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...