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Erik & Kelly are hopeful adoptive parents from Illinois waiting to adopt a baby.

If you are pregnant and considering placing your child for adoption, please read the following Dear Birthmother Letter.

Adoption Created our Family Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, which is written from our hearts to yours. We know how much you love your baby and want him or her to grow up in a happy home, and we’d like to tell you about our family and our desire to love another child. Our son Ryan turned two this June, and we were blessed when Jodi, his birthmom, chose us to be his parents. We have an open adoption, and being Ryan's parents has been wonderful! We're hoping to find his little brother or sister soon.

Our Family

Let us tell you about our family. I (Erik) grew up on a farm, surrounded by lots of different animals, outside a small town. I'm the middle child, with an older and younger sister. I played basketball in junior high and high school, and majored in business in college. Now I work in information technology for a company in Chicago, and am able to work from my home office most days. Ryan loves music like I do, and we listen to everything from U2 to Johnny Cash.

I (Kelly) have always loved reading and writing stories, and now I write magazine articles and books. I'm the oldest of four kids, plus I have four older step-siblings. I work three mornings a week, from my office in the family room, and occasionally talk to audiences about helping them pursue their dreams. I run and work out at our local YMCA, and Ryan loves to play basketball and jump around in the preschool gym there. He’s in preschool two mornings a week, where he’s started making new friends, and we take baby swim lessons every Tuesday night. We go to the library several times a week, and he loves books almost as much as I do!

And of course there's Ryan. We were married for eight years when we adopted Ryan, and he definitely has changed our life! One of us is almost always at home with him, and we have a wonderful babysitter named Diana who comes to the house when Kelly works. Ryan has grown into a loving, smart, energetic little boy. He loves Elmo, music, dancing, baths, his friend Ava, and grapes, and knows his ABCs already. He also knows sign language including the signs for "car," "eat," and "banana"! We spend a lot of time singing and talking and doing things together, whether it's going to the zoo or the children's museum or just going to the big park near our house to play on the slide or swings.

Our Life at Home Our life is noisy! We all love to talk and sing, and made up silly songs for Ryan. Our mornings start with Ryan helping to feed Sandy, our sweet golden retriever, and then we all have breakfast and get dressed. In the mornings, Ryan goes to preschool for two hours, or plays with Diana while Kelly works. Then after his afternoon nap, Ryan and I (Kelly) play or read or color or build block towers or go somewhere together. We’re members of Brookfield Zoo and visit the animals every week or two—his favorites are the hippos, elephants, and giraffes. Almost every afternoon, the three of us get together for "Ryan's Dance Party," where we dance around and listen to music. We eat dinner together, and one of us gives Ryan a bath before bed. Then we read and say prayers and are always grateful for our beautiful, amazing little boy.

Two and half years ao, we were excited to find out about Jodi, and when we met her, Erik and I both believed that her baby was meant to be our child. We were so happy when we found out she thought so, too! We feel so lucky to be able to have Jodi and her family in our lives, and know that Ryan is one of the most-loved children in the world. We get together several times a year and it's wonderful to share his growing up with people we care about.

Ryan is also the first grandchild for in both of our immediate families, and our siblings all love him, too. (He gets lots of attention and presents from everyone!) He has two younger cousins, Ethan and Natalie, and we'd love to add another child to our family, too.

We currently live in a comfortable, welcoming home in an area with good schools and lots of local programs for toddlers and kids. We're planning on moving to a bigger house in the next year or so to accommodate our growing family, but will stay in the area. We love living here and are members of the YMCA and the local Lutheran church, so we want to stay nearby.

What Our Son's Birthmom Says We asked Jodi, Ryan's birth mom, if she'd be willing to write something for our letter. Here's what Jodi said:

"Kelly and Erik made the entire adoption process much easier than I originally expected it to be. From the very beginning they were always very flexible with us. Before Ryan was born we arranged for our families to meet, had a few phone conversations, and sent periodic emails back and forth. Forming a relationship with them early on made things so much smoother when Ryan was born. On the day he was born I had no second thoughts and was not really worried at all. I knew Kelly and Erik were meant to have him and would take great care of him. During the past two years they have lived up to every expectation a birthmother could ever wish for! They have taught Ryan so many neat things, taken him to lots of fun places, and spend a lot of time together as a family. Not only are Kelly and Erik wonderful people, but their friends and family are great too!  We met many of them at Ryan's Christening and we could not believe how welcoming and down to earth they were! I could also tell how much all of them love Ryan, which is the most amazing feeling ever! I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and that Ryan was meant to be with Kelly and Erik. I have not regretted my decision once. I could probably write pages and pages about how great Kelly and Erik are, but I'll sum it up by saying they're very flexible and willing to do almost anything to make things easier on the birthparents and their families, which is probably the most important thing in the process of adoption. I'm so glad to have them in my life, and I also cannot wait for Ryan to have a brother or sister!"

We Know Our Baby is Out There We knew even before we met Jodi that our baby was out there—we just had to find him or her. We believe we're supposed to have another child, and can't wait to meet that little baby, too. Ryan will be a wonderful big brother, and your baby will be as loved and cherished as he is.

We’ll share any letters or photos of yourself that you’d like to send, and provide updates and photos to you in the future. If you want privacy, we’ll respect that too. In the meantime, we can pay legally allowed expenses to help you, and look forward to learning more about you.

This has been a long letter and we know you have important decisions to make. Just know that if you choose us to raise your child, we promise he or she will grow up in a home that’s filled with love, laughter, friends, and family, and will always know how special you are.

Thank you for considering us, and let us know if you'd like to know anything else about our family. Please call us anytime, toll-free, at (866) 496-7279; or, if you prefer, you can speak with and leave a message for our lawyer, Debbie Braselton (she’s an adoptive mom herself and very easy to talk to!).
Sincerely,



Erik, Kelly, and Ryan (and Sandy!)