- Minnesota -
Dear Mom,
We are Erica and Brian, and we are so grateful you’re taking the time to read our letter and profile. The love and courage it takes to consider this path for your baby humbles us, and whatever you decide, our hearts are with you fully.
Family is everything to us. We have one daughter, Peyton, who is six and already dreams of being a big sister. After years of infertility, we know what a gift a child is, and we have so much love left to give. Peyton is gentle and nurturing by nature – she cares for her stuffed animals like they’re real, makes sure everyone gets a turn, and we know she’d pour that same care into a sibling.
We promise your baby will always know their story – that they were chosen, wanted, and brought into our family through your strength and love. We want to build that story together with you, in whatever way feels right to you.
Brian now works for himself from home after 20 years building his career, which gives our family steady flexibility. We’re fully present, not stretched between jobs and parenting. Erica is an elementary school teacher who has spent her life caring for and educating children and brings that same patience and warmth home every day. We are in a season where our full attention is on family.
We don’t take this decision lightly, and we know it may be one of the hardest things you ever face. If you choose us, we promise your baby will be fiercely loved, given every opportunity to thrive, and raised always knowing the strength of the mother who gave them life.
With much gratitude, love, and hope,
Erica and Brian
Our parenting is rooted in unconditional love and building a deep connection with our children. We believe our most important job is to truly know each child: their personality, their needs, what makes them light up, so we can support them physically, socially, and emotionally. We hold education in high regard, but we also believe every child learns and grows on their own timeline, and we meet them there.
We want our kids to see as much of the world as possible and figure out what resonates with them, so we travel together often and treat every outing as a chance to explore and ask questions. Brian is hands-on: coaching and playing soccer, building things around the house, teaching Peyton to hammer a nail or ride a bike. Erica brings twenty-plus years of teaching experience home with her. She is patient, encouraging, and endlessly tuned in to how Peyton is feeling. When Peyton had a hard morning recently, Brian took her on an “after school ice cream date” just to give her space to talk. That’s who we are as parents: present, patient, and willing to slow down for what matters.
We promise our child will laugh often, be loved without condition, become a kind and responsible human, be provided for generously, and develop their own sense of value, pride, and voice from a young age.
We live in a suburb of Minneapolis, on a quiet cul-de-sac, on just under an acre of land in one of the most picturesque settings we could imagine. We moved here in 2024 after two years of remodeling to make it our forever home, and we genuinely pinch ourselves every morning that we get to live here. Our neighbors are kind and we talk with them daily.
We chose this area in part because the school district is consistently ranked as one of the best in Minnesota and in the country, which mattered to us before Peyton started school. We’re close to several parks, the largest recreational lake and bike trail system in the area, and family favorites like the Minnesota Children’s Museum and Minnesota Zoo (we’re members of both), plus the Mall of America and countless bike trails. Staying active together is a big part of our life: walking, biking, swimming, or working out at our nearby gym. Inside, our basement has become a music room where Brian and Peyton play guitar together, and our driveway is where Peyton is currently mastering her bike riding.
Our home has been ready and waiting for a while now! We finished a full remodel to make this our forever home, and there’s a quiet, sunlit room set aside just for a new baby. Peyton has already claimed a role in getting things read. She’s the kind of big sister who cares for her stuffed animals like they’re real, so we have no doubt she’ll bring that same tenderness to a nursery she gets to help decorate. It’s a peaceful space in a very lived-in, loved-in house, ready for late nights, early mornings, and everything in between.
We have had 3 dogs in the past, Watson, Odie, and Dooley, but are in a season now where we are just focusing on raising our human family!
We met in 2004 at a college church event, where Brian was playing guitar in the band and Erica was running audio-visuals. It was a love at first site moment! We got married in 2009. After years of infertility, we were blessed with Peyton in 2019, and while we’ve continued to face infertility since, we still have so much love left to give.
Both of us grew up close to siblings and know firsthand what that lifelong support system means. It’s a huge part of why we want Peyton to have a sibling of her own. We’re a close-knit extended family too: Erica’s parents have been married over 50 years and live close by, and Brian’s parents and brother’s family live close by as well, so holidays and birthdays are genuinely full. We love to travel together, play music together, and spend our weekends playing pickleball, soccer, golf, swimming, or just walking the neighborhood. Peyton is kind, observant, and endlessly nurturing – she “hosts birthday parties” for her stuffed animals and takes great care to make sure everyone gets a turn. She already understands that every family is unique in how it’s built, and she can’t wait to share her home with a sibling.