Alana

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To You, From Me

Having a family will fulfill my heart and soul’s desire.  I have wanted to be a mother my entire life and I have so much love to give.  Being an Aunt and Auntie to my friend’s kids is spectacular… I cannot begin to imagine the joy and the journey having my own family will bring.  I am open and ready to welcome a little one into my world.

I have so much love to share with your child and a wonderful family and friends who are anxiously awaiting to welcome your child into their loving arms.  Growing up my parents showed me what unconditional love is with their unwavering support and unlimited encouragement, and that’s the kind of mom I will be to your child so they can live their best life.   The love my parents gave me has given me the confidence to know that in life, I am part of a family that always loves me no matter what the circumstances are, and I will always be supported.

My parents and I have a special theme song; “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”.  Do you know it? “Ain’t no mountain high enough…Nothing will keep me, keep me from you…” I am totally stealing that theme song for my family song too.

Sadly, my father passed in 2010 but I am grateful I had a loving father for 34 years. My mother, (aka Tutu), will be a huge part of our daily/weekly routines as she lives very close to me.  She absolutely adores being a grandmother and cannot wait to welcome a new baby to our family! My brother, Uval, and his family live in New Mexico and we visit every few months and Facetime with my nephews Max and Henry regularly. It’s great to see my brother & his wife, Heather, but Max and Henry are the stars of the show, and cannot wait to have a little cousin to love, visit and spend summers with.

I understand there are a lot of hard choices you have to make so if you have any questions, please let me know.  Making an adoption plan is such a brave choice and should you decide to bless me with your child, I will be forever thankful for your choice.

Thank you for looking at my profile and I would love to get to know you too.

Xoxo
Alana

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My Path to Motherhood

My path to adoption has not been easy, but I believe in my heart this is the path I am meant to be on… I froze my eggs when I was 37 because I was diagnosed with breast cancer and was about to undergo chemotherapy.   I say that to you knowing I am 100% in the clear of cancer and it will not affect my ability or life expectancy to be a parent. I beat the crap out of cancer!  It was not easy, but I look back with gratitude for my doctors, the medical care I received, and the life lessons I learned.  These are all life lessons that will help make me a better, more understanding parent.

• I learned to ask for help.
• I learned to say no when it was best for me to say no.
• I learned this too will pass and not stress over the small stuff.

Once I was ready to utilize my frozen eggs, I tried twice but miscarried both times.   As an optimist, I deeply believe everything happens for a reason and that is the truth both the good times and the bad. My path now is to adopt and build a family with the help of a gracious woman like yourself, I will.

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About Me

Growing up in a small town on the east coast, my brother and I had such a fun childhood living on a farm with llamas, sheep and had an apple orchard.  My earliest memories are being at my parents’ business, where my brother and I created the best games and stories playing in the back of their workshop which was filled with wonderland equipment like forklifts, backhoes, and piles of sand as tall as a building.

Growing up I was very social, had a lot of friends, was a good student and enjoyed math, science, and art classes.  After school we would hang out at one of my friends’ houses or I would go to Kari’s house. Her mom was an awesome cook and she always had the best snacks. I went to a summer camp out of state every year until high school which was a super fun experience and where I learned a lot there about being independent away from my family.

Eventually, I moved out to Southern California to be near my parents and I love living here.  It changes your life when it’s sunny every day.  My life is wonderful but it’s not complete without my being a mom.  I have so much love to give, and such a wonderful life to share with a child.

Fun Facts:

• I am a lifelong potter and have been teaching a beginner wheel class too.
  I can throw it down in the kitchen.  I’m not a recipe gal, I am a make-it-up as I go, wing-it type.
• I am very crafty and I can fix things, I have redone a lot of my furniture, I love interior design.
• I love, love, love to travel and have been to 26 countries!   Some real standouts are Japan, India, and Greece!
• For my mom’s 70th birthday we traveled to Italy for a week-long cooking course.
• One of my favorite quotes is: “You can’t have a favorite place till you have seen them all”

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Lifestyle

While being equally happy being out or staying home, I do see my friends and family often whether they are over at my house where I love to cook for them or we go out for a great dinner. Even though it’s just me for now, I cook almost daily and eat a lot of veggies and seafood.  I am more of a wing-it type cook than a recipe-type cook and love playing and exploring new flavors.  My favorite local spice store gives me a lot of inspiration – Kimchi Salt, Berbere, Curries, Chimichurri – you name it, they have it.  I am looking forward to making fresh baby food for your child and as they grow up, taking our meals together just as I did with my parents.  My Dad’s specialty was Sunday morning hotdog omelets but Mom can really cook anything!

I enjoy taking lots of long walks, sometimes with friends, or as “me time” and eventually “our time” with your little one.  It is great exercise, plus I get to explore the neighborhood. I make a lot of my calls to catch up with friends on walks or clear my head and this is the best time for me to come up with my great ideas.  I take walks on the beach with my dog Goldie who hates the water but loves chasing the birds!

While I enjoy my work I am able to balance my work and enjoy my life.  Working remotely gives me great flexibility in my schedule, and I do not work on the weekends.

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My Personality

Well gosh, this is such an important question for you to know the answer to, but kinda hard to write down.  So I asked for help from a few dear friends on how they would describe me to you.  Here are their replies from my tribe who will be the aunties to your child:

• You’re one of the most beautiful people I’ve known. You’re trustworthy and kind; truthful and honest and empathetic and sweet. Vulnerable and lovely.
• I’d say you’re warm and kind, with a great sense of family and community. You have a love of life (can’t find a better word but joyous 🙃). And you have a wonderful ability to reinvent yourself!
• Integrity comes to mind when I think of you!! And creativity!  A person who cares about others and is true about her feelings and always treats everyone with integrity.
• You are a relentless optimist. You have faced overwhelming odds and soul-crushing life experiences and you refused to be defeated by them or allow them to define your life. And it isn’t because you don’t feel things deeply, rather, I think it is because you do allow yourself to feel that you are ultimately able to let go and move back to the light. I can’t imagine a more essential personality trait than that for becoming a parent. You also have a fantastic sense of humor – you take things seriously but you don’t take yourself too seriously and you can find the humor in just about any situation that calls for it. But even more important than that, as a friend, you help your friends laugh at themselves when they are being less than grounded. It’s this unique way you have of phrasing things – blunt but always with a little twinkle in your eye. You always show up, you never judge, or if you do, you keep it to yourself, and you are fiercely loyal to the people you love.
• I admire how grounded you seem in who you are and what you want. Sure, you have dark days and feel sadness and despair, but you never stay there. At least it doesn’t seem like it. You aren’t afraid to go after what you want, or if you are, you don’t let it stop you. When it feels like life just keeps gut-punching you, you catch your breath and keep going. You say, okay, that way didn’t work, what’s the next option. I’ve seen you do this over and over both personally and professionally where so many others would just give up. You never do.
• As I sit and write this, I realize, the reason you are such an amazing friend and human is because when you show up, it’s not about you. That sounds obvious but I think it’s actually kind of rare. And it’s beautiful. Being a true friend, knowing what that means and actually living it can be mutually exclusive. But you live it every single day. You are one of the most selfless people I know.

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Home and Neighborhood

My home is a 3 bedroom home with an open floorplan French doors that open to a side yard… indoor/outdoor living! It’s a wonderful home for a child to grow up in.  There is a large kitchen where I can be cooking and watching over the rest of the living/dining area and a kitchen counter where I picture your child coloring while having after-school snacks and we talk about their day.

I love my neighborhood!  I live in a super cute, family-friendly town full of charm in Southern California. We are in a valley surrounded by mountains and a drive away from the Pacific Ocean. From my home, I can walk to the main part of town with shops and restaurants.  There is a cute town square where they have events like the weekly farmers market, Christmas Tree Lighting, July 4th celebration, music on the weekends, and cultural events.  Your child and I will be able to walk to the local elementary school and middle school from our house and there are parks nearby for playtime.

The best part of the neighborhood is that my mother lives less 2 miles away and her home is a kid’s wonderland – she has a pool, grapevines, and an olive grove for your child to play hide and seek, and a yard to run around.  Her community has a lake to go kayaking, community activities, game rooms, and even horseback riding.

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Family & Friends

I am super blessed with such an amazing family… my mother, Suzi, my brother, Uval sister-in-law, Heather, and my nephews Henry (11) and Max (9).   My parents were best friends, business partners and happily married for 41 years before my father passed in 2010.  I am truly grateful for the gift of having such a kind, loving, and supportive set of parents. Using them as my role models have really shaped a lot of my personality.   I cherish my relationship with my mother (also known as Tutu to her grandkids) and we talk every day – she is the biggest influence and most important relationship in my life. That is the type of parent I want to be for your child.

While I was growing up, my parents worked really hard running their business but we always had dinner together.  Sitting around the dinner table with my parents talking about our days, my brother telling me jokes to try to make me laugh is a fond memory of childhood. Every Sunday, we used to go on drives, just wandering about, exploring and listening to classic rock and roll like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, & Joe Cocker.

Kari Lynn has been my best friend since 5th grade. She is so smart and sassy. Kari lives in Boston with her husband and 2 daughters, Sophia and Margaret, who call me Aunt Alana. We started a tradition of every other year going on a trip with just the two of us and the kiddos. We went to Cancun, Mexico this past summer and had a blast playing in the pool, dancing on the beach, going on an adventure to Isla Mujeres!  It is so important to me to be part of Kari’s kid’s life as she will be in your child’s life

My best friend since college, Allyson – Ally is more than a best friend, she is my soul sister. I talk to Ally every day and she is a huge presence in my life and will be Auntie #1 to my baby.  She loves kids, has a real knack for making up fun games, is full of energy, and every kid she meets falls in love with her.  Ally is a lifelong member and supporter of our family.

My friends are friends for life, my support team, and come from each chapter of my life, growing up, college, graduate school, and a load of friends picked up along the journey.  They are a diverse group that represents a lot of ethnicities and nationalities – I am so lucky and I value these friends dearly. Many of my friends have kids already and are ready to support me and my family with love, advice, and visits!  I am always a kid favorite when visiting my friend’s family – you can usually find me playing with them instead of being with the grown-ups. I have a village of friends who are ready to be Aunties and Uncles to your little one.

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A Letter of Love from Tutu

Dear Grandchild,

I am so anxious to meet you. When you come to our family it will be the best day!

Alana has been longing for your arrival. She is filled with love for you.

In our family, we are all very close. We really like to be around each other.

We have fun and take trips together. My Grandchildren call me TuTu instead of Grandma because when Henry was little, he couldn’t say Suzi!!!

Holding you in my arms is in my imagination. I promise to be the best TuTu and to spoil you in every way.

When you are older, I want to have sleepovers and watch movies, eat popcorn and stay up late.

But don’t tell your Mom! I will be there every day to spend time with you. We will always be best friends.

Please come to us soon….we are waiting for you.

Dear Birth Mother,

I want to add a Thank you to you for allowing us to adopt your baby.

I promise this child will be loved and adored….. Protected throughout their life….. And given every opportunity to have their best life. Our hearts will always be grateful for your bravery in blessing us with your Baby.

Love,

TuTu

Xoxo ·

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Racial & Cultural Diversity

We are all beautiful, have different lineages that make us unique that deserve to be cherished. I believe strongly in celebrating diversity and being inclusive.  I grew up as the only Jewish kid in my school in a small town in the south, so I am sensitive to this topic – I have been the one who is different.  I believe it is important to learn and educate myself on your culture and integrate that culture into our lives, celebrations, and education.  

I have a diverse group of friends from backgrounds like Latin American, Indian, Saudi Arabian, Israeli, European, Japanese, and various ethnicities or a mix of several. My dearest friend Rachel, who is biracial, when she heard the news that I was adopting, brought her mom over for a dinner celebration and they gifted me Rachel’s favorite book from growing up about being bi-racial. I continue educating myself on adoption and raising a child of a different ethnicity through reading/listening to books and podcasts. I am also building my future child a children’s library filled with a variety of books about adoption that are also racially and culturally diverse, and of course, I won’t forget to include my beloved Dr. Suess books for my future child.

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Family Traditions

Traditions I loved from my childhood that I will continue are: reading together at bedtime, celebrating holidays with our family, and coming together for dinner every day. We celebrated Jewish holidays and my mom would always make a brisket – which was the only red meat I would eat growing up beside a burger.

On Hanukkah, my family is usually together and do the prayers as we light the candles for the 8 days and of course, then we open presents!

Christmas is another fun tradition –  we go to my Mom’s best friend’s, Carole Ann’s house for Christmas Eve – they are a very musical family, and every year we sit around singing, someone is playing piano, guitar, or bongos and everyone gets/makes a small gift for everyone else…  It is such a special night.  Then on Christmas, my mom and I go for a beach walk with our dogs, watch movies and eat Chinese food… this year we were curing/pickling Olives from her olive trees.  Fingers crossed they come out delicious!

Every year we go on family trips, usually around the kid’s school breaks. We have gone to Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hawaii, and road tripped through New Mexico and California.  We also are with them for Thanksgiving most years, Henry’s birthday is often over that holiday.  I cannot wait to add a little one to these family adventures.

Every summer, my nephews come out to California for 3 weeks to be with my mom and me around the July 4th holiday. We do all kinds of activities, play in the pool, go to the parade, and see fireworks with Carole Ann’s grandkids who are about the same age as Max & Henry. I love this time when Mom and I get to be with our little dudes without their parents.  My favorite is the mornings – Max and I are early birds so he crawls into bed with me, we snuggle and talk till everyone else wakes up, and eventually, they are all snuggled up with us in my room… dogs included!

Another small but loving tradition is I always call/text my mom, brother, and best friend Allyson before boarding a plane and when I land or if I am going on a road trip when I get somewhere. It is a good feeling to know there are people out there that care and always want to know where I am and that I am safe.  I also have calls with my mom and with Allyson every day.  These two ladies know everything about me, what I am doing, and where I am.  It makes me feel loved and cared about.

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How A Child Will Enrich My Life

Being a good, kind, thoughtful human is of the most importance to me.  I believe strongly in education and how it can change a person’s life.  Not only schooling, which is wildly important, but also being a student and having curiosity throughout life.  I plan to enrich your child’s life by always incorporating mindfulness, gratitude, acts of service/volunteering, and positive thinking into our daily life practices.

Travel is another way to always be learning and growing… to see how other people live, eat and how other countries are so different but we as humans so similar.  I want your kid to be a global citizen. I have a dream that once they are old enough to appreciate and remember that we will go on a yearly trip out of the country.  We can spend the year leading up to the trip picking a place together, learning about the culture, the people and then go on the trip to explore this new land.  I want to instill a sense of wanderlust into your child’s life.

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Our Relationship

I want to create a life book, and if you are open to it, I would love to include pictures of you and I would love one picture of the three of us together to show your little one they are loved and this choice was made with love and understanding on all sides.  I am open to discussing a relationship that you are comfortable with.

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My Promise to You

I promise to raise your child with deep respect and gratitude for you and the important role you have in building our family.

I promise your child will always be loved and supported.

I will raise your child to be a global citizen with respect for all people, animals, and the planet.

I will instill the values of kindness, gratitude, honesty, loyalty, and compassion.

I will raise your child in a loving home where we believe in the importance of being honest, understanding others, being fair and consistent, and knowing right from wrong.