Growing Up!!

Here in the Marshall Family, we've been pretty busy. We've had a terrible virus that had to run it's course and we just finished up VBS at church and Matthew done GREAT!!! He loves playing with all of the kids, especially the bigger ones. He was a little shy around them at first but then he was right in the middle.

He's grown up so much in these past few weeks, it's amazing to watch. He tried painting for the first time at VBS and loved making a mess. There was paint on his face, his hands and me!!

We had an orthopedic appt. this week (we of course changed doctors) and Dr. Suzi was so good with him that Matthew didn't cry AT ALL while she fitted him for his braces. We learned that there are 26 bones in each of your feet and you don't develop all of them until about 3yrs of age. Who Knew!!! Anyway, Matthew is being fitted for a different type of brace, one that will be open in the front and back and will allow him to move his ankle. Now he walks so stiff legged because he can't do the heel to toe walking that he needs too. Since he's double jointed at the ankles and flat footed, Matthew tends to walk on his heels and then his ankles give and he ends up walking on the inside part of his foot without the rest of the foot hitting the floor.

Matthew got to pick out his own design for his braces, "outerspace". I'll take a picture of them once he gets them. These new braces will allow him to work his calve muscles where as the ones he has now don't. Hopefully after the age of 3 Matthew won't need any bracing, if anything, maybe inserts in his shoes.

Since my last post Matthew has learned to bake, of course he prefers the cake mix. He's so adorable with chocolate.

Here lately Matthew would rather feed us or our dog, Sadie than himself. I've decided that I'm done buying sippy cups. Matthew will hardly drink out one now, he wants our cups. So I just gave him his own cup and he does pretty good with it, he spills it a couple times but he loves hearing his voice echo inside the cup. He's so funny.

Matthew is starting to put two words together, so far he's saying "bye papa", "dare dog", "over there". His pronunciation is still off but we understand what he says. He also will sign a word and then say the next word. He's so smart!!

This summer Matthew has found a new hobby, he's learning to drive the tractor, with Papa's help of course. Matthew's a natural, he now has tractor fever.

Matthew loves playing on his swing set. We have to wait til almost dark to take him due to it being so HOT!!!

We've been working a little on the potty training too, we're not pushing Matthew to do this but last week Matthew was sitting on the potty while playing with his bubbles and he peed in the potty. We were so excited and so was he, so he now knows that it's ok for him to do this. I think it was pure luck but he did it.

Swimming Lessons at the Y are getting better, yesterday he didn't cry as much and he actually tried to kick some.

Time to go!!! Bradley and I get a DATE NIGHT!!!! tonight. Our friends Frank & Annette are coming over to babysit for us so Bradley and I can celebrate our 10 yr. wedding anniversary. Yoohoo!!!

P.S. Sorry if you don't like the black and white picts. I just wanted to try something new.:)