- Oregon -
Beginnings are always hard. Deciding how to introduce ourselves to you has been one of the more difficult things we’ve done as a family. What is the right thing to say? Will we make the right impression? One thing we know for sure: we will love and cherish this precious child unconditionally, and give them every opportunity that you are dreaming for them, and more. It is our promise to you.
As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a mom. When I was a teenager, I found out I was pregnant (unexpectedly), and my daughter was born — it wasn’t easy as a single mom, and I didn’t have the resources I have today. My intention was always to enrich both our lives and be able to have another child... someday, when my life and financial situation would allow. For all these years, I’ve carried a space in my heart for another little one. It took a lot longer than I had planned, but life just works out that way sometimes. With a lot of time, trial-and-error, and sheer luck, I was able to get on my feet, go to school and get two degrees (one in music and one in psychology), become financially independent, travel the world, and meet my amazing husband. Our life today is better than anything I ever imagined! As a mom, I will share my passions for making music and understanding the human condition, and encourage creativity, authenticity and honesty within my family. Because I’m a stay-at-home, real estate Investor, I am so grateful and honored to be in a position to make a beautiful, family-oriented life — one full of laughter, excitement, and comfort. I can’t wait to welcome a child into our home and show them this big, vibrant world.
My childhood was wonderful, with very engaged and supportive parents. I was encouraged to be creative and curious, to try, to fail, to succeed, to be my own self—and I knew that my family always had my back. I want to provide that for your baby too. I can’t wait to get excited with them as they discover their interests and we explore new ones together. I’m eager to see the joy in their eyes at their accomplishments, and be supportive of them through disappointments. I look forward to holding them close as they sleep on my chest, feeding them, bathing them, changing diapers. I look forward to family dinners, story-time, picnics, day trips to the coast and exploring the world, near and far. I am a software engineer by day, and a dog-cuddling, dad jokester by night (Dee Dee is rolling her eyes as I write this). Family time is important to me. Whether I’m hiking, doing yoga at the gym, cooking a meal, or watching awful reality TV, I can’t imagine doing these things without the people I love. At night, when I’m nuzzling my dogs, calling them by all 27 of their nicknames and putting them in their cozy bed, I imagine climbing the stairs with a sleepy child in my arms, who knows they are the center of my universe.
Hello,
Thank you for getting to know us a bit. We hope this letter gives you comfort and hope, knowing that we have a warm, loving home and diverse community waiting to give your baby the most limitless and supportive future possible. You can get to know us even better on our site
A special note for you: Our family values acceptance and understanding above all else. We have such an amazing and wide circle of friends and family, who would love and mentor your baby throughout their life. In addition to growing a diverse community around your baby, we would love to be able to visit with you and your extended family periodically. If this is not your wish, we understand that, and will still hold you in our hearts throughout this child’s life, and ensure that their origins are ever-present in their education and experience. We are completely ready to bring your baby into our lives and shower them with immediate love and nurturing. Our nursery is stocked and waiting! We hope this message helps you breathe easier and find some peace in your heart.
More about our family: We are fortunate to be a dual-income family, while Dee Dee’s investment business will allow her to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom. Cristian is a software engineer with a home office that allows him to be in the home as much as he needs to be. His job is extremely flexible and he plans to be very active alongside Dee Dee in being hands-on with a child. Our animals are members of our family as well, and we are excited to share them with a little one (we believe every kid should have a pet!) We also have a sweet cat who mostly keeps to herself, but sometimes sneaks into our laps for a cuddle.
In addition to ourselves, our family includes Dee Dee’s amazing, grown daughter who was born when Dee Dee was a teen. Being a young, single mom was an incredible challenge, and Dee Dee only wanted to have additional children in a stable, two-parent home. However, that dream has taken much longer than she expected.
We have no children as a couple, and it is a foundational wish for our marriage that we both be parents together. We have struggled through infertility for years, and suffered 4 devastating miscarriages during that long process. After careful consideration, we’ve committed to growing our family through adoption, and each day we pray that we are united with the child we are meant to create a family with. Our ultimate wish is to be able to eventually bring two new children into our family so that they can grow up together and form a beautiful sibling bond. But if that is not possible, we will cherish your precious gift beyond measure.
We were raised within the Christian faith, consider ourselves to be spiritual, but are open to, and encourage, exploration of a faith that speaks to a person. God meets us where we are, and as long as love and understanding are at the heart of it, we will not dissuade a child from a philosophy they feel called to. In our family, we will promote acceptance of religious and cultural differences.
We live in Oregon, we love to travel and we do it often! We visit the coast multiple times a year and take trips to see extended family during the holidays. We travel internationally about once per year. It is important for our family to experience and learn about different cultures, languages and people all over the world. We love traveling as a way to reinforce (or change!) what we’ve learned about in history class. Our vision for a child is to immerse them in the places where historical events happened, so they can gain a better understanding than books alone can teach.
We plan to enroll our child(ren) in the amazing public school system in our community, unless there is a situation where a private education is in the better interest of the child. We are both highly educated and will ensure our child has the same opportunities to go to college and pursue every one of their dreams. Participating in music lessons, sports organizations, and learning a second (or third) language are all things we will encourage as well. We know that learning and creativity are enhanced when multiple parts of the brain are active!
Our extended family and circle of friends are diverse and welcoming – excited for new members to join our family. We have a strong support network, and we utilize therapeutic resources in our community without hesitation, as we believe that every person is better off feeling nurtured and safe to explore and build their own self-identity through working with professionals when they need to. Dee Dee has over 20 years of experience and education working with people in recovery communities and understands the complexities that arise in relationships where substance use is a factor. We have the utmost compassion for those who struggle with addiction and we don’t pass judgment on their life circumstances.
Our family vibe is honest, open and goofy. We are always cracking jokes, laughing and finding joy in our everyday experiences. Our sense of humor is what makes our relationships strong, and helps us get through the harder times.
And finally, flexibility is one of the things that keeps us working together as a family. We know that people change, situations change, relationships change. We hope that you will want to be a part of our extended family, but we understand if that doesn’t feel right to you. We will be flexible around that :)
Again, thank you for your time and for getting to know us more. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions for us. Sending so much love to you and your loved ones!
– Dee Dee and Cristian
Curiosity is the keyword in our family! We are big on education and learning, and we’ll take every chance to broaden our horizons and try new things. It’s okay if you don’t get it right! We’ll be here to help our kids learn from mistakes and missteps, build their self-confidence, and try again. We are a very open-minded and close-knit family – we share a lot about our feelings and fears, and what we want out of life. Our kids will know they can come to us with anything – without judgement, and with unconditional love, we will help them build character and integrity so they can trust their own decisions. We will set clear expectations of what we want and need as a family, and teach our child(ren) how to navigate being respectful and thoughtful in their relationships with others.
Our home is a spacious 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom two-story house in a beautiful neighborhood, just a couple minutes from forest/walking trails to the south, shopping and restaurants to the north and family-friendly community all around. The backyard has two large decks with a generous grassy area for kids and animals to run around! Our community is diverse with families of many backgrounds and our neighbors are accepting and warm – always watching out for each other. lol
Spring: During spring, the flowers and colors of Oregon really like to show off. We plant bulbs in the early season and watch them bloom well into September. The cherry blossoms and our dogwood tree are some of our favorite parts of springtime. Oregon hosts a yearly tulip festival that we love to attend, with train rides and carnival games for kids.
Summer: In the summer, you can find us hanging out with the dogs on our backyard swing, firing up the BBQ, and relaxing in the hot tub (with childproof locks on the cover, of course!). We are also members of a really family friendly fitness club which has an amazing pool with a slide. The place is packed with families and kiddos all summer, and we can’t wait to bring a little one along to make some new friends.
Fall: During the holidays, we love decorating and celebrating the different seasons. Fall is amazing in the Pacific Northwest, with gorgeous leaves falling in our backyard. We get really excited to carve pumpkins, and visit the corn maze. It’s also the height of baseball season, when Dee Dee is always hoping to see her favorite SF Giants in the World Series. Thanksgiving is waaaaay too much food, lots of laughter and gratitude (just how we like it).
Winter: In December we light up the house inside and out! This is our favorite time to watch all the holiday movies, drink lots of hot chocolate and make gingerbread houses together. This Is the time when we make a fire on the really cold nights and get cozy with the dogs on the couch. Family movie nights and game nights are a big thing In the cold months.
Learn more about our city here :)
You can see them in action here :)
We think every kid should grow up with an animal companion! Our childhoods were filled with memories of our first pets and we want your baby to have that opportunity as well.
Our family enjoys music (Dee Dee is a musician and former vocal teacher), dancing, sports (both spectating and participating), outdoor activities, intellectual pursuits, cooking and fitness. We are happily married, financially secure, loving, silly, and adventurous.
One of the best ways we could think to demonstrate our dedication to raising an amazing child is to tell you about the (adult) child who is already a part of our family. Dee Dee’s daughter, Zoe, is a talented, empathetic, hilarious young woman, who has enriched both of our lives by just being herself. Zoe currently lives in Chicago where she is advancing her career, but she makes frequent trips home for holidays and just hanging out. She recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a major in advertising and has a passion for product design. We have all the confidence that her future will be limitless!
Thank you for spending your time getting to know us. We are excited to meet you and to answer any questions you may have. We hope this is a new beginning for all of us – the beginning of a lifetime journey that makes a child the center of our world, that grows a family by more than one, that brings you comfort and sets you on a path to your own brighter future. We will always hold you in our thoughts and hearts. And we will never take for granted the life-changing gift you have brought into our lives through your own strength and sacrifice. This beginning might be a hard one, but together we will face it, as it transforms us all into a uniquely beautiful family around this child.
Our Dream for You and Your Baby:
Our greatest hope is to create a family of healthy, loving relationships, and this includes you.
As you know, families are all different — some are chosen. If you choose to place your child in our home, we will honor their uniqueness and welcome the special relationships they will have with their birth family. Our goal to create a bond with you through this journey, making sure your gift and sacrifice will benefit your baby, but we want it to benefit you as well.
We want you to achieve your dreams, big and small. We know first hand that life is full of unexpected challenges. But we hope you feel reassured that we will be here, providing for and protecting your baby. They will be thriving in love and encouragement, so that you can focus on yourself. You deserve to be safe and confident in your choice as you work toward your own goals.
Of course, relationships all change over time, and we are committed to being flexible and compassionate throughout our journey as a family. We hope to be able to share updates with you – pictures, phone calls, even visits in person. But if your heart leads you to a different space, we will respect that, keeping the door open for you if you do want to walk through it again.
Though we have no children in our home currently, we would love to have a second child join our family when the time is right. Having a sibling to grow up with is such a gift, and we’d love to be able to give your baby the lifelong companion and best friend they deserve. As parents, we will teach our children to be honest, confident, thoughtful and warmhearted. We dream that this child will love themselves, trust that they can come to us first when they need help, and share their talents and gifts in ways that feed their spirit. We will give them the skills to make loving friendships, to help others in need, and to enjoy the beauty in their life. And throughout all this, we will honor their origins, their birth family, and the bonds of love between you and your baby that will last forever.
