Denver trip

This month Dima had a business trip to Denver,CO and well we've never been there before so we decided to go together and expand his 2 day stay to 5 days. Since I've spent my whole life in Moscow and the past few years in the middle of the corn field in Wisconsin, mountains are a big WOW for me))and as soon as we left Denver airport, I took like thousand pics of them:) I am really glad we had the opportunity to visit this beautiful city and explore the tiny bit of an amazing nature of Colorado.
Hopefully it's not the last time.

And before I continue with our pictures, I'd like to write a few words about travelling with a 2 month old. I was super stressed even being a frequent traveler and a pretty relaxed parent didn't make it easier! However, everything went so smooth!We were hiking, taking pictures and driving a LOT, and Sasha was a great baby most of the time. And I can't describe that amazing feeling of sharing the new experience with our baby!She had seen her first ever snow on the Lake Echo and Mt Evans 3200m above the sea level!

With that being said here are some of the memories of our wonderful days in Colorado.

Recipe of the week 3: Gingerbread cookies

As tasty, christmasy, and traditional as they can be - today I'm going to share with you the perfect recipe of the gingerbread cookies.
For me, everything in this recipe was just perfect. I wouldn't change a thing and the result is great! Now I can't wait for the real Christmas time to cook the whole bunch of those for us and to share with neighbors.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (115g)
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup of molasses
• 1/2 cup of honey

Mix together the dry ingredients (except sugar): flour,baking soda, ginger,cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves, and salt.

In another bowl mix butter with sugar until the consistency is even. Add 1 egg and beat for about 1 minute. Add molasses and honey and mix everything.

Divide the batter into 2-3 parts, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Meanwhile preheat the oven for 350F(180C). on a floured surface roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick and cut out the cookies. 

Place them on the baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze for 15 mins.

Cook for 10 min (medium sized cookies. Adjust cooking time depending on the size of your cookies)

Cool them before decorating. 

From this amount of ingredients you'll get 2 full baking sheets of cookies.

Enjoy!

The original recipe was taken from ho-ho-ho-its-gingerbread-time

photos by me.

3 months

Probably it is a perfect time to write this post because my baby is 3 months old today. I still can't believe it though! Our daughter Sasha (Alexandra) was born on Aug 8 2013.
These were the hardest, happiest and the most exciting months of my life for sure!There is no more rewarding thing than being a mom when you see how your little one looking at you and all those smiles and aghoo-ing only because she is just happy to see you. It is amazing that she loves you so much even though there is nothing so special about you and you are probably not the funniest person in the world with all those peekaboo things , but for her you are the one.
Yes it is hard and there were times when I was at the point where I was ready to sit and cry right next to her...but the next day it is all forgotten...
I start missing her as soon as I put her to sleep at night, and check several times if she woke up the first thing in the morning just to see that gummy smile.
Hard to believe it's been A YEAR since I got pregnant with her...How can this be true?How could two tiny cells become this beautiful girl? (even having degree in biology doesn't make it real)
I just love being a mom...love our little family and can't imagine my life without my two favorite people in the world.

And just some random facts about Sasha at 3 months.

• She is talking A LOT and you can actually easily distinguish if she is satisfied,tired, mad or happy by the tone of her voice.
• She can roll from her back to the side and from her tummy to the back
• Enjoys the tummy time mostly if she is lying on me.
• Her three all time favorite toys are lion attaching to her bouncer, yellow plush pony that her dad won in the claw machine and giraffe from carters
• She smiles a lot lately although as soon as I take my Iphone to take a picture of her she makes the most serious face. (still couldn't catch a good smile and she's been smiling for over a month now!)
• LOVES to stand when I hold her under her armpits - much more than laying or sitting.
• Slept for 6-8 hours through the night most of the time
• She looks like her dad but has my eyes and toes so I'm fine with that)))

And of course for me she is just perfect...

Sasha at the hospital 1 day old

2 month old

And almost 3 months old looking at her first snow in Rockies mountains