.insta-vine lately

Amesy sat in the nice green grass for the first time at his aunt Tessa’s rugby game. He also got his first mosquito bite while I was taking this little video of it ↓↓↓ Gah!

 

Tessa is an amazing rugby player! I know nothing about rugby, but I did see her make a huge score (called a “try”)

 

Here’s my new baby monitor in action during the day and with the night vision

 

Ames loves taking baths with all his little squirty toys//‘Girl Guide’ cookies in Canada are not as good as American Girl Scout cookies.

 

We got chinese food delivered a few Fridays ago. Apparently I was a huge fan//Ames has “the London look” with his cute gap. We just love his big teethy grin

 

Driving the car at Lowes and some guy says to us, “Aw, she looked at me. She’s so cute!”//Check out these yummy vegetables on our grill… onion, zucchini, peppers, sweet potatoes… mmmm

 

Ames loves swinging at the park, especially when we go there with friends//After 9 years I finally retired my old straightener. It’s silly, but I had a real strong bond with that old boy… Tho, my new one is so great

 

I may be crazy, but I had Air cut my hair. I was so desperate and didn’t want to go to a salon. It turned out pretty good!//Look at all my regrowth coming in after this ‘had-a-baby-and-lost-all-my-hair” phase. I am so glad to see it coming back. (wondering if any of my sisters lost as much as me? Heb? Meg? Gwen? Do you guys even read my blog??)

 

Air has been loving our pasta maker and makes his own fettuccini whenever he wants (all the time)//I have been loving shopping at Target again… it seriously makes me feel like I’m home again.

 

Ames broke out in a TERRIBLE rash all over his body on Saturday. This picture was just the beginning of it… We took him into emergency that night and ended up being there until 1:30 AM! They said its an allergic reaction (probably to the egg I fed him that day for the first time). It’s Wednesday now and I’m still waiting for it to go away. My poor boy. Luckily it doesn’t seem to be bothering him.

I leave you with a rainbow

Thanks for reading, you :)

.project six: doors and knobs

(don't mind how crazy I look in this pic)

Way back in May of last year, Air's kind kind Mother came over every day for a week to help me paint all of the yucky stained and yellow doors white. We collected all the doors together in the basement and got to work painting them one at a time... They have looked amazing ever since!

Then the doorknobs are a project I did myself. I copied my talented, crafty, smart, accomplished cousin Jessica who did the same thing for the same reasons.

Gold doorknobs are not pretty. New doorknobs are expensive.

I had nothing to lose.

The entire time I was painting these I had a look on my face like I was playing some sort of guessing game. I had no idea how it would turn out... but once again--I had nothing to lose!

First, I prepared an area in my basement to paint in... Covered everything in cardboard and plastic.

Then I got a big box and poked holes in it for all the knobs, plates, and screws.

I used this awesome black Rustoleum spray paint.

Sprayed my first layer very thin then waited a day.

Sprayed my second layer a little thicker (I'm impatient) and waited another day.

Last coat I was really impatient and sprayed it real thick--trying to make sure I got all of the nooks (they aren't perfect but who even cares?)

After another 24 hours they were ready—and they turned out great. Not perfect by any means, but better than bright shiny gold.

BY THE WAY, I probably should have done this outside or in the garage... but the paint said it should be over 10° C and I couldn't wait any longer for flippin' summer to come! Anyway, I opened the windows and turned on all the fans and the fumes seemed to disperse? A little? (our whole house stunk for weeks)

.I'm spoiled

I had the most amazing first Mother’s Day. Let me tell you about it, k?

1st – Ames slept in until 8 AM! He never does that

2nd – Air came to church and stayed for all 3 hours even though he was a bit sick

3rd – I got to go to sunday school and Relief Society. The youth took over Primary for us and all of the teachers showed up so we didn’t have to find any subs

4th – We had a yummy brunch during Relief Society

5th – We got to spend the rest of the day with Air’s family

6th – We went to the park to play and fly kites

 

7th – Air gave me gifts!!!!!!!

This sweet video baby monitor!

It pans the whole room and zooms silently, it has night vision, it has a mic so you can talk to your baby, and it plays lullabies. So much better than just hoping Ames is ok or trying to peek in there without waking him up.

Aaaaaaaaannnnnd………….

A KITCHENAID MIXER!!

We can’t wait to start making lots of new things. I immediately christened this baby by making some yummy lemon squares yesterday. (I made a huge mess with the flour… oops)

Hope you all have a lovely week!

.I'm a Mother Day

*my Mama holding me and Aunt Chris holding my cousin Jenny 1986

Have you ever felt like you've never been so content and fulfilled before in your life? Like you never realized it before, but something must have been missing? I do. And these days I feel like I really understand what it means whenever I hear people talk about how truly beautiful life is.

Life was wonderful before I was a mother (although I do believe I was a Mother before I had a baby), but I’ve never felt so whole and blissful in my life. I am eternally grateful to Ames for letting me be his Mother.

For Mother's Day I decided to share this little essay I wrote a year ago, when I was pregnant and had a little more time on my hands... enjoy?

Motherhood to Me

by Amber L Gusa

Motherhood is a desire. A mother is any woman who has the desire for children. She has the desire to hold and care for a newborn. She craves the opportunity to devote her life to another person—someone who resembles herself in some ways. She wants to have a home full of loving family members that care for each other and to hear their footsteps on every level, and in every room of her home. A mother prepares herself for a life of giving, before it has even begun, because she knows it can only get more difficult from there on out.

Motherhood is expecting and hoping. Mothers expect for months, but only focus on one small week of progress at a time. Looking at the bigger picture can be too daunting. A mother is always hoping for the best outcome. She ignores the stories of horror coming from those around her and settles into the idea that it’s different for everyone, and she'll make the best of whatever comes her way. A mother knows that women have been giving birth since the beginning of time, but she still feels that this is special and new. Not only hoping for herself, but for the new life that is coming, all while surrounded by a whirlwind of emotional and physical change. A mother knows that change is what life is built on.

Motherhood is receiving a gift from God. A mother receives a gift that makes her what she is—a gift that she has been praying, pining and laboring for. It is a gift that will bring joy and satisfaction to her life, for the rest of her life. She will claim a new soul to be sealed to for eternity.

Motherhood is working. A mother works even though she can't always see the good coming from it. She remembers that her children were brought here to learn and grow, and not just to bring joy. A mother's children teach her just as much as she teaches them. A mother knows that life isn't always wonderful. There are times of happiness and success, and times of hardship and sadness. A mother focuses on the times of goodness, for the sake of her sanity.

A mother is a partner and a friend to her children.

Motherhood is living a full life. Walking alongside her children, and in their shoes, through every climb and every fall they undertake. Sending her heart to every corner of the world where her loved ones choose to go. She watches as her children grow older and make their own choices, clenching her teeth with worry, but knowing they've learned everything they need from her. A mother is the starting point and the check-in point for her children. A mother’s children know she is always there as a guardian of their hearth.

Anyway, I'm no pro writer, but Happy Mother's Day!

Our weekend will surely be spent outdoors... I've got a big Mother's Day gift coming my way from Air-bear. Yay!

.Winter dreams fulfilled + a video

The past few weeks have been a fulfillment of my winter dreams... at long last! We've spent most of our free time outside working on our garage and going for walks in between. We cook outside, we eat outside, we walk outside, we sit around outside. It's been beautiful. We're serenaded to bed each night by the echoing sound of frogs croaking behind our house through the window... In the morning we're serenaded by the birds singing in the trees. I love it to say the least.

And sometimes during the day we’re serenaded by the ice cream man

*****

I took this video expressly for Ames' Grandmas who have both been raving about the 'sad face' video I posted a while ago. Just a few of his new tricks. Enjoy!

.ninth month

Ames is 9 whole months old. Now he’s been out as long as he was in! I cannot believe how big huge he is! He can sit up, he can pull himself up to his feet, and he can walk all around the furniture while holding on (a little). Before I know it he'll be WALKING! What happened to crawling little guy? We need to get a baby gate.

He’s started making another funny face… it’s like a version of his sad face, but with much more confusion added in. See ↓↓↓

It’s definitely getting increasingly difficult to get Ames to hold still for these pictures! See ↓↓↓

He claps, he waves, he gives fives. He loves to watch cars drive by and he really loves his silly Dada (the reason he’s smiling in any of these pictures).

We love love love him at this age. He’s a bundle of joy to have around everywhere we go.

 

What did we do without you Ames? We love you so much little guy.