tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24663163092620290402024-03-19T03:47:52.926-05:00The Siberian AmericanThe Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.comBlogger455125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-45542621052223901692019-09-18T07:23:00.000-05:002019-09-18T07:23:00.210-05:00All About Baby #2: My First and Second TrimesterI can’t believe I’m already in the third trimester with our second baby! I’ve gone back and forth on writing a full post about this pregnancy because it’s been a bit on the tough side, and I really didn’t want to make it seem like I’m complaining (I’m honestly so thankful to be pregnant, and all the difficulties are worth it). I mostly decided to write this post as a way of documenting some of this pregnancy for myself. During Anthony’s pregnancy, I wrote a daily journal about my symptoms and everything we did to prepare. This pregnancy, I haven’t written a single entry in my journal. I want to have at least some sort of record of this time, so I thought I would answer some frequently asked questions and share some more details about this pregnancy.
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Was this baby planned? </span><br />
First of all, why do people ask this? Does it really matter? I’ll go ahead and answer it here, but I do think it’s a strange question. Yes, this baby was planned. The smallest age gap we wanted was two years, but I honestly didn’t think I would get pregnant as quickly as I did with Anthony. It turns out I did, and I’m beyond thankful for that.
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">How do you feel about the age gap? </span><br />
Ask me this question when the second baby is here! Haha. I’m excited to have children close together, but I know it won’t be easy at first.
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">How did you find out?</span><br />
With Anthony I took a test while Chris was at work and <a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2017/07/how-i-told-chris-about-baby.html" target="_blank">told him in a creative way</a>. This time around, I took a test while he was home on a Sunday (March 10) literally minutes before his parents came to visit. Like I said, I didn’t expect to get pregnant on the first try again, but I had been suspecting I might be pregnant for a few days because I was starting to break out pretty badly (I usually never break out, so this was a big sign for me). Chris was pretty convinced I was pregnant at that point, but I don’t like to take a test until my period is due. It took about 10 seconds to see a positive result, and we were so excited!
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">How far along are you? When are you due?</span><br />
I’m 31 weeks! I can’t really say this pregnancy has been going quickly, but we sure have accomplished a lot in those 31 weeks. (Life update is <a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2019/07/life-lately-moving-pregnancy-and-trip.html" target="_blank">here</a>). My due date is November 15. If the baby isn’t late, the age gap will be exactly 24 months!
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">When did you start showing?</span><br />
I definitely feel like I started showing faster this time around, but I think I really started to look pregnant about halfway through our trip to Europe (around 24 weeks). It’s funny because you can really see the change in our photos from the trip.
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Did you have a feeling this time around whether you were having a boy or a girl?</span><br />
I have felt strongly since I found out I was pregnant that I was having a girl. I was constantly doubting myself, though, because the joke is that my husband’s family is more much more likely to make boys.
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Are you excited about having a girl?</span><br />
I honestly would have been excited either way (I also liked the idea of having brothers close in age!), but I am definitely excited for Anthony to have a little sister. I can’t wait to see the two of them together, and I am all about the bows and dresses!
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Do you have a name?</span><br />
We do! We actually decided on a girl name more than ten years ago, so it will be really special to be able to use it. We didn’t have a middle name set for sure, but we have pretty much decided on that too. We don’t like to share names until birth, though a few people do know this time around because I’ve randomly shared our girl name throughout the years.
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">How have you been feeling?</span><br />
I have been pretty open about it—this pregnancy has not been easy. I thought I had a rough time with Anthony, but this pregnancy has been much harder. I spent the first 20 weeks vomiting many times a day. Around 16 weeks I started having debilitating migraines that also caused vomiting. I would wake up in the middle of the night just to vomit. I also have a hard time breathing, and I have a lot of heartburn, which isn’t something I really dealt with during my first pregnancy. I actually mostly felt decent on our trip, though, which was a huge blessing! The vomiting just recently came back in the morning, but it’s only once a day, so it’s much easier to handle. I’m feeling quite a bit better overall the last week or so, other than pregnancy insomnia, heartburn, and normal third trimester aches and pains, so I’m hoping that the third trimester ends up being the best trimester for me! I think it’ll definitely be much better if we ever get past these 100 degree days!
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Does Anthony understand he is getting a sibling?</span><br />
I think he understands as well as an almost two-year-old toddler can. He loves to give my belly hugs and kisses, and he brings me toys to show to the baby. He thinks it’s hilarious when he’s sitting in my lap reading a book, and she kicks him. He did ask me the other day if there is also a baby in his belly, which was the cutest thing ever.<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: x-large;">Have you had any cravings? </span><br />
For a while, nothing really sounded good. I basically couldn’t eat chicken at all, and it honestly still barely ever sounds good to me. At first, I always wanted chips and salsa and fajitas. That craving has changed to ground beef tacos, which I basically never eat when I’m not pregnant (not that I don’t like them. I just like other Mexican food more). My biggest craving is fruit. I survived the first trimester on smoothies, and I pretty much always want peaches and watermelon.
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Apparently I either don't blog at all or write over a thousand words! Honestly, it took me a few weeks to write this post, but I've also been working on a few travel posts, so I hope to have some of those ready soon.<br />
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-32857556414856948412019-08-12T07:54:00.000-05:002019-08-12T07:54:04.374-05:00Best Books I Read This SummerHey, book friends! I can't believe I haven't written a book review post since February. I was on a roll with reading until I got pregnant, and then I couldn't pick up a book for weeks. I've actually only read 15 books since the last time I posted, which is crazy to me. Also, I don't know if I just read a string of bad books, or my taste changes when I'm pregnant, but I didn't love most of what I did read. Instead of sharing all of the books I've read and a bunch of so-so reviews, I decided to pick out four of my favorite reads!
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41941223-recursion" target="_blank">Recursion by Blake Crouch</a></span></div>
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It's official: I will read anything Blake Crouch writes. He has an incredible knack of mixing thrillers with science, and I'm always eager to see how the books end. I really enjoyed Recursion. It wasn't quite five stars for me because it got a little tedious towards the end (though it was still close to five stars). The concept was fascinating and really made me think. I already can't wait for his next book!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40753481-lost-roses" target="_blank">Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly</a></span></div>
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I usually make it a point not to read historical fiction based in Russia, but since this is a prequel to <i>Lilac Girls</i>, I decided to give it a try. I liked it more than I thought I would, though definitely not as much as <i>Lilac Girls</i>. It seemed a little slow at the beginning, but it did pick up, and I liked the last bit of the book.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068830-my-oxford-year" target="_blank">My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan</a> </span></div>
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I honestly expected more from this book. I heard so many people talk about how amazing it is, and it lacked emotion for me. I think this one fell victim to too much hype for me, and I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have high expectations going in. Overall, it's a good book. I just wasn't blown away by it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41945163-the-friend-zone" target="_blank">The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez </a></span></div>
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I really enjoyed this read and was surprised by how deep it was. It is one of the first books I've read that really focuses on infertility, and I was impressed with the way it was handled. There were a few things that bothered me about the way Kristen handled things, but overall, I thought it was a great read.<br />
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span><br />
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-5573892492449848902019-08-07T07:50:00.000-05:002019-08-07T07:50:08.606-05:00Quick Thoughts: Our British Isles Cruise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey, friends! We're back from our trip, and I am so excited to share it with y'all. I have all of these posts in my head I want to share, so hopefully I will get to at least some of them before our next baby is born (just being realistic here. Haha). This pregnancy has been rougher than my first (and my pregnancy with Anthony wasn't easy), so I usually take things one day at a time. Anyways, today I just wanted to share a few random things about our trip before I get more into the specifics.</center>
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I have been asked often if I think a cruise is a good way to see these spots, and in this case, I do. We were in each port for about 12 hours, so there was plenty of time to explore. Plus, we sailed to new destinations while we were sleeping, so it worked out better than having to drive from one place to another. The time at each port is what really sold me on this cruise, though. Honestly, we were both so exhausted from our adventures by the end of each day that we were thankful to get on the boat, relax, and watch a show. Plus, we really enjoyed the beautiful views when we sailed away from the different locations!</center>
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Speaking of exhaustion, I was a little worried about keeping up with our excursions, but thankfully, I did well! I did have to rest more than usual after climbing a bunch of stairs, but overall, I was able to do everything we wanted. The most difficult part of the cruise was when the boat rocked. It had more to do with the placement of our cabin than anything (we didn't have a choice with cabins since we had to book late due to not knowing Christopher's schedule), but I was really thankful I had just gotten over the severe nausea/vomiting I had for the first 22 weeks because I would have wanted to get off the boat. We did have one super rough night due to a storm where we barely slept, but overall, it was manageable. </center>
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It was so fun to get to celebrate our big milestones in some stunning places! Chris got to celebrate his 30th birthday in Edinburgh, a city he has always wanted to visit, I celebrated my 30th birthday at Mont Saint-Michel in France, and we celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary in Guernsey! </center>
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Chris and I both admitted that this trip was just about the right length for us, and we wouldn't have wanted it to be longer. We saw so much and truly enjoyed it, but we were both exhausted by the end of it and ready to see Anthony. The jet lag was much worse than normal too, but thankfully, we're finally feeling adjusted back to Texas time!</center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-82283568088225469822019-07-11T07:43:00.000-05:002019-07-11T07:43:01.414-05:00Life Lately: Moving, Pregnancy, and a Trip to Europe Hey, friends! Thank you so much for all of your messages on various social media about our baby news. I was going to write a big baby post for today, but I thought I would share a broader life update and save most of the baby news for when we get back!
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I’ve never been one to sugarcoat things on my blog, so I’ll start off this update by saying these last few months have been rough for us. It just felt like one thing after another (sorry to be vague; there are just some things I can’t share), and we’re both exhausted. Chris was also in the middle of intense studying for his radiology board exam from the beginning of this year until the end of June (he won’t know the results for several more weeks), which added to the chaos. This was the first time I’ve taken time off from my blog and haven’t felt guilty about it. I just couldn’t add more to my plate.<br />
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We are so excited and thankful for this second baby, but this pregnancy has been hard. I thought my nausea and vomiting was rough with Anthony, but that was nothing compared to what I’m experiencing this time. I could barely function for weeks (so thankful for my mom helping me out with Anthony!), and once the nausea got better, I got hit with intense migraine headaches. I’m still dealing with those (and honestly, still vomiting at least once most days), but I think I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
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Just to add to the fun, we moved on Tuesday! I need to go back and see how many times I’ve mentioned moving on this blog because we move an excessive amount. By an excessive amount I mean we have moved nine times in our almost ten years of marriage. I honestly didn’t want to do it again with how much we have going on right now, but it was necessary. Our rent went up so much for our townhouse (seriously, what is the deal with the rental market here?), and the place we were living in would have been crowded with two kids. We just moved into a house for the first time and signed a two-year lease, so fingers crossed we can stay put for that long! We picked this place because of the neighborhood-there is a really great park, an athletic center, and a large pond with a bunch of ducks. Have I mentioned that Chris has been on nights for the last two weeks and while this move was happening? Yep, it’s been all kinds of crazy around here.
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Let’s talk about something happy now, shall we? We leave for our big trip to Europe to celebrate our big milestones (we turn 30 two days apart and then celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary two days after that) on Sunday! Once again, the timing is interesting, but it’s the only thing that worked with the dates Chris could get off work. We are flying into Dublin, Ireland and doing a 12-day cruise to several places in Ireland, Scotland, England, and a day in France. I picked a cruise because we wanted to go to lots of different places, and for once in my life, I honestly had no desire to plan. Of course, I did set up tours in various ports, but that was the extent of my planning, and I’m thankful for that.
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I have been wanting to do a big Anthony update since it's been a while, and he has learned so much, but I will have to save that for when we get back! I continue to be impressed with how well he is handling the constant switching between Russian and English. He can say four-word sentences and recently learned colors (and now tells me the color of every object he sees). He also really loves to color and often asks me for his crayons and paper. He has really enjoyed exploring his new house the last few days and is excited to have a dedicated playroom until the baby moves out of our bedroom.<br />
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That's the gist of what's been happening lately. I'm hoping to share parts of our British Isles cruise on Instagram and Instagram Stories, so look for those if you're interested. I'll also hopefully be writing some more updates and travel posts when we get back!<br />
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-56674743287029356632019-07-05T08:08:00.000-05:002019-07-05T08:08:00.257-05:00Red, White, And...<center>
Due with Baby #2! </center>
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I know some of y'all had guessed why I suddenly stopped blogging again (though there was much more involved in that, and I will address most of it in a life update soon), but I am excited to share that Anthony will be a big brother this November! I will be sharing all about our newest little love next week, but I thought I would share on the blog in case y'all hadn't seen my Instagram announcement. </center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-2125745618917688032019-03-27T07:58:00.000-05:002019-03-27T07:58:00.281-05:00Best River and Lake Cruises in Chicago Even though it feels like it's been forever since we lived in Chicago (it's been 2.5 years), I answer emails about what to do in the city all the time. One of the emails I answer most often (other than where to eat!) is about Chicago river and lake cruises. We went on six cruises during our year in Chicago! Now that the weather is nice again, I wanted to share some of my favorite Chicago cruises.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.architecture.org/tours/detail/chicago-architecture-foundation-center-river-cruise-aboard-chicagos-first-lady/" target="_blank">Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise</a></span><br />
This is one of Chicago's most popular river cruises, and there's a good reason for that. It's packed full of information about Chicago's gorgeous architecture. The one negative I will see is this tour would be a little better if it was shorter. I thought it went into too much detail on some buildings that weren't all that interesting. Overall, it was a great tour, though!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2016/03/chicago-travel-shoreline-sightseeing.html" target="_blank">Shoreline Sightseeing Classic Lake Tour</a></span><br />
This was my least favorite of the tours that we did, mostly because I prefer guides to audio tours. It was the cheapest and shortest of the cruises we did (only 40 minutes), and it's a nice way to see the skyline from Lake Michigan. If you are short on time, this cruise is worth doing!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2015/07/sunset-dinner-cruise-on-lake-michigan.html" target="_blank">Odyssey Cruises Sunset Dinner Cruise</a></span><br />
This cruise was more about the views and the food than learning about Chicago, but it was a great experience! We loved the boat, and the food was good. Plus, watching the sun set over the Chicago skyline is just magical.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2016/06/chicago-travel-wendella-lake-michigan.html" target="_blank">Wendella Lake Michigan Fireworks Cruise</a> </span><br />
If you are in Chicago during the summer (on Wednesdays and Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day), a fireworks cruise is a must! The fireworks cruise includes a short overview of Chicago's architecture, but the real highlight is watching fireworks with a view of the Chicago skyline.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.wendellaboats.com/boat-tours/lake-michigan-and-chicago-river-tour" target="_blank">Wendella Lake & River Architecture Tour</a> </span><br />
This is by far my favorite cruise tour in Chicago (I'm hoping to do a full review of it in the future). I went on this cruise three times with family and friends, and I would happily go again. The guides are funny, the architecture portion was really interesting, and it was fascinating to go through the locks to Lake Michigan. The combo of being on the lake and learning Chicago's architecture is just perfect!<br />
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<i>Have you done a river or lake cruise in Chicago?</i></div>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-45262696575236892812019-03-11T07:35:00.000-05:002019-03-12T16:45:53.853-05:00Ten Books I Read in FebruaryHey there, book friends! I am excited for another month of book reviews. I read 11 books (I posted one of them last time) in February, which is a lot for me, but Christopher has been on nights, which means I have to wait for him to watch our shows, and I read after Anthony goes to bed. I also decided to do the bonus round for Erin's Book Challenge, so the list of books is very diverse. I included the categories again in case y'all are curious!<br />
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<i>This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them, I receive a small commission. </i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J4WHC78/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07J4WHC78&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=a92377f160180e59ee03ae6b5cddc4d0" target="_blank">Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Erin's Challenge: A Title with Six Words</b></span></div>
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Katherine Center is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She writes romance novels, but there is always so much depth to them. I loved the main character in this novel, an incredible firefighter who no longer believed in love. I try not to read late into the night anymore, but I couldn't help it with this book. The firefighter culture was interesting, and there were several great twists. It was heartbreaking but also beautiful, and I loved the message of forgiveness.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062748335/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062748335&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=4b11317f957791a6bf75aa0694b02e41" target="_blank">American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt by Karen Harper</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Goodreads Giveaways)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Not Part of Erin's Challenge</b></span></div>
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I wasn't sure how much I would like this book, but I ended up loving it! Consuelo Vanderbilt led an extremely fascinating life, and I read it much faster than I thought I would. This book made me google a bunch of random things about the Vanderbilts and Blenheim Palace, which means it was a good historical fiction read!<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1538509379l/40390754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1538509379l/40390754.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492657964/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1492657964&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=859668c6e7c0ceb84ce5f566c62be08a" target="_blank">The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: Favorite Book of Family/Friend</b></span></div>
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This book started off slow, but it ended up getting interesting fairly quickly. It is more of a mystery than a thriller (it has a bit of an Agatha Christie vibe to it), and it is one of the most complicated books I have read in a long time. The twists were really good, and it is one of those books that I will think about for a long time. I would definitely recommend reading it, but only when you are in the mood for something with a slower pace and a lot of little details that add up to a fascinating story.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1524742082/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1524742082&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=e6c673f3e86dd8a93941ffc8eb527f60" target="_blank">Never Tell by Lisa Gardner</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: Title Starts with N</b></span></div>
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Lisa Gardner's D.D. Warren series is one of my favorite detective series. D.D. Warren is such a great character, and I like the recurring minor characters, too. I enjoyed this book-it was fast-paced, and the plot was exciting. It was interesting to learn more about Flora's abduction and the details of the dark web. I did figure out what happened pretty early, but it didn't detract from the rest of the story. I read this one out of order for a challenge, so I can't wait to go back and read the D.D. Warren books I missed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250200350/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250200350&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=7e17b214baadd8dd04f989976e66cb5d" target="_blank">The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: A Title with Six Words</b></span></div>
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I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the first 3/4 of it, and it was a quick read. I originally thought it was going to be a sweet second-chance love story, but it is so much deeper than that. I liked the back and forth between Annika and Jonathan's college years and 10 years later as it showed Annika's progression and confidence. That said, I didn't love the last part of the book. I get why the author decided to do it, but it felt like it was a little much. I also didn't really like the ending. Right now the book is 3.5 stars for me, but I rounded up to four stars.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1477807616/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1477807616&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=f9d12d6fb26ec717698b5a36cad1dabd" target="_blank">Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin</a></span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: </b><b>Originally Published in a Different Language</b><br />
I read WWII historical fiction often, but this book didn't work for me. There were way too many characters, and it was hard to get invested in their stories because the chapters were short, and you would constantly flip from one character to another. I thought it was interesting to learn about Turkey's involvement in World War II, but the author would randomly throw out facts that felt like you were reading a textbook. The writing seemed a little off at times (maybe a translation issue), and I think some chapters were completely unnecessary to the plot.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1524799017/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1524799017&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=5f97af7b43057efac400af1527a46b8f" target="_blank">I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: </b><b>Set in Europe</b></span></div>
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I really liked the "IOU" premise of this book and liked the family business concept, but I had a hard time with the main character of this book. I couldn't believe how horrible the people around Fixie were and how she had no backbone and did everything they wanted. It was really frustrating to read. Parts of the ending seemed super unrealistic to me, too. I definitely liked parts of the book, but it wasn't my favorite Sophie Kinsella novel.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014240120X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=014240120X&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=0fdbda287f8a5e1d3550bcda96551941" target="_blank">The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: </b></span><b>Newberry Award Winner/Honor Roll</b></div>
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I read this book in elementary school, and now reading it as an adult, I'm surprised by how many adult themes there are in it. I really enjoyed how all the clues came together, and the ending was surprising.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402797184/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1402797184&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=e472abde7c01466d61156b892cdd231b" target="_blank">Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Potter</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: Published 100+ Years Ago</b></span></div>
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I think this book was a case of reading the right book at the right time, but I thought this book was delightful. Pollyanna was such a great character, and I loved reading about how she brightened the lives of those around her.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140434240/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0140434240&linkCode=as2&tag=thesiberianam-20&linkId=03a598a41ec9e4eb9b2c2d451f00aebf" target="_blank">North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell</a></span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge Bonus Round: </b><b>Cardinal Direction in Title</b></div>
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I've seen this book described as the Pride & Prejudice of the Industrial Revolution, and I thought it was a perfect description. I really enjoyed it and am glad I selected it for a challenge.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Favorite reads in February: </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Things You Save in a Fire</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">,</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle,</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"> <i><span style="font-size: large;">Pollyanna, Never Tell, </span></i><span style="font-size: large;">and <i>North and South</i></span><i>.</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span></span><br />
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></span></center>
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</span>The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-4464878012362402792019-03-06T07:37:00.000-06:002019-03-06T07:37:12.863-06:00Five Delicious Instant Pot RecipesHi, friends! I've decided to switch my posts (other than book posts) to Wednesdays for now because it works better with my schedule. Anyways, I promised I would share some of our favorite Instant Pot recipes, so I'm doing that today. We originally got the Instant Pot to steam vegetables for Anthony, but we realized that it was great for dinner, too! We've enjoyed most of the recipes we've tried and will be definitely making more in the future. The one thing I have noticed, however, is the time on these recipes is never correct. It usually takes about 20-30 minutes more to cook than what is stated.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://ohsweetbasil.com/instant-pot-award-winning-chili-recipe/" target="_blank">Instant Pot Award-Winning Chili</a></span><br />
I love a good chili recipe in the winter, and this one was delicious! The only problem is it did take about 30 minutes longer to cook than what the recipe suggested.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://rasamalaysia.com/instant-pot-honey-sesame-chicken/" target="_blank">Instant Pot Honey Sesame Chicken</a></span><br />
Chicken is my favorite meat to cook in the Instant Pot. It just melts in your mouth! I really liked the flavor of this dish.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.lemonblossoms.com/blog/instant-pot-brisket/" target="_blank">Instant Pot Brisket</a> </span><br />
Brisket usually takes forever to make, so we decided to try it in the Instant Pot and were pleasantly surprised!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/sunday-pot-roast-instant-pot-recipe/" target="_blank">Instant Pot Sunday Beef Roast</a></span><br />
We don't eat pot roast often, but we are going to have to add it to our rotation because this was delicious! It was so tender and juicy. I am planning on experimenting with some spices to add a bit more flavor next time, though.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://instantpoteats.com/instant-pot-corn-cob-cajun-butter/" target="_blank">Instant Pot Corn on the Cob with Cajun Butter and Lime</a></span><br />
I love a good corn on the cob recipe, and this is now one of my favorites!<br />
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<i>Have you ever used an Instant Pot? What's your favorite recipe?</i></div>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-15139371615452595402019-02-25T07:46:00.000-06:002019-02-26T21:43:23.739-06:00The Ultimate Biltmore Estate Guide: What to Know Before You GoI have wanted to go to the Biltmore Estate since I was a kid, so when we were planning our Smoky Mountains road trip, a stop in Asheville was on the top of my list. I’ve always loved history, beautiful architecture, and extravagant homes, so I knew I would love the largest privately owned house in the United States! I’ve been wanting to write a guide to the Biltmore Estate since we visited, so I’m super excited to share this stunning home with y’all today.
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;"><i>Before You Go</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Buy Your Tickets</span><br />
Tickets to the Biltmore Estate can be purchased here (<a href="https://www.biltmore.com/visit/plan-your-visit/buy-tickets/daytime" target="_blank">https://www.biltmore.com/visit/plan-your-visit/buy-tickets/daytime</a>). Not only do you save $10 per ticket by buying it online more than a week in advance, but you also skip the usually long line once you get to the reception & ticketing sales center. Keep in mind that if you are going to the property during a busy time (holidays, school breaks, and most weekends), you will be required to make a reservation. With your reservation, you will receive a specific time to enter the Biltmore House.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Purchase Your Tour Tickets</span><br />
Unfortunately, the price of admission to the Biltmore Estate does not include a tour. You are welcome to take a self-guided tour, but in this case, I would strongly encourage taking a guided tour. I’m usually a big fan of audio tours, but due to the size of the house and the amount of people visiting at the same time, I think a guided tour is the way to go.
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: large;">Tour Options</span><br />
We did two tours while visiting the mansion, so I wanted to share what I liked about each one.
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<b>Guided Biltmore House Tour</b><br />
This was the standard 90-minute tour of the house, which provides a very detailed overview over many rooms. I loved learning interesting facts such as the most guests that were at the house at one time was 38. If you only have time for one tour, you will receive a fantastic overview of the house with this one.
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<b>Rooftop Tour</b><br />
I absolutely loved this tour. If you are interested in stunning views and amazing architecture, this tour is a must. The rooftop tour explains all the little details about the intricate architecture. For example, the two gargoyles are different because the tail broke off on one of them (so they added a butt). Plus, the views from the balcony were absolutely stunning! I personally preferred the rooftop tour to the house tour, but I would still do the house tour to see more of the rooms.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Plan to Get to the House Early</span><br />
Plan to get to the Biltmore Estate as early as you can, even if you have a reservation. The drive to the entrance can get really backed up. The Biltmore Estate recommends getting there at least 45 minutes before your reservation time, so you have enough time to park and take the shuttle to the house. We got to the house around 8:30 a.m., and I noticed that it was already getting crowded by 10 a.m.
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;"><i>Once You Get There</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Go on a Tour</span><br />
I’ve already shared about the two tours we did, but I think a guided tour is the best way to experience Biltmore. We learned so much about the Vanderbilts and everything that went into building the estate.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Visit the Gardens</span><br />
The gardens are a must! I really enjoyed the beautiful mixture of flowers and plants, and I could have walked around the area for hours. I especially loved the Rose Garden and Conservatory.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Visit the Antler Hill Village and Winery </span><br />
A wine tasting is included with your ticket to the Biltmore Estate, and it’s worth checking out! The Antler Hill Village also includes temporary exhibits, a farm with a historic barn, trails and outdoor adventures, and several places to shop and dine.
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<span style="font-size: large;">Eat Lunch at Stable Café </span><br />
The food at the Biltmore Estate was surprisingly good! I really enjoyed my burger, and I’m still dreaming about that peanut butter cake with raspberry jam.
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;"><i>When Should You Visit?</i></span><br />
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The Biltmore Estate is beautiful throughout the year. We went to the Biltmore during the fall, and the fall color was spectacular (though it would have been even better if we had gone a few weeks later). They had already started to set up for Christmas while we were there in October because it takes them that long to decorate the whole house, and I would love to visit during Christmas someday to see all of the gorgeous decorations. The gardens are also stunning to see in the spring, but if you go during the spring, try to avoid Spring Break weeks to minimize the crowds.
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<span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: x-large;"><i>Where to Stay</i></span><br />
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I honestly wouldn’t stay at any of the hotels on property. The prices are really high, and they don’t add anything to the experience. If you are looking for a luxury stay in Asheville, I would pick the Omni Park Grove Inn, which has a fantastic spa and stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Other Smoky Mountains Road Trip Posts:</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2016/10/quick-thoughts-smoky-mountains-road-trip.html" target="_blank">Quick Thoughts</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2016/10/little-river-canyon-national-preserve.html" target="_blank">Little River Canyon National Preserve in Fort Payne, Alabama</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2017/02/five-reasons-you-should-visit-great.html" target="_blank">Five Reasons You Should Visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2017/06/stunning-views-at-chimney-rock-north.html" target="_blank">Stunning Views at Chimney Rock, North Carolina</a><br />
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<i>Have you ever been to the Biltmore Estate? Tell me about your visit!</i></div>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-6622638444456141582019-02-20T07:38:00.000-06:002019-02-20T07:38:00.775-06:00Anthony's Milestone Photos: Six Months, Nine Months, and One YearI know, I know. Let's file this under "blogs Olya should have posted last year," but I really wanted to share some of my favorite photos from our milestone sessions with y'all. I loved doing milestone sessions because even though I take photos of Anthony often, we only really take photos as a family for special occasions. I already love looking back on these and seeing how much Anthony has grown, so I know they'll always be special to me. Also, I have to give a big shoutout to <a href="http://www.brittniereneephotography.com/">Brittnie Renee Photography</a> for being a great photographer!<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Six Months</span></div>
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This was our first session after our newborn photos, and I wasn't sure how it was going to go. Anthony ended up loving the camera, though! He kept staring straight at Brittnie. It was also one of the hottest days we'd had in April in a long time. The other memorable thing from this session was Chris and Brittnie ended up getting chigger bites from our time in the grass. Thank you, Texas.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Nine Months</span></div>
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For Anthony's nine month session, we decided to do another home session. We had moved by that point, so it was nice to have a session in our new place. Once again, Anthony loved the camera and had so much fun! He was really on the move at this point, so getting those shots on the bed was entertaining!
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">One Year</span></div>
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His one year photos might just be my very favorite! The State Fair of Texas has always been special to our relationship, so we knew we wanted to take Anthony this year. Since he has an October birthday, I thought the fair would be perfect for his one year photos! He loved looking at all the lights, and I'm a big fan of how these photos turned out.
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<i>Did you do milestone sessions with your babies?</i></div>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-47220525763353277802019-02-11T07:32:00.000-06:002019-02-11T07:32:00.320-06:00Let’s Have a Coffee Date: Vacation Planning, Instant Pot Fun, and ResidencyHey, friends! It’s been a while since I’ve done a coffee date post (not <a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2018/09/lets-have-coffee-date-hello-from-dc.html" target="_blank">since we were in DC in September</a>), and I thought it would be a good way to share some of the random news I haven’t mentioned on the blog yet!
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Life has been really busy lately, and Chris has had barely any time off. Thankfully, it will be a bit slower for a bit (and then more nights. Yuck). We’re planning some fun things with Anthony to take advantage of our time together! Also, Chris just got elected chief resident by his fellow residents and attendings! It’s a huge honor, and I’m super proud of him, but it does mean he will have even more work. He also has several conferences coming up, and he has to take the intense radiology board exam in June, so the next few months will be interesting!
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All of that to say, we are looking forward to him taking two weeks off in July. We are celebrating our 30th birthdays and 10-year wedding anniversary during the same week this year, so we’re hoping to go somewhere fun. We haven’t actually planned the trip yet because we won’t know the exact dates we can go until the residency schedule for next year is final (the Medical New Year is July 1). Anyone have any ideas for us? It’s been hard to narrow it down since it is our first big trip since Anthony was born.
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Speaking of it being our first trip since Anthony was born, I am already having a hard time with the idea of leaving him. I know we need time together as a couple, but I work from home, and the longest I have been away from Anthony is three hours. I know it’s healthy for both of us to spend time apart, and he will be in extremely capable hands, but I can’t promise I won’t be crying on the flight to our destination!
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Anthony has been so much fun lately. He’s running all over the place, and I feel like he learns a new word a day. I just love seeing his personality come out more and more. For example, he loves cleaning up and putting everything in its correct place. He didn't get that trait from me. Haha!<br />
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I messed up last week and <a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2019/02/eight-books-i-read-in-january.html" target="_blank">posted my books reviews</a> a week early! I’ve read two more books since I published my books reviews, and they were both super good (<i>Things You Save in a Fire</i> by Katherine Center and <i>American Duchess: A Novel of Conseulo Vanderbilt</i> by Karen Harper). I’m currently in the middle of <i>The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle</i>, and it’s one of the most complicated mystery novels I’ve ever read, but it’s really interesting. I’m definitely curious to see how it ends!
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We finally got an Instant Pot for Christmas, and we have really loved using it for many different recipes! We just made a quinoa chicken fried rice in it yesterday that was super delicious! I might do a roundup for our favorite Instant Pot recipes soon if anyone is interested.
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Since I didn’t blog much last year, I don’t think I ever mentioned that Chris decided to stay at his current program for his fellowship in neuroradiology (in an oversimplified explanation, he will be reading brain scans and doing procedures). He decided he didn’t want to spend the money to interview all over the country again (been there, done that), and it would be hard for us to move somewhere for just a year. He will be starting his last year of radiology residency in July and doing neuroradiology fellowship the following July. It still feels like we’re a long way away from the end of training, but we’re getting closer!
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-31890200478921386302019-02-04T07:41:00.000-06:002019-03-10T23:10:41.340-05:00Eight Books I Read in January <center>
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Hi, friends! I'm excited it's time for another book day. This might be one of the most diverse lists of books I have ever posted on here due to Erin's Book Challenge. I love Erin's Book Challenge because it makes me read books I normally wouldn't pick up, and I tend to read more in general! I've included the category for each book so they don't seem quite as random.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24957546-dumplin" target="_blank">Dumplin' by Julie Murphy</a></span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge: Book Made into a Movie</b><br />
I used to love YA, but it's been a while since I've read it, so it took me a while to get into this book. I ended up enjoying it, though! I really liked the characters. It's such a sweet story of confidence and acceptance, and I think it's especially important for high school girls to read! It was fun that it was set in Texas, too!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36477572-the-bookshop-of-yesterdays" target="_blank">The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
<b>Erin's Challenge: Favorite Book of Family/Friend</b><br />
It took me a bit of time to get into this book, but overall, I liked it. After Miranda's uncle Billy passes away, she receives a clue to a scavenger hunt to find out why Billy and her mom had a falling out 16 years ago. The big secret became obvious to me early on, but there were still interesting tidbits through the book that I enjoyed. I loved the bookstore setting and how much the story revolved around books.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40311508-in-paris-with-you" target="_blank">In Paris With You by Clémentine Beauvais</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge: Originally Published in Different Language</b><br />
I think I would have liked this book better if I had read it in French (which wouldn't have worked since I needed it for a book in translation in a book challenge). This book was written entirely in a poetry format, which was interesting and unique, but I do think some things were lost in translation here and there. I didn't love the ending, but it doesn't surprise me because it's very French. Overall, it was an OK read, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36271896-persuasion" target="_blank">Persuasion by Jane Austen</a></span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge: Published 100+ Years Ago</b><br />
I somehow missed reading <i>Persuasion</i> all these years, and I absolutely loved it. The first few chapters weren't my favorite, but it really picked up, and the ending was fantastic. I loved Anne and Frederick. This is definitely one of my favorite Jane Austen novels.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37930624-transcription" target="_blank">Transcription by Kate Atkinson</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge: Set in Europe</b><br />
I thought learning about British spying during WWII was interesting, but there were a lot of confusing things in this book. I feel like there were parts of the plot that didn't end up being explained, and the ending was way different than I expected. Juliet was not my favorite character, and it felt a little slow. Still, it was a decent read, and I would definitely read more Kate Atkinson books.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36339881-winter-at-west-sands-guest-house" target="_blank">Winter at West Sands Guest House by Maggie Conway</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge: Cardinal Direction in Title</b><br />
This was a quick-paced, cozy romance. I liked the characters, but the story wasn't super unique or exciting. It was a decent read, but it's not a book I would go out of my way to recommend.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36224862-no-time-to-blink" target="_blank">No Time to Blink by Dina Silver</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge: Title Starts with N</b><br />
I loved this book! It's a quick, fast-paced story of a mother's love and determination to get her daughter back after she was abducted by her father. The chapters go back and forth between the past and the present, where the daughter faces some difficult challenges in her own life. The beginning was a little slow, but it soon pulled me in, and I couldn't stop reading.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4538.The_View_from_Saturday" target="_blank">The View From Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span></div>
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<b>Erin's Challenge: Newberry Award Winner/Honor Roll</b><br />
Last time I read this book, I was in elementary school. I think I enjoyed it even more as an adult. It's about the beauty of friendship and dealing with change. It's sweet and funny and teaches great lessons.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Favorite reads in January: <i>Dumplin',</i> <i>Persuasion, </i>and <i>No Time to Blink.</i></span></div>
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-50404426685038097842019-01-28T07:44:00.000-06:002019-01-28T07:44:10.480-06:00Anthony Update: Months Ten, Eleven, and Twelve (Plus Some Current Updates)Hey, friends! I’m definitely late on this update because Anthony turned 15 months on Sunday (how?!), but I wanted to have his entire first year on my blog. Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse for adorable baby photos? At the end of this post, I’m including some fun facts about Anthony right now.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>General Thoughts</i></span><br />
The last three months of Anthony’s first year were so much fun. We got to do many new things with Anthony on our four-week trip to Washington DC, and I loved watching him explore.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Stats</i></span><br />
At his 12-month appointment, Anthony was 21.4 pounds (55th percentile) and 30.75 inches (80th percentile). He’s come a long way from being in the second percentile for his weight at his two-month appointment! Around his first birthday, he had eight teeth.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Milestones</i></span><br />
Those last three months before one were full of milestones. The biggest milestone was walking. He was taking a few steps here and there at 11 months, but he didn’t consistently pick walking over crawling until 13 months.
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His other big milestone was his language. I had heard that children who learn two languages at once can be slightly delayed with their language, but Anthony has been doing well so far. The first word he said (and understood the meaning) was bye-bye. He always says it when we leave a room or go through any door (and he waves! It’s so cute). At his one year birthday, he knew eight words: buh-bye, dada, baba (for my mom), go, mmm good, ky-ky (Russian for peek-a-boo), kaka (Russian for dog), and ball. Since then, he’s added on quite a few more words. My favorites from his new words are mama (he finally said it consistently right after Christmas!), teeth, cheese, and bubbles.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Firsts</i></span><br />
Anthony had so many fun firsts in months 10-12. On September 8 (at 10 months), he had his first flight. He did so well. For those of you with babies and toddlers who haven’t flown with them yet, the biggest recommendation I can give is to buy them their own seat. It is so much easier and much safer, too! We took him to the ocean for the first time at Assateague Island, and he went to the zoo for the first time at the Smithsonian Zoo. We also visited monuments, Monticello, Shenandoah National Park, and took Anthony to his first apple orchard. We added three new states to Anthony’s state list while in DC, so by the time he turned one, he had visited five states.
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On our flight back, he really was a super trooper because we got stuck on the plane when we landed due to a thunderstorm, and we didn’t get home until 11 p.m. We also experienced 30 seconds of the worst turbulence I’ve ever experienced as we flew through the thunderstorm.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Sleep</i></span><br />
Like I mentioned in my last Anthony update, I was beyond excited when he turned the corner with his nighttime sleeping. For a while, Anthony was wanting to do all of his sleeping at night. He would go to bed at 8 p.m., wake up at 6:30 a.m. to feed, and then he would want to go back to sleep until 9 a.m. It was really nice because I could get some work done in the morning. As a result of his night sleep, he would only take two 30-minute naps during the day. This changed again recently, and now he’s sleeping 11 hours at night (he does wake up once occasionally), taking an hour and a half morning nap and a 45-minute evening nap.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Food</i></span><br />
Anthony still loves to eat! We made it to one year of breastfeeding (and we’re actually still breastfeeding, which is crazy to me. I doubted I would make it to a year, let alone longer than a year). He never really used bottles, so it was easy to transition to a sippy cup. He will pretty much eat everything. His favorite food includes eggs, cheese, tortillas (or any kind of bread), zucchini, squash, salmon, bananas, and strawberries. The only food we have noticed he doesn’t like so far is carrots. He’s also not a big meat eater yet. His Dada likes to say Anthony somehow manages to eat as much food as he does.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Likes</i></span><br />
Anthony loves people (he is shy for about 10 minutes when he meets someone new, but then he won’t stop talking!), going to the park (swinging and going down the slide is his favorite), dancing (any time I say “dance, dance,” he starts dancing!), listening to music (Baby Shark is a favorite, of course), and reading books. He is also a huge fan of our dog Skyler and is always looking to see where she is. She is finally a big fan of his, now that he throws her food from his high chair. His favorite toys at that age were a dump truck (he loves to drive it around), his V-Tech Activity Walker, and any kinds of balls to kick and throw.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Dislikes</i></span><br />
Really, the only big dislike at that stage was diaper changes. They got really difficult, and it was hard to keep him distracted.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Things I Want to Remember</i></span><br />
Around ten months, Anthony learned how to give hugs! If you ask for a hug, he will cuddle in close, and it’s the sweetest thing.
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Around the 12-month mark, he really got interested in Baby Shark. He calls it “Doo, Doo, Doo,” and he knows I say “Alexa, play Baby Shark” to get it to play. He tries to get Alexa to play it by saying, “A, A, Doo, Doo, Doo!” Then, as soon as the song starts, he starts to dance. He knows the last line too and starts saying “Doo, Doo, Doo,” so I’ll play it again.
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Right now, we play with bubbles in the bath tub, and he absolutely loves it. He will watch them and say “bubble!”
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He hands me my phone and asks me to see photos of himself. He calls himself “Tota” because his Russian nickname is Tosha.
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He recently started wagging his finger and saying “no, no, no!” I think he saw us say that to Skyler.
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He loves cheese! As soon as I put him in his high chair, he says “cheese?”
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If he can’t see me at church or while we’re shopping as a family, he’ll call for me.
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We bought him a Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair, and his favorite thing to do with it is roll it over and unzip it.
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He is constantly waving at people and dogs.<br />
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-78299104637293809472019-01-14T07:32:00.000-06:002019-01-14T07:32:00.314-06:00Five Best Coastal Towns to Visit in Maine If you’ve read my travel posts in the past, you know that Maine is one of my favorite places in the world. Chris and I constantly talk about how much we want to own a summer home there in the future (because we definitely don’t want to deal with those winters!). Now that I’m back to travel blogging, I thought it was only appropriate to kick off my travel posts with more Maine talk! One of my favorite parts of our Maine babymoon was visiting all the of the adorable coastal towns, so today I wanted to share five of my favorite spots with you.<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Kennebunkport </span><br />
Kennebunkport is the town that made me fall in love with the Maine coast. We first visited Kennebunkport on <a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2014/11/fall-foliage-cruise-portland-and.html" target="_blank">our fall colors cruise in 2014</a>, and I knew we had to go back. Kennebunkport is full of adorable shops, historic mansions, gorgeous views, and amazing lobster rolls at The Clam Shack. If you want to swim, there are also several beautiful beaches to visit.<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Bar Harbor </span><br />
Bar Harbor is the gateway to one of my favorite national parks: Acadia National Park. Like with Kennebunkport, <a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2014/11/fall-foliage-cruise-bar-harbor-maine.html" target="_blank">we first visited Acadia on our fall color cruise</a>, and we loved it so much we knew we had to go back! Bar Harbor itself is special too. We loved walking along the water, going on a lobster boat cruise, and dining at the many delicious restaurants. You must stop for ice cream at Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream and grab some wild Maine blueberry muffins at Jordan’s Restaurant.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Camden </span><br />
Camden is known for gourmet dining and the gorgeous Penobscot Bay. One of my favorite memories from our babymoon was our sunset cruise on the Penobscot Bay: it was absolutely stunning! Camden Hills State Park, a short drive outside the city, is also worth a visit. Mt. Battie (inside the park) offers gorgeous panoramic views of Penobscot Bay.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">Boothbay Harbor </span><br />
Boothbay Harbor stole my heart. It was the cutest little town with the most beautiful, clear water. It might just be a top contender for that vacation home of ours. I loved walking the Footbridge and just exploring all the fun shops along the water. It was absolutely charming and felt a bit like going back in time. I can’t wait to go back!
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;">York</span><br />
I included York on my list because it’s one of the easiest towns to get to from other states if you are driving. York is located on the southern tip of Maine and is full of fantastic beaches and gorgeous mansions. My favorite part of York, though, was the Cape Neddick Light (most commonly referred to as the Nubble Light)—one of the most photographed lighthouses in Maine.<br />
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This is just a taste of some of my favorite places in Maine! I'll be sharing more in-depth guides in the future.<br />
P.S-If you know me, you know why all of the photos I showed y'all today are of the water and not the towns themselves-the water is my favorite part!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other Maine Babymoon Posts:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2017/08/our-trip-to-maine-by-numbers.html" target="_blank">Our Trip to Maine: By the Numbers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2017/08/five-reasons-you-should-visit-maine.html" target="_blank">Five Reasons You Should Visit Maine</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2017/07/quick-thoughts-our-maine-babymoon.html" target="_blank">Quick Thoughts: Our Maine Babymoon</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other Maine Posts:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2014/11/fall-foliage-cruise-portland-and.html" target="_blank">Fall Color Cruise: Portland and Kennebunkport, Maine</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thesiberianamerican.com/2014/11/fall-foliage-cruise-bar-harbor-maine.html" target="_blank">Fall Color Cruise: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park</a></div>
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Have you been to Maine? What was your favorite town? </i></center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-51577215987587114922019-01-07T07:32:00.000-06:002019-01-07T07:32:00.154-06:00Six Books I Read in December <div style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
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Happy book day, friends! I'm so excited to be sharing books with y'all today because I've read so many good books lately! Chris started working nights a few days before the new year (so brutal), which has been a good excuse for me to get some reading done! Also, I had quite a few First to Read ARCs that expired January 1, so I had to finish quickly. Because of this, December was heavy on historical fiction, but it all worked out since most of these books were fantastic!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38255337-one-day-in-december" target="_blank">One Day in December by Josie Silver</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span></div>
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I waited till December to read this book thinking it had a Christmas theme (it didn't), but it was still a great, light read for this time of year, which I really needed after some heavy books. I sped through it and was excited to see how it would end. Here's the thing: I really loved the way the ending was done, but I hated some of the events that lead up to the ending. Some of the main characters' actions really didn't sit right with me, and I think this cheapened the ending a bit. I'm obviously being vague on purpose to avoid spoilers, but I'm happy to discuss it with those who have read it. Overall, it was a cute read, and I would definitely recommend it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40003645-the-paragon-hotel" target="_blank">The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span></div>
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Wow, what a story! This historical fiction novel set in the 1920s features Alice "Nobody" James, who, after fleeing a life entrenched in the New York mafia, finds herself at Paragon Hotel, Portland's only all-black hotel. It weaves between Nobody's life in New York and the racism she witnesses as she is thrust into life at The Paragon Hotel. This novel is heartbreaking, interesting, and relevant. One of the things I love about historical fiction is learning something new, and this book taught me so much: about the Italian Mafia in New York, the Prohibition Era, and the rise of the KKK in Oregon (I had no idea Oregon was originally established as an all-white "utopia"-wow!). It's powerful and beautiful, and the only reason I can't give it five stars is the ending fell a little flat for me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36039015-next-year-in-havana" target="_blank">Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton</a></span></div>
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This book definitely lived up to the hype. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and the story is both heartbreaking and hopeful. I love when historical fiction teaches me something new, and I feel like I really have a better grasp on the situation in Cuba, past and present.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40265670-when-we-left-cuba" target="_blank">When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span></div>
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I read this book right after I read Next Year in Havana, and I was so excited to read a book with Beatriz as the main character. She's a great character, and I loved how she went outside of the norm of society. I didn't love this book as much as Next Year in Havana because I didn't like the romance as much and didn't feel quite as connected to the characters. Overall, though, I liked that this book gave a better overview of life for exiles in the United States after the Cuban Revolution!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40683402-the-last-year-of-the-war" target="_blank">The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span></div>
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I love Susan Meissner's books because they always teach me something new. In this case, I learn a lot about internment camps during World War II. Overall, I liked the main character, but this book did lack some emotion for me. It was a good read, but I have read better books from Susan Meissner.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40597810-daisy-jones-the-six" target="_blank">Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span></div>
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Taylor Jenkins Reid is an incredible author. Honestly, when I read the description of this book (about the rise and fall of a fictitious band in the 1970s), I thought that if it wasn't written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, I wouldn't have read it. This story was just incredible. It was heartbreaking, beautiful, and just so raw. I felt a rollercoaster of emotions. I loved the interview format-it was so perfect for this book! I pretty much loved everything about it, except one thing towards the end, but it wasn't enough to change my rating from five stars. I rarely give out five stars, but this book is absolutely worth it. I want to start all over from the beginning!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Favorite reads in Month: <i>The Paragon Hotel,</i> <i>Next Year in Havana, </i>and <i>Daisy Jones & the Six.</i></span></div>
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-10013381504752169392019-01-03T07:45:00.000-06:002019-01-03T08:17:58.534-06:00Let's Talk About My Blogging in 2018 and My Goals for 2019I've thought a lot about what I want to say about my lack of blogging in 2018. I honestly never wanted to be one of those bloggers who has a baby and leaves the blogging world. I love writing and the blogging community too much for that. I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep blogging, but honestly, I felt so much better when I let it go and only wrote when I could. I've touched on it a little in the past, but here is what happened in 2018 that made me write only 19 posts all year:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Brittnie Renee Photography</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1) Anthony hated sleep. </span><br />
From birth to 9.5 months, Anthony would not sleep. There was a point in time when he would wake up every 30 minutes at night for several months. I was in survival mode, and blogging just couldn't be a priority. All of a sudden at 9.5 months, he flipped a switch and started sleeping through the night! For those currently in no-sleep land, it does get better!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2) I work from home. </span><br />
This was a big one. I have enjoyed working from home the last few years, but now with Anthony, I get most of my work done during his naps and after he goes to bed at night (except on Tuesdays, which are always super busy for me, so my mom comes and watches Anthony). With the lack of sleep and still having to finish my projects, blogging just didn't work.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3) I had major post-partum anxiety. </span><br />
People always warn you about post-partum depression, so I didn't even know post-partum anxiety could happen. My heart was constantly racing, and driving anywhere became a huge struggle. I feel like I'm finally coming out of that severe anxiety haze, so here are my goals for 2019:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Post Once a Week</span><br />
I'm hoping to start posting once a week on Mondays. I have missed blogging so much, and I think I have gotten a little better at time management now that Anthony is older, so I am really hoping to make this happen. That said, I'm not going to put pressure on myself to make this happen. These next few months are going to be a bit crazy in our family (I'll hopefully explain more later!), and I'm not really looking to increase my stress.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Post One Travel Post a Month</span><br />
This is a huge one for me. I still get emails all the time with people asking me travel questions, especially about our California trip (which is by far my most-viewed blog post, thanks to Pinterest), and I have missed writing about travel so much! I didn't write a single travel post in 2018 because they are the most time-consuming posts, but I have so many things I want to share, and I'm really hoping to make these a priority in 2019!<br />
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I really want to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me last year. I love this community so much, and I'm so thankful for those of you who checked in on me or even commented because I definitely wasn't the best at reading your blogs in 2018! Cheers to 2019! Wishing everyone all the best this year and always.<br />
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.seeyouinaporridge.com/" target="_blank">Kristen</a> and <a href="https://heleneinbetween.com/2019/01/best-of-2018-review-and-link-up.html" target="_blank">Helene</a>!<br />
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-70473286331822726612018-12-26T07:15:00.000-06:002019-01-02T23:42:13.515-06:00Best Books I Read in 2018Hi, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrated yesterday! We had a fun, full day with friends and family. I'm so excited to link up with Steph and Jana today to share my favorite reads in 2018. As of today, I've read 54 books in 2018, which is a bit low for me, but it's better than I thought I would do in my first full year as a mama! Out of those 54 books, these are the ones that stood out to me:
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Favorite Historical Fiction:
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8120173-the-book-thief" target="_blank">The Book Thief by Markus Zusak</a></span><br />
I've wanted to read <i>The Book Thief </i>forever and never got around to it, so I'm thankful for Erin's Challenge for finally helping me make it a priority. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and truly an important read. I'm glad it's so popular because I think everyone should read it!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36039015-next-year-in-havana" target="_blank">Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton</a></span><br />
I actually just finished this book (it'll be in my January reviews) because I received the advanced reading copy for the sequel! What a fantastic read-it's definitely another book that lived up to the hype for me. I feel like I have a much better understanding about what happened in Cuba, and the writing is just beautiful.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Favorite Women's Fiction</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36228521-love-and-other-words" target="_blank">Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren</a></span><br />
I feel like I have recommended this book more than any other book I read this year (other than maybe the other book I put in this category). It just really surprised me. I thought I was picking up a sweet, light love story, but it had so much depth.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36431947-how-to-walk-away" target="_blank">How to Walk Away by Katherine Center</a></span><br />
I have also recommended this book a bunch this year, and all of my friends who have read it loved it too! I'm amazed at Katherine Center for making such a heartbreaking story so beautiful and truly funny at times. If you haven't read a Katherine Center book yet, pick one up!
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Favorite Thrillers:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36435920-our-house" target="_blank">Our House by Louise Candlish</a></span><br />
The thing with most of the thrillers I read is they are interesting while I'm reading them, but they don't really stand out once I'm finished. <i>Our House</i> is one of the rare thrillers that does. The plot sucked me in from the very beginning, and I thought the story was super unique. The ending was great, too! <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36136030-two-girls-down" target="_blank">Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna</a></span><br />
This is one of those great thrillers I can't say much about because I'm afraid to give anything away. It's fast paced and really interesting. I read it back in January, and it still had enough of an impact to make my top list, which says a lot!
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a>
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Happy New Year, everyone! Can't wait to share more books with y'all in 2019. </div>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-28228619315396457222018-12-10T07:38:00.000-06:002018-12-10T07:38:09.024-06:00Seven Books I Read in NovemberHey there, book friends! I've been struggling with blogging this year (Hoping to share a little bit about why sometime in January because it's more than just having a toddler), but I do try to show up for book day. I managed to read seven books since the last book day, so I have a fun variety of books to share with y'all! It's a bit more heavy on historical fiction than usual, but of course, I had to throw in a few thrillers to the mix!
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30039173-the-dollhouse" target="_blank">The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I thought I would absolutely love this historical fiction based around the Barbizon Hotel for Girls, but it lost me somewhere in the middle. I had a hard time caring about the present portion of the book, and I just got bored. It did pick up for me in the end, and I liked the ending, but overall, it was just an OK read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38525524-the-winters" target="_blank">The Winters by Lisa Gabriele</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span><br />
The Winters was a slow build for me. It took me a while to get into it, and I questioned the point of the book a few times in the beginning. It picked up about halfway through the book, though, and the ending was really good. This is a retelling of Rebecca, which I haven't read, but now it makes me want to read the original!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35523006-the-tattooist-of-auschwitz" target="_blank">The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I haven't read a WWII book quite like this. What an incredible story of hope and survival. Lale's story is such a unique perspective into life at Auschwitz, and it's truly an emotional ride as you flip from the horrors of Auschwitz to Lale and Gita's love for each other. I couldn't stop reading. The only reason it's not five stars for me is the writing is awkward at times, maybe because it was originally written as a screenplay. Overall, it was a beautiful and heartbreaking read. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41035829-the-care-and-feeding-of-ravenously-hungry-girls" target="_blank">The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span><br />
I was intrigued by this family drama involving three sisters, one of which is in prison. The reality, though, is that I was mostly bored by it. Honestly, I think many people will love this book, and it will be popular. I just wasn't one of those people. It's more of a 2.5 stars to me, but I rounded up to 3 because it did have some redeeming qualities towards the end.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40237960-the-liar-s-room" target="_blank">The Liar's Room by Simon Lelic</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span><br />
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller about a mother who moves away with her daughter to escape her past until a stranger walks into her office who knows about her past...and has kidnapped her daughter. It's fast-paced and interesting, and I thought most of the story was pretty unique. I didn't love the ending (I think it could have been a bit better), but overall, this was a great read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40774734-american-princess" target="_blank">American Princess by Stephanie Marie Thornton</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span><br />
Honestly, I was a little hesitant to read this book about Alice Roosevelt because other books I've read like these in the past have let me down. That said, I really enjoyed this one! Alice Roosevelt really was a firecracker, and it was so interesting to read all about the people she knew! It got really sad towards the end (if you know anything about Alice's life, you know why), but I liked the ending!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40776554-the-woman-inside" target="_blank">The Woman Inside by E.G. Scott</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span><br />
I've read a lot of thrillers, and here's the thing-you can't just have an interesting twist. The character development in this book is abysmal. Paul, the husband, is so one-dimensional. Rebecca is slightly better but not much. Then, you get to the twist, and I wasn't really impressed. Honestly, it's a bit unbelievable to me. I HATED the ending (though some people will really love it, I'm sure). The one thing I will say is it was a fast read. There are just so many better thrillers out there. I'd pass on this one.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Favorite reads in November: <i>The Tattooist of Auschwitz,</i> <i>The Liar's Room, </i>and <i>American Princess.</i></span></div>
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-51544561825470178462018-11-05T07:55:00.000-06:002018-11-05T07:55:00.263-06:00Sixteen Books I Read This Summer and FallHey there, book friends! It's been too long since I've shared my books with y'all. We had a crazy summer that included four weeks in DC, and then it was time for Anthony's first birthday! I wasn't posting, but I did manage to read a lot! When we were in DC, our AirBnB was all one big room, so I spent most of the time after Anthony went to bed reading. Thankfully, most of the books were great, so I'm excited to share them with y'all.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35695904-on-a-cold-dark-sea" target="_blank">On a Cold Dark Sea by Elizabeth Blackwell</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
On a Cold Dark Sea is a historical fiction that focuses on three women who were in the same lifeboat during the sinking of the Titanic. It focuses less on the event itself and more on how it impacted the women for the rest of their lives. I liked how there was a chapter about each woman before the Titanic sank, which helped develop their characters. Overall, it was a good read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37668788-the-summer-i-met-jack" target="_blank">The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I have mixed feelings about this book. It felt like it dragged in parts, and I think the main reason for that is it's way longer than it should have been. I had never heard of Alicia Darr and her relationship with JFK, so that was interesting, but I will say this book read more like women's fiction than historical fiction. My biggest complaint is all of the characters felt underdeveloped. Everyone in the Kennedy family (except maybe Pat) was deemed awful with no redeeming qualities. I enjoyed the other Michelle Gable book I read, but this one fell a little flat for me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36262504-willow-s-way" target="_blank">Willow's Way by Sharon Struth</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I needed to read something light, and Willow's Way fit the bill. That's not to say it's fluffy-there are definitely some serious topics discussed in the book. Overall,though, it's a sweet love story, and I really enjoyed it.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8120173-the-book-thief" target="_blank">The Book Thief by Markus Zusak </a></span><br />
There's not much else to say about this book that hasn't been said. It's beautiful, heartbreaking, and important. I've read so much WWII historical fiction, but this one stands out with both the narrator (Death) and the perspective of a German girl. I'm just thankful for Erin's challenge. I've been wanting to read this forever, but I hadn't made it a priority until the challenge.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40732577-lying-in-wait" target="_blank">Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I don't think it's fair to call this book a thriller. Even though it's centered around a murder, it's more of a family drama. Still, it sucked me in and kept me interested. The ending ruined a really good book for me. I think a lot of people will like the ending, but I hated it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8521731-still-missing" target="_blank">Still Missing by Chevy Stevens</a></span><br />
I can't believe it took me this long to read this book-this is one of the first books I added to my "to read" shelf on GoodReads back in 2013. I really liked this book. The twists were interesting, and in my pre-baby days, I would have definitely read this in one sitting. There is one part that made me almost physically ill based on my current life stage, but overall, it was so well done.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36128920-the-lost-season-of-love-and-snow" target="_blank">The Lost Season of Love and Snow by Jennifer Laam</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I mostly enjoyed this historical fiction about Pushkin and his wife Natalya. It got a little bit boring in the middle, but it picked up at the end. It was interesting to read about the years leading up to Pushkin's duel, and how Natalya felt in the aftermath.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34861170-secret-shores" target="_blank">Secret Shores by Ella Carey</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I wasn't sure if I would like this book based on the description, but I LOVED it. I thought both the past and present (though present is 1987 in this case) parts were done well, and I really liked the love story in the past section. I did hope the present section was a bit more developed, especially at the end, but overall, it was an interesting read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37801808-intercepted" target="_blank">Intercepted by Alexa Martin</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)
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Overall, I loved this read. Marlee and Gavin are both fantastic characters, and it's the perfect read to kick off the beginning of football season! I thought it was really realistic for a romance novel, and Marlee's one-liners were funny, though I could have done without all of the hashtags. The pace of the novel threw me off a bit. It was hard to follow at times because the author would jump ahead a week or a month. Still, it was a great story, and I was excited to see this is a series!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38355616-the-girl-from-berlin" target="_blank">The Girl from Berlin by Ronald H. Balson</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I'm at the point where I will basically read everything Ronald H. Balson writes because it's SO good. He's definitely one of my favorite historical fiction writers. The past/present format is done so well, and the mystery sucked me in pretty quickly. It was both heartbreaking and hopeful. If you're a World War II historical fiction fan, you need to read this one!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39337521-the-clockmaker-s-daughter" target="_blank">The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I'm a big Kate Morton fan, and I enjoyed this novel, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I liked the character of the Clockmaker's Daughter, and the reveal of what happened to her was interesting, but it felt like there was a lot of extra information in between. Also, Kate Morton usually does such a great job of weaving the past and present together, but all of a sudden in the middle of the novel the present -day story disappears, and it barely gets resolved at the end. I'm probably being a bit overly critical just because of how much I usually love Kate Morton's books. I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to historical fiction fans!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41569804-winter-in-paradise" target="_blank">Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)
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I loved Elin Hilderbrand's new book. It's fast-paced and really kept me turning the pages. The characters are all relatable and well developed, and the setting of St. John is perfect. My only negative is that I have to wait a year to read the next book in the series!
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41715227-evidence-of-the-affair" target="_blank">Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid</a></span><br />
I really enjoyed this short story told exclusively in letter format. I especially liked the ending. TJR can really do no wrong!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40524416-the-cottage-on-sunshine-beach" target="_blank">The Cottage on Sunshine Beach by Holly Martin</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
Holly Martin has been one of my go-to authors for a quick feel-good romance over the last few years, and this book was no exception. The story was super sweet, and I loved the setting. Melody and Jamie weren't my favorite characters that Holly Martin has created (I like Tori and Aidan from the first book in this trilogy better), but I still really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read the last book in this trilogy (though all the books also work as stand-alone novels) because I really like Isla and Leo.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39699779-the-suspect" target="_blank">The Suspect by Fiona Barton</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o First to Read)</span><br />
This is the first time in a long time that I've read a book this quickly. Every page was interesting, and I was eager to see how it ended. This would have definitely made me pull an all-nighter reading before I became a mama. I'll definitely be reading more Fiona Barton books in the future!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36263210-the-subway-girls" target="_blank">The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
One of my favorite parts of reading historical fiction is learning something new, and I really enjoyed learning about New York's Miss Subways beauty contest through this novel. The past and present parts of the book were woven together brilliantly, and Charlotte and Olivia were both great characters. It kept me interested the whole time and was a light read while still dealing with some relevant topics. If you're a historical fiction fan, definitely pick this one up!
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<span style="font-size: large;">Favorite reads from this summer and fall: <i>The Book Thief,</i> <i>Secret Shores, Intercepted, The Girl from Berlin, Winter in Paradise, The Suspect, </i>and <i>The Subway Girls.</i></span></div>
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></center>
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<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 220px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 8100px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 220px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 8100px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-51665023009231744412018-10-24T07:50:00.000-05:002018-10-24T07:50:06.422-05:00Happy First Birthday, Anthony!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can’t believe my sweet boy turned ONE on Saturday! We had such a fun day celebrating with family and friends at his football-themed “Anthony’s First Down” birthday party. This has been the fastest and best year of my life, and I’ve never experienced so much joy. It definitely wasn’t all easy (there were times when I thought I might go crazy from the lack of sleep during those first 10 months), but it was definitely all worth it for our little man. I love his sweet, gentle personality, and though I’m a little sad to leave babyhood, I can’t wait to watch him grow. Happy birthday, Anthony. I am so thankful to be your mama. </div>
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PS-I will share more about Anthony’s latest milestones, his one-year shoot at the State Fair of Texas, and his birthday party soon!
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-25623091600216207532018-09-26T07:45:00.000-05:002018-09-26T07:45:01.043-05:00Let’s Have a Coffee Date: Hello from DC! Hi, friends! I’ve been meaning to update y’all on everything going on lately, but life has been all about getting ready for DC and then adjusting to our place here, so I haven’t been on my laptop much. I have really been missing blogging lately, though, and have all kinds of ideas for content, so I’m hoping I can start posting a bit more once we get back!
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Overall, DC has been better than I expected. I was so nervous because Anthony had finally started sleeping well at night (usually one wakeup around 4 to 5 a.m., unless he is teething), and I had heard going to a new place can sometimes mess with that. We did have several days with two to three wakeups, but overall, he has done really well! The only exception was a few nights when he was randomly awake for a few hours, but then I realized he had two more teeth coming out, so that made sense.
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One of the reasons I was nervous about DC is we are staying in a place that’s basically one big room. I came up with the idea of using a sheet and a curtain rod to separate the kitchen and the living area/bedroom, and we put Anthony’s pack n play in the kitchen. I’m also trying to keep him on Central Time as much as I can because I don’t want to get him used to waking up early due to the time difference.
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Anthony has really enjoyed going on adventures with us! We have taken him to see the monuments and some of the Smithsonian museums. We also spent a day at the zoo, and Anthony absolutely loved it! He kept going “oooh” and laughing at all the animals. His favorite animals were the elephant, tiger, and lion.
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We’ve been a little bummed because it has rained almost every day since we were here, and we were really looking forward to going on walks since it’s cooler here than in Texas. I feel like it’s been raining in a huge part of the country, though, and at least we haven’t gotten any of the terrible flooding! It has made it even more humid than usual, though. This is my first experience using a dehumidifier, and it’s so crazy to have to empty it five times a day!
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If you have read my travel posts in the past, you know I always have a large list of restaurants to visit anytime we’re visiting somewhere new. We’ve already checked off several really great places, and I’m crossing my fingers I can get on top of blogging once we’re home and share a little DC guide with y’all!
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This past weekend, we took a road trip to Ocean City, Maryland and Assateague Island for Anthony’s first trip to the ocean. I really loved Assateague Island, despite being practically eaten alive by mosquitoes. Anthony really loved watching the waves. I think the water was a bit cold for him, but he did enjoy watching it! Our three-hour ride home turned into six hours because of really horrible traffic due to the rain, but Chris and I both agreed it was still a really wonderful weekend.
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This weekend we are heading to Charlottesville, Virginia, and then doing the Skyline Drive at Shenandoah National Park. We’re crossing our fingers for some nice weather, so we can do a little hiking.
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It’s crazy to me that it’s almost time to celebrate Anthony’s first birthday! I’ve been working on his party details, which is so much fun. I’m excited to share the details with y’all in just a few weeks!
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-37870807632358933272018-08-27T07:23:00.000-05:002018-08-27T07:23:01.426-05:00Anthony Update: Months Seven, Eight, and NineHey, friends! Anthony turned ten months last Monday (what?!), so it’s definitely time for another update. I’ve really been wanting to return to this space on a more regular basis, but all of these crazy things keep happening (life update soon), and I just haven’t had the energy to sit down and write. Now that I’m a mama, I have really focused on not pushing myself and giving myself grace, even when I would normally feel like I am failing. Anyways, enough about me, and let’s talk about Anthony! These last three months have been my favorite so far. We have had so much fun, and Anthony has learned a lot. I’m excited to share all about them with y’all!
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.brittniereneephotography.com/" target="_blank">Brittnie Renee Photography</a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>General Thoughts</i></span><br />
One of my favorite things is the older Anthony gets, the more I see his personality come out. Anthony is observant. He loves learning new things and will watch closely when I teach him something, and then he will keep on trying until he figures it out. He loves exploring, but he also enjoys crawling into my lap to read a book. He is full of joy, and his sweet giggles are my favorite.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Stats</i></span><br />
We went to the doctor the day Anthony turned nine months, and he was 18 pounds, 6.7 ounces. That’s in the 30th percentile. We were super excited to hear that because Anthony has always been low on the growth chart—at one point he was in the second percentile. He always grew well on his own curve, but we were still happy to see he is catching up a bit. My guess is he is probably closer to 20 pounds now.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Milestones</i></span><br />
These last three months have been full of milestones! A few days after Anthony turned seven months, he started teething, and his two bottom teeth came out pretty quickly. A few days after that, he began to army crawl, and he moved to normal crawling quickly. By 7.5 months, he was moving really fast. At 8.5 months, he could go switch from crawling or laying down to sitting. On the day he turned nine months, he started consistently pulling up. Now, he does it all the time and will move from one place to another a bit while holding on. It’s pretty funny when he stands up in his pack n play and stares at me when he wakes up. Anthony’s top teeth broke through last week, so his new favorite thing is to hit his teeth against each other.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Firsts</i></span><br />
The two big firsts I wanted to mention was Anthony’s first long road trip and his first trip to the dentist. We went to Hot Springs for our birthday and anniversary trip this year, which is about a five-hour drive. It went really well, and we had a great time on our trip! Unfortunately, on the way back, an 18-wheeler had a blowout right in front of us, and the tire struck our car. It did some damage to our car and ripped one of our tires to shreds, so we had to pull over and wait for AAA to come help Chris replace the tire (he wasn’t comfortable doing it himself because we weren’t in a safe spot). Thankfully, it all worked out, and we got home safely, but it was scary at the time. Anthony was a trooper and handled being stuck in the car for extra hours really well.
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When Anthony’s teeth came in, they were super sharp, and he kept biting under his tongue and making it bleed. This created a large ulcer under his tongue that wouldn’t heal because he kept aggravating it. I ended up having to take Anthony to the pediatric dentist to smooth out his teeth, so he would stop making the ulcer bleed. I was really anxious about it because I knew he wouldn’t understand what was going on, but it went so much better than I expected. He hasn’t made the ulcer bleed since the teeth were smoothed, so I’m hoping it will fully heal soon.
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Remember how I said crazy things kept happening? Those are just two examples.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Sleep</i></span><br />
Months seven and eight were rough when it came to sleep. Anthony was waking up every two hours at night, and he decided he hated naps. He rejected his pacifier around six months, so putting him down for naps got really hard. As we were nearing the nine-month mark, I thought I was going to lose my mind from so little sleep. I talked to the doctor at his nine-month appointment, and she basically just told me some babies aren’t good sleepers, no matter what you do.
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Then, all of a sudden, he turned a corner. He went from waking up every two hours to waking up at 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., then waking up for the day between 7 and 8. Now, he usually only wakes up once between 4:30 and 5 a.m (unless he’s teething). His naps got so much better, too, especially after I worked on dropping the third nap. Right now, we usually do a 2/3/4 schedule. It’s what seems to work best for him—I’ve tried to stretch out the morning wake time, and he doesn’t like it. He’s not super consistent with how long he sleeps, but before he was sleeping through the night, he would take a two-hour morning nap and a one-hour afternoon nap. Now, it’s closer to two one-hour naps (often more like 45 minutes). I can’t even begin to explain what a huge difference his new schedule has made for us. I feel like a new person!
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Food</i></span><br />
We’ve made it ten months breastfeeding! Anthony nurses when he wakes up in the morning and a short time before bed and then in four-hour intervals throughout the day (usually after his naps). I also feed him three solid meals a day. He always says “mmmm” after each bite, which is super cute. Puffs are also a huge hit around here.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Sounds</i></span><br />
Anthony has been blabbing for a long time, but I think he’s getting close to making associations. In the morning when he wakes up, he usually calls for me, saying “Awa!” He has been saying Dada and Baba forever, but not directly at Chris or my mom (Baba). Chris calls on his way home, and Anthony will “talk” to him. The other day I turned on a podcast during playtime, and Anthony said Dada! I think maybe he thought it was Chris since it’s usually him on the phone. He’s also good at repeating sounds. The cutest is when we’ll ask him if he’s OK, and he say “OK!” back.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Likes</i></span><br />
<i>This section contains affiliate links.</i><br />
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Anthony loves swimming, crawling, and pulling up on everything. His favorite toys are this <a href="http://shopstyle.it/l/Q4VY" target="_blank">Baby Einstein Octoplush</a> (which he has loved for months), a LeapFrog activity center, this <a href="http://shopstyle.it/l/Q4UV" target="_blank">VTech Musical Rhymes Book</a> (music and turning pages! It’s a big winner here), and the <a href="http://shopstyle.it/l/Q4U1" target="_blank">VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker</a>. We also grabbed <a href="http://shopstyle.it/l/Q4Wa" target="_blank">this cute little toucan</a> for our upcoming plane ride, and Anthony really loves it. His favorite thing for naps is this <a href="http://shopstyle.it/l/Q4Wg" target="_blank">SwaddleMe Elephant Soother</a>. I also like looking at sites like <a href="http://www.wikibuy.com/">www.wikibuy.com</a> for baby deals! He also loves going on walks. He will sit in his umbrella stroller for as long as we let him, looking at everything. I can’t wait for it to be cooler outside, so we can spend more time walking around.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Dislikes</i></span><br />
I’m not sure if it’s a real dislike, but Anthony has started moving so much that changing his diaper can be difficult. I can usually distract him with a toy, but I still try to make it as quick as possible. He’s also developed a bit of separation anxiety. He is pretty good at playing on his own these days, but he wants me to be in the room.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: x-large;"><i>Things I Want to Remember</i></span><br />
Anthony loves to take my hands and use them to clap.
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Christopher’s favorite noise that Anthony makes is a motorboat.
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He will crawl up to his activity center, pull up, turn on the music, and dance!
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Anthony loves peekaboo. He will find a box or big toy and hide behind it to play.
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He loves pulling up on the window in his nursery (it’s the perfect height for him) and watching the cars (and dogs) outside.
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He loves throwing balls in my direction and then chasing after them, so he can throw them at me again.<br />
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Overall, I’m just loving this fun stage! Now that I’m a bit less of a mom zombie, it’s such a joy to chase Anthony around and watch his discover this world.
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-42780141673129679602018-07-10T01:00:00.000-05:002018-07-10T01:00:02.667-05:00Eight Books I Read in May and JuneHey there, book friends! Life has been a bit crazy, and I missed the linkup last month, so I have eight books to share this month. The best part is I’ve read so many good books lately. I don’t know if I’ve been more selective about what I’m reading since I don’t have as much time to read, or I’ve just lucked out, but I couldn’t wait to share these books with y’all!
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36157560-the-family-next-door" target="_blank">The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I love Sally Hepworth, and while this book is a bit of a departure from her other books, I still enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of Liane Moriarty's <i>Big, Little Lies</i>. Honestly, I didn't really care for the two side stories, but the main plot line was really interesting. Overall, it was a good read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39685231-lady-be-good" target="_blank">Lady Be Good by Amber Brock</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I had high hopes for this book because I really enjoyed Amber Brock's <i>A Fine Imitation</i>, but it fell flat for me. It had no real plot, especially for the first half, and Kitty was a bit annoying. It also felt really long when it was actually less than 300 pages. The second half redeemed it a little for me, but it was still not a favorite read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33561310-seeing-red" target="_blank">Seeing Red by Sandra Brown</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
This is my second Sandra Brown book, and I liked this one even more than the first one. Sandra Brown is just so good at mixing a thriller with romance. The plot was interesting, and it was full of great twists. I was honestly sad to see it end! I'll definitely be reading more Sandra Brown in the future.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36662846-a-vicarage-reunion" target="_blank">A Vicarage Reunion by Kate Hewitt</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I wanted to love this book as much as I loved the first one, but it really dragged in the middle for me (which is saying a lot for a book that's less than 300 pages!). I did like the story overall, though, and I'm definitely going to read the next one in the series.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36435920-our-house" target="_blank">Our House by Louise Candlish</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span><br />
This thriller was SO good. It grabbed me right away, and if I could have, I would have definitely read it in one sitting. The twists were done well, and the plot was unique. I have been not impressed with many thrillers lately because it feels like they're all the same, so it was refreshing to read this book! The only reason it's not five stars for me is I feel like Bram could have been a little more developed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38745380-us-against-you" target="_blank">Us Against You by Fredrik Backman</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
I'm always nervous about reading a sequel to a book I really liked, but <i>Us Against You</i> delivered. The writing was so beautiful, and the emotion is raw. This book is about so much more than just hockey- it's about politics, relationships, and resilience. It's a must read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36228521-love-and-other-words" target="_blank">Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
This is the best women's fiction book I have read in a long time. It was almost as good as <i>Swear on This Life</i>, which is saying a lot for me. It sucked me in from the very beginning, and my pre-baby self would have probably finished it in one sitting. Even now, I was reading it as much as I could. The emotions were so well done, and the past-present format worked great in this case. Usually, I like either the past or present more, but I was eager to read both sides of the story. This was my first book from Christina Lauren, but it definitely won't be my last.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35380146-need-to-know" target="_blank">Need to Know by Karen Cleveland</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
What a fast-paced thriller! This one really kept me on the edge of my seat. I literally felt sick for the main character as she made some impossible decisions. I LOVED it until the epilogue. I honestly wish it wasn't there. I had guessed that it would go in that direction, but I was hoping it wouldn't. That's all I'm going to say about that, so I don't give anything away, but it was still a fantastic book overall!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Favorite reads in May and June: <i>Seeing Red, Our House, Us Against You, </i>and <i>Love and Other Words</i></span></div>
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></center>
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I skipped blogging for most of May and all of June, and it felt really strange. I opened up my blog quite a few times and wrote several halves of blog posts, but I just didn’t have the energy to finish a post. I’ve been wanting to share about a million things with y’all, though, so I figured it was time for a coffee date!
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Chris is officially done with the hardest year of residency so far! Of course, his medical new year starts with a month of nights, but he will have some free weekends soon! He’s worked almost every weekend since February, so we are super excited. It’s hard to believe we are finally halfway through training. He has two more years of residency and one more year of fellowship left.
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Can I just say how proud I am of Chris for how he handled this year? It just hasn’t been easy-many nights and almost no weekends, all while getting barely any sleep. I know he’s a little sad about how much he has had to miss Anthony grow, but it has really made the times we did have together even sweeter.
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We decided to book a quick getaway for our birthdays! We found a nice cabin with a scenic view about five hours away, so it will be our first long road trip with Anthony. Fingers crossed he does well! I can’t wait for a little change of scenery.
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Speaking of change of scenery, I can’t believe we are so close to our four weeks in DC! I’m a little nervous because it’ll be Anthony’s first flight (we decided against a 20-hour road trip), and he’s super active these days, so I have no idea how it will go. I’m excited to go on some weekend adventures with Christopher and Anthony, though! I’ve never been to DC, so if you have favorite places there, let me know.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Brittnie Renee Photography</td></tr>
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Speaking of Anthony, he is crawling all over the place now, and it’s definitely a whole new ball game! I am getting a workout every day while chasing him. I’m planning to write an update soon, but this month with Anthony has been so much fun! It’s amazing to me how much he has learned. I’ve mentioned about a million times that I think Anthony is just not a great sleeper, and that’s still true. He has never slept through the night, though most nights we are down to two wakeups, so I’ll take it. He’s also had a hard time with naps lately. I’m trying to see how I can adjust his schedule, so he gets a little more rest!<br />
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I don’t have much time to read these days, but everything I have read lately has been really good! I missed last month’s book day, so I can’t wait to share my reads from the last two months next week!
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.seeyouinaporridge.com/" target="_blank">Kristen</a> for What’s New With You?
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2466316309262029040.post-79494589658250932282018-05-07T23:00:00.000-05:002018-05-07T23:00:00.801-05:00Three Books I Read in April Well, it looks like three books a month is the magic number right now. We spent most of April packing, moving, and unpacking, so I was glad to get even a little reading done. The good news is I liked all three reads, and I’m excited to share them with y’all.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38344308-the-holiday-cottage-by-the-sea" target="_blank">The Holiday Cottage by the Sea by Holly Martin</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
Holly Martin is one of my favorite chick lit authors. The romance is sweet, and the beautiful sea village settings are always lovely. This one isn't one of my favorites of hers-I think it got a little repetitive-but I still enjoyed it and will read the next book in the series!
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37664791-the-house-swap" target="_blank">The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o Penguin First to Read)</span><br />
It took me a while to get into this book. I don't think it's fair to call it a thriller-it's more of a drama. The plot was unique, though, and I really liked the second half of the book. The emotions were powerful and written so well. I wish the first half was a little shorter, but overall, it was a good read.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36431947-how-to-walk-away" target="_blank">How to Walk Away by Katherine Center</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(c/o NetGalley)</span><br />
This book really sucks you in. I would have definitely finished it in one sitting if that was possible. It's heartbreaking but beautiful. The plot is predictable, but it doesn't matter because the beauty in this book is how Margaret gets to the ending. I also loved how it is written as a reflection on past events-I think it really added depth to the story. This was my first Katherine Center book, but it won't be my last!
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<span style="font-size: large;">Favorite read in April: <i>How to Walk Away</i></span></div>
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Linking up with <a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Steph</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;"> & </span><a href="http://janasays.com/" style="color: #0101aa; font-family: cambria; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jana</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "cambria"; text-align: justify;">.</span></div>
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<i>I love book suggestions. What have you read lately?</i></center>
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The Siberian Americanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02518701303234075795noreply@blogger.com23