Do you have the number saved in your contacts correctly? If so, can’t you just pick a contact when you text? I don’t know if it will work, but....
Good idea. However, here’s the problem: I still run into the issue of inputting the number for the contact record. The field for the phone number for the contact record is the same as the field for text messaging, i.e. I can’t press and hold 0 and have it turn into a + sign.