Three years ago today...

...I was traveling home from Guatemala with sweet little 4 month old Ana Lucia. Our daughter.

Try to picture me carrying Ana Lucia in the Baby Bjorn strapped to my front, a backpack diaper bag on my back, two HUGE suitcases to check, a rolling suitcase to carry on, and an umbrella stroller (which was carrying a briefcase full of her adoption paperwork). I had to be the picture of "PITIFUL".

The morning began at 5:30 am, off to the airport at 6:30, flying from Guatemala City to Houston, passing through immigration for me, then escorted to an immigration office to process Ana Lucia's paperwork, being flagged in customs to be searched (thanks Houston Homeland Security personnel), walking briskly to catch the next flight, flying from Houston to Cincinnati, and arriving at the airport to be greeted by my husband and children all waiting anxiously to meet their new daughter and sister.

The arrival home of little miss was a happy day indeed!

Adoption trips are always filled with emotion. However, on this particular trip I was flying solo and the four days were filled with unbelievable experiences. For the first time, I watched my child's birth mother say goodbye. Never in all of my wildest dreams did I ever think I would witness such a moment. The experience was almost sacred. As Ana Lucia's birth mother left our hotel room I closed the door and wondered aloud how to process the emotions of what I had just encountered. I remember hugging Ana Lucia with tears pouring down my face and saying "its just you and me until we get home girl".

Below is something I wrote a few years ago. It can be so difficult to capture moments of life.

"The Blessing of Three Mothers"

Oh my. She is so precious. Those were the thoughts running through my mind the first time I saw our daughter. She was a tiny bundle in a car seat sitting on a dining room table. She was six days old, and had a head full of black hair and the sweetest face. I was sitting in a home in Central America far from my home in the suburbs in the United States.

The experience was surreal. Was I actually peering at the baby who would become our daughter? Time stood still as the room included a baby and three women who would all be her mother. Along the wall sat her birth mother. The woman who had just given birth sat and watched me cradle the tiny infant. She had given the baby life and now was making the decision to give the baby a future with another family. The woman who had cared for the baby since birth, her foster mother, also watched as I held the baby. She was committed to nurturing and caring for the baby while the adoption process was completed. How long would she have the baby? Would it be four months, six months, nine months? At that point no one knew. She simply promised to love the baby as her own granddaughter. And then there was me, the woman who would become the mother of this precious child.

What does one say at a moment such as this? “May I hold her?” I ask. “Si, yes” came the reply. “Would you like to feed her a bottle?” asked the foster mother through our translator. “Si” I replied. As I fed her I suddenly felt as if a spotlight was shining on me. Were the two mothers watching me to see how I held the baby, fed the baby, and if I remembered to burp the baby? Goodness, I am the mother of 4 children! I know how to take care of a baby but I couldn’t help feeling like I needed to prove something in that moment. Yes, I will love her. I already do. Yes, our family will welcome her with open arms and love her unconditionally. Yes, I promise to raise her with love and respect for her birth country, birth family, and foster family.

It is unusual in an international adoption to be able to meet both the foster mother and birth mother. I absolutely knew the unique opportunity I was presented with in that moment. On that day a baby, birth mother, foster mother, and adoptive mother met for the first time. Four months later I traveled back to Central America to take our daughter home. In November I held another woman’s daughter and had to say good-bye. In March I held my daughter and watched as the foster mother and birth mother said good-bye.

Once again the three mothers were united. As we spent the morning together I was amazed at yet another opportunity to be together. I answered questions from the birth mother in order to provide a glimpse of the baby’s future. The birth mother answered questions to provide a history for our daughter. As the visit came to a close I struggled with the words to express our family’s feelings. To say thank you seemed impersonal and inappropriate. The only way I could express our gratitude was to promise we would love our daughter unconditionally and honor the birth mother’s wishes by teaching her about her birth country and birth family.

There are some people who go through their entire lifetime not feeling loved. What a blessing for our daughter to grow up with the love of three mothers.


Ana Lucia - our first morning together after visiting her two months earlier


Francisca, foster mother, brought Ana Lucia to the hotel


Ana Lucia with her first mommy and her forever mommy


Daddy is awesome! What is this "March Madness" that we are watching?


The Fab Five


Oh, what a fun-filled three years it has been since Ana Lucia Alejandra joined our family. She is such a precious part of the Davis crew. Right now she is playing outside on the deck, enjoying the beautiful sunshine, and attempting to jump rope. Thank you, dear Heavenly Father, for giving us the vision and ability to adopt "just one more time". I simply cannot imagine my life without all five of our children.

I have found that most callings on our lives from God that don't make sense turn out to be unbelievably amazing. Is God challenging you to do something outside of your comfort zone? Go for it.

"We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time and miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands."

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Homecoming Day Ana Lucia! We love you!!!