Update on Mara

Mara will be having her Kidney Scan, VCUG, and Ultra Sound at Scottish Rites Children's in Atlanta on October 8. After all of her test are done, we will be meeting with her Ped. Urologist that afternoon. So...we should know what is going on and what will need to be done.

New update on Bitty Bitty Baby

Last Thursday, I took Jama for her 9 month check-up. Well...she is officially a bitty bitty baby. She weighed in at a whopping 14.5 lbs....yes...she did gain weight from her 6 month visit but...she has now dropped off the growth chart...below 3%. She is only 26 1/2 inches long...10-25%...she dropped singnifacantly in length on the chart also. I have caght fish bigger than her. I asked the Dr. to send us to a feeding theraphist for the low tone and high palate in her mouth. She is still thrusting her tongue when she eats...also she is having trouble with a sippy cup or a straw cup...they either flow to fast for her to swallow or she can not get a suction on it. The bottles that she drinks out of are made to form to her mouth versus her mouth forming to the bottle. Right after she was born, I had her at a feeding clinic before we left MA because of her palate and tone in her mouth. She has had trouble making a suction and sucking since her first appearance. We are going this Wed. to Children's in Atlanta to meeting with an OT and SLP who specialize in feeding. After that, we will probably do a swallow study to see what all is going on. Also, I take her back to the Ped. GI Sept. 21...he will probably be doing testing after that. Her pediatrician will be working with him to make sure that the blood work that they both want done can be done at the same time.

Our schedule for Fall...Gymnastics...UT Football...UA Football

Here is the Reasoner's Boring Fall Schedule, I am not sure that we can find anything to do...We're going to have a boring fall in the south. At least, they will be airing on CBS the UA vs LSU game unlike MASSACHUSETTS they decided that more people would like to watch the Nutcracker Ballet...No Joke!

Jema's Gymnastics Schedule...
GO NMGC!!! GO PINK!!!

Aug 23** NMGC Innersquad **USA Levels 4, 5, and 6

Sept 13 – 14** Cobb Gymnastics Cobb Challengers**USA Levels 2, 3, 4, 5, 5/6

Sept 20 - 21** Apple Classic Gym Academy of Atlanta**USA Levels 4, 5, 5/6 and 6

Oct 3 – 5** Metro Retro Invitational NMGC**USA Levels 2, 3, 4, 5, 5/6

Oct 18 – 19** Fright Flip Invit Atlanta Gym Center **USA levels 2, 3, 4, 5, 5/6

Nov 1 – 2** After Halloween Candy Classic Tucker**USA levels 2, 3, 4, 5, 5/6

Nov 7 – 9** Nifty November Cartersville Gymnastics** USA Levels 3, 4, and 5

*State Meet*
Dec 5 – 7** Dream It Gymnastics Tifton, GA**USA Levels 3 and 4


Tennessee Football Schedule...yes we have had season tickets since we were married

Sept 1** UT @ UCLA** Watching on ESPN
Sept 13** UAB @ UT** Hope Jema competes on Sun
Sept 20** Florida @ UT**Hope Jema competes on Sun
Sept 27** UT @ Auburn **Auburn here we come
Oct 4** N. Illinois @ UT**Hope Jema does not compete on Sat.
Oct 11** UT @ Georgia**Knoxville here we come
Oct 18** Miss State @ UT**Hope Jema competes on Sun
Oct 25** Alabama @ UT**Knoxville here we come
Nov 1** UT @ S. Carolina** TV after Jema's meet
Nov 8** Wyoming @ UT**Hope Jema competes on Sun
Nov 22** UT @ Vandy**Watching from Vegas
Nov 29** Kentucky @ UT**Knoxville here we come

Arkansas Football Schedule - WOOOO PIG SOOOIIEEEE- GO HOGS! We did not keep out season tickets when we moved to MASS

Aug 30** Western Illinois @UA-FAY
Sept 6** Louisiana-Monroe @ UA-LR
Sept 13 **UA @ Texas**Watching on Satellite @ UT Tailgate
Sept 20**Alabama @ UA-FAY
Oct 4** Florida @ UA - FAY
Oct 11**UA @ Auburn
Oct 18** UA @ Kentucky**Satellite @ UT Tailgate
Oct 25 **Ole Miss @ UA-FAY**Satellite @ UT Tailgate
Nov 1** Tulsa @ UA - FAY ** TV after meet
Nov 8 **UA @ South Carolina ** Satellite @ UT Tailgate
Nov 22** UA @ Miss. State**Watching from Vegas
Nov 28** LSU @ UA - LR **Thanksgiving Day

Birthday's and Trip's
August 13*****Jema's 7th Birthday
September 26 ****Jana's Birthday
November 5 & 6 *****Mark Guy's golf trip
October 24 *****Jama's 1st Birthday
November 22 weekend *****Mark & I in Vegas,**Happy Birthday MOM
Decmber 12-13****Guy's weekend at the Cash Cabin

Mara and Her Kidney's

On our way back home from Arkansas...June 25th Mara started running a fever and was complaining of her belly hurting. By the time we got home, she had spiked a high fever!!! By the time we got to see the doctor, her fever had hit 105.8. I knew what the doctor was going to say once we did a culture...Poly nephritis...kidney infection. This is the third one that she has had since Sept 2007 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney reflux on the right and stage 3 on the left as well as a double collection system on the right. Layman terms she has two smaller kidneys and tubes on the right side that make up the size of one kidney and her urine goes back up to her kidneys from the bladder. She has been on bactrium (antibiotic) daily since then to keep from having the infections however she has had break thrus (infections). With the infections, she has had to have shots of rocephin, and another antibiotic after that. This time she had shots of rocephin, then augmenton, ceftin, and macrodantin. We went to the doctor on Friday, July 11, to get a clean culture and they told us she was clear. Sunday night she started running another fever only 101.0 but after talking to the doctor she called us in another round of ceftin. On Tuesday, the Dr. called to say the their was bacteria in the culture after 48 hours. We went back in on Wednesday to do another culture that also showed clear and finally after 48 hours her culture she was finally clear of infection. Our ped urologist will be doing a kidney scan, another ultrasound, and another VCUG in the next month. We should be able to know a what level her kidneys are functioning and how much scaring has happened as well as what we will be doing about the surgery that she will need to remove one of the kidneys. They have told us that anytime her fever is over 103 it can cause scaring and damage to the kidneys. We have also been told even on the bacterium, which is suppose to stop her from having infections, that she could keep having these infections, that a simple change in water, detergents, or toilet paper can cause them among other changes. That there is no way to completely stop them just try to keep the number of them down. I know that I have been rambling but several have asked how she is doing so I thought I would give an update. I will post more once we know that the testing shows.

Our friends the Sappenfields from Chicago

The Sappenfields came to spend a few days with us. We met in NWA and pre-kids and they have been transferred many time even more than us. We also have season ticket for UT Vols together and take some vacations together. We had a blast...the guys played golf, we all took the kids to the pool, and we got to go to dinner at Ray's on the River without kids...YEAH!!

Gregg, McKenna, and Luke at the pool

Mara eating cookie ice cream at the pool...

Gregg and Julie eating their ice cream...

Jama was done at the pool...

Jema and McKenna in the pool...

Gregg, Julie, Mark and me at Ray's on the River...NO KIDS!!!

The girls at my Aunts in Warren, AR

Pickin and Grinn

Singin, pickin, and grinin at the fish fry.

4th of July block party

We had an awesome 4th of July block party. Great food...great friends...unbelievable fireworks...and fun water slides.

You might be a redneck if....

you have to be attached to you neighbors for electricity by a big cord. On July 3rd...Marks 39 birthday...Happy Birthday...our electricity went out. No one else just ours. After much deliberations by the electric company at 9:00pm, they decided that the electric lines to our house were not working. So...we had to be hooked up to our neighbors house with a BIG Electrical cord through the 4th of July weekend. It was finally done by about 1:00 a.m.

Next Stop...Arkansas

We were in Arkansas from June 15 thru June 25. We traveled around Arkansas seeing family...usually we make in up to NWA but we are making in a separate trip this year. First, we spent some time with mamaw and papaw...the kids enjoyed following papaw around doing projects and learning about herbs. They took us picking blackberries, strawberries, and nectarines. The big girls helped mamaw make preserves. The girls also enjoyed going to the park where I use to play...however it's all new from when I was little.

Went we out to my Aunt Patsy and Uncle Don to swim with their cousins. My cousin Shelly is expecting her first child in October.




We had a fish fry with some of our family which was great...It is nice to several generations get together. They girls have 6 Great-Grandparents still alive...5 of which are my Grandparents that they got to see and spent time with while we were in Arkansas. We also had some pickin and grinnin with karaoke going on.


The girls with Granny Mangum...

Papa Martin...

Ninnie...

my mom teaching the girls how to play the guitar


Ray and Yale took us to down town little rock where we walked across the Arkansas River on a new walking bridge, shopped at the farmers market, went to the kids discover museum, rode the trolley, made bath soap at Bath Junkie and had lunch at the best fish place ever...The Flying Fish.
Ray,Yale, and the girls...
Mara doing surgery on a knee... Ray and Jema making electricity Making bath soap


I took them down to Leann and Jim's house twice to ride horses...this is where I learned to rodeo. Jema wanted to go back several times. Leann has a school where she teaches and trains kids... Jema enjoyed watching the kids rope and goat tie. She could not believe that mom use to do these sorts of things. Mara was not sure at first but once she got on she loved it. Jema wants to quit gymnastics and start rodeoing...I don't think she knows what she would be getting into. Jema and Mara played with some other cousins there and loved running around the big yards, swinging on the tire swing and feeding the goats, besides the riding.












We also went down to South Arkansas to see Big Mamaw and Big Papaw (Great-Grandparents) and some other family. We were sad that we could not see everyone but it was during the day and they were working. They nursing home that my grandfather is in is really nice...he has his own room and they have a big lounge room to go to which was nice for the kids. Jema read a book to everyone...she was so happy.


Big Mamaw, Big Papaw, with 4 of their great grand daughters

We were sad when we had to pack up and come home. Just look at the map and see where our 1800 mile trip took us...a big circle. Of course, Mara had to spike a fever on the way home. It seems traveling does not agree with her kidneys. When we returned home she was running 105.8...went to the doctor and yes it was poly nephritis (kidney infection) after two shots of rocephin, augmenton, ceftin, and macrodantin we thought it was over. More to come...

Thanks to everyone in Nashville and Arkansas for such a great vacation.