Camden Ivey | Newborn Photos

From the moment we knew we were adopting in Florida, I dreamed of finding a photographer to take some photos of our newborn baby. I knew by the time we got back home, his looks would have already changed and I really wanted to capture those first few days.

Once we left the hospital, I went on Instagram and did a hashtag search for newborn photographers in our area. I immediately found one and reached out to her. Funny thing is the photographer told me she had never had anyone reach out to her from finding her hashtag but I guess there is a first time for everything. She was so sweet and was able to pencil us in for Monday night which was when Camden was 5 days old. It was the perfect age to be able to get some of those squishy newborn shots.

Here are some that are my favorites.



Adoption Story Part Four: Our first week



In case you missed them:

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

The first week was spent with Shannon and her family. We arrived at Shannon's house on Friday night and Craw's parents surprised us by driving down to Florida to meet their first grandchild. They arrived Saturday around lunch time and it was so exciting to see Camden meet his Lulu and Papa Al. It was so sweet to see them fall in love with Camden the same way Craw and I did. Camden also had his first pediatrician check up that morning and had already surpassed his birth weight so we were doing something right.

Craw had to fly home Sunday afternoon for work and saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I cried for hours. I could not pull myself together but it was nice that Craws parents were still there so I at least did have some help. They stayed with me all day Sunday and went back to their hotel Sunday night. The first night alone wasn't bad at all because Camden was actually a pretty good sleeper from the very beginning.

We spent all day Monday with Craw's parents getting in some last minute snuggles. They were leaving to drive back home Monday night so I wanted to soak up all the time I could with them before they left. They even helped me take Camden to his newborn photo shoot. I will do a separate post with all of those pictures.

Saying goodbye to Craw's parents was hard because that meant I was truly on my own. I still had Shannon and her mom there to help me but it's not quite the same when it's not your family. I spent Tuesday just lounging around with Camden. We made a Target run and surprisingly he did okay...only one major meltdown.

Wednesday was the day I was looking forward to all week long. My parents were coming and it was perfect timing because I was feeling really homesick by this point. They arrived around lunch time and those first few moments of my mom and dad meeting my baby boy will always be etched in my memory. It was amazing to have them in Florida with me. My parents will be known as Mimi and Pappy or whatever Camden decides to call them.

We found out later that night that Shannon and her family received travel approval so that meant we needed to find another place to stay. I immediately hopped on VRBO because that is how Shannon found her house. Once again, God had a perfect plan and I was able to find us a NICE house in a NICE area for an unbelievable price. It also worked out nicely that my parents were there and could help me pack up and move to the new place which was about 30 minutes away from where we were currently staying.

While the first week may not have been ideal without Craw with me, I survived and I learned that I would do anything for my baby boy. I would not have made it through without our family and Shannon's family helping me.

Here are some pictures from our first week.

Papa Al and Lulu

Mimi and Pappy

 



Adoption Story Part Three: Strangers to Friends

Part One | Part Two

If you missed the first two parts of the story, click the links above and it will take you directly to those posts. The next part of our adoption journey just might be my favorite because it would not have happened if it weren't for God's loving grace being shown through complete strangers.

Let me first start by explaining a little bit about the adoption laws. All 50 states have a law in place called the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children (ICPC). Basically what this laws means is that adopting parents have to receive permission to travel across state lines from the state in which they are adopting from as well as their home state. In our case, our social worker had to fill out paperwork and put it in the mail to the Florida courts. Once the Florida courts did what they needed to do, they would then mail the paperwork to North Carolina courts. We were not allowed to leave the state of Florida until the North Carolina courts signed off giving us permission to travel. This travel approval can take anywhere from 10-15 business days but in most cases, it usually takes about 2 weeks.

We knew from the very beginning that we would have to stay in Florida for at least 2 weeks but we fully expected to have time to plan and figure out where we were staying prior to the baby being born. In our situation, there was no time to plan or prepare. Our only goal was to get to Florida and see our baby. Once we got to Camden and the adrenaline died down, it started to sink in that we had no clue where we were going once we left the hospital and that was a very scary thought. I can remember sitting in the NICU holding Camden on the first day and just crying my eyes out. I was so overwhelmed and I knew that Craw was going to have to fly back home for work in 3 days. Not only did we have no where to go, I was about to be alone with a newborn baby and I had no clue what I was doing.

And that is where Angie stepped in. I met Angie through a mutual friend and was able to sit down with her last August and hear her adoption story. She had just adopted her son in January and was telling me all about her agency in Florida. At the time, I was not interested in going out of state for the adoption so I just kind of shut it down. It wasn't until God closed every door we opened in North Carolina that I called the agency in Florida. From the very first phone call, I knew this was our agency. The week before I got the call, I was texting Angie saying that I was struggling being patient and scared that we were not going to get matched. She told me that she had a friend from VA that was currently in Florida awaiting the birth of their adopted son and she knew of one more baby that was also being born that week so the agency was super busy. Little did I know that this was the start of our story.

As soon as Angie found out that we got the call and a baby was already born, she started texting me asking how she could help. She offered to look up hotels, research rental houses, and even offered me a room in her sisters house which was about 45 minutes from where we were currently. Then she sent me a text asking for permission for her to give my contact information to her friend Shannon. This is the same girl that Angie told me about a week earlier that was down in Florida adopting her baby boy. Never in a million years did I think that my story would be linked to Shannons. About 30 minutes later, I received a call from Shannon. They were renting a house and had an extra bedroom and bathroom for us to have. Not only that but her mom and dad were with her so they could help me out when Craw had to fly back home. Shannon also REFUSED to let me pay her any money to go towards the rent. A complete stranger was offering us a place to stay, for free.
I cried. HARD!


Typically I would never stay with a stranger but it was one of those situations where I felt at peace from the very first conversation we had. It was like I was talking to a friend I've known my whole life. It also helped that Shannon was adopting through the same agency so she could help me with all of the next steps and what to expect. Her husband also had to return home for work so she was able to help me navigate the struggle of saying goodbye. Her son Braxton was born 9 days before Camden and they were about a week ahead of us in terms of waiting for travel approval. When we left the hospital, we drove straight to the house Shannon was renting and they had a nice home cooked meal waiting for us.


Shannon and her wonderful family were ABSOLUTELY the hands and feet of Jesus for us.

There is no other way to say it. They opened up their home and their hearts to us from the very beginning. Her mom was able to help me out as a motherly figure by giving advice when Camden cried and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Shannon cried with me and prayed for me when I cried like a baby when Craw left to go home. They checked on me during the middle of the night feedings to make sure I was getting adequate sleep. They were the blessing that I had no clue I would even need.


I ended up staying with them for a week. They received travel approval on Wednesday, January 24th, so my parents helped me pack up and move to a different location the next day. It was so sad to say goodbye to Shannon and her mom but I was so excited for them to get to travel back home to Virginia. I will never forget the kindness that Shannon and her family showed to us and I can only pray that we are able to bless another family one day the way they blessed us. We definitely plan to meet up in the future to get Braxton and Camden together for a play date and I'm already looking forward to that day.


One thing that I've realized is God's hand has been writing our story from the very beginning. From meeting Angie, doors being closed, other doors being opened, having a baby basically fall in our lap, Angie introducing us to Shannon, and Shannon providing us a place to stay, God was IN IT from the beginning.


NEVER EVER DOUBT GODS PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE!


It may not always make sense in the moment but looking back, I can clearly see how God was writing Camden's story and I'm thrilled that Shannon and Braxton are part of his story.



Camden Ivey | Two Months

In the blink of an eye, we are already at 2 months with our sweet boy. He turned 2 months on Saturday...aka St. Patrick's day. While I did dress him in green, I definitely forgot to get him a themed outfit. Oh well!

Weight

He is 13 pounds and 23.5 inches. Our ped says he is right on target and is a super healthy boy.

Eat

He is eating 5 ounces now and still every 3 hours during the day.

Sleep

We finally got him on a good napping schedule this month. He still struggles with a morning nap and it's usually more of a cat nap but he definitely takes a solid 2-2.5 hour nap in the afternoon. ALL THE PRIASE HANDS! We put him down around 9:30 each night (gets last bottle at 9) and he was sleeping until 5-5:30. However, in the last week, we have gone backwards a bit and he's tossing and turning a lot and waking up 2-3 times before it's time to eat. Our ped says it's just a phase and probably related to a growth spurt.

Milestones

Camden smiled socially for the first time at 5 weeks old. He will smile any time you talk to him now and he has one dimple and it's the cutest thing.  He went on his first beach trip and he loved it. It was too cold to actually go on the beach so he still hasn't seen the ocean but it was nice to get away. He also started "daycare" this month and his Aunt Rebekah is keeping him for the time being. So far, so good! He got his 2 month shots on Monday and he had a rough go with a small fever and fussiness. He has started to really talk and loves to coo and ahhh. He also spent his first Sunday in the church nursery at 8 weeks old and he did great. He was looking so handsome.

Likes

He LOVES bath time. I said that last month but he is definitely a water baby. He even likes it when we pour water over his face. He also loves being outside and will instantly calm down the minute you walk outside with him. He especially loves stroller rides. This month he found his hands and loves to eat them. He also loves to talk.

Dislikes

He hates stoplights. It's crazy but the minute the car stops moving, he screams. He also dislikes being held too much and would rather lay down flat so that he can kick his legs. He's the next Graham Gano for the Panthers. LOL

Clothes

He is wearing 3 month clothes now. There are some 0-3 month clothes that are too small now so it's mostly 3 month that he is in.

Camden Ivey, waking up to you each day is a treasure. My favorite moment is when we go in to your room to say Good Morning and you just smile really big. We also love when we put you to sleep because mommy and daddy both take time giving you all the kisses. You are our happy baby and we love making you smile. I can't wait to hear you laugh for the first time...I know it's coming soon. We love you to the moon and back.