A Mother's Guilt

Is it just me or is motherhood just filled with guilt? I have been feeling so bad about Kennedy's obvious reaction to this baby coming (potty training regressing, emotional etc.) that I have really stepped it up a notch and tried to spend as much time with her as possible before Sophie gets here. We have been doing crafts constantly, going on little outings together and reading book after book after book...you get the idea. So today we had our final little outing before I head to the hospital tonight to have the baby. Ken and I went to the American Girl doll store, which was adorable and Ken was so excited the whole time. They even let us borrow a doll to eat our banana split with since I wasn't quite ready to spend $100 plus on a doll. Then we went to the play area at the mall and then to the Dallas arboredum. At the arboredum Ken got her face painted, went to the petting zoo and fed some fish. She even met some cute little friends that she chased bubbles with for a while. It was a fun day. Tonight she is sleeping over at her friend London's house while we are at the hospital.
I also wanted to take the time to thank Mike for his patience and help during the pregnancy. For example; this past Sunday I prepared our sharing time for primary and my back was killing and so Mike took Ken to church and did the sharing time in full pirate character. Apparently it was quite a hit. He has helped so much around the house, with Ken and dealing with his- not so pleasant pregnant wife. I have sent him on many a slurpee run (my big craving this pregnancy) and he is always willing to do anything I ask. Thanks babe!
We will keep you all posted on the baby.

Loosli Taken Pictures

All of the pictures in the slide show were taken by my brother Peter. You can see his other work at www.looslitaken.com I just thought I would display the stuff he has done for us, we have loved it all!

Just a few shout outs!

Happy Birthday to Uncle Ben (April 24). We are a little late but I wanted to give Ben a shout out because we love him. This is a picture of Ben and Kennedy at Thanksgiving Point for the tulip festival, obviously a while ago. Ben is doing his residency at the U and is busy busy busy. It is so fun to have him back in Utah so that when we are home we get to see him. Kennedy loved it while he visited us here in Texas.

I also had to recognize my little brother Blake. He is so talented and has just been hired by ESPN magazine do to a picture of Tom Brady and has a picture from No Country For Old Men that has been put in the Communication Arts Illustration Annual, which will be out in July (he tells me this is the biggest honor for illustrators). Check out his website and blog at http://www.blakeloosli.com/ and go to the Gallery and check all the pics out and to the html archive to see a great one of Mike.

Also for anyone looking to get family pics this summer, needing a baby announcement, knows someone getting married or has a senior that needs senior pics taken, my older brother Peter is a talented photographer with excellent prices and he is a lot of fun to work with. You can check out his work and prices at http://www.looslitaken.com/ A lot of our family pics and pictures of Kennedy were taken by him that are on our blog. The slide show above are a collection of pictures taken by him just to give you an idea.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! Earth day is about getting rid of excess right? So as a family tonight we decided to get rid of some of Mike's excess hair although mid-process Ken was pretty concerned with how Dad was looking...(first pic) she kept asking what he was doing with his hair. She even

got a chance to cut a little of his hair herself. I was hoping to take her to the Dallas Arboretum today and to take pictures of the outdoors to celebrate Earth Day but she threw a fit this morning that frankly frightened me and Mike, all we could do was sit on the couch and watch it unfold. All I could think of was the exorcist. Her red hair was slashing around and there was weeping and wailing and nashing of teeth. She is really on one lately due the talk and preparation for baby...we have had all sorts of fun episodes with her. Funny that I should mention that and then suggest a parenting book but I am re-reading a book that I think is one of the best I've read on raising respectful and well rounded children and wanted to give it a little plug for other parents. The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children by Wendy Mogel.

There were a lot of great suggestions for "going green" today. Although I am not totally onboard with the whole global warming mania I do think we can all do more. I thought I would share a few that I have liked or done.

1-use a refillable coffe mug or water bottle instead of buying water bottles each time or a styrafoam cup.

2-Cone instead of a cup of ice cream

3-Use natural cleaners in your house like baking soda and vinegar

4-Get reusable grocery bags

5-Stop junk mail by going to dmachoice.org/mps and removing your name from mailing lists

6-Change light bulbs in your house to Compact fluorescent bulbs and use recycled tp.

7. De-lint your dryer after each cycle, pick safe paint for your house and dispose of it safely

8. Shorten your showers and turn off your computer when you're not using it.

9. Use one cup for yourself and kids all day or for several days, cuts down on dishwashing.

10. Lower your thermostat in the winter, raise in the summer

11. Unplug anything that is not in use

12. Get a lower flowing showerhead and if you are really brave use this motto for your toilet "if it's brown flush it down, if it's yellow let it mellow"

13. Turn off the water when shaving or brushing teeth.

There are a lot of great resources on the internet to help people get started, our family has a long way to go but I have enjoyed teaching Kennedy the importance of having respect for our surroundings and to take responsibility for her waste and creating good habits.

Lost princess glasses

Kennedy had a great time today feeding the fish with her buddy dallas at Joe Pool Lake. It was 88 degrees when we got there. It was all fun and games until Kennedy leaned forward a little too far and her glasses fell into the water. She made it known to everyone present at the lake that she was unhappy.
After the drama of the lost glasses we got some new Dora glasses at the store and she kept reminding me that she didn't like them as much as her sparkly princess ones. We later met up with Lacey, Justin and Holden and went to the driving range. Mike showed Kennedy how to hit the ball with her little club and she had a great time!
My doctor checked with the hospital for a time for me to be induced and it looks like the 29th at 7:00 p.m. will be the time that we begin. It's only a few days before my due date but it's better than nothing. I feel huge and uncomfortable and I am so ready to meet this little baby. Kennedy says we need to put the baby in time out when she comes because she has been kicking mommy so much. She i s quite the disciplinarian.

Baby Shower

I just had to thank all the adorable ladies in my ward for the fun shower tonight. We met at Chilis and had so much fun laughing and eating. I don't know what I would do without the friends I have made in this ward, they have made my Texas experience so much fun with all our girls nights out, book club and play groups. All the women are great examples and so much fun to be around, I think I will miss that the most about Texas when we have to say goodbye in July. The shower was a diaper shower and we are set until the baby is about out of diapers I think, they really spoiled us. I got some adorable little oufits and other odds and ends that will be perfect. Thanks so much ladies!

37 weeks!

Thirty seven weeks along and I am so ready to have this baby! I may be induced a week early so it could be two more weeks and the baby will be here. We are so excited to see her. She is such an amazing little mover and shaker, I can't believe how much movement we can see and feel with this little girl. I feel like she never stops kicking and pushing, it has been fun to have Kennedy feel her and get so excited for her little sister to come. The question still remains...redhead or brownhead?

For a good laugh...

Not for the easily offended but I must say that Juno is
so unique, the writing is hilarious and the actors/characters

are pretty original. It is my new favorite and I haven't laughed
out loud like I did in this movie in a long time.

Mike and I had an interesting experience with Craig's List today.

I have been a fan of the site for a while we've bought our stroller, baby gym and our bassinet from local Texans and have had a good experience with all. Well I found a breast pump (TMI) on the site and so today we drove out to get it. Well it turns out that Mike was on the site before me looking at mountain bikes in Denver and the city wasn't ever switched back to Dallas/Fort Worth so we were looking for an address in Louisville, Colorado not Lewisville, Texas. Even with several phone calls back and forth with the seller, neither of us caught on to the fact that we were in different states. Needless to say, three hours later we figured it out. One of my more emberrasing moments. He he.

Just a quick mention that I am currently reading the book Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen and I am really enjoying it. Quirky and very original. I just finished the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and thought it was pretty intersting also. I am trying to fit in as many books as possible before baby comes.

Three Years Ago...

Since I only have a few more weeks left I have been thinking back three years ago to when Kennedy was born, it doesn't seem that long ago. I snuck into her room a few nights ago and couldn't believe how big she looked, sprawled out on her bed asleep. I love to sneek in at night and watch her sleep, it is a rare peaceful moment with her and one when I can just look at her and really appreaciate what a cute little bugger she is. She was such a busy little baby, with a cry that we could recognize when we heard it screech from the nursery. She was very alert and loved to stretch out and tighten up her muscles in her little body. Needless to say she wasn't the cuddliest baby ever but was extremely strong. She didn't start out with much hair but she did have a lot of orange peach fuzz. We were suprised to hear that we had a little redhead but now that we have her I can't imagine Kennedy without her red hair and sassy little personality. It will be interesting to see what this new baby comes out with, Kennedy is convinced it will be a readhead. The doctor said that I could be induced a week early so now Mike and I are trying to figure out the best time to have her based on his study and test schedule. We will keep you posted!

You say it's your birthday...

Happy Birthday to Uncle David and Grandma Colleen this week! David is such a great Uncle, husband and Dad. We miss hanging out with him and his fam. His adorable little redheaded wife has him wrapped around her finger and although he gripes about it we know he would do anything for her. He is always doing something for someone. The house looks great David, all your hard work has paid off.
Grandma Colleen is the best and we miss her like crazy! She is always sewing a cute baby blanket, making a costume or gift for a grandkid or finishing one of my many great ideas that I just don't quite have the patience or talent for. She is a great Mom and a wonderful Grandma. She is also an excellent teacher and her students all love her! We can't wait for her to come out when the new baby is born. Happy Birthday Mom!
Just as a sidenote, I found a fun website that is great for any of us that teach in the church or want resources for teaching our kids. http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/

We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet

We are excited to stay home this weekend and listen to the messages of the prophet and other speakers during Conference. We hope you and your family have a nice, relaxing weekend!

Happy Birthday April 3!

Happy Birthday to Grandpa Terry and Aunt Leah. Grandpa is one of Kennedy's favorite people and she has him wrapped around her little finger. Grandpa shares his m&m's with her, dances with her, watches t.v. with her (and falls asleep), sings songs to and flies her Dora kite. She loves her Grandpa and so do we. He is always willing to help out and serve in his ward with various carpentry projects and in different callings. He is a talented carpeter and we have been blessed to have him help us and other family members, plus all he has done in my parents beautiful home. We can't mention him without talking about how hilarious he is and although he has a gruff exterior and seems onory, anyone that knows him knows that he is a lovable, funny old man! We love ya Terry.

Leah is the #1 Aunt for all of her nieces and nephews. She has traveled to Australia, Texas, Colorado and Minnesota just to see the little buggers. She is the busiest woman I know and has her hand in about one hundred things at a time. She is also one of the smartest people I know and her list of degrees are good proof of her love for education, most recently she finished her Doctorate. She is incredibly loving and kind and is always up for a good time or a trip. We love her so much!

Books

I love to read! Not only to myself but to my little girl. I wanted to share a few books with you and to share the book I am currently reading. My book club choose to read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This book is not my type of book at all but I am willing to give anything a chance and so far it is fairly entertaining. If I were a teenage boy it would be the perfect book. My in-laws absolutely love this book so I have to see it through to the end. The other book I recently read and thought was worthwhile for everyone to read is The Green Book. The Everyday Guide to Saving The Planet One Simple Step At A Time. By Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. Mike and I had a new years resolution to become more environmentally friendly and so we used this book and some online resources to find ways to do this. The changes we have made have been simple and have saved us on energy costs. We are trying to be less wasteful and to teach Kennedy the importance of our resources (not running the water while you brush your teeth etc.). So I would reccommend this book to anyone I thought it was very user friendly and easy to flip through to find ways you can help the environment and maybe save some money.
The third book is for anyone that has little girls. Fancy Nancy written by Jane O'connor. Really cute series of books for the girliest of girls, my daughter loves them! For more books that I love or to share books that you have read and want to get ideas of what to read you should join www.goodreads.com I have found it to be a great resource and a fun way to share books with friends.

Duck Bill

Well I had an ultrasound today and after a close up of our little girls face the doctor and I decided I was either giving birth to the next Angelina Jolie or a duck. Her lips are huge and from the side she looks like she has a duck bill. We had a good laugh at her expense. She has some big cheeks too, it was fun to see her this far along, everything looks good and she is healthy. The doc thinks she is about 5 lbs 10 oz.