Mike About Steph: Steph puts the needs and wellbeing of family above all else, and deeply values our time together. She is always quick to pick up the phone to chat if her sister had a rough day, or decide to take a spur of the moment drive to catch one of our niece's or nephew's ball games. I admire how Steph always remains true to herself and her values, and is extremely empathetic with the ability to see and feel things from other people's perspectives. I know all of this will make her the most genuine, loving and protective mother I could ever hope to have for our child.

Steph About Mike: Mike is my calm in the storm. He is steadfast, unshakeable and reliable no matter what. He is genuine in his words and actions, and truly only wants the best for the people around him. Friends, family, co-workers and neighbors confide in Mike, looking to him for advice or simply to be a shoulder to lean on. He has an amazing ability to make people feel heard and seen, and he lets people know how much they mean to him. And he keeps us all laughing with his sharp wit and humor. With all of this, he remains humble and open. He strives to keep learning new things and take on new experiences. There is no doubt in my mind that watching him take on the role of dad will be one of the biggest joys of my life.

Living in the northeast, there are year round outdoor activities to keep us busy. In the warmer months we enjoy swimming with our dogs or kayaking in the lakes surrounding our house. There are also dozens of hiking trails to explore, including a state forest just a few miles up the road. In the winter, you can find Mike snowboarding with friends on one of the nearby mountains, while Steph opts for cross-country skiing.

At home, Mike loves taking care of our lawn and making it look in top shape. He is also extremely handy around the house, and his love for learning new things mixed with his endless patience has allowed him to fix or build anything we need in the house. He has a lifelong love of music, and dabbles in guitar and piano. You can also often find him grilling, no matter the season, as long as weather permits!

Steph has a wonderful creative eye which she puts to good use around our house. She can envision exactly how a room should be put together, and uses her thrifted furniture and art finds to make our home feel as cozy as possible. When inspiration hits you can find Steph painting, gardening or crafting.

While we enjoy being active, we also appreciate a lazy day at home. Here we like to cozy up on the couch with a book, play Nintendo games, cook up a good meal or simply relax with some good takeout and a movie.

As two Caucasian individuals, who grew up in largely Caucasian towns, we fully acknowledge that a child of a different race will have different life experiences than we did. We understand how important it is to continue educating ourselves through immersive experiences, conversations, books, podcasts and more.

As parents, we take the responsibility of making sure we celebrate and respect cultural differences of those inside and outside of the home very seriously. We are not afraid to take a stand and have difficult (but necessary) conversations around race. There are certain ideas, situations and even individuals that we will need to protect our child from as they grow up, while at the same time arming them with the knowledge, self-respect and strength necessary to go out into the world on their own and be proud of everything that makes them who they are.

We understand that we likely will not be able to provide everything that our child needs in order to feel adequately understood, so it will be our duty to help seek out leaders in our community and beyond whom our children can see themselves in. Representation and diversity in all forms is important, so we will make conscious decisions around toys and books we buy, schools our children attend, businesses we support and events we participate in.

We live in a three-bedroom home in Western Massachusetts in a quiet part of town. We immediately fell in love with the old charm of the house, big fenced yard, and safe neighborhood. Neighbors of all ages have welcomed us since day one, and we now regularly get together for monthly dinners.

We utilize our home to the max and have done many fun projects to make it as cozy as possible. We both work from home so we've prioritized separating work space from home so we can really unplug at the end of the day. We love reading in our study off the main living room, or watching movies in our finished basement. During warmer months we grill or enjoy a fire on our patio. Our home came with private lake access shared with neighbors on our street. It's a wonderfully maintained beach one mile from our house where we launch kayaks, swim and play with the dogs. It's been a real hidden treasure that we use almost daily in the summer.

Our small community does a lot to put on activities for families. There are fall pumpkin festivals, a historic village where families can meet baby farm animals, holiday light shows, and mountains home to clubs where children can learn to ski.

We have a quaint downtown full of small shops, museums, movie theater, restaurants, and a public commons with a weekly farmer's market. There are also many parks and playgrounds within minutes of our home.

We are both incredibly close with our families. Steph's parents, sister, niece and nephew all live within an hour from us, which makes it easy for us all to get together often. We love to do activities like spending a day at the lake, game nights, or picnicking at an outdoor concert. No matter what we're doing, we love to joke around and laugh.

Mike is the only boy in a group of four siblings, and his parents and sisters all live within 45 minutes of us. His family loves to cook and entertain, so there's always fun to be had when we get together at one of our houses for a delicious dinner or cookout.

Our siblings are truly some of our best friends, and we love being around them! Through them we have nieces and nephews at different ages. The older kids are very excited to help out in any way with a new baby, and our younger niece and nephew are just as excited to have a new playmate.

Our families know all too well the struggles we've faced trying to start a family, so they are thrilled that we have decided to pursue adoption. They are so ready to welcome a new grandchild, niece/nephew and cousin into the mix with open arms, love and excitement.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our profile. While we can only imagine the emotions you are feeling at this moment, we think you are incredibly brave for being here. We hope our profile gives you a glimpse of who we are, the life we've built together, and the love we have to share as you consider the plan for your child. You are embarking on the bravest love; one that you know will undoubtedly come with heartache, but also comes with a beautiful new beginning for your child. Should we be the couple you choose, we are here to support you on this journey.

We are Mike and Steph. We both work in digital marketing, and our jobs have allowed us to work from home since the start of the pandemic, giving us plenty of flexibility in our schedules which will certainly be beneficial as parents. People often ask if living and working in the same space together is draining, but it is truly quite the opposite. We have been married for five years, together for nine, and in those years we have grown and developed a true partnership that is steady and strong. We joke and laugh every day, support and encourage each other, and speak openly about what's on our minds - all things we know we will carry into how we parent.

We have two dogs, Zoe and Franny, both roughly 4 years old. They are extremely sweet, snuggly, and wonderful with children (our nieces and nephews love them). You can find Zoe running in the backyard with her ball, while Franny is often laying around waiting for a belly rub.

Having such wonderful parents of our own, we cannot wait to take on the role ourselves. We will model the importance of hard work, honesty, and taking care of things that are important to us like home, pets, family and neighbors. We will highly regard education, and encourage our children to seek different avenues to find their passions. We will raise empathetic and kind children, accepting of all people, cultures, and backgrounds. We will be a family that values communication, speaking openly about how we feel, what scares us, what we hope for, and how much we love each other. Mostly, we will be parents who know the importance of having fun - whether by playing, building forts, or taking family vacations. We will build a life of memories that a child can look back on with fondness and know how cherished they were every step of the way.

We hope this has helped give you a glimpse into who we are. As such an important piece of our story, and the woman who will make our dreams of becoming parents a reality, you will be cherished in our household and in our family always. We are committed to an open adoption, and hope to bring you into our lives as much as you're comfortable with to create something truly special. We will send letters and pictures as your child grows up, or partake in texts, emails, phone calls, video chats or even regular visits - whatever you decide is right for you. No matter what type of communication or contact you choose, know that you will always be spoken of in our home with the utmost respect, love and adoration. Your child will be raised knowing that they were brought into this world by a mother who so badly wanted the best for them that she made the ultimate selfless sacrifice, and in doing so gave us our entire world.

Mike & Steph