Life As I Know It

2007-01-27T14:13:00.000-08:00

Please pray for the Buck family:

Josh Buck was in a swimming/diving accident on January 18th while vacationing in Mexico.
He needs our PRAYERS!
Pray for healing!
Pray for his wife Shelly, his kids, Noah and Zoe and unborn son.

For more info and updates, go here: http://www.greenhouseministries.org/

2006-11-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Yes I am still alive. Life is just passing too fast and there are not enough hours in the day to blog!
Here is our trip to Hawaii this Oct. It was an awesome time with some of our best friends and though we missed Reagan, it was nice to get away!

click on the picture and it will take you to the online album. Make sure to also click on Esther's Public Gallery (top left corner) to see Hawaii Part 2.
There will be Part 3 coming also, so check back. (pictures are somehow not in chronological order...sorry)

Hawaii 2006

2006-06-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to me!

2006-05-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I used to be a blogger.

However, life has kept me from this discipline. I promise, there will be posts coming soon enough. But for now, you can stay updated on the Sheets' household and our gorgeous daughter at www.reaganjoy.blogspot.com.

Until next time.....

2006-03-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

Ode to a Truck

On Saturday, I found a new hobby. This hobby could potentially cost a lot of money if serious amounts of self-restraint are not imposed. You see, I've always been a car guy. I like quick, little cars that dart to and fro like a featherweight boxer. So when we got a truck in December, this was quite the departure from my normal taste. (Remember the pictures of the Honda all crunched up? State Farm Decided it wasn't worth fixing.) When buying the truck, I reasoned, "Why would anyone EVER have a truck that wasn't 4-wheel drive? If I want to drive a 2-wheel drive vehicle, I'll get a sports car." And thus, begins the tale of what could potentially be a serious addiction.

Ever since driving the truck off the lot, it has been treated differently than any other vehicle I've ever owned. It doesn't get washed as frequently. It gets used more. It gets abused more. Scratches (within reason) are accepted as normal accessories to the exterior styling. For someone who loves little race cars, I can't believe I lived this long without a truck. I look for reasons to use the truck for what it's supposed to be used for - trucking things hither and yon.

Despite the good use I've gotten out of the truck over the last 3 months, I've never exploited that little knob that has some curious markings on it. What does "4-Hi" do?? And even more perplexing, what does "4-Lo" do? So with great excitement, I called my buddies Scott and Travis (see Travis' protrait to the left), and said, "Let's go get my truck dirty." We headed up to Lytle Creek which is in the mountains just below the Cajon Pass on the 15 Freeway. After about 40 minutes on the freeway, we pulled off and headed up into the mountains on a narrow winding road. We kept going until the pavement stopped. We got out for a minute, realized it was cold as stink, and got back in the trucks as the snow started falling. (It still amazes me about Southern California, that you can be in 70-80 degree sunshine, look up at the snow-capped peaks, and be frolicking in the snow in about 45 minutes.) Needless to say, where the pavement stopped was where the fun truly began. I give you the following photos as a small taste.

A good time was had by all. I also got to do my first donut in the truck. Too fun. It is easy to see how addicting the desire to reach tougher terrain can cause people to spend ridiculous sums of money on toys they are TRYING to break. I certainly don't have that bug, but I know I want to get out and do this again!

Unfortunately, this last photo shows all that's left of the truck after an unfortunate meeting with a cliff.

2006-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

All we can say is, "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!"

Thank you all for all of your prayers and support through this both exciting and trying time in our lives. You have rallied around us with such support that we are humbled and honored.

Most importantly, we thank God for all of his miraculous provision in our lives. He has truly given us a sense of peace throughout this ordeal, and that peace can't be explained in human terms. In a situation that appeared so dire, we knew that every obstacle in Reagan's path would be lifted by a loving heavenly father who has amazing plans for our daughter. I (Brock) speak for myself when I say, even though logic said that all of these problems were too large for a newborn to overcome, I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that Reagan was going to be fine and live a full, healthy life. We already know that she's going to be a fierce warrior for God's kingdom!

With that said, I would like to announce that iReagan 0.0.4 is in fact completely wireless!! Yup, that's right, no strings, cords, wires, or lines connected to her. I'm almost afraid she'll run away since she doesn't have a leash attached to her. I would, however, like to point out a glitch in the programming. Normally, when it comes to computers, the rule is "Garbage In, Garbage Out." With all of the versions of iReagan, it's been a different story. We fill her with what seems to be pure wholesome goodness straight from Esther's bosom, and what do we get on the flip side?... Unadulterated foulness!! I'm gonna have to take this glitch up with the master programmer and see what He can do to remedy the problem.

I would also like to show you the following picture, and see if you see anything that looks different.
That's right!! What you see behind me is the backdrop of our humble abode. And Reagan's there with us!! They discharged her today at about 2:00 in the afternoon, and since then, she has not spent a moment without being in someone's arms. We are so excited to be home now, and to be able to spend time with the little munchkin is priceless!

To give you an update on the kidney situation, the doctors did the "dye" test today. I'm sorry I don't have a medical name for this test, but I've had so many acronyms thrown at me these past few days, that they've all become a jumbled mess in my mind. I'm pretty sure some of the acronyms were actually cuss words in Portuguese, but I don't have any Portuguese friends I can ask. Back to the "dye" test. This was a test to determine where the urine was flowing to after it left the kidney. The preliminary results are very good because they discovered that none of the urine is flowing upstream. When urine flows upstream, it means that it has a tendency to collect and get infected. The example the doctor used was quite disgusting. He said, (and I want you to imagine this in what I think was a Vietnamese accent), "Eeemagine eef yoo leef da pee pee seeting een da toylet foh too oh tree days. Eet gets velly steenky. Dee same theeng happens eef da pee pee seets in da keedney foh too long." So, it's a good thing the "pee pee" is heading downstream only, because we certainly don't want our daughter to reek of old urine! (Although, that may solve the boy problem she will face in the very near future. They'll say, "She's beautiful, but stinks like a NYC subway!") What happens next is Reagan goes in for another ultrasound on her kidney in about 2 weeks, and then she is seen by a nephrologist (spelling?) in about a month. In the meantime, we get to enjoy our darling daughter with the knowledge that the doctors are on top of things. Since they don't seem too concerned, we aren't too concerned. We know that all of these things will sort themselves out in time.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support! Reagan will be out and about before you know it, and I know she's going to want to meet all of the people praying for her.

Can't wait to see you all!
Brock, Esther, and REAGAN!!

2006-01-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

The everlasting God is your place of safety,
And His arms will hold you up forever.
-Deuteronomy 33:27

Right now we are resting on that promise and rejoicing for the miracles that he has already worked in our lives. We are eager to see the miracles that are yet to come, and covet your prayers for the items that I will inform you about below.

I wish we could tell you that it was one of those fairy tale birthing stories, but when the doctors and nurses look at you and say, “Wow! That wasn’t pretty!,” you know that’s pretty bad. Even Esther’s mom, who birthed six children in 8 years, said, “I can’t remember having that kind of difficulty with any of my kids.” I’ll spare you all of the gory details, but please pray for Esther’s recovery both physically and emotionally. (By the way, she’s doing great, but longs to have Reagan with us all the time. I, of course, echo that same longing, but we are also both thankful for the rest we are getting before we get to take care of a needy little life.)

Now, I would like to make a dogmatic statement that many of you will agree with - especially if my wife or I shared the same last name with you at any point during our lives:
REAGAN IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BABY ON THE PLANET!!!
If you don’t agree with me, I will not be offended in any way by the error of your thinking. This is the stance that the author of this page is taking, and if you don’t like it, tough noogies.

Reagan is doing great and has made tremendous progress during her two days of life on the outside. Many of you are probably concerned with the pictures from yesterday and can see all of the tubes Reagan has attached to her. You’ve also heard that she has had to spend all of her time in the NICU (Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit). This is obviously a huge concern because it has the words “Intensive Care” in it. It’s not normally a place associated with healthy babies. However, in NICU land, Reagan is a big, pink, porker!! She’s big, active, and full term which puts her far ahead of her roommates in the developmental ladder. And for that, we are grateful!

She had to be put in the NICU for a variety of reasons that have been mostly resolved. The fist item up for bids was Miconium in the amniotic fluid. For those of you who are wondering what that is, it is the baby’s first bowel movement. Normally, this occurs once the baby is outside of the womb, but it is not uncommon before birth if the baby is under unknown stress. (I think she was worrying about the fact that she hasn’t updated her blog in about a week. I know that stresses me out.) One of our nurses had a pin that said “Miconium Happens.” I thought it was pretty stinkin’ funny, and really summed up the whole situation. This bowel movement is considered sterile because all of the origin of the material was from within the womb. However, this can be harmful if it is inhaled into the lungs when she takes her first big breath of air. Fortunately, the lungs were clear, and she didn’t inhale any of that $&%@….er….miconium. DID I SAY THAT!!??

Another reason she is in the NICU is because Esther tested positive for GBS (Group Beta Strep), which is a bacteria found in 1 in 3 women. It is always harmless to the mother, but in rare cases it can be transferred to the baby during the passage through the birth canal. When this happens, it can be very serious. To prevent infection, Esther was put on antibiotics before going into active labor, and Reagan had to be put on antibiotics until blood cultures came back saying that she was negative for the bacteria. Those cultures take 3 days to “cook” before the results are complete. They check the cultures every few hours in that time frame, and notify the patient immediately if there is any positive growth. So, no news is good news. Not to mention, the results of the cultures after 48 hrs. have been negative. The antibiotics are administered through an IV, and they only do baby IV’s in the NICU.

Immediately after Reagan was born, they found a Tension Pneumothorax in her chest. (I think I used those terms properly. Any medical personnel may feel free to correct me on this.) Tension Pneumothorax is where there is an air bubble in the chest cavity, but outside of the lungs. This is very serious because it doesn’t allow the lung to properly inflate, and thus, she can’t get enough oxygen to her organs. Often times, they remedy this by inserting a needle into the chest and sucking the air out. Miraculously, this dissipated on it’s own within a matter of a few hours. Thank you, Lord!! They kept her on oxygen for about 48 hours as a precautionary measure, and kept a close watch on the oxygen levels in her blood. (Pulse-Ox) They slowly weaned her off of the oxygen and she was breathing room air by yesterday afternoon.

Because Esther had a fever during labor, Reagan also was born running a fairly high fever. Fortunately, this also righted itself within a few hours after birth.

It has been difficult working with a corded baby. Reagan’s flailing around makes the wires easy targets for her fingers and toes to get wrapped around and yanked on. It’s also very difficult to move her like that, and all of the feedings have to happen within about 2 feet of the crib. iReagan version 0.0.1, 0.0.2, and 0.0.3 all require a lot of cords for support, but we’re hoping and praying that iReagan version 0.0.4 will be wireless and fully Bluetooth enabled.

The final item that requires a lot of prayer is her left kidney. Many of you will remember a few months ago, we asked for prayer because the ultrasounds were showing her kidney a little bit enlarged. Well, after doing an ultrasound yesterday, they found that there is an extra duct coming off of the kidney. If you know about Esther’s surgery 10 years ago, does this sound familiar?? Esther had an extra ureter growing from her right kidney that was prone to infection. She went through 17 years baffling doctors with the excruciating pain she would deal with periodically. Fortunately, this potential problem has been spotted early for Reagan. They are going to do a “dye” test tomorrow to see where the kidney’s extra duct drains to. We are hoping and praying that when they go to look tomorrow, they will not find the extra duct, and that the biggest problems we will have to deal with in Reagan’s life will be how to keep boys away from her.

With so many miracles already attributed to this little girl’s life, we believe that full and complete recovery is a drop in the bucket for our Almighty God. Again, we appreciate your prayers and ask that you continue to lift up our little family though this process.

God Bless You!
Brock and Esther

2006-01-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

She's Here!!!

We are proud to present,

Reagan Joy Sheets!!

Date: January 15th, 2006

Time: 3:08 AM PST

Weight: 8 lbs. 5 oz.

Length: 21 1/2 inches

More to come!!

2006-01-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

IT'S TIME!!!

We have water-breakage, so we're headed into the hospital. (Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I didn't feel it was very appropriate.)

STAY TUNED!!!

2006-01-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

Guess What!!?? NOTHING!!!!!!!

2006-01-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

STILL NOTHING!!

Although, Esther did have an appointment today and they said she's dilated to 2 cm and 80% effaced. I'm not sure what all of that means, but they say her serious contractions could start tonight, and she might be in active labor by tomorrow morning!! I'll believe it when I see it. I just hope she doesn't wake me up if she's having contractions during the middle of the night. I HAVE to have 8 hours of beauty rest in order to function properly.

2006-01-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

Dangit! Hurry up, Reagan!! We're tired of waiting!! (Especially Esther!)

I've taken away Esther's car keys and informed her that I'm not going to drive her anywhere. She has to walk EVERYWHERE now. (Let me clarify. I will drive while I tow her behind the car.) That oughtta jump-start labor!

In other news...

We signed our sales contract with the homebuilder yesterday! One more hurdle cleared, still a few more to go. Keep praying - 'CUZ IT'S WORKING!!!

Our church had our Grand Opening Service today. After gutting the interior of the building, meeting in a tent for 11 months, and watching the construction take shape, we finally moved into the building we are calling "Home." It was a great time, and if you're ever in the area, come check it out. It's an incredible project to watch take shape! It's also a great church to be a part of if you are in the North Orange County area!!

Bye for now.

(Hopefully, my next post will be an announcement with some pictures!!)

2006-01-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Nope...still nuthin'....

2006-01-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

Nuthin today....

2006-01-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

Not yet....

2006-01-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

Go check out Reagan's new updated blog!

2006-01-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

No '05 tax write-off.

It's officially 2006, and we are still waiting for Reagan to make her grand entrance. Esther thinks it will be sometime this week. She's far more in tune with what's going on than I am, so I'll just have to take her word for it.

It's really weird having towels in both cars in case her water breaks!

We'll keep you posted!

2005-12-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Here's the deal, Christmas happened, we're having a baby in a matter of days, We're implementing a ton of new growth strategies at work, and, oh yeah, we're BUYING A HOUSE!! Needless to say, I've been a little swamped. I will give you full details on a later post. But for now, I will earnestly request your prayers for each situation and give you a few pictures as a teaser.

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!

We have been approved to move forward with the purchase, and now we are working on getting all of the financing together. If all goes smoothly, we will be moving in around January 20th.

The doctor told Esther yesterday that she wouldn't be surprised if Reagan came before the end of the year!! In case you haven't looked at a calendar recently, THAT'S IN 3 DAYS!!

We will probably have a baby and move within 2 weeks of each other.

Pray for our sanity......

2005-11-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

CRUNCH!!!

This is what happens when a Honda and an Infinity have a disagreement about who should be driving where. The Honda loses the physical battle. Fortunately, State Farm and the Orange Police Department say the Honda wins because it was minding it's own business and didn't get in anyone's way like the Infinity did. In the end, no one wins because it's all just a cryin' shame.

If by chance "Infinity Bruce" ever comes across this post, thank you for being so kind after such an unfortunate first "impression." If I happened to have a pipe and some fine smelling tobacco at the time, I might have joined you for a nice afternoon of pleasant conversation and relaxation. "Infinity Vicky," I hope the seat belt tightening hasn't caused any serious pain, and your trip to Vegas wasn't interrupted too much by this event. Hopefully we'll meet again with less "smashing" introductions.

Now, if only I could re-gain muscle control over the left side of my body... JUST KIDDING! I'm fine, and fortunately, Esther was at a friend's baby shower at the time of this collision.

In other news, there is now an enormous pastel obstruction in our guest bedroom! There's also the sound of the 5th Trumpet Judgment in Revelation. (See Rev. 9:7-11 and substitute "Esther" where it says "Abaddon.") Actually, that sound is the furious preparations for the little one that is coming to live with us in January. I'm really glad Esther's got it all together. See, Esther has been getting ready for this day her whole life, and I'm just getting used to the idea of having a housemate that can't wipe her own butt.

We're 7-1/2 weeks from "B-Day." It's a strange thing to realize we're losing one income, and gaining a roommate that doesn't help with the rent. Keep us in prayer.

2005-11-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

I read a great quote today.

"Discouragement is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow."

Be encouraged.

2005-11-13T21:36:00.000-08:00

I'M SORRY!!!!

Okay, so I'll give much of my audience credit for their diligence in this world of blogging. I feel like I haven't caught my breath since the last post, and I've got an angry mob breathing down my neck, begging for more! My life must not be as interesting as my cousin's. I have a hard time finding anything noteworthy in just about anything, but he manages to keep an audience of thousands captivated by the hour!! Good job, Stevan! I guess my "blog muscle" isn't in shape yet. So keep pushing me. I'm just starting to feel the burn.

There have been requests to see something other than my ugly mug. Since many of you are IWU-ers, and have not met my better half, I will share with you a brief glimpse of my daily joy. So, with much excitement, I present to you.....

Mrs. Esther Sheets!!!

For a brief re-cap, we were married on May 24th, 2003. After an event like that, most other events aren't really worth noting. Well, the whole "having a kid" thing is probably worth mentioning, but that's the new news. As far as the old news goes, we've had several job changes, several cars come and go, new furniture, a few vacations, but for the most part, things stay pretty steady here at the Sheets' household. I'll share a few more pictures from the last 2.5 years.

As you can see, we've both gained about 25 pounds over the course of our marriage. Mine has been a soft squishiness focused primarily around my face and mid-section, while Esther's has been within the last 7 months and consists of a lot of extra fluid, and about 3 pounds of pure joy. Right now, Esther is in "Full-Throttle Nest Mode." She is fiendishly attacking what we used to call the guest bedroom. She has wisely asked me NOT to help. My job starts when everything that is temporarily filling our living room has to be assembled and moved into what we are starting to call "Reagan's Room." By the way, I would like to publicly thank all of our friends and family for the INCREDIBLE generosity at Esther's baby shower last weekend. I don't think we'll have to buy any more clothes until Reagan is old enough to get a job and buy her own clothes. (She will be getting a job and paying modest rent when she turns 6. I hope you all like lemonade.)

That ends this session. Don't worry! There will be a lot more thought provoking and interesting things to come!!! You might just have to wait 3 weeks, though. I like to keep people in suspense.

2005-10-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

2005-10-23T23:22:00.000-07:00

My entrance to the newest... fad? trend? phenomenon? movement??

So, I'll save you all the babble about not knowing what blogging is all about, and just jump right in and tell you why this blog is coming into existence.

1) I've got a kid coming. It's a beautiful baby girl that my lovely wife, Esther, is currently incubating in her tummy until mid-January. We're going to name her Reagan Joy. We can't wait to see what she looks like.

2) Reagan is my parents' first grand-baby and my sister's first niece. They live in Northern Virginia. We live in Southern California. Not having this blog would drive Momma Bea absolutely crazy. This blog will also end up saving my Dad a lot of money on airfare.

3) Reagan will be my grandparents' first great-grand-baby and my great-grandma's first great-great-grand-baby. She will be the first of a new generation in my wife's family too. I've got extended family in more states and time zones than I can count. This blog will save ME a lot of money on airfare.

4) I've lived in, traveled to, and known people from almost every state in this great country. Most of these people would have no idea where and how I am if it wasn't for this little tool called "the internet." (I'm pretty sure it's here to stay.)

Now before you hippies out there start to say to yourselves "Oh great. Here's another blog about some yuppie's spoiled baby," let me clarify. This is MY blog. Reagan will get her own at a later date when Esther or I take the time to make it. The truth is, I took WAY too long of a nap today and can't sleep. So, I'm up a little late and decided, "Now is as good a time as any to start my blog."

So, as you can see, this blog is not some place for me to vent, preach, or get in touch with my emotions. (Although, I'm feeling like I need to go for a hike to find some inner truth as I'm writing this. Wait... that's just heartburn.) It's a place for you to come and look into my life without bugging me. It's so you can see what I'm up to whenever we haven't spoken in a while. I think it's gonna be pretty fun too!

I'll sum it up with a horrible pun.

"This Blog's for You."