 Dear
Birthmother,
Hello, we are Brian and Dawn. We
are hopeful and excited about bringing a second child into our
home. Our heart goes out to you as you face this unselfish and
brave decision. Thinking of all the difficult crossroads faced in
life, we know this is a difficult time for you. We reach out to you
with open arms and hope to include you in our family unit. Thank
you for taking time to consider us.
We met playing volleyball and
married two years later. Our friends are always amused at how much
fun we continue to have together. We have similar values and
similar senses of humor, but more importantly we work through
anything that comes between us. We are blessed with good health,
happiness and financial security, yet we remain well grounded. Our
parents gave us love, encouragement, opportunity, and guidance. We
hope we can do the same for the children we love and raise.
Our home is in a multi-ethnic,
kid-friendly neighborhood outside Chicago. We live on a tree-lined
street with our daughter and three cats. If our daughter has her
way, a dog will be joining us soon. We spend many afternoons
playing in nearby parks.
Our church community blessed us
with emotional support as we went through our first adoption
process. Whether it is providing altar flowers or teaching adult
education classes, we stay involved. Our young daughter loves going
to church because she thinks the ceiling fans are cool!
 Joys
of Parenthood
Our lives were forever changed
when we became parents in 2005, with the adoption of baby Lydia.
She is a happy, curious toddler and has been such a blessing to us.
We believe in gentle discipline, attachment parenting, flexibility,
and making sure children have fun. If there is a problem, we solve
it together. When Lydia refused to crawl, Brian made her a special
skateboard to make it easier. When she stopped eating pureed food
early, we came up with finger food recipes.
It’s important for our children
to know their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Dawn comes
from a large but tightly knit extended family. A family reunion is
planned every few years. Several of her cousins have small
children. If you bless us with your child, he or she will grow up
with cousins as playmates and will be spoiled by grandparents,
great-grandparents and great-aunts.
About Brian
Brian is a playful, creative,
high energy guy. He is a Mechanical Engineer. Brian loves to
design and make things for work and at home. He has made furniture
for our house and toys for our daughter. He’s volunteered his
talents to cook feasts for 100, teach kids crafts, and build homes
for charity.
On his life’s goals, Brian says,
“As a kid I dreamt of being famous or important like most kids do.
But my upbringing stressed
personal, financial, and
emotional independence. I now have all of that. I want to spend my
life with family and friends. I only want to be a good husband,
father, friend, son, and citizen.”
About Dawn
Dawn is nurturing, genuine and
understanding. She grew up in small towns in Ohio and Iowa before
moving to Chicago. She is a Human Resources Manager. Dawn enjoys
the Chicago theater scene, cooking, and reading.
Dawn’s favorite weekend activity
is to be outside with Lydia, whether it’s playing in our yard, at
the park, or a trip to a zoo or forest preserve.
 About
Lydia
Lydia is the happiest toddler either
of us has ever known. She practices laughing, likes music class, and
loves playing in the water. Lydia is very independent and doesn’t mind
telling you so. She looks forward to being a big sister, playing, and
sharing her adoption with a younger sister or brother.
Honoring the Birthmother
Sometimes instead of a bedtime story,
we tell Lydia her adoption story. It will be a few years before she is
able to understand, but she will grow up knowing her birthmother’s name
and the great gift her birthmother gave both her and us. As Lydia gets
older, we will ask her input in putting together the letters and
pictures for her birthmother. Likewise, you will always be known in our
household as an important kind of family member. We will tell our next
child about you and look for ways of honoring that bond if you bless us
with a child.
Our family and our friends are the
most important things in our lives. We would love for you to be
involved in your child’s future in the ways you feel most comfortable.
Your child will always know how much you love him or her and the
wonderful opportunity you have given. We will always honor you as the
woman who blessed us with a child. Whatever you decide, we wish you the
best in life, health and happiness.
With warm regards,
Dawn and Brian |
