6th month

Happy New Year! 2008 is here!

Rylen rolled into 2008 from his back. Yes, he officially rolled over! I didn't catch it on camera, but I did catch a glimpse of his achievement from his bedroom door. I got so excited that i think i scared him! He has also been sitting like a champ on his own since Christmas Day. It definitely does happen over night! So much has happened this month and I will try to make a quick recap.


We visited Santa... TWICE! Rylen wanted to make sure he got what he wanted from the big guy. We visited him at Willowbrook and again at our church.


He also got to experience Texas snow! Robby was a trooper sitting on the ice cold snow while Rylen just checked it all out. As Christmas drew closer, a little cough and sniffle could be observed from our little tike and I knew he was getting a winter cold... probably from his Santa visits. It was nothing that was bringing him down and we continued with our holiday plans.




We drove to New Braunfels to get a family photo at the gazebo where Robby proposed and to visit Michelle, Kai, Jess and Joel.


Then we traveled to San Antonio to visit Robby's 90 year old grandmother and let her meet Rylen for the first time. After a two hour visit we continued to Austin to stay with Christopher and Nancy for the rest of the weekend and have Christmas with my parents who were in town as well.


Rylen received his first Christmas stocking and lots of goodies.


The whole "Clark" clan received #44 "Clark" Colts Jerseys and Rylen got his own little colts outfit as well. It was fun to all be dressed up for the game on Sunday.


Grandpa gave Rylen a hat and sunglasses to match his own. Sunday we headed back home and Rylen was starting to go a bit downhill with his cold. By Sunday night his breathing was becoming labored and I took him to the ped to check the congestion. I figured it was just mom being paranoid and it was just the congestion causing the breathing. They weren't happy with his fast 60-70 breaths/minute and gave him 4 breathing treatments and a double dose of steroids (this gave him a nasty case of shaking... i didn't like that one bit!). He didn't respond to these and so they gave him some oxygen and called for an ambulance. The drama began.



We were rushed to Texas Children's and at this point he was starting to run a 102 fever. He was given the workup of an IV, blood taken, Chest X-ray, catheter and deep nose suction. The diagnosis was the RSV virus that brought on bronchiolitis. To us, it is just a bad cold... and Rylen did give Robby and I this cold... but to Rylen it turns into a lower respiratory problem. Luckily we were able to go home Christmas Eve, but as the sun rose on Christmas morning, wheezes and sneezes could be heard from our home for miles. The whole Robbins family was sick. It wasn't the Christmas I had imagined, but at least we were home. Everyone is doing well now and Rylen is almost back to his normal eating habits. He dropped a bit of weight and so is now at 15.5lbs. We are all looking forward to 2008 being a bit less dramatic and all sicknesses staying out of the ER! Now our focus is on baby proofing and finishing the decorating in his room. He'll be crawling before we know it! Rylen is also officially sleeping in his crib. It was an overnight and smooth transition. I tell Robby everyday that aside from our hospital visits, Rylen has been a wonderfully easy baby. I hope this doesn't set the stage for the next one!


Well, now we are moving forward with solids (he loves pears!) in his highchair that just engulfs him and


Rylen has also discovered how to hold both of us feet with his hands. This has become quite amusing during diaper changes. New experiences are always right around the corner.

On a "Kimberly Note", I had my test results come back from some labs that were taken for my arthritis. They were "normal". An interesting outcome I thought and I questioned what "normal" meant. Basically, normal means just that, normal. I do have my days, but overall I am feeling better and better everyday. The aches and pains are few and far. I am still taking supplements and my diet is still vegan. I want to still ask for prayers as I know this journey is far from finished, but I am excited that God has blessed our family with such a healing. My doctor is going to have a hard time telling me I need my medication with this sort of improvement. Thank you all for your prayers thus far as I know this all through the power of our Lord that I am seeing such results. I love you all!

I hope you all had wonderful holidays celebrating Christ and a new year of miracles!