Nick and Meredith

>

<

From Us to You

We are thrilled to share a little peek into our world and give you an idea of what you can expect for your child! We have a deep love for each other and the life we have built, and we can’t wait for a child to join us on this journey. We met in college, but our relationship started during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Nick had just moved back to Florida after traveling the country for a year, and Meredith was in her first year teaching Elementary Art. It all started with a date to the dog park, where we spent hours talking on a bench, and playing with puppy Nora. About 2 weeks later, we knew we found the one! It was a quick 8 months before we were engaged, and then one year later we were married. We are both educators, and big kids ourselves, so to no surprise, we both knew that we wanted a big family. We struggled with infertility and tried to have a baby for 4 years naturally and through IVF but always knew in the back of our minds that adoption was another way to grow our family. The journey to becoming parents has made us resilient. Through all the struggles, we have grown closer in our love for each other and we trust God’s plan for us. We know that adoption is part of that plan! Adoption has been a part of Nick’s life for over 20 years, as he has three adopted siblings, all through different types of adoption. Thanks to Nick’s parents, we have positive role models who have shown us how important it is to share a birth parent’s love with their child. We know how much love goes into each and every decision that you make in the process, and we promise to share your love with your child forever. We see adoption as an opportunity to multiply the love in your child’s life. If chosen, we hope to support you in your relationship with your child, and we hope for your support in raising them. We are so grateful for the opportunity to give a child the best life possible, and want to reiterate how we will unconditionally love them, and always remind them how brave and courageous their birth parent is!

With love, Meredith and Nick

>

<

Why We Want to Adopt

We are so ready to start a family! We are excited to raise children, whether they are our biological children or not. We feel that adoption is a good option for us to grow our family and have the experience of being parents. Nick has multiple adopted siblings and when we realized conceiving a child would be unlikely for us, we knew that adoption was the next step. We have seen firsthand the benefits of adoption and know that this route is how we will start our family. Even if we continue with IVF, we know we want more than one child, and hope that we will achieve that through adoption.

>

<

Hobbies and Interests

We have been to lots of Florida State Parks and some National Parks. Our goal is to visit them all. We met in college, both studying education, when we were randomly grouped together for a project. We love to have quiet reading time before bed each night. Nick loves music biographies, and Meredith loves historical fiction. We look forward fostering a love of reading with a child! We both love music! We love to see live music any chance we can get and are excited to share our love of music with a child. We’ve been to so many concerts together, we can’t keep track of the number! Meredith loves to create art in her free time. Our guest bedroom doubles as her art studio, where she is able to create endlessly. She is a very neat person, but when it comes to the art studio, you might call her a bit of a hoarder! Nick loves to play disc golf and collect records. He is a great chef and can’t wait to cook a variety of meals for our growing family! We love going to Emo Night at our friend’s brewery, where we both often work events.

>

<

Lifestyle

We find great joy in our weekly routines, which allow us to enjoy our time on the weekends. We are excited at the idea of including a little one in on these routines, as well as creating new routines as a family. We can’t wait for our weekend outings to include a little one, too! In her free-time, Meredith enjoys making art or watching Netflix. Nick enjoys cooking and is the designated chef in our household, he cooks dinner almost every night! Although we both work full time jobs, we look forward to spending as much time as we can at home, before taking advantage of the state-of-the-art daycare facility at the University where Nick works. We know having a baby around will bring lots of changes, but we are excited to start this new chapter of our lives.

Meredith works as an elementary school Art teacher, and loves her job! She is looking forward to teaching her child all about her favorite artists. Since childhood, Meredith knew she wanted to have a career where she could use her creativity and impact children’s lives for the better, making her students feel seen, heard, and loved! Nick is an Academic Advisor and Professor at our local university. In the past, Nick worked as a K-12 teacher, teaching Special Ed and coaching multiple sports.

>

<

Meet Meredith, by Nick

Meredith is going to make the most amazing mom! She has a calm, cool, and collected kindness about her that is infectious. Meredith often seems like the “Queen of the Kids Table,” the way that all of the kids in our lives flock right to her to play or make art. I knew Meredith was the one for me when I saw how quickly she jumped right in with my family, never minding the fact that three of my siblings are adopted, especially considering she met all of them AND my parents on our second date! Meredith wants nothing more than to be a mother and has worked tirelessly for the last four years to prepare herself for that journey, whenever it was meant to start.

>

<

Meet Nick, by Meredith

Nick was made to be a dad! His patience and willingness to serve others is unmatched. When we started dating, he was working in a Special Education classroom, which specialized in working with students with Autism. I immediately saw the qualities of an amazing parent in Nick, and knew I wanted to share my life with him! Nick is fun, funny, considerate, and so kind. He is a true gentleman. I know he will love and care for our child, no matter what. I’m excited to see him share his passions, such as cooking, music, and disc golf, with our future child. Throughout our marriage and our struggles with infertility, Nick has always been a rock for me to lean on. He is positive and always has a solution for any problem. He is a perfect balance of hard working and fun, and is always planning our next adventure. I can’t wait to raise a child by his side!

>

<

We love where we live!

We are so lucky to call the “Sunshine State” our home! We love our small beach town. We are just a few minutes from the Gulf of Mexico and nestled just outside the downtown area of Bonita Springs. It is a growing place, and home to a beautiful community of people who are committed to helping our area keep that “small town” feel, while still having plenty of fun events and things to do. We bought our house in 2019, and expected it to be a starter home. Now that we have lived here for almost 5 years, we cannot imagine living anywhere else! We currently have a guest room/ art studio, and the other room is anxiously awaiting it’s new member of the family! Meredith looks forward to painting a mural in the nursery. We are a bike ride away from all our favorite restaurants and shops, as well as the park, which hosts many fun festivals and events! We love our neighbors and can’t wait to see our future child grow up with the kids in our neighborhood.

>

<

Our Family

Nick’s family are not strangers to adoption. Nick is one of 5 siblings, with 3 adopted. His parents fostered children throughout his teen years, and he often would be the one up at night soothing a baby who couldn’t get to sleep. We know that adoption is right for us because of the unconditional love we feel for them. Nick’s family hosts Sunday dinners and pool parties at their house! When you arrive at Nick’s parent’s house, you never know who will be there, but you know they will be welcomed with open arms and a good selection of chips and dip! Meredith’s parents live about 4 hours away, the perfect distance for a weekend getaway! They have a beautiful home with plenty of guest rooms and swings in the backyard. They love to host their grandchildren and are absolutely thrilled to be grandparents once again! Meredith’s sister and her family, including two daughters (age 2 and 4) live only 6 minutes down the road. They are so excited for a new cousin to play with! Meredith’s brother and his fiancé live about 5 hours away, but visit often and already LOVE their role as Uncle Reece and Aunt Nicole!

>

<

Racial and Cultural Diversity

We consider ourselves blessed to have a “melting pot family” where many racial and cultural groups are represented through both adoption and marriage. We know that your child will have the support of many role models from our family throughout their journey in life. Wherever your child’s path may lead, know that they will have the full support and unconditional love of two parents, as well as a village of friends and family. Based on conversations with Nick’s adopted siblings, we feel prepared to support your child in navigating racial and cultural differences they might face in our world. We will continuously work to listen to their specific needs and understand their culture.

>

<

Our Pets

Meet Nora and Ruby, our two girls who are SO excited to have a little one to give kisses to! Nora is a 7 year-old Dalmatian. She and Nick came into Meredith’s life together as a package deal. Nick likes to say Meredith rescued them both! Two years later, we welcomed sweet Ruby to our little family! She is the gentlest dog and loves everyone. We know Ruby will absolutely love having a baby around to snuggle with!

>

<

Favorite Traditions

In July, we always look forward to the HUGE Fourth of July celebration in our town. The day starts with a parade where, instead of throwing candy from a regular float, everyone has a miles long water fight! Everyone in town brings all of their favorite super soakers and takes to the streets. After that, we head to a family BBQ before walking back downtown for the big party with live music and fireworks. Our favorite holiday traditions are shared with our families here in Florida. For Thanksgiving, we always go to Nick’s parent’s house for a big Thanksgiving lunch, where Meredith has been known to steal the show with her Sweet Potato Souffle. After lunch, the entire family takes to the yard for the annual game of wiffleball. For Christmas, we make the trip to Meredith’s parent’s house, where we are always greeted with our favorite home-cooked meals made by Meredith’s mom. Our time there always includes church on Christmas Eve, trips around town to see all the Christmas lights, Christmas movies with all ten of us on one couch, and LOTS of hot chocolate.

>

<

Our Promises to You

We promise to show your child unconditional love. We promise to cherish every moment with them, no matter what life brings our way. We promise to share their adoption story with them, reminding them of the immense love you have for them, and especially how blessed we feel that you would share that love with us. Having a child will be the biggest blessing of our lives, and we have you to thank for that! Your child will have the biggest fan club. There are so many people in our lives who are already rooting for your baby. They are waiting on the sidelines, ready to cheer us all on! We promise that your baby will feel seen, heard, and most importantly, loved beyond measure!

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know us and checking out our profile! We cannot imagine the weight of this decision for you, but hope we can help you to feel confident about your choice. We feel so ready to raise a child and we admire your bravery for allowing us to have this opportunity. We will devote our lives to loving your child, and making sure your child knows their story and how much love you put into this decision.