11 months!

These dudes are getting harder and harder to photograph with their "month" signs! I seriously broke a sweat tonight trying to even get them to sit by each other for the pic.

Here is what I came up with to capture my little men at 11 months old. Why do they have to be getting so old?...tear...tear:

Sadly, this is the best one:

I'm outta here:

Stealing the sign away from me for the 100th time. Finally, I just gave in and let them have it:

Ben looks so short and round here:Only way to get them quiet and still:
Sam's cute faces:

Look at his sweet eyes. I love that boy:
New this month:

Sam:
- lots of talking (mama and dada)
- Said "bye bye" and waved tonight
- Got his flu shot :(
- Seems to be getting skinnier. I don't think he's as good of an eater as Ben
- Hair is getting really long and he needs a haircut
- Finally got another tooth on top to accompany his huge one (no more homeless look!)
- Loves Maggie and I always find him pinching her (out of love)

Ben:
-
- 2 new ear infections! :( We have to go see an ENT to talk about the dreaded tubes!
- Talking a TON! New word he loves to say "uh-oh!" So happy with himself when he repeats it back
- Will repeat back "dada" sometimes
- Talks in sentences that only he can understand
- Eats VERY well (favorite foods: bread, waffles, grilled cheese, sweet potatoes, anything I make for dinner for Matt and I )

Both:
-Pulling up to standing all the time
- Standing on own for short periods of time
- "crusing"
-Imitate what we do with toys after we demonstrate it a couple of times
- Smiles and laughs all the time
- Play a lot with each other. They love playing with their toys, peek-a-boo, and with their baby gate. They laugh a lot with each other and crack each other up.

I know I've said it before but I'll say it again..I'm the luckiest mom in the entire world! Just when I think they can't get any cuter, funnier, or smarter - the very next day they do something new. Being a mom is much better than how anyone described it. But, I guess you just have to see for yourself.

Today my cousin posted "Happy Anniversary" to her husband on Facebook. It reminded me that 2 years ago today I was at her wedding and unknowingly pregnant. I hadn't been pregnant without majorly trying or fertility treatments for 2 1/2 years and I was naturally, unexpectedly pregnant! Sadly, we lost that baby, obviously. But, the doctors were able to do testing on it and they assured us it would come back as a chromosomal problem.. it always does, they said. Everyone was very shocked to find out that the testing showed that the baby was actually a normal male. This is when most readers are saying "poor Jill and Matt". No, don't say that yet- just wait. There is a happy ending :)

We knew we needed to make some choices and just around that time our angel, Jamie, stepped forward offeirng to be our surrogate. Two years later I am taking pictures of my perfect, healthy, wonderful, amazing little boys for their 11 month b-day.

I believe God made that entire chain of events happen to bring us to our beautiful boys. If anything was different about that, the outcome may not have been what we have today. I mean, really- I got unexpectly pregnant on my own after 2 1/2 years??? That wasn't a coincident, people! That was the 1st step of the string of events that let to our miracles.

Life is never what we think it's going to be. All of us in some way and time take the road less traveled. And, yes, ours kinda sucked there for awhile but, man, did the finish line make up for it! So, it shouldn't be "poor Matt and Jill" - remember, we are the luckiest people in the world! God works miralces everyday and we definitely got ours :)

My favorite quote is "Everything will be OK in the end, if it's not OK then it's not the end". Is it ok - of course!. Is it the end - only time will tell ;) .........................................