Katie and Matt
Dear Expectant Mother,
We think you’re amazing and want to welcome you into our hearts and home. Here, promises are kept, love is unconditional, laughter and affection are abundant. We have a large extended family and group of friends and want very much to welcome a baby son or daughter.
info@centerforfamily.com
800-869-1005
Katie
profile1I grew up on a horse farm in northeast Ohio. Much of my family is still there, and we visit as often as we can. Camping there every August is a highlight of our summer. I have a pretty big family. I am the oldest of eight children and have lots of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. On Thanksgiving we all gather at the farm.
Before Liam was born, I was a preschool teacher. Since that time I have been a stay-at-home mom, and there’s nothing I’d rather be doing. Taking care of my family is the best job there is. Volunteering at Liam’s school is important to me as well as rewarding. I help in the classroom and with assorted projects a few days per week.
I tend to be quiet and shy around new people. I’m an optimist. I love animals, movies, reading, horseback riding, and renaissance fairs. I bake a lot (my lemon cookies are legendary) and have a mostly useless talent for recognizing celebrities and the movies they have appeared in!
Matt is a wonderful father, always generous with his time and affection. He is patient and adventurous, constantly encouraging Liam to ask questions and learn about the world. He adores spending time with our family and has the best sense of humor. He makes me laugh every day. Together we cannot wait to share our lives with another child.
Matt
I was born and raised in the Chicago area also in a large family. Nearly everybody is located nearby. The one notable exception is my younger brother and his wife in Denver, but that’s okay. They visit frequently, and we love to go there every summer to visit. Mountains, wild goats, treasure hunts, and ghost towns never get old.
profile2I am a pilot for a commercial airline where I fly airplanes, instruct fellow pilots, and work on various projects. I enjoy just about everything about it. I’m not home every single night, but when I am home it’s for longer periods of time than most dads. When I’m gone on a trip, I talk with Katie and Liam every night.
I like to read, workout, and do house projects. I like to play music and sing. Karaoke is lots of fun, and so is coaching baseball for kids. I’ve always had an appreciation for the quirky, silly, spontaneous things in life. I smile a lot and approach life with lightness, playfulness, and a sense of calm.
Katie is patient, nurturing, and funny and seems to know naturally how to be the wonderful mother she is. She makes it look easy. I’ve been imagining each of us, Katie, Liam, and myself, individually and as a family with a new baby for quite a while, now. Nothing seems or feels more right.
Liam
profile3Our son is an absolute delight. He is eight-years old and will be entering fourth grade in the fall. He’s great at his multiplication and division tables, but he’s going to keep practicing this summer and read quite a bit, too. He is sensitive, silly, and smart. Also fair and kind, he quickly makes new friends. He is naturally social and easily interacts with adults.
He likes Legos, dinosaurs, video games, bike rides, and playing with neighborhood friends. He plays baseball every spring and wants to start karate and guitar lessons. He’s artistic and participates in a science fair every spring and fall. Liam is also very excited about becoming a big brother. For him, it can’t happen soon enough!
Home
We live in an old Victorian house in a culturally and ethnically diverse neighborhood. It is a very comfortable and safe place. Liam’s school is fantastic. Our walls are bright, fun colors. Liam’s bedroom ceiling is painted with stars and a crescent moon. We have a pet bunny, Lola. Our two cats, Milo and Elliot, are best buddies and remarkably social with people. We often joke that they are more like dogs. There is a space in our home and hearts just waiting for the addition of another child.
We both cook a lot, and we always eat together as a family. We value our people time. Our family activities include board games, camping, and an outdoor treasure hunt game called geocaching. We take family bike rides and visit forest preserves. Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, and we go to a themed costume party with our friends every year. Matt’s job offers opportunities to travel and see more of the world, but car trips and train rides around Chicago are fun, too.
Parenting
profile4We are patient, organized, and joyful people, and we believe in the importance of perspective. When Liam asks a question, we answer. When he has a problem, we talk things out. No concern is too big or too small, and nothing is taboo.
While practical about important things, we tend to be silly, too. Laughter, spontaneous dancing and singing, and play are everyday events in our home. Our eyes are always open for opportunities to learn or see something new. We take time for little, simple things and often find the greatest adventures and memories because of it.
We stopped once to get a better look at a boy walking his pet pig. We stop for kids’ lemonade stands. We watch chefs prepare food. We take a close look at the unusual things in the seafood cases at grocery stores. All the world is an adventure to a child, and it’s a wonderful thing for a parent to share in that adventure too. We can’t wait to share our lives with a new son or daughter.
Family, Friends, and Openness
We see family and friends as much as possible. We celebrate birthdays and holidays, but more often we get together just for the sake of being together. We would love to have an open adoption with you, but we also know not everyone wants this. We will work with you and develop a relationship in which everyone is pleased and all of our needs are met.
profile5We hope that our relationship with you will grow. Whatever you decide, you can be assured that we will always be open and honest with your child about the adoption. Your child will grow up knowing that you placed him or her with us to parent because of your most wonderful love as a mother.
If we sound like a family you would like to know better, a family where your child will grow up safe, strong, and loved, please contact our adoption counselor, Maggie Benz, at:
info@centerforfamily.com or 800-869-1005 or text her at 847-366-6343.
We would love to talk with you about adoption, answer any questions you might have, and meet in person.
