Kevin and Jessica

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From Us to You

We cannot pretend to understand exactly what you are feeling right now, but we do know that what you are going through is brave. We respect you and your ability to consider this difficult decision. We are truly grateful for your courage and promise you that we will never forget what a blessing you are to our family. We will always honor you and emphasize how special you are to our whole family. We will share your child’s birth story with them as something to be celebrated and treasured. We will make sure they always know how much you love them. We look forward to communicating with you and updating you as much or as little as you are comfortable with us doing.

We promise to provide a safe and supportive home for your child to grow and flourish. Your child will feel unconditional love, not only from us, but from our large network of family and friends. They will always know that they can accomplish anything they set their mind to, and no dream is too big. We will make sure that they feel accepted and supported every day. We will emphasize the values that we were both raised with, especially kindness, honesty and inclusivity.

Our home will be filled with good food, good friends and loving family. Food has always been a central part of our lives; we even call ourselves food soulmates. We enjoy cooking together, trying new cuisines and recipes, and sharing meals with our loved ones. When we cannot decide what to order off a menu, we usually share one of everything. One of our favorite weekend activities is inviting people to our house and making a large taco spread together. We try to eat dinner together every night and we say a quick word of thanks before every meal. Our holiday traditions center around making recipes that we made with our parents and grandparents when we were young. We cannot wait for your child to grow up making these same recipes with all their cousins.

We love to travel and cannot wait to take your child all over the world, experiencing different cultures. Some of our favorite vacation activities together have included playing in the sun at the beach in Miami, hiking the redwood forest in California, and dancing at our dear friends’ wedding in Cartagena, Columbia. We both played many sports in high school and college, and we can see ourselves coaching sports teams and definitely being at every game cheering and encouraging whatever activities your child is interested in joining. We have two basketball hoops and a swimming pool in our backyard and an area that is perfect for a swing set.

We have so much love to give your child. We know life is filled with ups and downs. We are prepared to celebrate the highs and make sure your child feels loved and supported during the lows. We have been dreaming of being a parenting team for a long time. We have gone through eight rounds of IVF and years of heartbreak while trying to conceive. We cannot wait to give everything we have in our hearts to your child.

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Why We're Choosing to Adopt

We have both always wanted children and large families of our own. We both had such wonderful childhoods and experiences growing up and want to share them with each other and provide the same for children of our own.

Several years ago, as our dating relationship progressed, we started having conversations about getting married and having children together. We would have long talks about how we would raise them, what we loved about our own childhoods and how we could emulate the wonderful parents we each have. One day we decided, it’s official, we were going to get married and have children together!

Our own fertility journey has been a real emotional roller coaster and there have been many difficult moments. We have had our share of tears and heartbreak as we have tried IVF with no success. The pain of our struggles has been challenging, but it has not only made us stronger as a couple, it has solidified how vital being parents is to us. We want nothing more than to have a family of our own and the possibility of adoption is a true blessing for us. Just thinking about adopting a child has brought sunshine into our lives and conversations.

We have so much love to give and adoption is a wonderful and special path for us to share that love with the family we have always wanted.

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About Jessica, by Kevin

I want to take a few moments and tell you about my best friend, my food soulmate, and the love of my life, Jessica.

Jessica’s smile brightens the life of anyone who sees it. She is compassionate, honest, loving, selfless, and the funniest, and most caring person I have ever known, and she has dedicated her entire life to helping others.

When she was 5 years old, she was adamant she wanted to be a doctor just like her grandfather. She is the only person I have ever met who followed their childhood dreams and never let go. Jessica has been instilled with an indescribable drive and dedication that has pushed her through the many challenges over the years towards obtaining her goals. Noble character traits and values ingrained deep within her soul make her a natural leader. She has a passion for helping people and a natural gift of inspiring others to join with her to do so. There is not a person I have ever met… a patient, a boss, a work colleague, a friend or a family member that has not pulled me aside and told me how Jessica, by her actions and deeds, has inspired them to be a better version of themselves, and how she has changed their lives for the better.

These endearing qualities she possesses never cease to amaze me, she always surprises me by how caring, understanding and forgiving a good person can truly be. I could never be prouder of anyone or their actions, I could never dream of a better partner in life, and I could not imagine a better role model for your child.

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About Kevin, by Jessica

Kevin is going to make a wonderful dad. He is understanding, caring, and just the right amount of goofy. He loves to dress up in funny costumes and silly hats. He wears bright colors which fit his cheery personality and when people ask him how he’s doing, his genuine response is “Great!” He gives the very best hugs. Family, both chosen and given, is the most important thing to him and he tells his family and friends he loves them often. He has a huge heart and loves when he can help people succeed and reach their goals. I knew he was special from the first moment we met because he was waiting outside the restaurant for me, even though it was cold outside. He opened the door and took my coat and was genuinely interested in hearing about my family and sharing stories about his. Also, he had great taste in food and ordered all of the best things on the menu.

Kevin loves to cross things off his to-do list. Organization makes him feel relaxed. This works well with my personality, which is the opposite of that. I like to take things as they come and know that they will all work out. We complement each other well in that aspect. We love to say that our differences will make the perfect combination for our children to learn from.

Kevin is the best life teammate. He makes me laugh and brings so much fun to my every day. He has a huge heart and goes out of his way to provide for those around him. I feel very blessed that I get to do life with him and cannot wait for our children to have him as a father. He is going to make a wonderful dad.

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Our Home

Our home is in a wonderful neighborhood right on the border of the downtown city and the suburbs. We love that because we get the best of both worlds that way; we are within walking distance to city life, but we have the benefit of the safety and large backyard of the suburbs. We are located in the most highly desired school district and within walking distance of several parks and bike trails.

Our home is nestled in a cul-de-sac with six other families and is the perfect street for learning to ride a bike and playing with the neighborhood children. There is also a pond in the neighborhood and Kevin is planning to build a huge tire swing for all the neighborhood children. Our yard is spacious with plenty of grass, a basketball court and a safe and well-maintained pool. We are also working on the fire pit for s’mores and hot dog gatherings.

The interior of our home is filled with love and the smell of delicious foods (usually tacos). Our lives revolve around the kitchen and open common spaces that are often filled with family, especially our nieces and nephews having a dance party, coloring or helping us cook. We have separate bedrooms for all the kids and large playrooms for rainy day activities.

We chose this house because it is perfect for the family we want to have and cannot wait to fill it with laughter and love.

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Our Sweet Pup

Our dog, Shea, is the second best cuddler in the entire world. We say second best because Kevin is the very best. Shea loves to take family walks, play fetch in neighborhood pond, and eat peanut butter right out of the jar. Shea’s days are spent chewing her toys until she gets the squeaker out, basking in the sun by our pool, and sleeping in her very cozy bed. She is very loving and protective of her family. She and Kevin spend hours running around the yard and playing with one of her many balls. Shea is a great best friend and she cannot wait to share her love with a new addition to our family. She will be a great big sister.

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Our Family and Friends

Family and friends are the most important things to both of us. We both come from larger, close-knit families. Jessica has two sisters whom she considers her best friends. They both have wonderful children and growing families of their own. We moved across the country to be near them so that our children could grow up close to their cousins. We both have such lovely memories of playing with our cousins and extended family during weekends and holidays growing up and do not want our children to be without that feeling.

Kevin has four siblings who live within driving distance and love to come stay for weekends. They cannot wait to be the fun aunts and uncles to your child.

Our parents, all of whom are still alive, are such nurturing and wonderful people. Jess’ mom is an artist by trade and will definitely be in charge of all the fun art projects and creative activities. She plans the best children’s birthday parties and makes amazing Halloween costumes for everyone. Kevin’s mom loves celebrating and decorating for the holidays. She makes every occasion so special. Both of our dads are already such wonderful grandpas to our nieces and nephews, and they cannot wait to add another grandchild to the fun.

Family is everything to us and we are so excited for the opportunity to give your child everything we have.

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Our Lifestyle

Our lifestyle is one of constant learning and evolving and striving to be the best people we can be each day. We are both very spiritual and enjoy moments of self-reflection and self-growth. We are very community centric and enjoy spending time with our family and friends. We are both very motivated to achieve our dreams. Strong work ethic is a central theme in both of our lives, and we have both reached successful milestones both personally and professionally. Jessica is a successful trauma surgeon and has won many teaching awards for her work with surgeons-in-training and medical students. Kevin has worked his way to a leadership role in his company and is the Director of Supply and Trading, working to make renewable fuel to protect the environment. We believe that all dreams are possible and will instill that belief in your child.

Jess is a very go-with-the-flow type of person. Kevin is more of the planner, and he enjoys taking on and completing projects like setting up an outdoor playhouse for his niece. This mix of personalities is one of our favorite things about our relationship; we complement each other so well and each makes the other person better.

We love having fun every day and enjoying the simple pleasures in life, but also enjoy splurging on travel, food and experiences.

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A Typical 3-Day Weekend

A typical three-day weekend for us involves enjoying life’s simple pleasures and spending quality time together. Jessica will usually wake up early and go for a run. Kevin will spend time in the morning playing with the dog and crossing a few things off his to-do list. We make a nice breakfast together and usually head to a farmers’ market to buy ingredients to cook a great dinner. We like to try new cuisines and recipes. Often, we will invite friends and family to enjoy the meal with us. We will probably play some board games, Taboo is our favorite, or have a dance party with our nieces and nephews.

We love being outside and playing almost any sport together, so usually tennis, basketball or a long walk are involved in our three-day weekends. We love exploring and new adventures, and we’re excited to share our passions with our future children and help them to cultivate their own.

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Racial and Cultural Diversity

Your child will grow up in a house where diversity is celebrated. We will emphasize inclusivity and acceptance of differences. We have a very diverse group of friends and plan to turn to them for support and guidance as we raise your child. We are constantly reading and educating ourselves in order to better understand the beautiful differences that make all cultures and races unique and special. Jessica is an integral member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force at her job, and spends a great deal of time making sure inclusivity is practiced. We both participate in activities that celebrate diversity.

Our relationship is built on accepting and learning about each other’s religions and customs. Our Christmas tree is decorated in blue and white and has menorah ornaments as a blending of our religions. This year we had our families come to our house for a Christmas Eve dinner and we also lit the candles on the menorah together that same evening.

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Our Faith

Faith plays a large part in our lives. Not necessarily a specific religion, but a genuine belief that there is something out there that is greater than us as individuals. Kevin was raised Catholic and holds strong to the beliefs he was raised with. Jessica was raised with strong Jewish values and traditions. We love learning about each other’s cultures and beliefs and integrating them to create our own unique traditions. We celebrate all the Christian holidays and the Jewish holidays together and with our families. Our families are very supportive of each other’s religions. Our wedding was a perfect blend of both religions as we had a Christian minister and a Jewish Rabbi perform our ceremony. This is a reflection of how we will raise your child. We will raise them to believe in something greater than themselves, be kind to everyone, and respect and appreciate all religious faiths.

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Our Passions and Careers

We have many passions, both professionally and in our day-to-day lives. We are both passionate about family and food. Jessica’s true passion is being a trauma surgeon. She genuinely enjoys jumping out of bed in the morning and heading to work at the hospital. She is enamored with the complexity and beauty of the inner workings of the human body. She is passionate about providing proper health care to all people and loves that she gets to live her dream every day. Kevin has a real passion for cooking and anything Star Wars related. Kevin’s calling is to help people in any way he can. He genuinely loves to provide assistance and comfort to others.

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Education

Education is important to both of us and creating an environment that emphasizes learning and growing is definitely going to be part of our parenting style. We have different strengths when it comes to learning styles and think this will be a great combination to foster your child’s scholastic endeavors. Jessica has always loved school. She enjoys the classroom environment and excelled as a student in high school, college and medical school. She developed great study habits, and still uses them today in her career as a doctor. Kevin is self-taught and worked hard to educate himself as he worked his way to the top of his field as a commodities trader. He reads everything he can so that he understands all aspects of his field. We will provide your child with every opportunity possible to make sure they get the best education possible.

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Family Traditions

Traditions are a big part of our day-to-day and also our celebrations. Starting with the day to day, we eat dinner together every evening and say a prayer of thanks before every meal. This is a tradition that has become very special to us and is a time of reflection and gratitude for all that we have. Now that we have moved closer to family, we are looking forward to starting a Sunday-brunch-with-family tradition.

We also have some wonderful holiday traditions, some that have been passed down from our families and some that we created on our own. Christmas includes Kevin in an elf outfit and stockings filled with small, personalized gifts. Many of the Jewish holidays are marked by cooking a meal with loved ones and using recipes passed on from Jessica’s great-grandmothers. We light the Chanukah menorah every night during the festival of lights and usually hide gifts for each other in silly places. Every Easter we dye eggs with all of Kevin’s family and extended family. Everyone goes to Kevin’s parents’ house for pizza and the fun activity of egg dying followed by card games. Our Halloween traditions include making a spooky meat and cheese board and dressing up to pass out candy.

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Our Promise to You

Our promise to you is that we will love your child unconditionally. We will support them and teach them how to love themselves and others with an open heart and mind. We will make sure they know that they can achieve anything they put their mind to. We will always celebrate you and your love for them and will make sure we honor your bravery. We will raise them in a household built on inclusivity, compassion and acceptance. We will make sure they feel seen, heard and respected. Open communication will be practiced in our home. We will work on ourselves everyday so that we can be the best parents we can be.