JACK'S ARRIVAL

WELL, THE MUCH ANTICIPATED ARRIVAL OF JACK HAS FINALLY COME. ON MONDAY MORNING (JULY 13TH) AT 4:06AM JACK LITERALLY BURST ON THE SCENE (ALL 6 LBS. 2 OZ. OF HIM). IT BEGAN SUNDAY EVENING AROUND 7:00PM. KRIS AND I WERE AT HOME ENJOYING A PEACEFUL SUNDAY NIGHT WHEN SHE STARTED SEEING SOME SIGNS THAT MAYBE HER WATER HAD BROKE. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF WAITING WITH NO REAL CHANGE, WE DECIDED TO HEAD TO THE HOSPITAL AND FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. ON OUR ARRIVAL WE WERE TOLD BY THE NURSES THAT KRIS' WATER DID IN FACT BREAK AND WE WERE ADMITTED IMMEDIATELY. AT THIS POINT THE NURSE TOLD US THAT EVEN THOUGH THE WATER HAD BROKE KRIS WAS ONLY 1.5 CEN. DILATED AND A LONG WAY FROM ACTUAL DELIVERY. SHE INFORMED US THAT DUE TO THE WATER BREAKAGE WE NEED TO DELIVER THE BABY WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS TO PREVENT INFECTION IN THE WOMB. THE PLAN WAS TO ALLOW KRIS' BODY TO ATTEMPT TO FULLY DILATE AND DELIVER THE BABY UNTIL 6:00AM, IF IT DIDNLT HAPPEN BY THAT POINT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO INDUCE HER AND FORCE JACK OUT. MUCH TO EVERYONE'S SURPRISE KRIS WAS ABLE TO DILATE TO 10 CENTIMETERS BY 3:30AM MONDAY MORNING (IF YOU EVER NEED KRISTIN TO DO SOMETHING, JUST TELL HER SHE CAN'T DO IT). FROM THAT POINT ON EVERYTHING IS A BIT OF A BLUR. THE NEXT 36 MINUTES FLEW BY AND BEFORE SHE KNEW IT KRIS WAS HOLDING HER NEWBORN SON. THE REST OF THE DAY WAS AMAZING. WE HAD SO MANY FRIENDS COME VISIT AND MEET JACK FOR THE FIRST TIME. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE. KRIS AND I ARE NOW IN THE POST PARDUM WING OF SCRIPPS MEMORIAL. WE HAVE ONE MORE NIGHT HERE BEFORE HEADING HOME AND INTRODUCING JACK TO HIS NEW ROOM.
KRIS AND I ARE SO THANKFUL FOR ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. WE COULDN'T IMAGINE A MORE LOVING GROUP OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO BE SHARING THIS EXPERIENCE WITH. THANK YOU AGAIN, AND STAY TUNED, THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE MORE TO COME. BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE "JACK" LINK TO THE RIGHT TO SEE MORE PICS OF JACK.

Just waiting on little Jack....

So I am full term and ready to go! Just got back from a long walk with Kel... we are hoping Jack decides to show up really soon! We have one week left until the actual due date, but we just cannot wait to meet our little guy! We are off to the beach, it is 75 degrees and sunny here in beautiful San Diego! Say a little prayer if you think of it that Jack stays healthy and strong!

WEEKEND WITH THE GRANDPARENTS

KRIS AND I SPENT THIS PAST WEEKEND IN BEAUTIFUL BRAWLEY, CA. MY PARENTS (LOLLI AND GUMPY) FLEW IN FROM SAN JOSE ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THE FOUR OF US MADE THE 2 HOUR DRIVE EAST ON FRIDAY EVENING. WE HAD SUCH A BLAST. MY DAD AND I GOT UP EARLY AND WENT TO THE FIELDS WITH JOE (POP-POP) ON SATURDAY MORNING. IT WAS GREAT!! WE GOT THE PLEASURE OF WATCHING UNCLE ANDREW IN ACTION AS HE SUPERVISED THE HARVEST OPERATION ON A FIELD OF CANTALOUPS. THAT WAS FOLLOWED UP BY A ROUND OF GOLF AT DEL RIO COUNTRY CLUB AND THE DAY WAS FINISHED OFF AT THE FINEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY, ASSAGGIO'S. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE NANA JOIN US FOR DINNER AS WELL. SUNDAY MORNING WE GOT UP AND WENT TO CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH TO HEAR UNCLE WALTER TEACH BEFORE HEADING BACK TO SAN DIEGO JUST IN TIME TO DROP LOLLI AND GUMPY OFF AT THE AIRPORT. IT WAS DEFINITELY A FULL WEEKEND. IT'S SUCH A BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO GET BOTH SETS OF GRANDPARENTS TOGETHER FOR A WEEKEND. IT'S AMAZING HOW FORTUNATE LITTLE JACK IS TO HAVE FOUR GRANDPARENTS IN HIS LIFE THAT LOVE HIM THE WAY POP-POP, ?, GUMPY AND LOLLI DO. THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF LOVE FOR THIS KID, THAT'S FOR SURE. WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO BOTH SETS OF PARENTS FOR EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO FOR US, WE LOVE OUR TIME WITH YOU AND LOOK FORWARD TO A LOT MORE MEMORY MAKING IN THE FUTURE.

MONTH 7

SORRY FOR THE DELAY SINCE THE LAST POST. WE HAVE A LOT TO CATCH YOU UP ON. SINCE OUR LAST POST KRIS' BELLY HAS GROWN QUITE A BIT AS YOU CAN SEE. SHE IS NOW OFFICIALLY IN HER THIRD TRI-MESTER AND WE ARE IN THE HOME STRETCH. IN THE LAST MONTH GRANDPA KK (GUMPY, AS WE CALL HIM) HAS INSTALLED WAINSCOTING IN OUR LITTLE GUY'S ROOM, KRIS HAD HER BRAWLEY BABY SHOWER, AND WE SETTLED ON A NAME. THESE ARE DEFINITELY EXCITING TIMES. I THINK KRIS IS MORE THAN READY TO GET THIS LITTLE THING OUT OF HER STOMACH AND I AM TRYING TO ENJOY EVERY SECOND OF LIFE BEFORE HE GETS HERE. EVERYONE I TALK TO TELLS ME THAT NOTHING WE DO CAN PREPARE US FOR THE JOURNEY THAT LIES AHEAD. I LOVE THAT THERE IS A LARGE PART OF THIS THAT IS ENTIRELY IN THE LORDS HANDS.
WELL I MENTIONED THAT WE SETTLED ON A NAME. THE BABY'S NAME IS GOING TO BE JACK KELLY STRICKLAND. WE ARE HOPING THAT KELLY BECOMES A FAMILY NAME SINCE IT'S MY DAD'S MIDDLE NAME AS WELL. AND FOR THE RECORD, JACK'S MIDDLE NAME IS IN HONOR OF HIS GUMPY, NOT HIS DADDY. THERE IS NO ONE I WOULD RATHER JACK TAKE AFTER THAN GUMPY.
WELL I THINK THAT'S IT FOR NOW. PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS AS WE MOVE A MONTH CLOSER TO DELIVERY. WE LOVE ALL OF YOU, TAKE CARE.

6 MONTHS

WE ARE STARTING THIS JOURNEY OFF AT THE SIX MONTH MARK. SO FAR THINGS HAVE GONE VERY SMOOTHLY. KRIS IS FEELING GOOD AND SHE IS STARTING TO FEEL OUR LITTLE GUY KICK AROUND AND MAKE THROWING MOTIONS ON A DAILY BASIS. UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE ONLY FELT HIM ONCE, HE DOESN'T LIKE TO KICK FOR DADDY, BUT I'M SURE THAT WILL CHANGE AS TIME GOES ON. LAST WEEKEND WE WENT OUT PICKED UP A CRIB AND DRESSER FOR HIS ROOM. WE WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF HIS ROOM WHEN IT'S FINISHED. THAT'S ALL FOR NOW...