Shauna and Craig

Hello Expectant Mother,

We are Shauna and Craig, both in our mid-thirties, and although we have never met, we think you are wonderful! We look forward to getting to know you, and hope that this letter gives you an idea of who we are and the parents that we hope to be. We can only imagine what this time is like for you, and we thank you for taking the time to consider us. We hope to have the opportunity to learn more about one another in the future.

OUR STORY

We both grew up in Illinois, living just 20 minutes from one another. However, we never met until our senior year of college when we both ended up sitting next to one another in a freshman philosophy class. We dated for five years and got married in 2010.

As a couple, we love traveling just as much as we enjoy a cozy night at home. We are the fun and goofy ones in our family. We are always cracking jokes and love making people laugh. We both work from home and love that our jobs are flexible with a great work/life balance. No matter where we are or what we are doing, we make life fun!

OUR FAMILY

Our child will always know their adoption story and the love you have for them. What’s unique about our family is that Shauna’s brother and spouse adopted a baby girl. Our child will have someone close-by that has that shared experience, and that’s a wonderful thing. We both come from large families and we are blessed to have our families close by.

Craig has a big Italian and Polish family that is of the Catholic faith. Craig has two brothers who are all married and each of them have kids under the age of five. Craig’s parents LOVE spending time with their grandbabies and they live just ten minutes from our home. Craig has seven cousins, two of whom live in the same town as us.

Shauna has a big Irish and Polish family that are Roman Catholics. The majority of Shauna’s aunts, uncles, grandparents, and 11 cousins live nearby. Shauna’s brother and parents live 30 minutes away and are excited to welcome our little one into the family.

ABOUT SHAUNA

I am a public relations executive for a global humanitarian organization. In my role, I work with the media, plan special events, and share stories of inspiration with the world. I am blessed to be the (fairy) godmother for two of my nieces. I love to bring a little sparkle and whimsy into the lives of all four of my nieces.

Music is always playing at our house. Regardless if I’m making dinner, cleaning, or doing things around the house, I’m always singing along to my favorite songs. I also enjoy doing a variety of arts and crafts or pretty much anything that allows me to express my creativity. I’m looking forward to helping our future children with their school projects.

I enjoy hosting fun, themed parties as well as spending cozy nights in and reading. In our home, I had a library built, complete with a section filled with all my favorite children’s books. My favorite children’s books are The Very Hungry Caterpillar and James and the Giant Peach. I look forward to reading bedtime stories and giving the gift of reading to our children.

ABOUT CRAIG

I grew up in Carol Stream, IL and I am the middle child of three boys. Every summer, my family would take all of us on road trips to explore the U.S. These were some of my fondest memories that I hope I can continue with my own family. I was an active kid and was always busy with sports, playing outside with friends or participating in Cub Scout activities. It was always important to my parents as well as myself that I was involved in a lot of different things so I could discover what interested me.

Family is still very important to me to this day. Some of my best friends are my brothers and cousins. My parents have Shauna and I over for dinner nearly every month. With a large family, it seems like there is a gathering almost every weekend for a birthday, graduation, or holiday. I love it this way and hope to instill the importance of family into my children’s lives.

OUR HOME AND COMMUNITY

We live in a family-friendly suburb about 35 minutes northwest of Chicago. Our four-bedroom home sits on a quiet cul-de-sac, where our neighbors’ kids ride bikes and scooters. There are parks, baseball diamonds, and walking trails all within walking distance from our house. A short bike ride away is our cute downtown that has fun restaurants, parks, and shopping.

Our neighborhood is very diverse, which is one of the things we love about our home and community. We love learning about cultures and traditions that are different from our own and think it’s important for our children to respect and celebrate what makes us all unique. We have three awesome dogs who are all great with kids and a fenced-in yard for everyone to play in.

OUR PARENTING PHILOSOPHY AND PROMISE TO YOU

When it comes to parenting style, we believe that fun and education go hand-in-hand. We want to inspire any future children to explore their world, be creative, be silly, and always learn new things. We will parent with a warm and nurturing perspective that focuses on the child’s physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.

We promise that any child adopted by us will grow up surrounded by unconditional love and a ton of laughter. Our child will know the love you have for them and that you chose adoption because you loved them so much. We promise to always treat our child as a gift and will honor and cherish that gift more than anything in the entire world.

We welcome you to contact us at [email protected]. You can also contact our adoption counselor, Linda Fiore by texting (773-919-5702), calling (773-919-5702), or e-mail ([email protected]).

In kindness,
Craig & Shauna