Seven Weeks!

This past few weeks has flown by.  We are having so much fun with Keller.  Since the last time I updated a lot has happened.  Mike started classes one week after Keller was born. He loves his classes and is really enjoying what he is learning.  He is sitting beside me studying right now. It has been crazy to see him as a student again.  He was also asked to begin coaching all 12 city group leaders at our church.  He initially started with six so his load has doubled.  It has been encouraging to see how the Lord is stretching him.  Mike is doing a great job balancing his many duties.  I started teaching Childbirth classes again a few weeks ago, and have been finishing my final exam.  It has been fun to share my birth experience with the three couples in my class.  I also celebrated my 28th birthday and decided to train for a half-marathon.

Avery is continuing to enjoy her "little boo."  That would be Keller : )  She loves him so much and cries when I have to put him down for a nap.  It is so much fun to watch him smile when she talks to him.  She is also still enjoying the pool.  The week that Keller was born we had her in swimming lessons. Avery would tell the teacher everyday that she couldn't swim.  For about two more weeks she continued to tell us that, and then one day she went for it.  She has been swimming like a fish ever since.  Mike takes her to the pool almost every afternoon.  It amazes me how well she is doing.  

Keller is doing great.  We had a hard first few weeks but he is doing much better now.  I spent the first two weeks trying to make him like Avery.  I wasn't taking the time learn who he is and meeting his needs.  We spent one week at home so that I could focus on him and try to learn his cues and his needs and he has been a different baby.  He is finally sleeping pretty well at night and he is all smiles.  He has started cooing at us, and Avery tells everyone he can talk now.  He is so cuddly, and I am trying to make the most of this time.  

There is so much I could say and I have so many thoughts and wonderful memories from the past few weeks, but I really don't know where to start. I have tried to include a lot of pictures instead.  Sorry that the pictures are so out of order but my brain has been a little out of order these past few weeks : )

This is Avery at swim lessons.  She really enjoyed it, even if she did try to convince the teacher she couldn't do it.
Our little Keller man.  He is all smiles these days.  He is almost 8 weeks old. It is so hard to believe!
My precious family.  You can really tell in this picture how much Keller looks like Mike.  Our friends here will be carrying Keller around and say they feel like they are holding Mike.  Oh well, maybe our next one will look like me.
Avery has been so colorful lately.  She is literally colorful in this picture because she put makeup all over her forehead. I think I better work on makeup application a little longer.  She has been so much fun these past few weeks.  She makes me laugh so hard.  Last week she told Mike and I that when she stops wetting the bed she wants to get her nose pierced.  I have got my hands full!!
This is Keller meeting his great-grandmother for the first time.  My Mamaw is 86 this year and was delighted to meet Keller.  
This is Keller at seven weeks.  If you look really closely at the back of his head you can see that he has a huge cow lick.  Avery calls it his "noHawk."  You can't help but giggle when you see it.

One day while Keller was sleeping, Avery and I made playdough. She then wanted to turn it into a Dora cake and pretend it was her birthday.
This is Avery and her friend Joel.  They have so much fun together. One day he was over playing and they were very quiet. I walked in and they were reading books to each other. It was really cute.  I think she was educating him on all of the Disney Princesses.
Uncle Nate came to Orlando for a visit.  He got to meet Keller for the first time before he headed to California.  
Cinderella at her finest!  She wanted to dress like Cinderella and then vacuum the floor.  I promise I don't make her clean the house.

These next three pictures were taken when Keller was only one week old.  Leslie Larche so generously came to our home and took family photos for us.  We had such an amazing time smiling and laughing together.


 Thanks for keeping up with us!  We are blessed to be able to share this sweet time with others.

This Weeks Adventure!

This week has been a whirlwind as we have started to adjust to life with two children.  It is already so much fun and so many memories have already been made.  It was very strange to come home with a few hour old baby.  We had to check Keller's vitals every four hours and make sure that he was doing ok.  It was also really good to be in our own home and let him begin to adjust to our house.  The first day was a little interesting as he adjusted to life on the outside.  He has done great though and is eating and sleeping well!  At first the only place he would sleep was in our bed.  He looked so tiny spread out in our queen bed all alone.

Avery, my mom and my aunt Jean all made Keller a birthday cake.  Ok really I was the one that was craving a pound cake with white icing but we told Avery it was for Keller's birthday. This week I have managed to eat the entire cake!  While we were making the cake Avery dropped the measuring cup into the mixer and cake batter went everywhere. It was priceless!

This is my dad holding Keller.  It took him a while to decide he would hold him and wasn't going to break him but he did great. Keller's middle name is after my dad!
Mommy still has to do the chores.  I needed to do the laundry and had Keller in my arms.  Good thing newborns can sleep anywhere!
Avery has really enjoyed having a brother. It is such a neat experience to watch her fall in love with him.  She wakes up in the morning and the first thing she asks is "where is my baby brother?"  She wants him to go and do everything she does. She has been such a big help. She gets diapers (goes through the entire pack until she finds one with elmo) and helps change his clothes.  A few days ago he even pooped on her legs : )  She screamed non stop for five minutes about how dirty her leg was even after we washed it.  I thought she was done with him after that but she keeps coming back for more.  

I am so excited about the two beautiful blessings that God has entrusted us with.  Please pray that Mike and I would make the most of everyday that God gives us with our precious family.  

Keller Joseph has arrived!

Keller Joseph Boland was born on Tuesday morning at 8:45 am.  God proved his faithfulness once again with the timing.  Mike, Avery and I have been praying for a few weeks that Keller would come at a time that would allow my family to come and help for a few days before school starts back.  The time was drawing near but God in his perfect timing had a great plan!  

I woke up on Tuesday morning at 6:00 and was having contractions about 4 minutes apart. Knowing how fast Avery came I knew we better get in the car.  A friend came to stay with Avery and we left for the birth center around 7:00.  We had a thirty minute drive so we didn't get there until about 7:40.  By  8:20 I needed to push and Keller was born about 25 minutes later.  It was a great experience to be at the birth center where we felt very confident and cared for.  Keller weighed 8 pounds and 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. 

We left the birth center around 1pm and took Keller for his first doctors appointment.  We got back home just in time to wake Avery from her nap and let her meet him. She was pretty quiet at first and just wanted me to hold her but it didn't take her long to warm up to her new brother.  By last night she wanted him every where she was. He even had to go to the bathroom for bath time.  It is fun to see how much she loves him and how proud she is to have a baby brother.

This necklace was given to me at a Mother's Blessing shower here in Orlando.  Everyone that came brought a bead and told something they would be praying for our family. It was such a blessing to know how many people are praying for our us. 

This is Michelle. The midwife that delivered Keller.  She did a great job and was very loving and patient.  
Mike and Keller minutes after he was born.
Everybody says he looks just like Mike!
He is such a blessing!  We are so excited to be adding a little boy to our family!  Thank you for your prayers for the delivery. Please continue to pray as we begin the journey of raising our little ones. 

Beach Blast

With only two weeks until baby Boland was due to arrive Mike and I decided to take Avery to New Smyrna beach for one last alone time with Mommy and Daddy.  Since we have moved to Orlando we feel like we have been full speed ahead.  It was such a blessing to slow down and really enjoy our family.  Avery was elated to have all of our attention. 

Things are still going really well here in Orlando and we are feeling more and more settled everyday.  We have already made some great friends and feel very loved and accepted.  Avery is adjusting pretty well also. This week has been a little harder as we talk more and more about the baby coming.  She seems excited on one hand but a little unsure on the other.  We are praying that God will help her transition go as smoothly as possible.

Mike is still really enjoying his job.  He is also finishing up his assignments from his last class.  He will start Greek I on August 3rd.  I am doing well also.  Trying to patiently wait on the baby's arrival.  We were pretty convinced he would come last week because I am already four cm dilated but he is comfy.  My iron has also been really low so I have been working on that this week and trusting that it will increase before the birth.  We are so excited for the opportunity to have a little boy join our family.  

Thank you for your prayers.  We wouldn't be where we are without you!

Florida Fun

We have now been in Florida almost two months and are beginning to feel like this is home.  We have seen God provide in so many ways!  Mike loves his job at City Church and the church family has really embraced us.  They have showered us with hospitality and generosity and it has made our transition so much easier.  Avery is starting to make new friends and is really beginning to enjoy where we are.  Believe it or not even being nine months pregnant have enjoyed it here.  It is very HOT but we are making the most of it!!!  It was 88 degrees in our bedroom on Sunday. I told Mike that we need to advertise to be a sauna.  

It seems like every day is a new adventure.  We are learning as a family how to make the most of our time and our new schedule. Mike started his first seminary class yesterday.  (Let's hope he makes is through Friday without me having the baby : ) He is sitting in the dinning room right now studying.  It is going to take some getting use to for me to have him as a student. I just want him to sit and hang out : )  We are excited about where God has brought us and can't wait to see what is in store.

We have had lots of company the last few weeks.  Several of our friends were in town this past weekend and we all got to spend time together.  It was fun to reconnect and be refreshed.  Avery had lots of fun playing with  her old pals.
On Saturday we all went to Sea World together.  It was such a joy to see Avery squeal with excitement over Shamu.  She had a blast.  I was hoping that standing in the 100 degree weather would spark labor but it didn't.  I actually had an ultrasound on Friday and he is still pretty tiny.  Right time Mike saw the picture he told me I don't stand a chance because he looks just like Mike.  We are eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Mike and Avery at Elmo.
This is Avery with her friend Abigail at a park near our house. This is one thing I love about Florida. The parks are awesome!!  We have found so many cool things to do around our house.  

I just wanted to give a quick update and let you know that we are thankful for your prayers.  We know that things wouldn't have worked out so well without the prayers of others around us. We have been studying Thessalonians as a Church and Mike and I have both seen and been convicted about how eagerly Paul prayed for other believers.  We are very thankful for you all!

Florida Update

It is hard to believe but we have been in Florida now for three weeks.  The Lord couldn't have blessed us with a more smooth transition.  Mike, Avery and I loaded up our house on April 29th and started on our way. We made it to Florida on May 1st and were surrounded by tons of people from City Church that were ready and willing to help in any way possible.   We felt welcomed and encouraged from the beginning.  

We really love the location of our rental home.  Mike is only a few miles from his office and Avery and I are only minutes from lots of new friends.  We are still learning our way around the city but every day seems a little better. The first week we were here Avery and I drove around for three days looking for the bank.  The funny part is I can look out of our Den window and see the Bank I just couldn't get there : )

Avery is really starting to adjust to the new house and to her new friends.  She did tell us that she likes her old house better because she misses her friends next door.  Mike and I feel similar in many ways.  We are enjoying the new community and feel very blessed to be here in Florida but at the same time have a deep ache for the closeness of our friends and family back in NC and SC.

This was our last meal with our friends in Durham. It was such a bittersweet morning.  I can honestly say that our years with these friends have taught me more about true community and friendships than I could ever imagine.

This is Avery's new room in Florida.  She loves having a big bed. The first night after we got it she hopped in and said "this is awesome!"  When I went in later to check on her she was spread eagle across the entire bed.

Avery on her third birthday!  It is hard to believe that we have a three year old.  It is such a blessing to have her to enjoy!

If you asked her what she wanted for her birthday she would say a Dora cake.  She didn't want anything else : )  Her MaMa, DA, and May got her a very large Dora cake that we are still eating!

Avery got to celebrate her birthday several times.  Our friends Wendy and Riley brought Avery a personal Dora cake and they didn't hesitate to dig in!

On Avery's birthday we had a few new friends over.  We pretended it was everyone's birthday and all enjoyed cake with candles.  

We are really excited about what God has in store for us here in Orlando.  Mike is really enjoying his job at City Church.  He will begin Greek I in August.  We are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of our baby boy.  ONLY seven weeks to go!  

Thank you all for your prayers and support.  We are thankful for your sacrifice so that we can be here learning more about church ministry.  We look forward to staying connected and will continue to keep you updated as we make a new start in Orlando!

Season of Change

It is hard to believe that it has been almost three months since I have made a post.  So much has happened in our lives in the last three months.  Most of you know that Mike and I started praying last summer for the Lord to clarify our next step.  Our passion for the Church has been increasing greatly over the past few years and we feel that God has clearly begun to move us in that direction!  In January, Mike and I went down to Orlando, FL to interview for a City Groups pastor job at a PCA Church in downtown Orlando.  With no expectations and trusting that the Lord would lead, Mike was offered a part-time job at the church.   That was the first confirmation along our journey to Orlando. There is a great seminary in Orlando, RTS, that Mike will also be attending.  His goal is to get a Masters of Divinity and possibly a  degree in counseling.  

Our next step was to put our house on the market and trust that even with the economy the way it is that our house would sale.  Only by God's grace only two weeks after being on the market it SOLD.  With that said we are SOLD that God is leading us to Orlando.  We are thankful for all of your prayers and ask that you would continue to pray for His leading as we make our final preparations.

I can't remember if I mentioned last time but we are also expecting baby number two in July.  That is just one more interesting aspect of our move! We are super excited to be welcoming a baby boy to the Boland household. Avery is elated.

This is Avery on her pet Shampoo! This whale has been taking up a large section of our living room. He also has to sleep in the guest bed at night.  Unfortunately, when we put our house on the market Shampoo had to move to the garage.

Avery with her good friend Madison dressed up like little Princesses.  She told us a few weeks ago that she wants to be a princess when she grows up. I guess we are moving to the right city!

Our little Ham!  She has been so much fun lately and she never ceases to amaze us with the things she says. She is beginning to understand that we are moving and has been a little emotional.  We will really miss our friends here in North Carolina. 

It is hard to believe that the transition is happening so quickly.  We are thankful to have family and friends that are willing to pray with us and encourage us along the way.  Looking forward to including you in the next few months!