Awaiting a sibling
Dear Birth Parent(s),
We appreciate you taking the time to consider an adoption plan for your child. We hope this letter will help you weigh your options and determine whatever course of action you believe is best for you and your child.
Glad to Meet You
We have been a couple since 2001 and married since 2004. We are unable to have biological children and know first-hand adoption is a wonderful way to build a family. We are blessed to have adopted our beautiful daughter, Francesca, born December 2008! She is an active toddler who means the world to us and will make a terrific sister. Our extended family and friends, some of whom are adopted, also share our excitement about adopting a second child.
We have fond memories of growing up with siblings close in age, and have close relationships with them to this day – it’s largely why we are eager for Francesca to have a sibling. Our dream is to love and nurture each of our children in a manner that helps the child develop interests, talents and abilities that lead to fulfillment of his or her own dreams. In the process of raising children, we plan to have plenty of family fun!
Who We Are
Our Extended Family
Gina is the middle child from a close-knit family. She grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has a brother, two sisters, nieces, and nephews. Her mom still lives in the house Gina grew up in, while her siblings and their families live about an hour’s drive away from mom. Gina's dad passed away several years ago. Her parents were married over 40 years. Other relatives live in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California. Gina's family is one of multi-cultures, including African-American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic.
Mike is the oldest child of a military family that moved around the U.S.A. many times when he was growing up. He has a brother and two sisters, nieces and nephews. Most of his siblings, their families and his parents settled in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, where his extended family is originally from. One sister relocated to Florida with her family. Mike's family is primarily Caucasian of Italian heritage.
Education is Important to Us
As first-generation Bachelor’s and Master’s degree graduates, we value education. A good education has, among other benefits, given us a solid foundation for career success.
In the early part of our careers, Gina worked in banking and international development, including two years as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, and Mike served in the military. The bulk of our careers have been spent in the environmental field, where we work now. We work in nearby Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia.
We want to provide the best education possible for Francesca and our second child. Much will depend on each child’s unique strengths and special interests – such as academics, the arts, trades, and athletics – and whether a private or public school would be a good fit. In any case, we will do our best to ensure that each child receives an outstanding education, both inside and outside the classroom.
In addition, our children will have plenty of role models among relatives and friends, regardless of the type of education, training and career each child gravitates toward. The people in our lives work in a wide variety of fields including government, academia, business and real estate, as well as the arts and entertainment fields, the trades, law enforcement, and the military.
We Love to Travel
We have taken Francesca on overnight visits with relatives and on vacation at the shore. She wasn’t thrilled about the water but loved the sand. We have a long list of family-friendly destinations in mind for when our children are old enough to appreciate them.
Before becoming parents, we travelled extensively in the U.S.A. and overseas for work or leisure. Among our most memorable family vacations are two cross-country road trips. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and saw many sites including: Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park, California; Death Valley National Park, Nevada; Mesa Verde National Park and Hoover Dam, Colorado; Grand Canyon, Arizona; and Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. In addition, we have enjoyed our trips to Aspen and Estes Park, Colorado; Savannah, Georgia; and Provincetown, Massachusetts.
During Gina’s service as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, and through other work and personal travel, she has visited over two dozen countries in Africa. She also visited many U.S. cities including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Miami, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas, and San Antonio. Other trips included the Bahamas, Aruba and Puerto Rico. Around the time of Mike’s military tour of duty in Korea, he visited Japan. Like Gina, Mike has visited numerous U.S. destinations for work and personal travel. Nowadays, we travel for work once or twice a year, and sometimes combine personal travel.
Other Personal Interests
Most importantly, we love being parents. We do fun things at home and out and about. Gina has taken Francesca to infant/toddler music and sing-along classes. Similarly, we will take our children to age-appropriate gym, swim, dance, and other classes. As our children grow older, we will share our personal interests with them and learn their personal interests. Mike especially likes the adventure, natural beauty and solitude of the Big Outdoors, and he is an accomplished mountain climber. Gina is particularly fond of historic districts, cultural events, museums and other Big City attractions, and has practiced yoga for several years. We enjoy good quality organic food, with Mike preferring standard American fare, Gina preferring vegetarian and ethnic foods, and Francesca rarely rejecting any food that’s offered to her.
Where We Live
Our Home
There’s more than enough room in our home for two children, plus two friendly indoor cats. Francesca has her own room, as will our second child. On the first floor, our home has an open floor plan and plenty of large windows, which makes it easy for us to keep an eye on the children whether we are indoors or outdoors. Our house sits on a little more than one acre. The front yard is a slight hill and our house is set back a good distance from the sidewalk and the minimal neighborhood traffic. In the back yard, we have a gated wooden fence several feet high which will help keep children and their toys in eye’s view and secure. Mike had a hand in building the fence and installing the gazebo in our back yard. He also planted a vegetable garden in the back yard, along with Gina’s favorite flowers, sunflowers. Gina installed a couple bird feeders and bird baths in the backyard. We enjoy having company over, especially during the holidays and for summer barbeques in the backyard.
Neighborhood and Surrounding Areas
Most of the homes in our neighborhood were built within the last several years, so all of the neighbors are fairly new. We have socialized with a few families in particular and keep an eye on each other’s homes when the other family is out of town. We also share gardening tools, favorite dishes, etc. Young children live in our neighborhood. When the weather is nice, it is not uncommon to hear children playing outside. Usually, the laughter is coming from a house a few doors down with swings and slides in the backyard. The elementary school is within walking distance of our home.
We live in a suburb in commuting distance of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. If you drive just five minutes from our home in another other direction, the area is semi rural. You can even see cows, horses and barns on a few of the properties. Several beautiful recreational areas, including hiking trails and a beach with boardwalk, are a short drive from our home. The Atlantic Ocean is a two hour drive away, and the mountains in Western Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania are a two to four hour drive away. Our area has numerous ethnic restaurants and cultural events and activities that we look forward to sharing with our children.
Family Life
We are thrilled to be Francesca’s parents and are excited about completing our family with a second child. When the second child comes, we will take leave from work for at least several months. Then we will adjust our work schedules to maximize time at home. As we do now with daughter, we will be at home to eat dinner as a family and spend quality time with our children before bedtime. Though we do not attend religious services regularly, our spiritual beliefs, morals and values will continue to guide our family. We have taken our daughter on numerous outings and vacations with extended family and friends, and will do more such trips as a family of four.
Christmas 2009
Thanks again for taking the time to learn more about us and consider making an adoption plan for your child. If there is anything you would like to discuss with us before you make a decision, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Warm Regards,
Mike, Gina & Francesca
