October Ends...When will Fall begin : )

Well, another week has passed in sunny Orlando and it is still in the 90's.  I am not sure if we will ever wear another sweater.  We are eagerly awaiting a few cooler days!  This week has been a lot of fun.  We have done lots of fun fall activities with our friends.  

Halloween night we walked around our neighborhood with some friends.  It was so much fun to see Avery running from house to house.  We couldn't believe she wore the wig!  Keller didn't last long in his Chicken costume. It is way to hot here for that.

Last week we had a few friends over, and I heard Avery being really loud in her room. I walked in to tell her to quiet down and realized she had drawn whiskers on her face and was roaring at her friends.  This child never ceases to amaze me.  She has an amazing imagination.  Lately she has decided that she has twin siblings.  She talks about them all of the time and keeps me posted occasionally on what they are doing.  She informed me the day before Halloween that they were going to be a worm and worm dirt.  Where does she get this stuff?
My dad has a great garden back in South Carolina.  When he and my mom came to visit they brought us a bunch of pumpkins.  Mike, Avery and myself sat down to carve Ariel one night.  Mike got all into the carving and wouldn't let us have a turn.  He did a great job though! It looks just like Ariel.


This was my fun creation.  A pumpkin cookie cake.
The three amigos!  These little boys are going to have a blast growing up together.  They are going to have to stick together to survive their three year old siblings.  It is fun to see how laid back and happy these three boys are.  They take life in stride.  
The whole gang!

Fall is in the air

It actually feels like Fall today in Florida.  It is hard to believe that it is the middle of October and today is the first day it has been under 90 degrees. Mike and I took Avery and Keller to the park this morning and there were people there wearing sweaters.  We of course were in our short sleeves and flip-flops because our blood hasn't thickened in the Florida heat yet : )  I am sure that will come with time!

Things are still going well here in Orlando.  Mike was on Fall break from school this week so it was a nice change of pace.  He had a mid-term last week so he was busy studying.  He is still really enjoying school and the things he is learning.  

We found out this week that Keller has pretty bad allergies.  He has been congested on and off since he was born, so the doctor determined that it was allergies.  We are giving him probiotics and vitamin D every day.  She also recommended that I cut back on dairy and Gluten.  My mom has Celiac disease, and I have often said I would never make it if I were diagnosed.  It has been one week and I still don't know how long I could make it.  I sit here at night and wonder what you eat for a late night snack if cereal isn't an option.  I still don't have a good answer.  It is worth it though. Keller is doing much better and hasn't even needed the humidifier this week.

His gummy little grin will steal your heart.  Now that we are figuring him out a little, we have decided he is the happiest baby ever.  He keeps the best little grin on his face.  He is so much fun.

Last Sunday my parents came down for Avery and Keller's baptism.  It was such a sweet time for our family.  Tears streamed down my face as our children were walked  around the church. The congregation sang "Amazing Grace," and welcomed Avery and Keller into the covenant family.  Mike and I felt like we were finally a part of a church family again.  It has been such a blessing to be welcomed with open arms at City Church.



Already has his favorite team.  Go Citadel Bulldogs!
Avery is still doing great with Keller.  She really enjoys being a big sister.  She still never ceases to amaze me.  We have decided that she is going to be an artist when she grows up. She loves coloring and has gotten great at staying the lines.  She also created a nice mural on her wall with stickers last week.  I went in to check on her around 9:30 thinking she would be hard and fast asleep, and I catch her putting stickers all over the wall beside her bed.  Let's hope she can put all of this creative energy into something productive.  

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!