What's new on the Stidd homefront

We have had so much going on lately.  We have been working really hard on the house!  We are re-doing our kitchen which has been a huge undertaking, but it is going to be so worth it!  It's not totally done yet, but Tom took down the wallpaper and painted it a country green.  He also did a beautiful white crown molding at the top of the kitchen and a green molding along the bases of our cabinets.  He took up the yucky linoleum and put down a tile that looks like wood planks.  He also created a glass cabinet for me to go over the sink and we replaced our stove.  I absolutely love my new stove!  It is a double oven with convection features.  So far I have made brownies twice and chicken Parmesan with spaghetti!  Here are some photos of our work in progress... It is still not complete but getting closer....

Cooking with my 20 week baby bump!

We have also been working really hard outside our house.  We have been planting grass seed, growing our garden, planting flowers, and we put up a trellis with some climbing flowers.  We want to add more trellises along our fence.  We also planted something really special, raspberry plants form my dad's backyard.  These raspberry plants are from original plants from when my parents lived in my mom's grandparents house where she grew up.  These were Grandma Vita and Grandpa Rocco's raspberry plants that they had in Bay Shore, which my mom took stalks to our house in Holbrook, and now Tom and I have planted some of these same plants at our house in Baiting Hollow. These raspberries are over 50 years old!  Additionally, these raspberry plants are also special to us because when I first started talking to Tom, I told him about how I made cookies from these raspberries.  I knew Tom was special when he seemed to really take interest in my raspberries when we were first dating!

Our new trellis

The garden is growing!

My wagon that Tom restored for me!

My special raspberry plant

Mother's Day is always a tough holiday for me but this year it was a little more special knowing that I am going to be a mom to my baby girl this year!  I am so honored to be able to give my baby the middle name Phyllis after my mom.  Tom and I brought flowers to my mom's grave but the cemetery was closed.  Tom is the absolute best though because he parked outside the entrance and walked really, really far with me to be sure my mom got her flowers.

I love my Mommy!

I also worked really hard on my first sewing project to make a dress for the baby.  It wasn't that easy of a pattern (I should have found more of a beginner pattern), but luckily one of my co-workers was a huge help and helped me step by step to finish the dress!  I can't wait until she arrives and can wear it!  I  have also been writing in my pregnancy journal each week and Tom and I began our baby registries at Babies 'R Us and Buy Buy Baby.  I also come home with almost daily presents each day I go to school.  I am so amazed at how many people are so thrilled about our baby and have been so generous.  I've been feeling baby flutters the past 2 weeks and Tom also was able to feel the baby kick for the first time this weekend!

Dress project complete!

And one final note.. Indy has certainly made himself at home with Tom and I.  He's not allowed on the couches and I spent hours each weekend vacuuming and lint rolling, but look what he did while I was in the shower...

Oh Indy....

Thanks for reading!  Keep praying for us and our baby!