A new start..

We had Tanner's cousin Alyssa do some family pictures outside our apartments in the village a few weeks before we moved. She did a great job, we absolutely love them! (alyssa kay photography, she's on facebook if you're interested). We gave them to our families before we left so they would have an updated picture of Eric before we left. These are some of my favorites:

Eric was a little stink and wouldn't smile most of the time, but once Sheboygan was brought in, he obliged.

This one is my favorite. I just love this face, those dimples, and how you can see his adorable chub. Also, those big blue eyes kill me. He's just the cutest little guy, and we love him so much!

We made it! We arrived in Milwaukee, WI on Monday, July 11, around 4:30 pm. It was a crazy journey. We left Saturday around 6 am. It has been a tearful past week, but we are excited to be here and feel more and more blessed each day. This video was on Sunday. Eric was such a trooper in the car and while he was awake he had a lot of fun with his friend Sheboygan (a toy giraffe). We still can't believe we drove 1450 miles to get here, it was a crazy 3 days. It already seems forever ago.

Thank goodness my dad and brother Dillon drove our second car out here and got here on Tuesday. They also helped unload our stuff, along with a bunch of awesome neighbors that jumped right in to help us. We have already met a lot of people and are so happy to be here. Our landlord Fred is amazing! He took us out to dinner with his wife when we got here. He is so nice and is taking great care of us. Our neighbors are all med students with families as well, so it perfect. We had three offers for dinner on Tuesday night from neighbors, they are all so great. They were all an answer to our prayers. On Monday as we were getting off at the Milwaukee exit, we both got so nervous and kept asking each other, "What have we done?" "Why did we come out here?" The first night here we didn't have any of our stuff, so we bought an air mattress and slept with beach towels for blankets, it was so funny. Don't worry, Eric had real blankets and slept comfortably in his pack'n'play.

Eric has been so great, poor little guy. He has tolerated moving into my in-laws and losing his bed, being stuck in a car for three days and sleeping in hotels, then sleeping in a new room again in his playpen. We set up his crib yesterday and we thought he would be relieved to be in it again, but we put him in it and the poor little guy lost it. Every time we put him down to sleep yesterday he would freak out. I think there were just too many changes for the little man. It was so sad. He is still having a hard time today, but doing better. But once he's up he's as happy as a clam. Here is a video today from his first food: peas! He was not sure what to think and kept shivering like he was getting the chills, it was hilarious.

We are having so much fun and discovering what is around Milwaukee. The main thing we are discovering is food. There are lots of local places that are so good, but if we keep eating there, we will be a lot bigger by the time Tanner is done. The humidity is an adjustment as well, but it isn't too hot, so it isn't as bad. Tanner's school is incredible, the hospitals around it are just massive. I thought the big hospital in Utah was huge, but this place is just massive. I also have an interview on Monday for a unit like the one I worked on before, we are so excited! We just feel so blessed right now, it is sad and scary leaving everyone behind and completely changing our lives, but we feel so close to each other and so close to the Lord, we know it will be great. But that doesn't mean we aren't excited for family and friends to come visit, we have a third bedroom, so when we are done packing, get on out here!