Meeting New Friends and Family

1990

Emilie Christiane Davis

seven+ weeks

(more pictures posted below)

Heralding the Arrival

I received the call from Atlanta while working as the bookkeeper for Merchants and Farmer's Bank. When the social worker told me that he had "a beautiful little girl here who wants to be a part of your family," I was so stunned that I quietly said, "No!" He responded, "Yes." I replied, "No!" He again answered, "Yes." I then inquired, "What do I do now?" He answered calmly, "Call you husband."

I casually asked the girls who worked in the office with me to monitor the call I was about to make. This wasn't an unusual request, as we had times when we needed to have someone monitor calls we felt might be disagreeable, to witness the employee's negotiation. The two girls (in the middle of the picture below) quietly stood my my desk and discussed a file they had opened in front of them. When Steve answered the phone I calmly said, "Steve, I thought you'd like to know that we have a beautiful baby girl waiting for us in Atlanta." Curiously, Steve's reply mirrored mine: "No!" I responded, "Yes." Again he said, "No!!" "Yes," I calmly insisted. To which he inquired, "What do I do now?" "Get over here!!" I exclaimed!!

Meanwhile, I was watching my two office mates, who had been casually listening to me with their noses in a file simultaneously look at me with gaping mouths, immediately look at each other in shock, look back at me, look at each other again, and start screaming while jumping up and down. The only problem with that response was that we worked in a bank with our office located just out of site off of the main lobby. The bank administration and the lobby full of patrons thought we were being robbed! Quite the excitement! My boss (holding Emilie in the photo) happen to be meeting with a rather persnickety customer at the time. She excused herself when the ruckus ensued, and upon returning casually apologized and explained that "It was nothing, our bookkeeper just had a baby."

The excitement at M & F Bank was quickly "shared" throughout our hamlet.

By the time stunned Steve arrived at the bank, one of the screamers had ordered some festive pink balloons. My boss happily announced to me that she accepted my resignation; I had forgotten that a condition to my excepting the position was that when we received the anticipated "call" of adoption, I would resign to be a full-time mom.

Steve and I left directly for the airport to pick up Grandmama. When we returned to collect the balloons later that day, the screamers pulled me by both arms back to the employee lounge. There we found an instant baby shower! The couch was covered with baby paraphernalia! Everything from a teeny, tiny swim suit to an sponge infant bathing aid tub, outfits , diapers, diaper bag and pail...It was breathtaking, and sooooo small town sweet.

Naturally, the first place we went was to introduce Emilie to our friends at the bank!

Friends and Gifts Abound!

Rachel Roberts (age 1) was Emilie’s first friend! They met on Paul's lap.

Tante Lisa (my sister) sent a gift straight away. Emilie posed in my grandmother’s rocker with her new prize.

Steve and I shared the first four weeks of our life with Emilie with our family. Grandmama (Steve's mom) miraculously planned her visit from Virginia in time to join us in welcoming Emilie into our family. She stayed with us for a week.

The day Grandmama left, Grandpa (my dad) arrived.

The day Grandpa left, Oma (my mother) arrived.

Oma brought a beautiful baby blanket that she crocheted for Emilie… and took a lot of pictures!

The day Oma departed, Tante Lisa (my sister) arrived with her family.

Austin (left, age 4) and Andy (age 6) scrambled to see the new arrival!

Austin was particularly attentive to Emilie, wanting to make sure she was properly adorn at all times. Abe (age 6 mo.) contently wondered what all the fuss was about.

The Oxford Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints promptly organized a generous baby shower.

Beth Bartlett holding Emilie as Carrie Roberts records the generosity.

Amy and Donna Machado.

Teressa Genetti, Karen Cook, Cindy Legge, Bryce Radatz, Peggy Bolen (front to back).

Teressa and Amy coincidentally delivered a colorful hand-crocheted baby blanket to us the Sunday before we received the call from Atlanta. They made it together for a Young Women’s project.

2008 We celebrated our Family Day this year by making our favorite homemade waffles from scratch on our 8" single serving waffle iron (circa 1983) , playing Monopoly (our version is circa 1972 with "oooold", well-worn money), and enjoying Gilbert and Sullivan's The HMS Pinafore at the Gertrude Ford Theatre.