The Davis Family

The Davis Family

Monday, May 16, 2011

7 More Days!!!

Hi Friends!
The c-section has been changed to May 23rd so we are 7 days away! Everything still looks good. Right now, the birth mom doesn't want to see the baby and wants me to take him immediately. Hopefully, it means we will get a room. If so, we'll probably be able to have visitors. We won't know anything for sure until we get there. I'll try to update my Facebook status, as much as possible.

Hudson still doesn't know exactly what is going on, but I've been talking to him about a baby that might come soon. Today he told me that he's going to teach the baby to speak Spanish. Then he asked, "How do you say iPod in Spanish?"! He's still very excited about the possibility of a baby and says wants to help take care of him. I think he'll be a great big brother!

We're about to put the puzzle together with everyone's names on the back that have donated to bring this sweet baby home. We are so grateful!! There are still some pieces left so if you want to be on the puzzle, hit the donate button below. Pieces are $5.00 each. You can still make your donations to our church but not for long. We won't be able to get the money much after the baby is at home with us. We're still having the pancake breakfast at Applebee's in Spring Hill on June 25th. Those of you who live here will probably get an email about it soon. We'll need some volunteers for ticket sales and serving the food! If you do want to make a donation to our church, make it to Fellowship Bible Church, and put "I Choose You" in the memo line. Before, I said send it directly to the church. However, I have been told that it is better for me to hand deliver the checks. There have been a few missing ones. If you donated and the check didn't go through, let me know. You can send checks to me, and I will make sure we get the credit. Our address is:
3154 Winberry Drive
Franklin, TN 37064
Again, it has to be soon or we won't get it. If it is too late, it will still go towards an adoption.

Many have asked, and we do have a name! He will be Hayden Michael Davis. We want to use another H name, and Michael is Adam's middle name. Hudson said, "Name him after Daddy!" So we are. :) A lot of times, the birth mom names the baby whatever she wants to in the hospital, and then it has to be changed when the adoption is finalized. Our birth mom says that she wants us to name him right away. Her last name will be on the birth certificate until finalization, but we're so glad that Hayden Michael will be on the original one. The birth mom letting us name him is another good sign that she is sure he will be ours! We are still very confident that she won't change her mind, but our hearts are still a little afraid to be fully confident. We continue to pray for God's will in this no matter what that is.

Again, thank you so much for all the prayers and support! We are so blessed to have each of you in our lives!

Praying to bring Hayden home,
Andrea






Wednesday, May 4, 2011

101%

Hi Friends,
If you don't already know, we have been chosen, and the baby will be here in 17 days! I know you want all the details so here it goes...

We received a call a little over a month ago from the social worker that did our home study about a birth mom in Memphis who was due in mid May with a baby boy. She came into the agency in Memphis wanting a biracial family. She is black and the birth father is white. They didn't have any families to show her so they called the office in Nashville. Our social worker told them that they didn't have any biracial families either, but they did have a family that would love to have the baby. This isn't the agency that we are currently using to find a baby so they didn't even have our profile. We sent it as soon as we got the call. They received it and said it looked great, but we didn't hear anything for a couple of weeks. We decided that it didn't work out. Then we received a call Monday before last saying that the birth mom loved our profile and had her hear set on us. They said that she had one other profile, and they were going to show her another one on Thursday morning. Our social worker said that we would know one way or the other by Thursday afternoon. So of course, I had my cell phone in my hand all day and was as nervous as I have ever been in my life! I didn't get a call, but finally an email at 4:00 from our social worker here saying that she had been playing phone tag all day with the social worker in Memphis. She said she would call me asap, but I never heard from her. I had to leave the house because I had a gig. While I was loading equipment, Adam called me and said that the social worker had called the house. We were the family for sure! I immediately felt like a different person!

Our social worker and another that I have talked to says that everything about this situation is the best case scenario Of course, there is always still a chance that the birth mom can change her mind, but it does not seem likely. She is 21 years old, unmarried, and already has a 4, 3, and 1 year old. Her children don't have the same father as the current birth father, and she isn't with the current birth father anymore. In fact, she isn't making this very easy on him right now. He has already surrendered his rights, but when the final decision was made to place the baby with us, he started to change his mind. The birth mom was furious and told him that if he even thought of trying to get the baby that she would make sure he couldn't even go to the hospital to see him. He agreed at the end of the meeting that he couldn't take care of the baby. His family doesn't even know that he got someone pregnant. It's great that she feels so strongly about letting us raise the baby. However, we hope that she doesn't make this really hard for him. The agency is counseling her about it so that everything will go smoothly.

The birth mom is having a c-section on May 21st in Memphis at St. Francis Hospital. Her doctor told her that she can have two people in the room with her during the c-section. She told them that she wanted her mom and me to be in there. She wants me to bond with the baby as soon as he comes out. That is the only part of the birth plan that we know right now, but we are hoping that because she wants me in there to bond that she will want us to keep the baby with us in the hospital. We don't even know right now if she wants to see him at all. We hope that she does because we've been told that it's better for them later to have said goodbye to the baby.

We are so thankful that the baby is being born in Memphis because we can get there quick without flying, and we can bring the baby home, as soon as he is discharged from the hospital. However, the hard part about adopting a baby in Tennessee is that the birth mom has 10 days after she signs the papers to change her mind. They have given her the option of having the baby placed in what's called "cradle care". This would be another family who would take care of the baby for those 10 days, but she has said that she wants us to take the baby home, as soon as he is released. This will be a very difficult 10 days. Even though we are very confident that she isn't going to change her mind, we will be worried until those 10 days are over.

Our social worker told me on Monday that the birth mom says she is 101% sure that she will place the baby with us. Her mom is also 101% on board. She placed a baby 20 something years ago and is very supportive of this decision. I'm sure she is helping raise the 3 children that the birth mom already has. So if the birth mom has second thoughts, we're hoping that her mom will be the voice of reason! She really does know, though, that she cannot take care of this baby and that we can. We are very fortunate and thankful that we live in a place where we know lots and lots of families with adopted biracial children, biological biracial children, and adopted children of a completely different races. We also already have biracial children in our family. Since the birth mom originally wanted a biracial family, we have done all that we can to help her feel confident that this child will be very accepted, loved unconditionally, and not made to ever feel any different. Heck, he and Adam will probably have the same hair! ;)

We are sooooo excited and are praying every second that this will all work out. Pray with us!! Hudson doesn't know fully what is going on, but we talk about the possibility of a baby to him all the time. He prays every night these exact words, "We pray for a baby brother or a baby sister- that their safe and healthy, feel loved by our family, and come soon." We're starting to set up the nursery so we know he knows it's probably going to happen soon. We just don't want to tell him anything definite, until the baby is born. He won't be there that day, but he will come the next day. If we get our own room and can keep the baby, we may be able to have visitors. Right now, we're just planning on our parents being there, but we'll let everyone know what the deal is closer to the time.

I have more to say, but I have to go to band practice, which also means I don't have time to proof read. Please excuse any mistakes! I'll update more soon!

Lots of love!
Andrea





Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Photo Contest!








The photo contest has started! Donate $1.00 to vote for your favorite photo in this album:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=274712&id=503407483&l=14a6f7bec7

Also, post the album on your page and send it to your friends!!

If you are new to our blog, please read about our journey and keep us in your prayers!

Thank you!!

The Davis Family :)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

It's Been A While!

Hi Friends,

It's been a while since I've posted so I thought I would give an update on what's going on with us. After what happened to us in December, we decided to start over with a new agency. We are now going through Heart to Heart in Sandy, Utah. They are EXTREMELY thorough with birth moms and adoptive families. We are very pleased with them. We received our approval from them a couple of weeks ago so our profile is now being shown. We know of one birth mom who is being induced with a baby boy on March 22 that is looking over profiles, including ours, this weekend. It will be a long weekend! We'll hear either way next week. We're just going to try to keep our minds off of it. Send some prayers our way, PLEASE!!

I also wanted to share a new fund raising idea I have and how you can be a part of it! We are panicking a little about the financial part of this so I'm trying to get creative. Just to give you an understanding of the situation...if we are chosen for this baby that will be induced on the 22nd, we will owe $15,000.00 next week and $20,000-$22,000, after the baby is born. I don't think the reality of that has sunk in all the way, but I know I need to be more pro-active right now. So here's my idea...I would like for as many people that are willing to participate to send me a picture for a photo contest. Originally, I was only going to do this with my clients, but now I've decided to let anyone who wants to, to participate. I will upload all the pictures onto an album on Facebook. Each picture will be assigned a number and have a link to the blog at the bottom. Your friends and family can cast a vote for their favorite picture (which I'm sure will be yours :)) for $1.00. They can cast as many votes as they want to. When they pay through Pay Pal, they can just put what number they are voting for in the instructions. Whoever has the most votes, wins either a free sitting fee or an 11x14 Gallery Wrap (canvas) of their photo. Obviously, if you don't live here, you'll want the Gallery Wrap. If I have taken the picture that you want to use, just let me know which one. Otherwise, email it to andrea@andreadavisphotography.com. You HAVE TO HAVE the rights to your picture, if it gets printed. If you have any friends who are interested in participating, let me know. They just need to be on Facebook.

Thanks so much for keeping up with our journey! Email me a photo ASAP, if you want to be in the contest. The more the better!!

Lots of Love,
Andrea

P.S. We are still selling puzzle pieces for $5.00, if you want to be a part of that!






Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Sad News...

First let me say that we appreciate so much all the calls, texts, emails, and messages that we have gotten. We know that no matter what happens, we are surrounded by so many people that love us. Your prayers are definitely felt!

For anyone that is finding out for the first time, Jessica was never pregnant. She has been lying the whole time. Apparently, this is the third time she has done this. There are so many parts to this story that could still be true, but we'll never know. Jessica claimed to have be severely abused, and she said that the birth father of the babies was her step-father. We've known that the whole time. She has told the agency a lot of terrible very detailed stories of the abuse and rapes. Supposedly, the step-father is in federal prison because of raping her sister who has been pregnant twice. If she is telling the truth about the abuse or not, she is a very sick little girl.

She called the social worker (SW) last night and told her that she was in labor. The SW told her that she was coming to get her and take her to the hospital. Jessica told her not to so the SW told her that she was calling an ambulance. So Jessica told her to just come get her. When they got to the hospital, they put the monitors on her stomach and couldn't hear the heartbeats. They sent her to get an ultrasound immediately thinking something was wrong with the babies. When she had the ultrasound, there were no babies. The SW says that she has appeared to be pregnant the whole time and even looked pregnant when she lifted her shirt for the ultrasound. A doctor came in and told her to let go of her muscles, and her stomach went flat. She's only 5'1" and weighs 98lbs so somehow she pulled this off. They figured out she was also lying about her age because there was no hospital record for her with her birthdate. She admitted to lying about that and said she was only 14. We all thought she was 17. She still says that she really thought she was pregnant. She even emailed me to tell me that she really thought she was and that she was sorry. I told her that she needed help and that we would continue to pray for her. I have now blocked her email address.

I know that severe trauma can do terrible things to your mental health, and it could have very well happened to this girl. If it is mental illness, she is schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur and has a multiple personality disorder. If she truly believed that she was pregnant, then an alter ego printed out ultrasounds from the internet and manipulated them to look like hers. They had her name, the hospital name, the date, etc. They looked real! She's also apparently created a girl named Carley who is pregnant, too. She denies that she is Carley, but she gave Carley's email address to the agency and has been corresponding with them only in that way.

I could go on and on about all the crazy things this story now entails, but we must move on. I feel so sad for Jessica. Right now, Adam is angry, but I am truly sad for this little girl. I think my Psychology background makes me see this a lot different than Adam does. I think most of his anger has been in fear of me being so disappointed. I am, but I am also feeling some relief. It was getting very overwhelming. We knew that she was refusing to be on bed rest and could go into labor at anytime. All of a sudden twins in March turned into three very pre-mature babies at anytime. I was prepared to move forward if it was God's plan, but there were moments when I was terrified of what that meant for our family. We want another child so bad, but honestly, if the situation causes us to take time away from Hudson and change his life drastically, we don't want to do it. I had a moment before the news of no babies when I thought if I knew all of this before, would I choose it? Having an only child seemed much easier to me, but I also know that God won't give us something we can't handle. I was just terrified.

This has turned out to be a devastating situation, but we have learned so much from it. To make sure Jessica didn't change her mind, we were starting to compromise a little. We also realized that we have put some "yeses" on our application that for us should really be "no's". This situation has shown me that we need to really consider what is best for our family and stick to that. We can no longer be afraid to say no to some things. Because I was so upset about some of Jessica's requests, I cried all Sunday morning at church and went to ask for guidance from our children's minister who is over the adoption ministry. He put me in contact with a wonderful woman who is about to adopt for the fifth time. With one phone call, she has already given me so much wisdom and peace about decisions that have to be made, and I am so thankful for that.

I pray that in all of this, Jessica has felt God's love through us and the adoption agency. I pray also that she will get some help. My heart is truly broken for this girl. Adoption agencies have money alloted for their birth moms' needs, and Jessica turned down most if not all of what they offered her. This makes me think that it was not some scam. She obviously needs love and attention that she's not getting anywhere else.

I don't know why we have lost two biological babies, and I don't know why we now have to feel like we have lost three more. What I do know is that God knows. He knows why all these things have happened to us. He knows His plan for us, and when we do have a precious baby to bring home, we will say it was all worth it. My momma said God gave us a test, and we passed. I hope so.

Moving On,
Andrea

Saturday, December 18, 2010

So much in a few hours!

Right after I typed the previous blog, I got a call from the friend that recommended the agency in Indiana to us. She and her husband in IN right now with a new baby boy! He was born on Monday, the papers were signed on Tuesday, and the judge removed parental rights on Wednesday. They are hoping to be able to come home next week. That is very quick and encouraging! They said that the hospital there is really nice, and they were very well taken care of. We talked a lot about our experience with the agency, and she had some of the same frustrations that I have. I felt a lot better after talking to her.

When I got off the phone, I had received an email from Jessica. It was WONDERFUL! She was very open and honest and gave a lot more information than I thought she would. She is such an amazing person, and I am so glad that we are going to connect. This is one part of the email:

"... just thinking of them being placed in your arms makes me speechless and I just want what's best, and I know that you will find the joy in these babies, and I think if I would keep them then it would make me too upset knowing there is people as nice as you to take care of them. You really seem like great people and at first it was hard for me to admit that because I still have to wrap my mind around someone else taking care of God's gift."

We've emailed back and forth a few times. She wants to see pictures of our house so I made her a slideshow. AND, she sent me the 4D ultra sound pictures of the 3 babies. So I got to see them!!! Of course, I've just been staring at them and crying. One of them has his little hands over his eyes. It is so sweet.

I'm so thankful to be communicating with Jessica right now. This has changed a lot!

Feeling Good Right Now,
Andrea





The Morning After

This morning the words of a song Hudson loves to sing are going through my head. "My God is so BIG, so STRONG, and so MIGHTY-There's NOTHING my God cannot do!" Right now, He knows what is best for our family. He's not waiting to hear from the doctors. He's not waiting for Jessica to make a decision. He already knows. He is not surprised by any of this, and I am resting in that right now. Adam and I along with Jessica want nothing but what is best for these babies. We are all praying for God's will. So I know whatever the outcome, that is what it should be.

My very first solo was at First United Methodist Church in Clarksdale, MS. We were doing a play called "Down By The Creek Bank". I know some of you reading this were either in it or had a child that was. I will never forget the words to the song that I sang. "I am adopted. I'm a special kid, you see. I'm proud to be a member of a royal family. My Father owns a kingdom. He sits upon His throne. He gives me EVERYTHING I need. It's nice to not be 'lone!" He IS my Father, and HE loves me more than I can even imagine.

I sent Jessica an email this morning. I'm hoping to hear back from her soon. It's very comforting to me that she wants direct contact. I'm praying that she finds it easy to communicate with me. She doesn't open up to the agency very well. I am thankful to be a part of her story, even if it's only to pray for her and show God's love in a way that she may never have experienced it before.

Resting In Him,
Andrea