To a Very Special Person

ello, our names are Katie and Matt, and we’d like to thank you for reading about us. We can’t imagine this is easy for you and we admire the strength it must take to make an adoption plan for your baby. Hopefully we can help you if you decide to grant us the gift of your child. Having children has always been a dream of ours, but we’ve discovered that we’re not able to have our own. Adoption feels like the right way for us to fulfill our dream of sharing our home and our lives with a child.

e met on a blind date 13 years ago, and we’ve been happily married for 6 years (and they say blind dates never work!). A wonderful friend of Matt’s who works with Katie set us up. On our first date we went out to eat, and we ended up talking until late into the night. We found we had lots in common, and were delighted that we never got tired of one another! Our relationship is built on honesty and openness to listening to one another. We are great friends, and we believe that good communication is one of the most important parts of a happy marriage. Having a good sense of humor helps, and we like making each other laugh.

atie is very fun and loving. She has a great smile and easygoing manner about her. Matt’s guy friends love her and always tell him how lucky he is, and his mom and siblings agree. Katie gets along with just about anyone and her smart wit always gets a good laugh. She has a very calm demeanor, which speaks volumes about her ability to enjoy the moment.

att is the most positive person Katie knows, always looking at the bright side of things—definitely a “glass half full” kind of guy. He’s generous, kind, and affectionate, as well as smart and motivated. Whether he’s planting trees or trimming the grape vine in the yard, planning a vacation, or rallying the neighbors for a cause, Matt loves taking on projects and getting things done. He’s also the best helper Katie could ask for in the kitchen! She can’t wait to watch Matt teach their child how to do things; he’ll be a great father and a great teacher.

hile she enjoys her work as an editor of a major food magazine, Katie plans to be a stay-at-home mom once we have a child. Her enjoyment of cooking will never go away. Our child is sure to love her macaroni and cheese and chocolate chip cookies (don’t worry—she makes good vegetables, too!). Matt is a commercial real estate broker, and his schedule is pretty flexible, so he’ll be able to spend more time at home with our child than the average dad. We’ll be able to share the feedings, diaper changes, bedtime stories, and lullabies.

ur beautiful two-story 1910 Craftsman style home is in a Southern California historical neighborhood filled with good people, lots of children, good schools, and safe streets. There’s plenty of space with five bedrooms and we’ve already chosen which room will be the nursery. That room is sunny and cozy, and already has a few things in it—a rocking chair we inherited from Matt’s mom, books we loved when we were children, and the mobile that hung in Katie’s crib when she was a baby. Downstairs there’s a living room with a brick fireplace, a large dining room (our table seats 12 in a pinch—perfect for the holidays) that looks out onto the front yard through a big picture window. It’s such a great house for raising a family. There’s also a lovely backyard with a swing set and a basketball hoop. We know almost all the neighbors on our block—in fact, our next-door neighbors on both sides have young children. Several times a week the two of us go for a morning walk in the neighborhood and we look forward to the day that we push a stroller along in front of us during those walks.

oth of us grew up in Southern California and were raised Catholic. Katie’s parents moved here from Ireland and were married for 49 years. Her house was always filled with music (mostly Frank Sinatra), and her brother is a musician, so music is still an important part of our family. Katie played piano when she was young and envisions teaching our little one on our piano. Katie’s dad was quite a joker, so there was always lots of laughter. Both of our fathers passed away in the last few years and they are missed very much. Katie’s mom stayed at home with her when she was young, which is one of the main reasons she wants to stay home with our child. She learned so much by spending that time with her mom, and many of her fondest childhood memories are from those early days.

att has three siblings—two brothers and one sister—and their childhoods were filled with lots of games and healthy sibling competition! His older brother, John, took him to movies, took him hiking, and taught him to play basketball. Anita, his older sister, took him on many ski trips—to Utah, New Mexico, and Tahoe. He and his younger brother, Mike, spent hours playing together as kids in a neighborhood with lots of other children. We really want that for our kids. Matt’s father owned a construction company so summers were spent driving forklifts and helping build tunnels, bridges, and overpasses throughout California. Matt’s mom and sister live just 30 minutes away so we see them often. They have been so supportive in our efforts to have a family and they can’t wait to baby sit!

ecause our families are close-by, holidays, birthdays, and many weekends are spent together. Matt’s mom, Anita, and Katie enjoy nothing more than planning the menu for the next family get-together. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are big events in our family! We tend to alternate—one year we’ll do Thanksgiving at our place and Christmas at Anita’s, and the next year, vice versa. Whoever hosts prepares the turkey or the prime rib, then everyone else makes the rest. Matt’s mom is famous for her green beans and Christmas cookies; Katie is famous for her pumpkin and apple pies and sweet potato cake. Gathering around the table, sharing food and conversation with friends is the best.

ravel is another of our biggest passions. Both of us enjoy meeting interesting people and eating the great food in other cities and countries. The two of us have the goal of visiting every state in the U.S., although we’re nowhere near finished, so our son or daughter will get to join us on this journey! The two of us also enjoy the outdoors, especially camping (mostly in Big Sur, California), hiking in the local mountains, walking on the beach, snow skiing, bike riding, swimming, playing tennis, going to Dodger baseball games, and playing golf. We can’t wait to teach our little one how to swing a golf club.

f course, most of the time, we’re not traveling or outdoors—we’re spending time at home, which we really enjoy. Matt can often be found in his chair reading the newspaper, while you’ll find Katie reading mostly fiction and magazines. Both of us like many types of music—jazz, rock, old standards; Katie dabbles on our piano and Matt plucks his bass guitar once in a while. Home life is special for us—cooking, having friends and family over, barbecuing a good tri-tip steak, watching movies (any kind—drama, action, comedy, sci fi), gardening, and playing games. In fact, we have “game night” about once a month with close friends. We play board games like Upwords or Monopoly or go bowling or to a baseball game. One of the things we like best about our house is the front porch, where we sit every evening, catch up on each other’s day, and chat with our neighbors. It’s a great place to unwind at the day’s end.

s you can probably tell, we’re eager and excited to have a family, and have been for several years now. We’re honored by the prospect of sharing our love and our home with your baby. If you would like to talk with us, please call us anytime at our toll-free number, 1-866-688-6937, or contact us via e-mail at katieandmatthew@ca.rr.com and we can tell you lots more about ourselves. Or, if you have questions about adoption and how it works, feel free to call our lawyer, Dave Baum, directly. He can be reached toll-free at 1-800-795-2367 or adoptlaw@ix.netcom.com. He’s great—really understanding and easy to talk to. We look forward to hearing from you so that we can answer any questions you have if that is your desire. Please know that we respect whatever you decide, and we wish only the best for you and for your baby.

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