Unspeakable Joy - 11 months old

Wow! Todd and I have been having the time of our lives. Benjamin is so amazing! We now can see why parents have additional children. At first, it seemed like the worry alone was too much to take, but we have started relying fully on our Faith in God to get us through each challenge we face and the joy is abundant. Benjamin was sick at the beginning of July with a viral infection and was hospitalized again for a week. It seemed so much more traumatic than anything we'd seen before, maybe it was because we have had the opportunity to love Benjamin and spend so much time with him. He struggled so hard while in the hospital and even had to have emergent surgery due to a hernia getting stuck. The surgery went well and Benjamin bounced right back to everyone's surprise. His surgeon even seemed extremely concerned because of the condition of his lungs. He had to be put under anesthesia and intubated for a short time during the surgery but recovered well. Since then, he has been growing and developing by leaps and bounds. We are simply amazed each day as he discovers something new. We have continual help from both Grandma's (Mimi and Grammy), which has made things so much easier for us. Benjamin is so good natured; he smiles and laughs constantly. Lately, he seems more and more amused by his surroundings. We had a follow up appointment with his eye doctor this Monday to check his vision and the doctor said he doesn't see any issue with his vision and he will not need glasses. He is still getting physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nutrition consults. All of the feedback has been good. It sounds like Benjamin is doing well with his development and continues to improve. I can't believe he is already 11 months old. Thank you all for your support and continued prayers! We are so thankful God blessed us with Benjamin.