Confessions of a Dumpster-Diver's Wife

Well, not really a dumpster-diver. More a talented “trash finder.”

IN THE BEGINNING

It all began, as far as I know, on Ryan’s mission. He’d find things by the side of the road and pick them up.
This pair of shorts is perfect. They are long (ie modest) but they are thin/skinny-legged (they are my favorite biking attire). Apparently, the Japenese throw out many "great" things, and most missionary apartments were full of little finds.

OREM, UTAH

And so the mission-tradition continued as we were first married and and living in Orem. I was firmly against the practice, originally (which I now regret - weight-lifting bench).

On the other hand, many of the things I did cave on were so ugly we didn’t move them across the country with us, therefore we have no pictures (bookshelf end table and octagon end table).

This tv stand is an item I did cave on. Originally a stereo cabinet, Ryan reworked it by removing its door and adding wheels, and it served as our tv stand for the last 5 years. Now Ryan reworked it again, and it is our entertainment-holder under the end table in our living room.
MADISON, WISCONSIN

In Madison, the real enjoyment began. We found more treasures than you can imagine.

For the Baby

Before we were even pregnant, Ryan started bringing home car seats. One of them has been cleaned and inspected, and our giant baby will soon be moving into it (it's still in the bag we moved it to Peoria in).

After we got pregnant, we found this great high chair. I was planning on recovering the plastic, since I hate it, but hey, it was free, and it's doing the job!
For the Kitchen

One night Ryan came home with a laundry basket

full of hangers, dishes (4 dinner plates, 4 bowls, 4 appetizer plates),
bamboo serving spoons, mugs (4), and some random pots.

I was disgusted. “We can’t eat off someone else’s dishes!” So Ryan washed them up and ate off one each night, but I stubbornly refused to eat off anything "from the laundry basket." By this time we’d already closed on our house, so I struck up a deal: “I’ll eat off of these dishes after they’ve been run through our dishwasher.” And now they are used daily.

For the Bedroom

We also got into the bedding business. We currently have a queen headboard and footboard; a twin headboard, footboard and side rails; and a twin mattress all stashed in our basement.

Collin will need them someday, right?

We also found a great basket for all our stadium blankets.
Also of a necessity in Madison was our collection of fans. We needed one for every room!

Lindsey's Fave

My favorite find in Madison were these two great bookshelves with sliding glass doors and three interior shelves (still in the packing wrap we brought them to Peoria in). They are still a work in progress (I have more projects for Ryan than he can handle), but he is going to cut them down to fit under the windows in our two front bedrooms. A nice coat of paint and some wood putty, and they’ll be as good as new. I think the doors will be great for wet, grubby kid fingers.

Tour de Eagle Heights

The one summer we lived in Madison, they redid the road around our apartment complex, so for 4 months all traffic was in one direction around the loop. In order for us to get home each day, we were "forced" to drive through the whole complex, and therefore see almost every dumpster. Ryan loved the "inconvenience." I was annoyed as we stopped at many a dumpster to see what had been discarded.

What did we find on our "Tours de Eagle Heights?" I particularly love this great poster picture. My classroom (and now our guest room) was decorated in blue, silver and stars. And what would make the perfect picture?

Ryan's Fave

Ryan’s favorite find in Madison was our desktop computer. It needed a hard drive and a new CD-ROM, but we’ve been using it as our family server for 2 years now. Oh, and don’t forget, it was FREE.
Friendly Assistance

While in Madison, members of our ward heard of Ryan’s hobby and often called us to say, “Hey Ryan. I saw a really great --- in the dumpster outside of our apartment. You should come and get it.” (Johnny)
And what would we have done without the members of our ward that actually picked things up they thought were good finds and dropped them at our front door (Dave).
For Profit

Lest you think we kept our treasures to ourselves, Ryan’s dumpster-diving even became a mini-business. He found and sold many items. Usually Ryan had to fix and/or clean the items before they were worthy of sale, but other times we just “flipped” them. Televisions were the best money-earner, but he also sold a window air conditioner and a VCR. (He made $150 that summer!)

Of Service

Thinking we’re greedy? Some of our finds were donated to worthy causes. One of the car seats he found Ryan fixed, cleaned up and donated to the missionary efforts in our Madison ward. We found out one of our elders was sleeping with a spring in his back, found a twin mattress beside a dumpster, and delivered him the new one. And of course there was the family Ryan home taught that needed a window air conditioner, and they came and picked up one he found and fixed.

Much-needed Discretion

Think this dumpster-diving is for anyone? Ryan has a real talent for it.

One time Ryan picked up a piece of foam from beside a dumpster. I was doubtful. When I asked him what he’d do with it, he replied, “I don’t know exactly; I just know it’s a good find.”

And what did he do with it? He made his Kermit costume for Halloween that year, he made a new cushion for his living room chair, and the last piece of it is serving as a knee-cushion for ab-rolling in the exercise corner of the basement. He was right: it was a good find!

The Exodus

Right before we left Madison, we feared the worst at leaving a college town and started stocking up on things we’d need as homeowners.

We also found some great buckets for moving/storage. Do I need to remind you that they were free?
PEORIA, ILLINOIS

And then we moved to Peoria… We now face the drought of dumpsters. Our quaint little neighborhood has two garage sales per year, and everyone wants us to PAY for their trash.

And now the reason for this long-delayed blog: As part of our Biggest Loser Competition, Ryan has begun running each morning. And last week, the treasures started flowing again! Many homes have sold in our neighborhood recently, and the moving families started tossing:
When’s the best time to run? Tuesdays before the trash men come! And yes, they do need some cleaning, but my Babe is the best dumpster-diver out there. Agreed?

IN CONCLUSION

And so the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Amen.

Swaddling

So Collin sleeps like a charm; he has since he was only about 7 weeks old. (We count it as a blessing for my early-morning rising for Seminary.) We have swaddled him every night with a special velcro blanket called a Kiddopotamus. We love it! (Thanks again Rachel)

We have even purchased the larger size as he outgrew the first size. What a genius invention. Anyway, Collin is getting stronger and stronger though, and despite our best efforts, he seems to get out, and then he wakes himself up.

Luckily, the last two nights, he's found his thumb and put himself back to sleep.

Now we have a new challenge. This is how we found him this morning:

Remember how I wanted to report he had figured out how to roll over? I don't know if this really counts, but he has been rolling to his side for a week now, and sometimes he falls to his belly and sometimes he falls back to his back.

Apparently, last night, he discovered the joys of belly-sleeping. Unfortunately, due to SIDS, babies aren't supposed to sleep on their bellies. Therefore, I seek your advice. Do sleep positioners work? If you have used one and you liked it, where did you get it and how much was it? Basically, do you have any recommendations for us to try to get Collin to stay on his back at night?

Four Months

Collin had his 4-month doctor's appointment yesterday, and three nurses commented on how big he is. The doc assured me it was okay that he's HUGE, since "at least he isn't just a lump; he has some good muscle tone."

Weight: 16 lbs, 6 oz

Length: 26 inches

Yes, he's a big boy.

If you dangle something in front of him, he'll reach out and grab it and bring it to his chest to hug.

After he's through hugging, he'll bring it to his mouth for a good gnawing.

He will often "talk" to this teddy he got for Easter from his Grandma. It's adorable. He also loves to chew on his hands.

He has gotten very drool-y in the last few weeks, and I've had to keep a rag on hand at all times to wipe it all up.

Despite the improvements with his happiness when laying on his tummy, he has yet to show any interest in rolling over. We are hoping to report soon on that mastered feat.

Happy Easter!

Everybody wants to be the Cadbury bunny.

While others might keep trying, no bunny knows Easter better than...

Collin!

Laughing Over Spilled Milk

I fed Collin at 12:30 today, and we headed to a friend's house and then on to WalMart for our weekly grocery trip. I woke up with a sore throat, so I wasn't feeling top-notch, but today was the only day left this week that we didn't have lots of other activities planned, and I just had to get it done.

Collin slept through most of the experience, but near the end he awoke happily. It was about 2:15, and I knew I was pushing my luck. Three (yes, 3!) people stopped and commented on his big, beautiful blue eyes, and I was feeling on top of the world. One of them even wanted to know where to find one to take home, but I was in a good mood and didn't offer mine for the taking. I was surprised he didn't smell that he had just filled his diaper.

At the checkout (3 people in front of us!), Collin started getting fussy, but I figured if I could get him into the car and get it moving towards home, he'd quiet down. I hurried out to the car, got him clicked in, and quickly loaded all the groceries into the trunk.

No sooner had I put the car in reverse, Collin started screaming. I dug around backwards, found his binkie, and stuck it in, but over and over again he kicked it out with his tongue and screamed and screamed. I sang Primary songs and talked him through what we'd do when we got home ("first, we'll unload Mommy and Daddy's food, then I'll change your dipe and give you your num-nums - his Mylicon - and then it's... EATING time.") This dialogue, and my constant chatter, usually quiets him down... but not this time.

Frazzled, I sped home and into the garage. I grabbed my purse and got his carseat. As soon as I picked it up, he got quiet, but when I put him down inside, the SCREAM began again. I thought, "Guess we'll be getting the groceries out one-handed today." I unstrapped him and put him over my shoulder and headed back to the garage.

TWO BELCHES! Yes, huge ones, and it was at least 2 hours past his last feeding. Feeling guilty for not knowing he just needed to burp, I opened the back hatch and...

But did I cry?

No, I laughed. Must have been a blessing to see the humor in my spilled milk.

Three Months

Collin turned three months on Saturday.

#1: Ryan and I went on a date! Yippee! We drove to St. Louis on Friday so my parents could watch Collin. We went to the temple Saturday morning and then out to lunch. I have never had a better weekend. Thanks Mom and Dad! #2: Collin loves to "talk" and smile at the ceiling, especially at lights. We thought he just liked the light in our bedroom, but this weekend at my parents' house, he did the same thing to their kitchen chandelier and living room skylights. It is so funny to watch. My dad has decided that he is talking to the angels. It is adorable.
#3: When we put Collin over our shoulders to burp him, he "burrows." He thrashes his head side-to-side, rubbing his eyes and nose all over the place. Sometimes we think he is searching for me again. Other times it looks like he may be trying to urge his burp out. Today I think he was doing it to itch his nose (Ryan had a cold last weekend...). Does anyone else's baby just go nuts when you place him/her over your shoulder? Once in a blue moon he'll fall asleep on my shoulder, and... it makes me melt.

I can't believe how big he is getting and how quickly. He now has tears when he cries and loves to sit on our laps or stand up. I also can't seem to remember what life was like before Collin, though Saturday's date was a dim memory. We love him so much. Happy 3 months!

Couch Potato

When all else fails, Baby Einstein videos to the rescue!

I feel like a bad mom, but

look how he likes them!

Like Father, Like Son

Father...and Son. Does this scare anyone else? HE IS OURS! Collin's eyes are definitely different (more like mine), but look at that nose and square head. Even his mouth is shaped the same!

Last night we started going through an old box of pictures, and we found a scrapbook that Ryan's grandmother put together about each of his cousins. Since all his baby pictures are in Washington at his Mom's, we didn't even know that Collin looked like Ryan as a baby until about 10 pm yesterday!

Ryan's been joking around since he was born that he wasn't his... But lo and behold: They look just alike! Undeniable Proof.

Exercising with the Williams

Ryan Biking...Lindsey Elliptical-ing...Collin Bouncing!

Biggest Loser (Williams Style)...

That's right: Our family is going for the gold... or a few extra bucks spending cash. We hereby challenge you to a race to lose the most weight. To receive official rules and regulations leave your email address in the Comments - or email me directly. (Please consult your physician if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, or... if you are obviously too thin to win.)

The first weigh-in will be April 1st, so make sure you have your game on...

Because Collin (the lean, mean bouncing-machine) is looking for some extra spending money.

I Love My Engineer

At night, we turn our heat down and use a space heater in our bedroom (where Collin is still sleeping in the bassinet). At 8 am, the thermostat is programmed to start heating the house back up to 68 degrees.

Yesterday something went wrong. The heat kicked on at 8:00 like it was supposed to, but when I went out to the kitchen at 9 am to get my breakfast, it was still dreadfully cold and the heat wasn’t even blowing. I checked the temperature, and it was only 63 degrees. I called Ryan and left him a message, but I knew he was in meetings all day.

At 10 am, I was planning on leaving to go to the mall (yes, I’m now one of those women pushing the stroller around for exercise), and I started panicking about what could be wrong. Previously, I would have just called our landlord, but now that we're homeowners, that doesn’t fly anymore.

I went down to the basement, checked the circuit breaker box, and flipped the “furnace” switch off and then back on. I heard nothing but a strange buzzing noise. I didn’t smell gas, but… What do I know?

I called my parents (who encouraged me to turn back off the power to the furnace and look up the number for a heating and cooling guy) and my engineer brother (who was in class and didn’t answer). I was pretty worried that the house might burn down while I was gone, which further explains to you how little I know about anything mechanical. After some assurance from my mom, I headed out to meet my friend at the mall.

I have to admit that I hoped it would fix itself while I was gone, but unfortunately it was still a chilly 65 inside (thank goodness it was sunny and warm for February yesterday). Collin and I spent the afternoon in the warm bedroom.

Enter My Engineer. Ryan got home from work at 5:30 pm. He ate dinner and went down to the basement, and at 5:55: the heat started blowing, and Ryan returned successful.

No runs to the Home Depot for costly parts, no calls to or visits from an expensive technician, no pricey claim on our home-buyer’s insurance…

Nothing but my wonderfully-free engineering husband. I love my handy man. Thanks babe!

Two Months

Collin is two months old today. Yesterday we went to the doctor’s:
Weight: 13 lbs
Length: 24 in
I can hardly heft his carrier, so I think we’re in trouble. Even Ryan’s arm gets tired when we haul him around. He is no longer fitting into the clothes marked “3 months,” but we can still cram him into most of the “3-6 months”-sized things.

He currently has blue eyes, which is a mystery to Ryan and me. They are large and round, and he loves to look at this great big world. He's very curious.

He is learning lots of new things too. This month he has learned to: smile on demand, giggle, “stand” and scoot with his legs, “talk” with consonant sounds, bat at his toys, lift up his head (a little) when on his tummy, hold his head up on his own when he’s held (most of the time), look at himself in the mirror (this always cheers him up), sleep for nine hours (yippee!), and burp on his own (without medicine).

The other thing Collin has learned to do this month is enjoy his diaper changes. The first week of his life, he got an infection in the nether regions, and this led to ridiculous screaming each time we started to even go near his diaper. This month his infections and rashes have cleared up, and he may have even started to associate his diaper changes with eating time. And since he LOVES to eat, he seems quite perky at the thought. Anyway, he always smiles and giggles when we change his dipe.

We used to have a cute cover for his changing pad, but I couldn’t keep up with washing it after every projectile poo, pee or spit-up. The plastic is MUCH easier to wipe down after such an occurrence. Maybe one day we can put the cover (which matches his room) back on.

My favorite thing to do is get him dressed up to go out in all his cute clothes. Here’s my current favorite outfit.

I think it looks like he is headed to the gym to work out… or maybe like he’s a thug headed for the basketball courts in inner-city Peoria.

We are also really proud of how reverent Collin is at church. In fact, he is so well-behaved that he keeps his eyes closed in prayer at all times. Well, is sleeping through all three hours reverent or just quiet? Anyway, yes, Collin has slept through all of church all four times he’s attended. Ryan and I LOVE it.

The last news to share is that Collin is an early, EARLY teether. Apparently, teething can last for months, so that’s what we are assuming is going to happen with our little Collin. He has started drooling, biting/gumming, and pulling on his ears. Crazy! I thought I had a few months before all this would start happening.

Anyway, happy two months, Collin! We love you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

To Lindsey:

Breakfast in bed with heart-shaped pancakes, grapefruit and orange juice

A hair cut and hour of shopping ALONE

Another hour ALONE in front of the fire with my new bookDinner of heart-shaped pizza, ice cream floats and chocolate chip toffee cheesecake

To Ryan:
A little something to remind you how much we love you while at work...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hard Work

It's hard work being a baby.

Exhausted...

at 8:45 am.