Dear Birthparent,
First, we would like to commend you for your bravery through this situation, and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering us as an option to be your baby’s adoptive parents.
We are so excited that our dream of becoming parents will soon be coming true. Both coming from tight-knit families, we can’t wait to be able to share all the love we have in our household. And you will be a part of this- Our child will grow up knowing how your unconditional love, selflessness and courage has made us a family.
Why we are adopting:
● We have always wanted to show a new soul the love and opportunities the world has to offer, as parents.
● We've always talked about our desire to adopt.
● We prefer the adoption journey over the infertility journey.
About Tom and Amy:
Tom and Amy are teachers who live and work at the same school in small-town New England. Tom is a Math teacher, and Amy is an Art teacher with a background also in Science.
They met at a brewery in 2018. As conversation flowed, they truly felt like they had known each other for years. They decided to go out for dinner right then and there! From that point on, Amy and Tom spent nearly every day together doing everything from helping each other with home repairs, to exploring the outdoors, to spending time with each others' family and friends. When introducing one another to their loved ones, it wasn't uncommon for someone to say "You're the male/female version of Amy/Tom!"
On any given day, you could find Tom and Amy playing board games with their friends, trying out a new restaurant, spending time out in nature, or just hanging at home painting and watching Netflix.
Amy and Tom got married in the Fall of 2020 at their family cabin by the water. Though it was a modest ceremony with just immediate family (still 20 people!), there was no lack of excitement and celebration amongst the family!
Amy’s Background:
A phrase that was always repeated in Amy's home growing up was "We may not have much money, but we are rich in love." This sentiment of love has rang true throughout Amy's life with her family.
The family of 6 lived together in a small trailer where she spent much of her time exploring the woods with her siblings, helping her mom with daycare kids, or painting on scraps of wood in her dad's workshop.
After high school Amy went to college where she explored her many interests ranging from art to science. She took some time off from her Junior year to donate a lobe of her liver to her baby niece who needed a transplant. Her now healthy teenage niece likes to joke that her liver is well over 21 (while sipping her soda).
Amy and her family are very close, and regularly gather at her parents home in Maine. They are all so excited to have a new baby in their family, and are very supportive of the life long adoption process.
Tom’s Background:
Tom had an idyllic New England childhood spending summers at the beach, exploring the forests and mountains, and eventually working his way to becoming an Eagle Scout!
Tom's parents made it a point to provide him with as many opportunities as possible to explore and learn about the world around him. Because of this, Tom highly values having a sense of adventure and being a life-long learner.
Tom looks forward to sharing this passion for life and learning with his future children.
Tom’s family gets together frequently in the summer at their island house. They spend time working to maintain the property, and have fun with each other. The evenings almost always end around a fire enjoying each other's company or inside laughing around the table playing board games. His parents have always wanted a grandchild and are excited to help Tom and Amy on their adoption journey.
Amy through Tom’s Eyes:
Amy brings happiness and joy into my life every day. She shows me each day how much she cares about me. She seeks adventure and wants to explore the world with me and our future children. She brings laughter into all of our conversations and always knows how to lift others up.
Amy has 3 siblings, and they all have children. When we get together, it is a big family gathering. Amy always steals the attention of her nieces and nephews, they're so excited when Auntie Amy comes to visit. Watching her play, laugh, and cause mischief with them is mesmerizing.
She inspires me to find new things to explore, ranging from forests and lakes to cities and cuisines. When we were in the doldrums of winter, Amy took us to get cross country skis so we could explore the woods nearby. She is always looking for a way to stay close to nature in an active way. She's the type of person who will put endless effort into finding special ways to spend time with the people she loves.
Tom through Amy’s Eyes:
Tom is such a lighthearted, generous, helpful and open minded person. He is quick to put a smile on my face, even when it’s a reluctant chuckle he gets out of me after one of his dad jokes. He is a careful listener, and always responds with thoughtfulness when having an important conversation. His sense of adventure drew me in with his awe of the world and nature, but it was his mischievous sense of humor and ability to make people feel loved and seen through his pranks that kept me around (and on my toes). In our neighborhood, everyone knows that if your passenger side windshield wiper is flipped up, Tom was nearby and wanted to say hi. In our family, if one of your photos is left upside down after a family gathering, Tom wants you to know he loves you.
Every time we get together with my family or with friends who have children, I'm reminded of just how ready Tom is to be a dad. He has an enviable ability to interact with kids that somehow both enhances their imagination, while also empowering them to take charge of their own learning, understanding and curiosity of the world around them. He has so much love and patience, and I can't wait for him to have the opportunity to share that with a child in our own home.
Our Homelife:
We live in a neighborhood of about 15 families with a wide range of kids. On an average day, we'll see neighbors out riding bikes, swimming in the lake, or sledding down the hill, depending on the weather. We live in a wonderful community who are quick to support each other, or pop by with a treat to share.
Though our town is small with less than 10k permanent residents, we benefit from a global perspective with students coming from around the world to attend our school. Christmas and Easter are big holidays for us, but we also celebrate holidays such as Eid, the Lunar New Year, and Rosh Hashanah alongside our students who live here for the school year.
We also enjoy all that our small but busy town has to offer. We live within walking distance of 3 schools, the town library, a theater, 4 grocery stores, a farmers market, and many restaurants and shops. Also in the town is more than 5 playgrounds, and 3 trail systems with plenty of space to play and explore.
Christmas is our biggest celebration of the year! We spend the two days before Christmas with Tom's family. Christmas Eve we have a special meal at home and get to open one gift before going to bed. We spend the morning at home eating frittatas and monkey bread, before heading to Amy's brother's house where her siblings and parents gather with their families to exchange gifts. The night ends with all the extended family gathering at Amy's grandmother's house to have Christmas dinner, eat pie, and play games. We are excited to add more traditions as our family grows through adoption.
We Promise…
...to raise your child with the love, patience, and unconditional support that our parents showed us
....to instill the values of integrity, curiosity and perseverance in your child
....to provide opportunities to your child that will enhance their understanding of the world and help them become the best version of themself
....to make your child laugh, find ways to have fun, and help them find the light through hard days
....to support you and treat you with respect always
....to offer to keep you in the loop throughout your baby's childhood.
...to consider and respect your requests in forming an adoption plan.
...to speak about you with your child with utmost respect, grace, and gratitude.
Thank you
We have always dreamed of being parents and having children to raise in our home. We thank you, again, from the bottom of our hearts for your selflessness and bravery in starting this journey for your baby. We appreciate the time you have given us by reading this letter we have written to you.
With compassion and gratitude,
Amy & Tom