There`s been a lot of cool things going on
here at home lately.
Marshall is doing really well everywhere he goes!
... and let me clarify that i mean 'really well... for Marshall'.
He does and always will have Autism.
We are in month 5 since the diagnosis and more recently,
Marshall is just becoming so independent.
It is awesome... most days ;)
I've been making a list of all the little things
that he is doing, doing differently, doing better lately,
and i am happy to share them with you!
Get ready for a lot of exclamation points -
i can't help myself!! :D
Marshall has learnt how to ride a tricycle
using the pedals!
He is helping me do laundry and willingly put his
favourite blanket in to be washed when i requested it
on 2 occaisions now!!
Marshall's original blue blanket knitted by Nana
fell apart months back.
She made him a new one...
which he rejected immediately. lol.
We've been trying to trick him but it hasn't worked.
His old blanket didn't even cover him at night
anymore. Then randomly one night,
he decided to make the trade all on his own.
I couldn't believe it when i saw the new blanket laying
on my kitchen floor the next morning!
The old one got one last wash and is now in hiding for life :)
Marshall has discovered his love for wa-wa's,
otherwise known as waffles.
This is not profound, but definitely a loved
and muched talked about food option for him
in the morning these days. lol.
My kids never seem to have actual pajamas for bed.
I have some hand me downs from my oldest
for my younger daughter,
but Marshall is usually naked.
Now with fall settling in, he needs to be wearing
something more than nothing at bed time.
In the past, i've just thrown on an older
muscle shirt or tshirt on him.
Well, i tried that last week and M was freaking out!
I guess he thought i was dressing him for the
day or something, when all he wanted to
do was go to bed. lol.
I went out and bought him a pajama set,
Two actually as they were on sale.
Marshall rejected those at first too,
and the first night only slept with the bottoms on.
But the second night, he let me put on his shirt
and he fell asleep wearing it :)
Now, he loves his pj's!
It is no longer a confusing thing for him,
which was mostly my own fault.
Bed time all together has improved by leaps and bounds!!
Brushing Marshall's teeth has looked like this
most of his life: Chase him down, sometimes he
opens his mouth, sometimes he doesn't
and i have to fight him,
but they get brushed one way or another,
and the toothpaste is swallowed.
Suddenly, Marshall is interested in brushing his teeth at the sink!!
He will open his mouth bigger if i show
him in the mirror by opening mine.
He likes to watch me brush,
and he is a big fan of the spitting part!! lol.
He will take several sips of water
and spit them out and he is so happy to do so!
Of course, the first time i made a huge deal out of it
and i told him to go and show Daddy his teeth.
Off he ran into the living room beaming from
ear to ear to show off his pearly whites!
Daddy of course, plays it up too for him :)
Marshall is eager and excited and actually runs
into the bathroom when i suggest brushing teeth.
It's great.
Such a big boy!!
Marshall has continued to bathe well.
He is helping me wash him.
His hair is getting on the longer side,
so washing is becoming a bit harder as it just takes
longer. He will be getting a buzz in the next couple
of weeks for sure.
Evenings are great with the routine down pat.
And what is even greater,
is that suddenly Marshall is interested in actually
reading books!!!!!!!!!!
That one gets extra '!!!'
Up until recently, Marshall has only had interest in looking
at the pictures and talking very briefly about what
we see. But now, when his sister goes
to pick out her bedtime book, Marshall picks out his own too!
He even says "book" after showing
Daddy his smile :)
Both the kiddies climb to the top bunk and eagerly
await reading their books together.
Marshall is even waiting to read D's book first,
as long as he can turn the pages, he is happy...
and also, as long as there are not too many words.
But he'll let me read a Franklin book which isn't super short!
Then he gets his book out and we mostly talk about
the pictures, but sometimes he waits until he hears my
`reading voice`for a few sentences and then turns the page!
It has become such a great time with him.
I wondered if he'd ever get to this place.
And just like that, when he decides,
he really can do anything it seems!
He has been requesting for me to "sing"
at bed time every night for the past several weeks.
Just recently he has started to sing along :)
It sounds nothing like what i'm singing,
but it's music to my ears!
Since he is so calm at night time now, i have been
able to start prayers with him.
We do the
Now i lay me down to..."leep"
I pray the Lord my soul to... "keet"
May your love go with me all the..."nigh"
and wake me up with the morning... "ligh"
"A-men!"
M finishes the last word of each line proudly :)
I love it.
I believe i have shared that Marshall can successfully
put on his velcro sandals.
He is now putting on his velcro shoes all by himself!!
He knows to push the tongue down and he lines it
up just right. Pretty cool.
I remember seeing a documentary about a year
ago about a young autistic boy,
and they showed how he had mastered
putting on his shoes...
and for some reason i was moved by how hard
that little boy tried, and then succeded.
And now i can be proud of my son
for accomplishing something that a year ago,
seemed like a lost cause.
How cool is that?!
Marshall is also putting on his seatbelt himself
in the car. He's in a 5 point harness, and as long
as i give him a bit of extra belt,
he does it up all on his own!
and again, proud as ever of himself.
He is becoming so independent lately, it's crazy!
Marshall is trying to say any word we
ask of him lately, and he's even saying words on his
own too!
He has just started making "ch" and "j" sounds.
Words like "orange" actually sound like orange now!
The first word i heard him say with that sound was
"pinching". lol.
After several times of me having to be stern with
him about pinching his sister, and my having
to get right to his level and say, "no pinching",
he repeated it.
I was at a cross roads...
"Yes that's right Marshall, NO pinching,
and good talking Marshall- yeah no pinching-good boy!
Now NO pinching your sister." lol.
Even i had to laugh afterwards.
Besides the pinching, pushing, pestering stuff
that Marshall is still doing at times,
he has been playing really well with his sister lately.
They have started wresting with one another...
and it is hilarious to watch them and to listen
to them laugh together.
He follows every direction she gives him!
Marshall wants to do everything with D.
He will yell for her if she is not right beside
him when going out the door.
It's really sweet.
She tells me every day that she wants to be a
teacher when she grows up because she
loves to teach Marshall.
She will make an awesome teacher...
she already is!
So much of what
Marshall is learning on a social level is from D.
Marshall is saying "lease" (please)
and "kan-ku" (thank you) on his own
without prompting all the time now.
He will call out,
"Mommy!! All done!"
when he wants me to clean up after him.
The other day he was looking at my book and when
he was done with it, he closed it and handed it to me
as he said,
"Here you go Mommy". :O
That one surprised me!
Four words together with purpose and in proper context.
That's my boy!!
Learning and growing every day!
OH!!!
I almost forgot.
Ok, so this was so random and surprising...
We were at my sister's house for Thanksgiving
and Marshall needed to go "pee".
Marshall always sits down to go pee.
Back when we were trying to train him
(before he was ready), we'd try both sitting and
standing. He's watched Daddy a few times.
So anyways, i take him to the washroom
where he strips down his bottom half to nothing.
I turn around to help him shimy onto the potty
only to see him pressing himself against it...standing.
I am shocked. lol. I don`t know what to do,
so i do nothing but observe.
Sure enough, he stands there and starts to pee!!!
He even shifted over when the stream went
to the side! lol.
I couldn`t believe it.
I still can`t believe it.
He did his thing and acted as if this was an every day
occurance! He didn`t look to me for praise
or anything, simply put his clothes back
on and went out to play.
Unbelievable eh?
I went to my family at the table
and told them what just happened and asked them
if anyone had been teaching him this.
They all said no.
My husband said that that morning he had shown
Marshall an example again, but that was it.
Marshall peed again this same way another time
while at Thanksgiving, and then again at home
the same night before his bath.
He has not done it since.
So wierd!!!
This kid is full of surprises... and i love it!
So here you have another post
filled with wonderful things!
Don`t get me wrong, there are still Marshall`s screaming fits,
tantrums and the frustrations
of our daily life here in the Hiebert home,
but all in all we just have
SO much to be thankful for.
Yeah Marshall!!!!!!!!!!
Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
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