Update - 12/23/06
Matthew is singing!!!! Last night a group of carolers came to the Kurz' house and they were invited in to sing for the family. When they sang "Silent Night", Matthew joined in and sang along. When the song is slower, Matthew can keep up, but if it gets to a fast part, he shakes his head and has to take a break. He does have some inflection in his voice and goes up or down some. What a joyous sound!!!
Matthew is also saying the Lord's Prayer with his family. Praise the Lord! He can also say short sentences on his own with is a great improvement from the one word at a time. It used to be that he would repeat word for word when someone directed him to repeat a sentence, but now he can repeat the short simple sentence by himself.
On Tuesday at therapy, Matthew was able to sit up on the therapy mat (which lies on a table) on his own and held his own weight for 15 minutes. He was also able to catch himself if he felt like he was losing his balance. This is an increase from the 3-5 minutes he was previously able to do.
Matthew still has strong tone in his right bicep and the muscle is very tight. This has been tight for 10 months now. It can very painful for Matthew. But the good news is that Matthew can put his right hand behind his head (with help) and it doesn't bother him. The therapists and family have to faithfully exercise Matthew's arm regularly to help limber this up in time.
I've mentioned in the past that Matthew has been able to drink from a cup, but he is doing it so much better and holding the cup on his own. This is good news! Matthew will eat fruit on his own, picking it up with his left hand and eating it. It is still a struggle to get him to eat other food items at meal time. Be assured that Matthew is getting the nutrients he needs, even when he doesn't want to cooperate at mealtime.
My apologies for not keeping you more regularly updated on Matthew's progress. Sometimes my schedule and Matthew's parents' schedules don't coincide well for getting a "news flash", especially this month with busy Advent and Christmas preparations. The Kurz family would like you to know they are very thankful for all the prayers and support that you lift up for them. They wish you all a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year. This Christmas is very special for them because they are so very thankful to have both Matthew and Andrew with them - alive and well!
God be with you all this Christmas!
Rachel Asburry
Matthew's godmother
Matthew is also saying the Lord's Prayer with his family. Praise the Lord! He can also say short sentences on his own with is a great improvement from the one word at a time. It used to be that he would repeat word for word when someone directed him to repeat a sentence, but now he can repeat the short simple sentence by himself.
On Tuesday at therapy, Matthew was able to sit up on the therapy mat (which lies on a table) on his own and held his own weight for 15 minutes. He was also able to catch himself if he felt like he was losing his balance. This is an increase from the 3-5 minutes he was previously able to do.
Matthew still has strong tone in his right bicep and the muscle is very tight. This has been tight for 10 months now. It can very painful for Matthew. But the good news is that Matthew can put his right hand behind his head (with help) and it doesn't bother him. The therapists and family have to faithfully exercise Matthew's arm regularly to help limber this up in time.
I've mentioned in the past that Matthew has been able to drink from a cup, but he is doing it so much better and holding the cup on his own. This is good news! Matthew will eat fruit on his own, picking it up with his left hand and eating it. It is still a struggle to get him to eat other food items at meal time. Be assured that Matthew is getting the nutrients he needs, even when he doesn't want to cooperate at mealtime.
My apologies for not keeping you more regularly updated on Matthew's progress. Sometimes my schedule and Matthew's parents' schedules don't coincide well for getting a "news flash", especially this month with busy Advent and Christmas preparations. The Kurz family would like you to know they are very thankful for all the prayers and support that you lift up for them. They wish you all a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year. This Christmas is very special for them because they are so very thankful to have both Matthew and Andrew with them - alive and well!
God be with you all this Christmas!
Rachel Asburry
Matthew's godmother
posted by Randy Asburry @ 8:47 PM
0 comments
