Adam and Clyant

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From Us to You

Dear Expectant Mother,

Neither of us can comprehend what an emotional decision this must be for you, but we’d like to genuinely acknowledge your strength and courage. What’s clear is that this is a life changing choice for you, your family, your child, and us. Life is undoubtedly uncertain and from experience we know how painful choices can be. What we can say for certain is that you will always be your child’s mother, nothing can ever take that away and we promise your child will always know you and your loved ones. We want you to be as involved in your child’s life as much as you want, and we promise to always be open and honest with you every step of the way. You are entrusting the two of us to raise your child and that is a commitment that will bond us for the rest of our lives.

We will bring your child up surrounded by love and we promise to instill values of kindness, empathy, and responsibility. Life experiences have taught the two of us to appreciate every moment and the life we’ve built together is ready to be shared with you and your child. We will do everything in our power to keep your child safe and healthy. The importance of education will be encouraged while fostering creative developments and individual growth. Our support system is large and, because of this, your child will be exposed to different cultures and experiences while being surrounded by a diverse group of positive role models. We will lead by example and will promote a safe and nurturing environment with compassion and understanding at the core of our growing family.

Love is what will bind us together and we have so much to give. We want you to know that you are just as important as we are in this journey and, together, we will do whatever is best to raise your child. We share a strong bond and are both open and committed to one another. We value communication and open dialogue and can promise that your child will be raised in a home free of negativity and neglect. In their own ways our parents gave us the skills necessary to be nurturing parents and we are confident in our ability to raise a well-rounded child. We promise your child will only know love, and as they grow we will provide guidance that comes from a place of experience. Life is not easy, and challenges will certainly arise, but our own life experiences have given us the tools necessary to face these challenges head on, together.

You are loved and we want you to know we will be here for you as much as you need. We will provide a safe space for you to see your child grow and you will have an opportunity to be involved as much as you desire. Family is the most important thing to us both and you will forever be a part of ours. They say, “It takes a village” and we are firm believers in that. In the darkest of days we hope you know you are not alone and no matter how many miles may separate us, we hope you will take comfort in knowing how much love we will have for you. Our only job will be to ensure the wellbeing of your child, and we promise that not a day will go by where we won’t tell them how loved they are, not only by us, but by you. From the deepest of our hearts, thank you for your courage, you alone are making this possible.

With all of our love,
Adam & Clyant

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Why We're Choosing to Adopt

Throughout the course of our relationship, we’ve both discussed our desire to become fathers. Surrounded by children in our family we see the joy a child brings, and we hope for an opportunity to experience this ourselves. Unable to have children the traditional way, adoption is the path we choose to grow our family. Conversations on adoption have since developed into putting the pieces in our own lives together, ensuring that we are both mentally, physically, and financially ready to provide a stable and loving home for a child. We have the means and experience needed to help develop strong values and our lives would be devoted to continually providing what’s in the best interests of your child. We are in a great place with both our careers which gives us an opportunity to provide experiences that we ourselves did not have growing up. Our family dynamics are big motivators for this stage in our life and we can assure any child brought into our lives would be surrounded by a large, diverse, and loving family. We have so much love to give and a child would only enrich the love we already have for each other.

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About Clyant, by Adam

Clyant is my best friend and my biggest supporter. He gives with his whole heart and is the most genuine person I have ever met. Clyant is always the first to volunteer, never shying away from hard work or a challenge. He’s the go-to guy at work because everyone knows his patience and desire to help. He’s opened my world, thanks to our mutual love of travel, and he loves to talk about all our future international trips. Clyant is open and honest and I’m never afraid to be vulnerable in front of him. He continues to be my rock and has always been there to listen with an empathetic ear. Clyant will be an amazing father because he’s been an incredible partner and husband. He is loved beyond words and has such a strong support system of family and friends. He brings a smile to everyone’s face because his love is so genuine and pure. He is an outstanding role model and appreciates other cultures and continuously seeks to educate himself in all areas of his life. Clyant is also fluent in Spanish and is looking forward to an opportunity to teach his love of Spanish to your child.

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About Adam, by Clyant

Adam is the life of the party. He is energetic, creative, clever, entertaining and has a keen eye for design. He’s a planner and enjoys drafting our budget, itineraries for trips and events, and weighing options before taking action. He knows how to have a good time and help others enjoy themselves as well. He is a friend, husband, uncle, brother, and so much more for so many people. He has been through quite a bit in his life and has learned the lessons that have shaped the individual he is today. He will be a concerned, caring, loving father who will always be there for his son or daughter and ensure they have all they need in life. He is excited to provide for your child all that he did not have growing up, while also helping your child to develop in a loving, nurturing home.

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Our Home

We fell in love with our house immediately but didn’t realize how wonderful the neighborhood was until after we moved in. All of our neighbors are kind and genuine; we remember receiving welcome cards and baked goods when we first moved in. We have become close friends with our neighbors across the street and we frequently spend weekends and holidays together. The neighborhood has a predominant population of dog owners and puppy play dates have become a frequent occurrence. Many of our neighbors enjoy walking in groups which gives us great opportunities to catch up and stay connected. A group of people have recently begun taking more control over their health so in a supportive effort we’ve begun joining our neighbors on their evening stroll through the neighborhood. Our community is very supportive, and we’ve all come together in times of need.  We would do anything for our neighbors, and we know they would do the same. We love that we’re surrounded by nature and numerous walking trails. We take any opportunity to spend time outside and our community provides many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. One of the best things about our house is the variety of perennial plants and flowers that bloom every year. From columbines, to irises, lilac, and roses we loved learning how to care and maintain these plants ensuring they come back just as vibrant every year.

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Our Sweet Pups

We are both big animal lovers and are excited to teach a child responsibility on how to care for pets. We have two dogs, Rudiger who will be eleven and Parker who is two. Both were rescued from local animal shelters and were in pretty bad shape before they came into our lives. Rudiger was in the shelter for about six months due to being malnourished and a rough skin appearance. We immediately fell in love with him and within weeks he gained a new lease on life. We discovered he has allergies but, with the help of our vet and monthly medication, he’s happy and healthy. Parker, we believe, was abused from very early on in his life. We met him the day he was brought up from Maryland and while he was very fearful of people, he immediately began to run around and play as soon as we introduced him to Rudiger. Although it took a lot of time and patience Parker has done a complete turn-around. He’s extremely playful and loves to socialize with other dogs and fetch with his Frisbee in the backyard. In addition to our two dogs, we have two cats, Prudence who is fifteen and Loca who is six. Prudence made the long journey with us from Colorado when we moved to Connecticut in 2012 and she’s definitely the one in charge. We’ve had Loca since she was eight weeks old and, because she grew up with Rudiger, she thinks she’s one of the dogs. We recently had to buy a bigger dog bed to fit Rudiger, Parker, and Loca. We frequently have puppy play dates with friends and neighbors and as a family we enjoy taking the dogs for walks, hikes, and having them join us at local, pet-friendly restaurants. Conversations between us now include who’s going to walk the two dogs and which one of us is going to push the stroller, we’ll definitely have to take turns.

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A Typical 3-Day Weekend

We always try to maximize our vacation time around 3-day weekends. For us, a typical 3-day weekend could include a trip to New York City, Boston, Block Island or Provincetown. We can drive to these locations within a couple of hours and enjoy spending time at the beach or harbors. We always try to find pet friendly hotels so we can bring the dogs with us since they love the adventures just as much as we do. We enjoy walking around, people watching, visiting shops and museums, and discovering new restaurants and foods. We talk about how exciting it will be to share these experiences with a child and provide experiences that we weren’t able to engage in as children. Recently we’ve been keeping track of more child-friendly locations, from children’s museums to activities at our local library. Our community has plenty of parks we are eager to explore and when the time is right, we look forward to weekend trips to Six Flags and the local water park. No matter how we spend a 3-day weekend, sharing it together is all that’s important to us and we are thrilled to add a third adventurer into the mix.

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Our Vacations and Leisure Time

We love to travel and try to do so as often as possible. Whether we are taking small staycations to the beach for the weekend or going out to Colorado to visit Adam’s family, we enjoy seeing and experiencing new places together. We tend to visit places where family resides for our vacation spots including Denver for Adam’s family, Los Angeles for Clyant’s brother and now South Carolina, where Clyant’s sister just purchased a beautiful home. We’d like to start traveling internationally within the next couple years, but we want to make sure your child will be old enough to appreciate the different cultures around the world first. In our leisure time we both enjoy plants, gardening, and working in our yard so frequent trips to a nursery and Home Depot are a common weekend occurrence. We enjoy playing with the dogs in the yard, setting up badminton/volleyball, giant Jenga, croquet, and other yard games. During the cooler weather we set up the projector in the back and watch a movie under the stars while making s’mores and popcorn over a fire. We tend to spend most of the time outdoors when the weather is nice, being by the water is something that we both enjoy very much. We are looking forward to putting up a playscape in the backyard with a swing set and a slide and we’ve already discussed where we’d like to build a treehouse when the time comes.

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Our Relationship with our Parents

We have great relationships with both sets of parents. On Adam’s side, his mother, Marcella, and father, Manuel, live in Colorado, and we visit them at least twice a year, this will undoubtedly increase with a new child to ensure they grow up knowing their large extended family. Adam speaks with his mother daily and his father weekly. When we first met, we lived in Colorado, and we would see both parents multiple times a week. Similarly, we have a great relationship with Clyant’s parents. Since they both live in Connecticut, we see them more frequently, however since they are divorced, we split time evenly. With Sandy, Clyant’s mom, we frequently go out to brunch or dinner. She knows where all the best live music is playing, so it’s not uncommon for our dinners to end up at a local music venue. Occasionally we join her at the Performing Arts Center for a play or musical as she is a season ticket holder, we know she looks forward to sharing her love of music and theater with her grandchild. Clyant’s dad, Mike, and his partner, Nancy, love the outdoors and wildlife so our time with them is spent going on hikes and having cookouts. They own a cabin in Maine right off the lake, so we try to head up during the summer for boating and kayaking. All of our parents are excited and supportive in our decision to adopt, and we know they will be wonderful grandparents as they have already proven to be exceptional parents to us both.

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Friends and Family

Clyant is the middle child of three with an older sister, Jackie, and younger brother, Michael. Adam is the youngest of seven, with five older sisters, Pauline, Justine, Lori, Liz, and Lorraine and a brother, Lawrence, who has passed away. We try to see each other multiple times a year but, if nothing else, we make sure to stay in contact with weekly calls and text messages.  We see Adam’s entire extended family when we visit every July and make an effort to visit either at Thanksgiving or Christmas. The kids grow up so fast, so we want to make sure we maintain a role in their lives even living so far away. One of the most exciting aspects of this adoption is the large and loving family your child will inherit, and we cannot wait to share this large family experience and the culture with them. Clyant’s siblings live in South Carolina and California, we all recently took a trip to see Jackie’s new home in South Carolina and we look forward to many more trips together.

In addition to our close family, we have an amazing set of friends with whom we frequently hang out, including puppy play dates, game nights, cook outs, boat rides at the marina, and the annual October movie night outdoors. We keep in touch with our friends who still live in Colorado, and we visit with them when we see Adam’s family during the summer. Our neighbors, Heather and Pete, have become close friends and we’ve had the privilege of getting to know their family who have all been so welcoming. A highlight of our friendship are the invites we receive from the local Italian club, with events focused on food and music, two of our favorite things.

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Our Lifestyle

We both now work from home and with this change we’ve developed a better work/life balance. As Clyant is in a lead position within his team he does work a bit longer, however being able to cut out commute time has given him the ability to ensure necessities both at home and work are always met. We like to be active and the weather is an indicator of where you might find us. During the summer heat we frequent the beach with both of us enjoying throwing the Frisbee around in the ocean. We’re ready to stock up on buckets and shovels and start building sandcastles. We have friends who own a boat and we’re always welcome to meet them at the marina for a swim and afternoon ride down the river. Kayaking has become a new hobby for us both and we are surrounded by lots of opportunities to spend time on the water. As the weather becomes cooler we frequently put up the projector outside and watch movies or play games as the sun begins to set. Last summer we had a large group of friends and family come over for a screening of Grease. Everyone had a great time and we immediately got requests for what movie we should play next. We’re excited to start playing the latest animated children’s movies, recent releases like Encanto and classics like The Little Mermaid are sure to make the list. We’ve found a great balance of being active and slowing down and spending time at home. We both enjoy movies so even when there’s plenty to do outside it’s sometimes nice to stay in on the couch, pull the blankets out and turn on the latest comedy or action movie.

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Our Hobbies

We both enjoy home improvements and decorating the house. While the style aspect is more Adam’s forte, Clyant enjoys helping with painting and providing the muscle for improvements around the home. Clyant has been focusing on the yard cleanup which, because of the elderly previous homeowner, was in serious need of TLC. It looks great and there is plenty of space for a playscape, treehouse, and eventually a slip-n-slide. We both enjoy gardening and in the spring, we plant various veggies, fruits, flowers, and spices. This season we planted cherry tomatoes, zucchini, kale, watermelon, broccoli, and what Clyant is most excited for, a pumpkin patch. We both enjoy live music and concerts, which we frequent throughout the warmer months. Cover bands and live jazz music are always favorite choices. We both enjoy board games, card games, and video games of which we have a large collection and enjoy playing together, especially on rainy or snowy days. When the weather cools down Adam enjoys baking; while cakes and cupcakes are his go-to, he also looks for any opportunity to try fun new recipes. He looks forward to another set of hands in the kitchen and is excited to pass on his culinary skills. We share a lot of common interests which makes our leisure time that much more enjoyable. We never shy away from an invite to the bowling alley and miniature golf is always a great time. There’s plenty to do in our community and we are excited to share our hobbies and interests with a child.

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Family Traditions

We are big on holidays and birthdays. We generally celebrate our birthdays with a trip each year. In early spring we visit the local nurseries for flowers and vegetables for the season. We will plant a garden with a variety of vegetables, fruits, and spices throughout spring, summer, and early autumn. During the year we look forward to beach trips during the summer, Fourth of July fireworks, Halloween pumpkin carving, decorating, costumes and handing out candy to the neighbors. Thanksgiving is always shared with Sandy, Clyant’s mother, with a tradition of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and going through all the Black Friday ads. From that moment on, it’s Christmas time and we normally decorate the house Thanksgiving weekend. We both love Christmas and the winter season. We enjoy hanging the Christmas lights and decorating the house for hosting during the holidays. We love baking during the holidays and the house is always filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies. During the holidays we like to entertain, commonly including gingerbread house and cookie decorating nights at our home. We both recognize the importance of family and friends in our lives and we make sure there’s a seat for everyone at our table.

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What Adoption Means to Us

The possibility of adoption means the world to us and we’re ready to experience all the joy, stress, and everything in between. We talk about all the ‘firsts’ we get to experience, from haircuts to ice cream cones, and we’re ready to share all parts of our lives with a growing child. We know we are both good role models and opportunities to console and comfort during difficult situations will be met with compassion and patience. Adoption will allow us to grow as individuals, as husbands, and most importantly, as a family.  Adoption means giving us the opportunity to experience parenting while providing a strong, stable, and loving home environment for a child. For us this means putting your child’s needs ahead of our own and ensuring we always have their best interests in mind. We realize our lives will change dramatically, but we are both ready and willing to begin this next stage in our lives together with an open heart and an open mind.

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What Attracted Us to Each Other

Clyant to Adam: Adam is fun, energetic, witty, and thoughtful. He has a big heart, cares for his family, and is my best friend. I cannot imagine my life without him and when we are not together, I feel like a part of me is missing. When we first met, we were working together at a law firm in Denver. He made quite the effort trying to impress me even though I may have played hard to get initially. He was persistent and the handsome guy from the office and I have been together ever since. Our 11 years together (5 years married) seems like a flash, and I would not trade or change anything. I am excited to continue our journey and share our love by adding a child to our family.

Adam to Clyant: Clyant was like a dream come true when I met him. I was going through a pretty difficult time in my life when I first started working at the law firm. We met and, without him even knowing his kindness and empathy, he helped me see how much love was possible in a person. I soon found out we shared a love of movies and games, his DVD collection at the time was quite impressive. Soon our friendship developed into so much more and after only dating for about eight months I packed up my life in Colorado and we began a new chapter in Connecticut. What still attracts me to Clyant is his devotion to family and his strong work ethic. He always makes sure to pick up the phone when family calls and knows the value of an honest day’s work. He motivates me to be better and I love him more every day.

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The kind of Parents We will be

We’ve both experienced a lot in our lives and learned from the mistakes along the way. We both have strong moral values and ethics which will allow us to be strong role models. We both are loving, caring individuals and will share this love, understanding, and patience with your child. We will make sure to pay attention to individual needs and interests, helping to promote growth and understanding. We know the importance of an education and will do our best to instill a passion for learning and creativity. Clyant is bilingual and with that, we look forward to raising a child who will be able to speak both English and Spanish. We will help teach, clarify, and console, all to ensure your child understands and grows into a well-rounded individual. We will stress the importance of friendship, honesty, manners, and civility and will use our own learned traits, values, and understanding to help better his/her social awareness. We will never pick sides and will come to agreements on decisions always with their best interest in mind. We will be fun, energetic, open, and honest and will never shy away from an opportunity to be silly. We’re going to continue to dress up for Halloween every year and always make time for school activities. We will volunteer to chaperone on field trips and help with fundraising for sports or arts. Our relationship with each other will continue to be strong and as a result, your child will know a strong example of love and kindness.

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Our Promise to You

We promise to support, love, nurture, and help your child grow into a diverse, well educated, honest adult. We will ensure they will be kind, have a strong moral compass, be polite, courteous, and above all else, know how much they are loved. We will do everything in our power to provide and support them with everything they may possibly need, from infancy to adulthood. We promise to protect them, keep them safe and healthy, and ensure that their creative freedoms flourish. For you, we promise to be open and honest. We want you to be as involved in your child’s life as much as you want and promise that your child will always know you and your family. We will keep you up to date on every milestone, from first steps, first words, and on to report cards and graduation. You can determine how much involvement you want in his/her life and we promise to respect your desired degree of involvement. We want you to know that you will forever have a place in our hearts, and we promise that will never change.