We are lucky to share a love for many similar things. We both love to travel – often to vibrant cities around the globe, exploring other cultures, or spending time in nature hiking. Trips are usually focused on seeing new places, learning new things, and enjoying time together.

When at home we can both be found in the kitchen, but with very different specialties. Mita loves to bake - cookies, cakes, and breads (which Steven loves to eat!). Steven is usually coming up with a new recipe or dish for dinner, often times using vegetables and herbs he has grown, and enjoys relaxing after work in the kitchen.

Summers in the city are our favorite. Enjoying local festivals and farmer's markets, eating great food, listening to live music, or just enjoying a walk in the park all highlight the things that make the city we live in great. Since Steven grew up in the area, he has always been a White Sox fan, so we try to take in Sox games with his family whenever we can. We really enjoy the tradition of doing something that he and his siblings have done since they were little, being able to share that with our niece and nephews over the years, and look forward to carrying on that tradition with a child someday.

Mentorship is important to Mita, specifically involving young women looking to enter the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. She is currently a mentor for a student at Asian University for Women based on Bangladesh. Mita has always loved the sciences, so it is important to her to help shape the next generation of young women in STEM careers.

Mita About Steven: Steven has an amazing kindness and patience about him, something I noticed early on when we met. There is an ease and warmth to him - from the moment we started dating, I was always comfortable with him and we could talk for hours about really anything, which I found to be so amazing and unique to be able to experience with someone. He has this great curiosity to explore and figure things out, so as a result, we have a ton of fun together--whether it's figuring out how to fix something around the house, cooking something new, or exploring a new city on vacation. His unconditional love for his family and friends and his never-ending support for me, both in my career and in really anything I do, makes him such an amazing person. I am so fortunate to have him as my husband I know that he will be an amazing father.

Steven About Mita: When I first met Mita, I quickly recognized that she was unique. I was inspired by her drive, touched by her loving and giving attitude, and encouraged by her constant support. These things are still what I love about her today. She always puts others needs in front of her own and does everything she can to focus on her family.

And while these may have been the first things I noticed, I also quickly realized that she can be silly, make me laugh, and just enjoy life. If I am having a bad day, or I am in a bad mood, Mita can always make me smile with a funny comment, a made-up song, or a goofy dance.

While I know she will be a wonderful mother because of her loving and caring demeanor, I think her personality will be what makes her stand out. Any child will be lucky to call her mom.

As an interracial couple (Steven is Caucasian and Mita is South Asian - family is from India, she is 1st generation), we have had the opportunity to educate our family and friends about each other's culture and upbringing. We were both raised in very open and accepting homes that appreciated cultural and religious diversity, values that were important to our upbringing and have continued to be so throughout our lives. For example, we had an Indian wedding, but incorporated elements that were more "Western". This was great fun not only because Steven's family and our friends fully embraced Mita's culture, but it was also an opportunity to share a little bit of Mita and her family's heritage while making the celebration a little modern, which is representative of both of us and what makes us unique.

We seek out diversity where we live, travel, and work. It's intrinsically part of who we are. Learning about and appreciating all walks of life is important to us and will be essential in how we raise a child. The unconditional love and support of our families and friends who embrace our backgrounds wholly and fully has always just been the norm and part of our lives, and we are so grateful for that. We are so excited to adopt a child and share and embrace not only our cultural diversity but also that of the child's in their upbringing. He or she will teach us so much too!

We love where we live! We live in a wonderfully diverse, urban neighborhood, which was recently named by TimeOut magazine as one of the "coolest neighborhoods in the world" as there is such a great energy and strong sense of community and spirit. Our neighbors are from all walks of life, ages, and ethnic backgrounds which is one of the reasons we were attracted to living here. The neighborhood is full of parents pushing strollers, neighbors walking their dogs, and kids riding their bikes and playing. There are a variety of things to do nearby from parks (two within one block of our house), zoos, variety of restaurants and cafes, unique shops, music, sporting events, all that the city has to offer - which we look forward to sharing with a child. We have lived in our home for 14 years and enjoy being able to host our friends and family who are so important to us– whether it's cooking together or enjoying spending time outdoors and playing games.

Steven is the youngest of three children and grew up in the area. His parents, siblings, and their families are all close by which is an incredible gift. Most weekends, you can find us getting together to see a local concert or attending one of our niece or nephews' activities. We have an annual trip to Wisconsin with Steven's siblings and their families which is great fun as we spend time outdoors kayaking, at the beach, playing sports (including a family Olympics!) and just enjoying time together.

Mita has one older sister who lives on the East Coast and has two daughters. She grew up just a couple hours away which is where her parents still reside today. We see Mita's family often and Mita and her sister are extremely close. Together we have a family FaceTime each evening to hear about everyone's day and catch up on all that the girls are involved in – whether it's the outcome of the latest basketball game, school updates, or what they are learning in dance class!

We have a core group of dear friends, some who Steven has known since he was only 10 years old! Many are still local, and we enjoy time together going to festivals, concerts, or just hanging out.

We consider ourselves so fortunate to have been able to watch our nieces and nephews grow up and be part of their lives. We are both very close to our families and have a wonderful group of caring and devoted friends, so this child will be surrounded by so much love and support.

We can only imagine how conflicting this decision and process must be for you and the whole range of emotions you are likely experiencing. Although we will never be able to fully understand how difficult this must be for you, we feel that you have made this choice from a place of strength, love, compassion, and understanding, and hope that we are the kind of parents that you want this child to have. You are looking for a supporting and caring home and future for your child and we're looking to share our love and lives with a child - perhaps all along, we have been looking for each other?

Our own struggles with infertility brought us to where we are today. We recognize that responsibility of raising a child in this world is huge, but the joy of raising your child would be immeasurable. We know that we cannot promise this child a life free from pain or struggles, but we can promise is that we will be by their side to provide unconditional love, guidance, and support to tackle any obstacle he or she may encounter during their life. We will provide a safe and supportive home and are committed to doing the best we can for this child throughout his or her life…always.

We are very fortunate to have the love and support of our families and friends, which will surround this child as well. Being raised in households where there was a strong emphasis on getting a solid education and a focus on academics, we also learned the importance of contributing and giving back to the community, and for always being grateful for what we have in our lives. These are important pillars that have influenced the adults we have become and represent the type of family we hope to raise. We honor and embrace the differences and diversity in our upbringings and heritage, and look forward to sharing our culture and traditions with a child as we grow our family.

We look forward to making lasting memories throughout the child's life, whether that is through travel, our love for experiencing and cooking different foods and cultures, music, playing games, sports, and just helping them learn to embrace the world around them. We truly believe that we complement each other well to provide an enriching life for a child.

We are committed to keeping in contact with our adopted child's birth family. We believe it is important for a child's identity to know their story and history - and a key part of that is knowing about their birth relatives. We want to assure you that we promise to respect you and are open to the types of communication we can have - such as sharing photos, updates, and major milestones, as well as exchanging emails - and want to develop a feasible plan with you as we feel that an open adoption is the healthiest option for everyone involved. Central to all of this is what is best for the child, and we truly believe that open adoptions provide a solid foundation and an important sense of identity for the child.

We want you to know that you will always have a special place in our hearts. The words "thank you" are hardly enough to convey our gratitude. To have the opportunity to call your child our son or daughter will be so special and more meaningful than words can ever properly express. The gift of finally being called "mommy" and "daddy" will complete our dream of having our own family.

We know this is a confusing and difficult time for you while you are trying to figure out the best option for you and your baby. You are coming from an incredible place of strength and courage, and we hope that we can fulfill your desire to find a loving family for your child. We would be honored to welcome your child into our home and are ready to begin this journey with you.

Steven & Mita