Beth and Rob (and Henry)

Dear Expectant Parent

Hello,

We are Beth and Rob. We know that this decision takes much strength and courage, and we admire you for considering this choice. We’ve been happily married for 16 years. Our story began a long time ago, in a galaxy (or rather a college town) far, far away. We met while attending college and fell in love. After graduation, we moved back to Chicagoland and married. We rescued our first cute dog four months later.

For years we were a twosome — just us. We were busy — buying a house, starting our careers, rescuing some adorable dogs – knowing that our long-term dreams meant kids! As Beth had grown up in a family completed through adoption, we always expected that our family plan would include adoption. Then in 2016, our new life began, this time as a threesome. Our dreams came true, and we were chosen to parent our sweet little boy.

My husband Rob:

My husband is a great partner for me; we take care of each other and challenge each other to be better people. By day, he works as a Claims Specialist; by night, Rob enjoys obscure music played by bands no one has ever heard of; playing music on the mandolin, banjo or piano; model railroading; and anything Star Wars. I’m sorry to say that he is also a Green Bay Packers fan. As a daddy, Rob is patient; he teaches Henry something every day. I catch them looking at books together and cuddling while they discuss the finer points of Star Wars movies. They like to fish and have frequent trips to the park after school.

My wife Beth:

My wife is a master caretaker – she loves baking for people and being there to help when things are tough. She enjoys mastering her grandmother’s meatball recipe; all things Harry Potter (she identifies as a Gryffindor); swimming; and eating ice cream every chance she gets. She tries to give back as much as possible to some charitable foundations that are close to our hearts.

While her chosen field of study in college was clinical psychology, her career path led to her a job as a Health Policy Researcher and she currently works from home full-time. As a mommy, Beth is fun. She’s the parent who does not blink an eye when watching the same movie or reading the same book 20 times. When she travels for work, she sends special pics home just for Henry (featuring Hulk). She loves creating family traditions, such as the Vacation Ice Cream Rule, the Easter Egg Hunt, and the Christmas Tree Lighting.

Henry:

Henry is four. In January 2016 we got the call that a birth family had chosen us. Five days later, we met them, and the very next day, a beautiful baby boy arrived. After spending several days with his angel-parents, we officially became parents and it was the happiest day of our lives! Becoming his parents has been the hardest job and our biggest joy!

Since becoming a family, this kid has not stopped moving! Henry is a ball of energy: he’s never met a bouncy-house he didn’t like, and he recently started gymnastics classes. He loves animals (especially giraffes) and temporary tattoos. He is quite fond of blue slushies (and blue frosting, and blue popsicles, and blue…you get the idea)! We’re also working on reading 1000 books before kindergarten, and he’s been known to bust a dance move in a Chipotle, the mall, or a movie theater. He identifies as a Gryffindor (and a Jedi).

Family:

Everything we did as a family of two, we now bring Henry with us. We take train rides into the city, we ride the carousel at the zoo, we do fundraising walks for our favorite charity, we take silly photos together, and we started making family traditions in earnest – a dash of Beth’s childhood traditions plus a pinch of Rob’s childhood traditions plus a little twist to make our own traditions.

We have great role models in our families: Rob’s family includes his mom Joyce and his dad Gary, who’ve been married for 50 years in; his sister Diane and her husband Vic (celebrating 17 years of marriage); and their children Chauncey and VJ.

Beth’s family includes her mom Barb and her dad Jim (married 46 years); her brother Joe and his daughter Alexandra (6); her sister Stephanie; and her brother Matt, his wife Krissi and their son Vincent (4). Our families whole-heartedly support our pursuit of adoption and are looking forward to hearing about another special delivery!

Home and Community:

We cannot forget the other two members of our family: Max and Major. Max joined our family in 2012 and enjoys snuggles. He was part of the welcome committee when Henry came home, and immediately gave him a sniff of approval. Major joined our family in 2018 and loves kisses and running in the yard. He and Henry are growing up together, and he has chosen Henry as “his boy.”

We live in our dream house, in our dream neighborhood in a charming village south of Chicago. We decided to see if we could make one more dream come true, and we started the process of seeing if we could become a family of four (plus two adorable puppies!)

We live in a family-focused neighborhood with great schools. Beth’s family and Rob’s sister and brother-in-law live nearby, while Rob’s parents live in Kentucky and visit frequently. Our friends (who are like family) support us and love on our Henry like he was their own.

Open Hearts:

We approach adoption with an open heart. As a family who has experienced adoption as a sibling (Beth) and now as parents, we are advocates for open adoption and for maintaining a relationship. We are comfortable with a number of ways to make that happen, but we know it is important for a child, for their parents, and for us.

Our entire family is hoping and wishing. Henry practices for a new baby by rocking his stuffed animals and singing lullabies to them. He’s unabashedly hoping for a brother, while his parents are just grateful to be pursuing this dream of adoption again. We look forward to the time when all of the things that our family of three love doing — fishing, zoo trips, playing at the park – are done by a family of four. Our hearts are ready!

If you want to know more about us, please email us at [email protected]. You can also contact our adoption counselor at: 800-869-1005, or linda@centerforfamily.com

Thank you for considering our family. We wish you love and many blessings.

Beth, Rob and Henry