Happenings in Mouse World

This is the first post I've actually typed on a computer in a long time.  Usually, I send the post remotely via email.  So this will be a really long post.

FYI - I have to add a picture of me, since Facebook is posting a maternity pic from below, and everyone will think I'm pregnant!  I'm not!

Currently, I'm battling a cold. But I slept practically all day, so I can't sleep now.  Sad!!

Which is bad, because I'm supposed to take my basal temperature at 4:15, and its midnight.  Oh well - probably won't be that accurate. 

Basal temperature?  What? 

Hmmm.... well I got my IUD taken out on Thursday, and so I'm charting my temperatures to determine when I'm fertile and when I'm not.  I had to get the IUD taken out because I was having some unpleasant side effects, and anyway, we are hoping to get pregnant in the late autumn or early winter.

YAY!!!!

Matt is having trouble adjusting to the emotional aspect of becoming a father.  So we are waiting until he is more comfortable with the idea.  Me - I've been waiting for this for almost seven years.  A lot of mistakes in my life were made because I tried to rush this.  But I'm ready - so ready.  Financially, we are okay.  We would be better if Matt got into the apprenticeship this January, but even if he doesn't, we will be okay.  Emotionally, I am SOOO there.  I want more than anything for next year, when we go applepicking with Mom and Dad, to bring along Baby Cubical Mouse.  And I really want to have a baby before Beth and Gina have their weddings.  I'd rather not be ready to pop at their weddings.  

I did manage to drag myself out of bed around noon.  We ran to a couple thrift stores.  Matt needs work clothes, and we're not going to pay a ton of money for clothes that will get ruined by oil.  While we were shopping, I found a two pairs of jeans and a pair of capris that fit my legs perfectly, but are too small in the waist.  (That is my perpetual problem with jeans - my butt is a size bigger than my thighs.)  They will be perfect to convert to maternity jeans!!  I found a couple tutorials, but I think my best option is to get some jersey from Joann's, take the waistband off the jeans, and convert them to very high waisted maternity jeans, like these at Motherhood Maternity.  I'll add an elastic band at the top, too.  

Speaking of maternity clothes, I've been searching all over the internet for tutorials.  Unlike about ten years or so ago, maternity patterns are not available in plus sizes, and actual maternity clothes are very rare and very expensive.  So far, the cutest (and best) ones I've found are:

This rouched shirt tutorial from Homemade by Jill:

I love this countdown shirt from DIY Maternity:

I'm a huge fan of this empire dress that uses a T shirt for the top, from Do it Yourself Divas, but I would make it shorter, since I'm not a fan of maxi dresses:

This one is almost the same, but uses a woven shirt and jersey fabric for the skirt (opposite from the one above), from Versus:

I like this tutorial, but it uses a men's shirt, so I would have to get, like, a 3XL men's shirt for it to work! (From DIY Maternity)

I'm not a huge fan of maternity skirts, mostly because they slip all over the place, but this one from DIY Maternity could work!

So that is what I have found.  I'm not going to actually make anything until it's time, but I'm glad all these other ladies before me have figured out the DIY clothes!!

Happy Birthday Mr. Cubical Mouse!

I saw one of my favorite bloggers at work last week.  I was fairly certain she worked here, but until I saw her last week, I wasn’t certain.  I wanted to go say hi, and that I love her blog, but I wasn’t sure how she would take it.  So I didn’t say anything.

 

I think Matt and are going to focus our apartment finding efforts on Hollywood and Palms.  Hollywood 2 bedroom apartments are around 1300 – 1400, and we’ll be lucky to find something in Palms for 1500.  I really want hardwood floors and lots of natural light.  Hollywood/Koreatown apartments tend to have hardwood floors.  I really want a short commute to work, especially when we have little Cubical Mousies.  I don’t want them to languish in day care anymore than is necessary. 

 

Matt’s birthday is today.  He is 26.  A very handsome 26!  J

 

 

Weekend & Other Thoughts

On Saturday, we celebrated Matt’s 26^th birthday.  We were to have a beach bonfire, but apparently you have to get there at 5 AM to get a pit.  Oh well!  We had it at my parent’s house instead.  I got him a teal button up shirt, a new wallet, and fabric for two pairs of pajama shorts.  I need to wash them and sew them this week.

 

It was so hot yesterday!  We just lay around and didn’t do anything.  Our air conditioners make it a little bearable, but I would kill for central air.  In our next apartment, that is a must! 

 

Speaking of new apartments, I’ve been scouring Rent.com for potential new apartments.  We want this next apartment to be our last before we buy a house (we have a 5 year savings plan for a down payment), so we need a two bedroom apartment for any little Cubical Mousies that come along. 

 

We were thinking we would want a washer/dryer with the apartment, or at least hookups, but we found this washer/dryer combo at Home Depot.  It’s $1600, but the dryer doesn’t need a vent, so you can just hook it up to the kitchen sink and run it.  A less expensive option would be to get a portable washer and dryer separately, but this takes up less space. 

 

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/appliances/laundry/lg-electronics/4-2-cu-ft-iec-capacity-front-load-washer-dryer-combo-24371.html

 

Honestly, I really want it now!!!!  J 

 

 

Bad Mousie!

I didn’t realize my last blog was weeks ago!!!  Bad, bad Cubical Mouse!

 

Things are fine.  Matt started a new job last Wednesday.  Yay!

 

Recently, we have helped Gina move back to her parent’s house.  My uncle Bob got re-married, and Matt went to the Renaissance Festival in San Luis Obispo.

 

I have so many things I want to post pictures of, but until I get a new iPhone, I can’t.  I promise – as soon as I get an iPhone, I’ll start posting regularly again. 

 

 

Cubical Life

There are good and bad things going on now.  Matt’s and my relationship is doing awesome.  Like, seriously so much better than we were during months 2 – 5 of our marriage.  Our 7 month anniversary is coming up, so collectively we have had 4 bad months and 3 good months.  I really hope the rest of the year goes smoothly!!!

 

But Matt is looking for a job – any job, right now.  We are hoping he will start a sheet metal apprenticeship in January, but until then, he needs a job, since he was denied unemployment.    

 

Since we are cutting out most unnecessary spending, we are coming up with lots of fun, free things to do.  It’s summer, so there are a lot of movies or Shakespeare plays in parks.  It makes this a little easier. 

 

Tonight we are going to see Sunset Boulevard in Pasadena.  It’s a free screening, and Andrew is coming with us.  I love this movie.  It should be really fun!

I Will Probably Not Die Earlier Because I'm Fat

According to a new study (link below), excluding persons with diabetes and hypertension, persons with a BMI >35 do not have increased mortality due to obesity.  

 

Conclusions: Obesity-associated mortality risk was lower than estimated in studies employing older BMI data. Only severe obesity (but not milder obesity or overweight) was associated with increased mortality, an association accounted for by coexisting diabetes and hypertension. Mortality in diabetes was lower among obese versus normal weight individuals.

Hah!  I knew it!  I knew so many obese people at church that lived a really, really long time.  And my grandpa is 88, and he has eaten just horribly over his whole life.  Since diabetes and hypertension don’t run in my family (what the heck is hypertension, anyway?), I think my mortality rate is probably normal, compared to everyone else in the USA.

 

Link to the study:

 

http://www.jabfm.org/content/25/4/422.full  

 

 

 

 

 

What I Made

I’ve been wanting a bikini for some time, but plus size bikini’s tend to be quite expensive. 

 

I had some cherry fabric, and I remembered this playsuit from Bettie Page.  It’s super cute.

(http://www.bettiepageclothing.com/separates/what-catch-skirt)

 

I got a McCalls shorts pattern (below), and I altered a dress bodice pattern to make a cute bikini top. 

 

Then I made the shorts a little more high waisted, and I whipped those up.

 

Not pictured is a matching button up skirt to go over the shorts. 

 

Unfortunately, I got a horrible sunburn on my back!  Ouchie!

 

Here is the pattern for the shorts:  http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m2447-products-705.php?page_id=103