even better eater. He has been eating 3 oz ever 3-4 hours since he has been home..I can't wait to weigh him again because I am sure he is almost 7lbs now. We spent a few days in Glen Allen last week with my parents...Grant needed some farm time and Mark and I went to a crawfish party at the lake.

I can't wait to watch my boys grow up together. I hope they are close to each other and play like best friends.

Grant will start his first Sport in April...We are excited about Start Smart Baseball...and can't wait for soccer next fall!!!

We're Home...Family of Four

After 7 long days in the NICU...we are now home and officially a family of FOUR. First night went great....(after i discovered the nipple did not have a hole in it) Something always has to go wrong after dark..

Banks is here!

Well this has been an eventful week. I am going to do my list of events in bullet form so it won't seem like I am rambling on and on.

• Day 1- High Blood pressure stayed over night in Labor and Delivery recieved Magnesium.


• Day 2- Moved to postpardum to be watched for a day.


• Day 3- We thought we were going home but Dr. Cole wasn't sure about my blood pressure just yet so she said that morning that it would be at least another night. During her nightly rounds my pressures had gone back up (even after increasing meds two times). She immediatly said lets go back to Labor and Delivery and watch you overnight and have this baby in the morning. OK...so I was here alone because Mark had gone to take care of some things but was on his way back...I called him and told him to hurry back and to go ahead and tell our families. Within a few minutes my blood pressure had risen to 200/116 so it was decided that we would be having the baby within 30 minutes. Missy and my sister in law Deanne were the only ones here when Mark brought Banks out for his first appearance.

Welcome Alexander Banks Nixon...7:14 pm, 5lbs 14oz, 18.5 inches

Our parents just did not have time to make it. Banks was taken to the NICU where they started a Cpap to help him breath a little better. I was given another round of Magnesium overnight since my blood pressure had gotten so high again.

• Day 4- That morning was a little crazy...too many meds at once = my blood pressure to drop really low...I was a little loopy for a while but by lunch I was back to the postpardum floor and go to go see Banks for the first time.


• Day 5- Still in hospital trying to relax, recover, and visit with Banks in the NICU

He is doing well breathing through a nasal canula only and recieving some iv fluids...I think we are just waiting for him to slow his heavy breathing down, and start drinking milk and gaining weight...then we will be coming home. That could be maybe 4 more days I am thinking...maybe more maybe less.

Looks like we will be here in room 103 until Sunday or Monday.

It is not much easier the second time around in the NICU...I keep seeing these babies being brought to the mommas room as i am being wheeled to intensive care.. I can tell Banks knows who I am...he responds when he hears me and opens his eyes when I am holding him.

Everything happend so fast,...I have had my first emotional breakdown today. And I am sure there are more to come.

Thanks to everyone who has called, emailed, or texted....we appreciate all the prayers and hope you'll keep praying. Enjoy the pictures....We can't decide who he looks like...

Snow Day = not much rest

I will start with saying that the snow today was Beautiful. I have always loved winter and snow, although we have not seen much of it in MS...ever. I do remember as a child a couple differant "snow days" where we would go to the levee and slide down the side of it on various homeade sleds....and then ride on them behind the four-wheelers... I am so glad that Grant got to see so much snow...this may be his only time. He woke up today and after looking outside at the snow...asked me "Where's the Christmas tree?, I love Christmas". So cute and innocent.

On the other hand....today was not the easiest day to be on bed rest...School was closed and Mark was home. I of course had to play outside in the snow for a little while, then had to deal with an extremely hyper 3 year old. Mark has been helping out alot but today I think he thought he was the one on bed rest...I did more than I should have today and now feel really exhausted at 6:30 pm...

Britney and Laura brought us supper tonight....we ate early and it was Great...I love anything that I don't have to cook. I am about to relax in a warm/hot bath with Grant's watermelon bubble bath and think about the beach and summertime...then go to bed.

Thanks for the dinner Girls!

( I will be missing the Rodeo tommorow.. :( Since I am on bed rest Mark has invited his dad to take my ticket...They will have a great time and maybe I will have some silence...)

Pictures too come soon...to tired right now. Next Dr. appt scheduled for Tuesday! I'll give an update then....

New Inventions?

It has been 3.5 years since Grant was born and I am sure there are some new really cool things for infants that I will need for our upcoming arrival. Whether it be feeding, diapering, sleeping, playing...whatever...please leave a comment on what your favorite new invention is...

Any reviews on the nap nanny?

Greetings from Bed Rest

I have been on bed rest due to PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension) since January 28..so 9 days now...I think..I've lost count and don't really even know what day it is....Sorry Mark..but as I type I am laughing out loud at how LOUD Mark is snoring...I think he may be choking. He wen't to the doctor this morning and has Strep throat...I had hoped we might have a few "normal" alone days before the baby comes but this looks like all were gonna get...

My job is still very important to me even though I am at home for the remainder of my pregnancy....you see, I am the coordinator for the Tri-County March for Babies fundraiser that supports premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality. You all know that Grant was born premature and I hope and pray that this next little guy stays put for at least 5 more weeks... Because of my condition it makes me want to work harder to raise money for research to find out WHY ARE BABIES BORN EARLY? and what can be done to stop it. Especially for those moms who do go to every appointment and dont drink, smoke or do drugs..

I need your help! if anyone reads this....My goal as the employee of the March of Dimes is to raise $135,000 for this one event....and since I am not at the office or out in the field....i must raise money from BED REST.

please visit this site http://www.marchforbabies.org/ and sign up as an individual walker to make your donation...its real simple...type in your zip code and it should locate the TRI COUNTY March for Babies at Renaissance in Ridgeland.

1500 babies are born premature each day! Don't let it be yours or mine!

I love this litte super hero more that anything....and can't wait to see him react as a big brother!