Save Me a Seat Mr. Mike

Goodbye!

Today is Mr. Mike Nix's visitation. I am having a hard time dealing with it. I just can't believe he is gone, I keep thinking the alarm clock is going to go off and wake me from this horrible dream. Everyone is posting favorite memories of Mr. Mike on Facebook which makes it bittersweet. So I will share a Mr. Mike story with y'all.
It was about a month or two before my wedding, so Mr. Mike was doing pre-marital counsling with Tom and me. (As I have mentioned I thought of him like a second dad, well he thought of me as a second daughter as he did everyone at Beltline). So during the time he talked to us, Mr. Mike would look at Tom and go on and on and on about how special I was and how he needed to take care of me. Then he look at me and say, you know to do the same for Tom right Katie!! haha. He didn't tell me all the reasons Tom was special...which Tom and I still laugh about to this day. When we left, Tom said he felt like he was getting married to Mike's daughter. Tom promised Mr. Mike he would take good care of me, and he has. I know this story sounds so silly to people, but you just had to know Mr. Mike!! Mr. Mike treated everyone like they were his best friend.
Another favorite story is one of my best friends, Jordan Lockett, baby got real sick. He had to be put in PICU (he was only like 4 months old). I called Mr. Mike and asked him just to pray for them. What did Mr. Mike do, he got in his car drove from Moulton all the way over to Huntsville, and went to see my friend and her baby. He wanted to pray with them. Jordan's baby is now 2 years old and healthy!!

So today I have been a wreck. I know I am only saying good-bye to his body. His spirit will live with us. Mr. Mike is challenging us all from Heaven to live like he did, he wants us all to go see how wonderful Heaven is. He is sitting at the table with our Lord right now. So if your reading this from above Mr. Mike, please be with us all as we say our good-byes. We love you, we miss you, but we know you are rejoicing in Heaven. Send us one of your bear hugs so we can make it through the day.

"It only takes a moment to say hello, but a lifetime to say goodbye. We must say goodbye in order to meet again and we CAN BE certain we will meet again."
-Mike Nix

Mr. Mike

Yesterday my mom and I were planning a small shopping trip to the Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale, Tom was working on Henry's nursery, and Dad was going to mow the yard. It was just a normal Saturday. Well, about my parents heard that Mike Nix was being taken to the hospital, so my dad rushed over there. When he got there he knew it was good. Not an hour later did I get that dreaded phone call from my mom saying, "Mike Nix just died." All I could say for the next hour was, "No, he didn't" I just knew it was a dream. I started questioning why would the Lord take such a special man from this Earth...we need him!! I knew I was being selfish, but I didn't understand it!!!

I don't know how many of you have ever had the pleasure of meeting Mike Nix, but if you did he touched your life forever. This man was the preacher I basically grew up listening to. He started preaching at Beltline Church of Christ in 1998, about the time we started attending there. Mike was a walking talking Bible. I loved listening to him, he always impressed me...he could stand up and do a sermon, tell us the Bible scripture to turn to (and he always had several) and never once had to look down and read the verses. I remember one time he quoted the sermon on the mount. WOW!! I mean, that takes a whole lot of studying. One quote that really stuck out to me that Mike said was, "We might be the only Bible some people ever read, do they need a revised edition?" Mike did not need a revised edition this man was the most caring loving man on Earth. When you looked in his eyes you would see Jesus, there is no doubt in my mind where he is today.

Here are a few memories I have a Mike:

• You could never leave Beltline without getting a big bear hug from Mike...he would hug all 800 members of Beltline, plus all the visitors!!


• Mike came to see me after I had my wisdom teeth pulled (a simple simple surgery), he was the only visitor I had....he came to my house.


• Mike was there when I had my tonsils out.


• I really think there were 100 Mr. Mikes...he was every where. He visited everybody!!


• One time (it lasted a day) Tom broke up with me, and Mr. Mike came over with ice cream, can you say that about your preacher?


• He went to visit one on my best friends (whom he had NEVER met) babies when he got sick and put into the PICU.

Those are just a few of the memories I have of Mr. Mike. I know he is in Heaven today watching over us, telling us not to be sad, but it's so hard to not be sad when you lose a great man like that.

I had my Brad Paisley song in the CD Player today, and I heard this song...the second verse really got to me, but "Farther Along we'll understand Why"

27 Weeks

How many weeks? I am 27 weeks (Friday)

Food Cravings? Mexican

Food Aversions? umm...tried pork again...still not good

Weight Gain? According to my scale...not this week so still 20 from the 26 week visit.

What am I looking forward too? I would say my 28 week check up..but thats the glucola...I do get another U/S!!

What do I miss? Mr. Mike Nix (another post coming)

This week Henry (should) weigh 2 pounds, well I had an ultrasound this week for fun...well he weighed 2 pounds and 9 ounces. He is a big long boy. His lungs are still developing, but with lots of medical treatment he could survive if he was born early (Heaven forbid it though). He is very active, he now able to open and shut his eyes. He has more brain activity, and he can suck his thumb...we haven't seen him do that on an ultrasound yet...so maybe he won't be a thumb sucker! haha He now has hiccups...and I feel this quite often! Just means he's growing!!

26 Weeks

How many weeks? 26 weeks
Food Cravings? Not this week really...I have started getting a little sick again..probably the heat.
Food Aversions? Casa Blanca...sorry for all you CB lovers, but I have gone 4 times in a row and every time something terrible was wrong with my food...this time it came out okay but then I got sick!
Weight Gain? Been too sick
What am I looking forward to? I only have 98 more days until my due date...I can't wait to see his face and meet him!!!!!
What do I miss? Same as usual, Diet Mt. Dew, sleeping on my back and tummy...being able to walk around the house without losing my breath...good grief!! He pushes on my lungs!!

This week Henry should be the size of and English cucumber, which is about 2 pounds and 14 1/2 inches long...well like I said in previous post..he was 2 pounds at 24 weeks. The chart says that at 33 weeks Henry will be the size of a normal full term baby. His lungs are developed, but still would need lots of medical attention if he was born now. He can open and shut his eyes, he's sleep at regular intervals, he can suck his thumb, and he's developing more and more brain tissue!! Last night Tom could watch my stomach jump for the first time! He didn't know if he should be weireded out or think it was neat...I think it's both!! haha!! I love to feel him kick!

BiG BiG DrEaMs

This was my favorite song from the kindergarten program this year!! I love it..I know it's hard to understand them, but I hope they all keep those big dreams, and know that each and everyone of them can achieve anything!!

My favorite part: Just because I haven't been around long, just because I don't know lots of stuff...I have a lot say..I try everyday cause I have big big dreams!

Just Fishin'

Just heard this song for the first time, for all you moms and dads, go ahead and get your tissues

Baby Baby Baby

I found this video on Youtube the other day...I was like oh no another Justin Beiber song, but then I listened to the words and fell in love with it. Just listen...for all you moms out there...you will LOVE this :)

25 1/2 week belly shot

Not the greatest picture of me...but you get the idea!!

25 weeks

How many weeks? 25 1/2

Food Cravings? Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Food Aversions? pork and peanut butter

Weight Gain? Not this week

What am I looking forward to? I get to have another ultrasound next week!! For those of you wondering how I get to have so many, my mom works at the doctors office...I worked there through college so they all know me. I am having an ultrasound next week so a student from Wallace State can "practice" just a play ultrasound :)

What do I miss? Diet Mt. Dew, sleeping on my back and tummy

This week Henry should be about the size of a rutabaga, but he's a lot cuter! He SHOULD be around 13 1/2 inches long and weigh a pound and a half...well at 24 weeks he weighed 2 pounds...he's a big boy! He is starting to get some fat on his body, he is also growing some hair!! Here is a picture of how he should look at 25 weeks in my belly.

24 Week Ultrasound

Here are some pictures of Henry at 24 weeks!! He weighs about 2 pounds...this makes him measure around 26 weeks. I think I am going to have a big boy!! I can't wait to meet him :)

Here he is yawning...I think it's neat that you can see his bones.

Here are his legs...getting chubbier...still long...check out that foot!

I think he's praying!!

Praying again...hehe

legs again...those feet are cracking me up!! Tom wears a size 13 or 14...I think Henry is going to be about the same.

Sweet face
face again :)

4D picture...

again...

Check out those cheeks

Crossing his ankles

Week 24

How many weeks? 24 weeks

Food Cravings? fruit....and just want food all the time...not good

Food Aversions? ummm....still scared of pork and peanut butter

Weight Gain? I think around 20 pounds total....but like I have mentioned before my scale at home doesn't work that well...plus I didn't weigh myself before on it.

What am I looking forward to? Same as last week...seeing Henry, and finishing graduate school!!

What do I miss? right now...I want to go on a long vacation, but we have to get a nursery ready, I'm teaching summer school, taking 3 online courses...yeah doesn't look like thats gonna happen.

This week Henry is about the same weight as last week (just a little over a pound). He should be about a foot long...look at the pictures from the 20 week ultrasound, I think just his legs are a foot long. This child is going to be just like his daddy!! His brain is growing quickly, his skin is still translucent (but this is about to change), and his lungs are still developing...getting ready to breath the outside air in a few short weeks.

Week 23

How many weeks? 23 (sorry this was supposed to be done last week

Food Cravings? Not really...now I just want food all the time..yikes

Food Aversions? Still haven't tried peanut butter and pork...I might try them soon

Weight Gain? didn't weight myself last week

What am I looking forward too? I go back to the doctor tomorrow, another ultrasound to see Henry...and on July 28 I will have a Master's Degree!!! YAY

What do I miss? Dt. Mt. Dew, Big Bob Gibsons Sweet tea, Advil (because my back hurst BAD right now and I don't believe the Tylenol works at all..LOL), and sleeping on my back and tummy.

This week Henry should weight just a little over a pound, about as much as a NBA basketball....well if y'all read the 20 week post...thats how much he weighed at 20 weeks. YEP, he's gonna be a big boy. He can hear now, so when Molly actually does bark and for those of you that know Molly...thats only maybe once a week..he will know her bark. Tom and I talk to him so he will know our voices. He is kicking me like crazy, Tom has felt him a few times now. Henry thinks my bladder and Sciatic nerver are trampolines...he loves both of those!! yeah...painful!! He is also developing blood vessels in his lungs to get ready for breathing!!

For those of you interested...here is a picture of what he should look like at 23 weeks.