Pee your pants

So, we had a little Christmas dinner in Standrod, that wasn't on Christmas.

We decided last minute to dress up in old prom dresses.

This looks like it just happened so easy....

But it took some serious man power to get those dresses on.

Echo kept saying, "Ya this is how it fit me when I went to Prom, I remember."

Sally kept saying as Tiera was zipping her dress, "I know it fits me, just keep zipping it."

I just completely knew my old dresses were not going to fit my 12 week post baby body/nursing chest.

So I went for the stretchy top dress: after a few failed attempts at other dresses.

You see with 8 (7 that have graduated high school) girls in the family that makes a lot of dresses we would own.

2 Proms, 1 Homecoming, maybe a few other random things.

I know I had 3 Prom dresses in my high school time. So 3 times 7 is 21 dresses.

Whoa sounds like a movie.

After Tiera spent much time pulling and stretching and pulling and ziiiiiip finally got it up.

Then it was like Moses parted the sea and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz pop!

That zipper exploded in half!

We were DYING laughing.

Looks like it still fits Sal Pal!!

HAHAHAHAHA!

She wore a different dress, and Mom was not very happy we ruined the zipper by squeezing her in.

Foreshadowing: Not the only dress to be defiled that night....

But she did insist she was the same size.

We tried to console her telling her that your bodies change from 17 to 22.

Plus she is more muscular from being on the track team.

She took it okay.

The boys dressed up as well...

Ian took it quite seriously.

Landon and Brad put on their formal white shirt and tie.

And we all had quite the feast.

My little brother Ammon who is autistic...

thought my dress was so fascinating. 

My dress had little sparkles on the chest...and I do have nursing chest right now.....

So clearly he was very intrigued...

He came right up to me and rubbed my chest, and I knew he was just in it for the sparkles, but it sent the table into hysterics.

Echo was trapped in and couldn't get out fast enough to go to the bathroom, so she just down right peed her dress.

Mom was VERY mad about that one.

Everyone else was DYING laughing and after Ammon stopped and went on to something more exciting like stealing Brad's plate of food, he came back again for more rub rub, and by that point almost all the girls had run out of the room to pee their pants....

So we had quite the night.

Miles just wore his jammies, and Brad did his hair so handsome (uhhhhhhhhhhh Creep master).

And I'm pretty positive Brad wore a shirt and tie and sweats.

Can't ever get him out of those.

That sounds bad.

In Standrod we went to church.

Which is in Almo, Idaho.

Which is where the famous City of Rocks resides.

I spend most of my time in Mother's lounges at church.

Either feeding Miles or trying to get some peace and quiet and get him to sleep.

But he never falls asleep in there because its so bright and I'm too creeped out of church bathrooms to turn off the lights.

But we are back in Texas now, and while it snows and snows in Utah, it just blows and blows here in Texas.

I am going strong teaching Preschool with my friend Carissa and it is such a wonderful thing because it gives me a chance to plan and have something academic to do.

Brad just studies and studies in the office in our house.

Which is nice to have him home and I try to consolidate all the times I go in to interrupt him.

Like: Hey want a drink? combined with: I gotta grab this. combined with: What time are you going to be done? combined with: Me sitting on his lap while Miles sits on my lap. combined with: Hey I gotta go get the mail, watch Mr. Miles for a second. combined with: What did you get me for Vday last year?

Sometimes I just send him a quick text if its a meaningless interruption.

Sometimes I post on my blog instead of doing the dishes, laundry, cleaning, and mopping.

Valentine's Day is coming!!! Do you have your present all planned out for that special someone????

Hansen Christmas

Christmas was crazy. It was weird to go back to Provo and it felt like we were still living there honestly. But just out of bags: which was even weirder.
Before we went to Standrod, my sister Tosha came to meet Mr. Miles. She has three kids.

Remi loved Miles and he loved her just as much.

Tosha's little girls are so cute! They look so much alike. This is Ashtyn 

I love Miles' face here, and Remi just looks so happy to be holding him.

Finally cousins meet. Little Trey and Miles. Future besties.

I have always loved my nieces and nephews, but it has so much more meaning and I love seeing them interact with my baby now, its fun starting something new, like a person....

This little person is so full of personality, and I love watching him change and grow. Here he is at Christmas time in these Gap Halloween Jammies...I'm a sucker for sales and these Halloween jammies don't even look like Halloween until you get up close they are little mice with capes and pumpkins. But they were only 3 dollars so I'm good with cheap quality. Oxymoron. Discounted good quality. There we go. Brad calls these his pioneer jammies: maybe because of the color? I'll never know.

Here we are on New Years Eve. That is Echo my sister on the far left and her boyfriend best friend McKay. He leaves for the MTC on Wednesday, and after that he is serving in the Lubbock Texas mission. That's right, her boyfriend is coming to Lubbock!!!!! How crazy is that? So we will be having him over for dinner, cuz we love him.

Sally didn't want her picture taken, but she is wearing two items that came from me and both have very awesome stories. First is the hoodie, I bought that at Old Navy when I was a freshman in college. Such a cool story. Sorry, not really, but the pants are a whole awesome story.

You see I felt so proud of myself for going and buying these jammie pants for all my sisters for Christmas one year. Everyone was trying them on and they started fighting about not wanting the green ones (there were red ones too). Then they were saying things like, "I don't want the green ones, they are ugly." And "Fine I won't have any because I only want the red ones."

Then I burst into tears and ran into my closet (walk in) and shut the door and just cried. 

This was before I was married PS, long ago.

And they were all freaked out and came in wearing the green ones and saying sorry and that they loved them. I guess I just had a break down and thought that buying 7 pairs of pajama pants would make them love me more or something. Best $80.00 I've ever spent when I saw Sally wearing them this Christmas years later, and the green ones none the less.

My mom was sure to pour us all Sparkling Grape and Apple Cider while we played cards.

That's a tradition for us non alcohol drinkers.

I wanted a picture of Miles with all my siblings at Christmas (that were there) so I started with Ian.

And this is what we got folks. Such a character. When I was engaged to Brad he said to me, "So is Brad slowly becoming a Hansen?" (My maiden name)

And I said, "Well I am going to become a Clark now."

And he burst into tears and ran out of the room.

I followed him and explained to him that I am still Brittany Hansen Clark, and I will always be his sister, and yes Brad was becoming a Hansen, he just wasn't going to change his name, and when he gets married (that lucky lego lovin star wars girl) she will change her name to Hansen too.

He was just sobbing like someone had died. It touched my heart that he cared about me like that.

I loved watching him and Ian take care of Miles, they would run upstairs (3 floors) and check on him for me, and they would play with him and hand him his toys over and over again. Such good uncles.

Landon is my brother closest to me in age and in spirit. We are close, he and I have been besties since babies, 15 months apart and he always has been there for me. So now that his wife is pregnant with a boy due in June, I couldn't be more excited that our boys will grow up together and be best friends.

Lad is just younger than Ian and he loved Miles. They thought he was the best and were always taking care of him (I said that already). 

Oh this is Landon again, he loves kids and they love him.

This is my brother Tanner, Miles loved him so much! I never thought anything would tug at my heart strings like watching my brothers love my little baby, and him loving them back. Tanner has three kids now-his wife just had a boy in January little baby Leif, and he is adorable and I can't wait for Miles to have a little boy cousin party.

Tosha: Baby Trey 2012

Summer: Baby Parker 2012

Me: Baby Miles 2012

Tanner's wife Amanda: Baby Leif Jan 2013

Landon: Baby boy ? June 2013

AND JUST TODAY WE FOUND out my sister Hannah is Pregnant with her 5th due in September. She has four girls.

So hopefully...

Hannah: Baby Boy!!?!?!?! Please! Sept 2013

She sent us this cute pic today. Love Hazel aka #4. But I have a soft spot for Halle #3. She just says all the right things to make me crazy about her! Like: Miles name is too long, let's call him Mile. (She's 3) Or, "Miles has Bwad's boobs"

Or, "Brittany Miles is crying, I think he misses Bwad."

Love her.

Six boys in a row!!! We can do it!

This is my little brother Ammon. He is older than Ian and Lad.

He is autistic, and how we got this picture is a miracle. Right after this he whipped up his right hand and it went right around Miles neck and he was in a choke hold by Ammon. Good thing Landon is stronger and stopped it quickly. 

He was making sounds and closing his eyes most of the time he was holding Miles.

Or screaming and biting his hands. Also you see his hand on Miles' hand?

He loved biting Miles' hands. Not hard, just putting them in his mouth and biting down. Nothing Miles isn't used to.

 Normal autistic stuff.

Now this is Faith, and she had the Chicken Pox, and I don't know if we gave up or just thought Miles wouldn't get them...oh how wrong we were.

She was so sad when we cut the cake and found out it was a boy, she just cried.

Here she is telling me how she didn't want me to have a boy at the cake cutting party.

"But I didn't want a boy!"

She isn't saying this now that's for sure! She can't handle not holding him or playing with him.

Miles loved my dad. The first time he met him just gave him a big smile. And my dad will hold him and play with him for hours. 

Here is Faith loving Miles-she was so funny, when Brad came he would tell her to get away from Miles, and when Brad left Faith would kiss him and hold him, then Brad would walk in and she would pretend she wasn't touching him. Hilarious.

My dad for as long as I can remember always brushes his hands against baby's cheeks, and I loved watching him do it to Miles. He would do it and say, "So handsome you are."

Oh Hi Brad who needs a haircut. (Don't worry, he got one shortly after this-we know its time when he starts doing the Beatles comb over).

Sally was really tired and didn't want to be in this picture but we made her, and Miles was ready to be done with pictures at about this time.

But we kept going. Echo is the first one to get him to laugh when he was 2 months old. Lucky Echo, you will forever have that branding, and that's a tough one to beat....watch out other aunts (Chelsea is also in the running for favorite aunt).

Group picture, this is about where I started crying.

Brad was rushing me to go, and I said to him firmly with tears in my eyes, "This is really hard for me to leave my family. So we will go when I am ready to go." He then said, "Okay muffin, sorry, take your time."

Chandler and Ethan are my little brothers who grew up too fast and we used to not want them on our bball team, now we fight over who gets them, but they were at early morning bball practice and we waited for them to get home, and they were both exhausted and didn't want their picture taken.

Miles was happy to be held by his uncles. I think Miles may have gotten the same genes Chandler got, blonde blue eyed. I'm not complaining, I think blonde blue eyes with some sprinkled freckles will be adorable.

Ethan got the dark hair blue eyes gene, which is equally cute.

Ethan kept having sleepy eyes, and these two pictures look the same, but if you look at Miles, you will see that they are different.

Ethan just couldn't get his eyes to cooperate.

My mom was crying before we left. Something about being away and not being able to see everyone once a week is hard. It's hard to say goodbye, but it makes us savor and appreciate the time we do have with them. Here I am tearing up writing this. I love my family more than anything and they are my best friends. 

Clearly I have a lot of friends, given my amount of siblings. And I love them all so much!

The time has come!

It is flying by! Can I just hold on to the little moments where he puts both his feet in his mouth and goes crazy chewing, can I hold on to him yawning and stretching just like a big person, can I just remember the little moments where he makes his frowny face and starts to cry when he is sad or scared.

Its going to fast. He is changing everyday, its like I don't even notice it. 

Then I look through pictures and just start to tear up. Where is my baby going??

He's a big boy now.

We made it through the chicken pox. I am pretty sure having a sick baby is something that could just wipe anyone out. Not to mention Brad had a test the same week. So Miles was barfing, coughing, blow outs, crying, not sleeping and I was just holding him round the clock. My little sister had the chicken pox over Christmas break, and supposedly breastfeeding babies aren't supposed to get the chicken pox.

Well Miles got em, and Parker (Miles' cousin) who is one month older than Miles and is also breastfeeding got them as well.

I have been putting this post off...

Because if I post it, its real.

It's like he is growing up.

And my heart can't take it.

I just need him to stay little forever.

He sits up so nicely now, for several minutes before he topples over!

He also slept through the night 3 nights in a row! So we will just keep hoping that happens!

He talks so much and loves chewing on his feet and hands. He makes Brad and I laugh all day with his sounds and talking and drooling.

I have loved watching his little personality develop, he screams/yells when he is ready for nap or food, and he still LOVES taking baths with Mommy. He lights right up and smiles and coos when you start to sing 5 little ducks.

He still has a piercing stare that makes you want to just eat his little cheeks. (Notice the CHICKEN POX-above eye was the worst one, and below lips never scabbed because it was under constant drool. It looked like a jaw breaker when you suck through the layers, layers and layers of skin in a circle)

He loves his Sophie Giraffe and any chew toy. He fell out of his swing and off the couch because he has become a complete wiggle worm. He is always kicking standing sitting and going. He never just holds still. The only way I get anything done is to Bumbo him in the same room I am in, and put a million little toys around him or put him in his little swing. He HAS to see what is going on, or he will let out these little yells over and over again.

Our favorite time of day with him is in the morning, we pull him out of his bed and into ours and just play and talk with him. He is so smily and talkative in the mornings. The other morning he woke up at about 8, and I was lazy and just kept laying there, and I woke up 2 hours later and he was asleep!

I must have let him talk himself to sleep!

Some days I just spend hours playing with him and holding him and he sits on my lap while I read on my computer and then I am just amazed at how our entire day went by and all we did was cuddle each other! He's just that cute guys!

Looky looky Mr. Miles is sitting up!!! When he tips he has started putting his hand out to catch himself, or he gets tired and bends all the way and puts his face on the ground.

Mom-I look like a sick baby because these chicken pox have made me droopy eyed!

When he is laying on his belly he uses his arms and scoots backwards! Crawling here we come!

He was flippin over from belly to back a long time ago-we have yet to conquer back to belly.

Things I am thinking about as he grows up:

Will he be a crazy active toddler like he has been as a baby?

Will I ever be able to transition him to his crib? I like him too much.

Am I going to be this attached to my next baby or will I get over the mom jitters?

Will his personality be more like Brad or mine?

Will he be immune to the chicken pox-or will we have to go through that all over again?

Will he ever be annoyed that his name is in the word milestone? 

Update in the Clark household:

Brad is still in med school.

I started a preschool with my friend Carissa. 

I was hired as a substitute teacher here. (Yet to take on a job)

I am constantly organizing and cleaning-in fact I just went through a box labeled JUNK that I hadn't unpacked yet. Found quite a few things I had been looking for. Took me 6 months to unpack that box, just keep putting it off.

We are still happy as ever and Redbox movies for fun here.

We organize fun things to do every weekend with friends so we can stay social and happy.

And if you think I am on top of everything and just a perfect wife, mother, and person you are very wrong!!!!

My sink is full of dirty dishes from yesterday.

My laundry has been piling up for a few WEEKS now-yes clean laundry-I find clothes to wear in the basket.

I shower twice maybe 3 times a week! (SAY WHAAAAT GROSS)

I watch hulu when I could be doing-dishes, laundry, showering.

I exercise every day for 3 hours-NOT!

I have disagreements sometimes with my husband that leave both of us unhappy and unresolved. NO YOU DO NOT!!!????

I get frustrated with my sweet baby, and sometimes I grit my teeth and grrrrr.

And I have a to do list of random odds and ends 6 miles long. (I will never be able to hear/say/write/type the word Miles again without thinking of my handsome)

And so....with all my laziness/bad housewife. I leave you because I am not a perfect person, nor a perfect wife or mother.

In fact today I threw a mini snickers to Brad and it bounced on the couch and hit Miles right between the eyes. So we had a screamer for a few minutes. I'm an awesome mom.

 I feel like at times when reading blogs and even back reading on my own I think.....wow I always portray how happy I am and if you don't talk to me in person you probably think my life is just pure and utter bliss.

So I wanted to clear things up for you.

I am human, and I do cry sometimes, and I do make mistakes, and I do get lazy. And I may be making bowties for Miles from my husbands ties, but I am here to tell you-my dirty dishes and unfolded laundry are just hanging out while I do that. I am NOT supermom superwife superwoman.

And if you are that person sit down and eat a snickers because you are probably the most tired and busiest person out there.

But  in rebuttal to my own rant-I love my husband and baby more than anything, and I love our life and I am so grateful for all of my blessings, and I am trying to strive for perfect, and I am trying my best to be an amazing wife and mother, even if that means the dishes sit for a few days.

And on that note-Happy Four Months my love!!!!