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David & Julie 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.

Hello, and thank you... ...for reading our letter and considering us as adoptive parents of your child. Our names are Julie and Dave. We believe you have enormous strength and courage to give your child life and a future. Through our home study we’ve attended seminars where we have listened to adoptive children, parents and Birthmothers talk about their experiences with adoption. The emotions and decisions you are facing must be overwhelming. It’s hard to express in a few words how much respect we have for you.

We are a loving family of three hoping to become four. Dave and I met in 1998 at a street festival in Chicago while we were both living and working in the city. We were together 6 years before getting married, but we knew early on that each of us had found our life-partner. What set Dave apart for me was the fact that underneath the romance was a genuine friendship. We both have a goofy sense of humor which is a big part of what attracted us to one another. This comes in handy when times are tough. We're also opposite in some ways which makes life interesting. It sounds corny, but the way that my personality is different from Dave’s complements him and vice versa. In November 2004 we were married in my hometown of St. Louis. At first we didn’t think we wanted to have a traditional wedding. But we went for it anyway, and we will forever be glad that we did. It was a beautiful beginning to our married life together.

We’re close to our families. I lost my Dad to cancer when I was 11, and Dave lost his Dad a few years ago. It is always tough to lose a parent, but it has made us treasure our family all the more. I grew up in St. Louis and have a younger brother who I adore. My father and uncle ran a catering and restaurant business which was a central part of our lives growing up. My Dad sang opera and taught my brother and me to appreciate music. I'd love to take voice lessons someday. For now, I just enjoy making a fool of myself singing in the shower and car. My Mom is my best friend. Suddenly becoming a single parent of two young kids was rough, but she fought through her grief and kept a positive attitude for us. She always told me that what really gave her the will to go on was my brother and me. I’m grateful to her for staying strong for us kids, and I believe our experience together has helped make me a better parent myself. My Mom’s been happily remarried for 11 years, and my step-dad is like a father to me.

After college I moved to Chicago where I worked in the natural foods industry for many years. Just like everybody, I make the occasional run to Micky D’s and Taco Bell, but I'm passionate about natural and organic foods. Dave was raised in a suburb of Chicago and has three sisters – 2 older, and one younger. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound (a small university in Tacoma, Washington) and now works in the aviation industry. Dave’s Mom is a gourmet cook and luckily for me, Dave inherited his Mom’s talent for cooking! When we got married, she put together a cookbook filled with dozens of home recipes passed down through generations by members of both sides of our family. That book, named “Food is Love”, was given to each person who attended our wedding. Dave’s sister illustrated the cookbook with drawings of my Dad’s restaurant. It meant so much to us. Dave’s Mom has a PhD in education and taught high school math for 40 years. She stays active in the educational community and and volunteers much of her time to charitable causes.

In 2005 we bought a house in a northern suburb of Chicago and rehabbed it room by room. We put on an addition and finished off the basement too. We laugh now when we think back to how we lived in the house during the few years of construction. But there were moments when we thought we’d go crazy – living in our dusty bedroom and chasing out our little squirrel and chipmunk roommates that snuck in through holes. It might have been easier just to buy a newer house. But we had fun giving our home new life and making it our own. A big reason we moved here is because the school system is one of the best in the state. We live near Lake Michigan and spend lots of time at the beach. Two of Dave’s sisters and their families live within a few miles, as do some of our closest friends. We are lucky to have met some wonderful new friends since moving here too.

Successfully becoming pregnant was challenging for us. We were ready to accept the fact that I might not be able to have a child, and start making plans to adopt. But we were blessed with a miracle in January of 2007 when our daughter Naomi was born. She changed our life in such a positive way that we knew we wanted to have another child. There was never a question that the path to growing our family would be through adoption. I resigned my job in May of 2008 so that I could focus on being a stay-home Mom. Naomi has a very sweet soul and will make a great big sis! Although my folks are in St. Louis, we still see them about once a month. Dave’s Mom and his Step-Mom live close to us. We are extremely blessed because all of Naomi’s grandparents are such a big part of her life. They can’t wait for us to adopt so they can shower another child with love. Naomi is almost 3 years old and she is just about to start going to pre-school a few days a week – she is so excited. We want her to be able participate in many different activities throughout her childhood, but also want for her to enjoy “just being a kid” at her own pace.

We love to travel. Dave’s Dad was a pilot and worked all of his life in the aviation industry. Growing up, his Dad was in the business of selling airplanes, so Dave and his sisters sometimes got the chance to go with him to far off places to pick up or deliver the planes. Dave inherited his Dad’s love for aviation and is an experienced pilot himself. He earned his pilot’s license before he got his driver’s license, and has been flying literally all of his life (starting when he was a little tyke with his Dad). He currently works as a regional sales manager for an aviation fuel company. Dave’s always researching new and interesting places to go and things to do. We have taken some fun trips to the West and East coasts as well as all over the Midwest. He introduced me to the beautiful coastline of northern Michigan where we have spent some great times together. We like to explore and learn about new places and cultures. While traveling we love to try and hunt down really good local food, instead of always hitting the touristy places. Chicago is a culturally rich city so there’s plenty to explore here at home too. We also love hanging out with friends/family, most sports, watching good movies and cooking/eating ethnic food. We enjoy tennis and are pretty good partners…because we’re both pretty bad players…HA! We are dog lovers. In fact, Naomi has befriended just about every hound in the neighborhood. We put it off for a while when we were both working, but it is only a matter of time now before we adopt a dog. Dave's a great Dad. He can be very silly and entertaining but at the same time, isn’t afraid to show his emotions. Our stereo is on a lot…we have little impromptu dance parties in the living room with Naomi (some of our favorites are Michael Jackson and Saturday Night Fever). Before bedtime she and Dave can be found playing guitar and singing together. We’re talking everything from John Denver, the Carpenters (we’re geeks), Sly & the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, show tunes, all the way down to the Wiggles. Our musical tastes are pretty diverse.

Our family has already been touched by adoption. Several of Dave's aunts and uncles were adopted, and I have five adopted cousins. We feel it is important to celebrate the biological background and heritage of an adoptive child. And the love we have to give another child is as complete and unconditional as the love we have for our daughter. We aren’t perfect, nobody is. But we will always be there for him or her - to provide support and guidance throughout life’s ups and downs. As biological parents of one, we feel compassion for all that a Birth Mom must go through. We would like to provide as much support as you want and need. There are moments that we also feel scared or worried as we go through this journey. But our faith in God is strong and we know we are on the path we are meant to follow. Although the exact path is not yet known, the feelings and inner strength of the Birthmother are already in our hearts, where they’ll stay for rest of our lives.

We hope to be able to share more with you – as much as you would like. Please don't hesitate to call anytime, even if it's just to ask questions. If you would just like to find out more information about us, you can do that, or you can be put in touch with us directly, whatever you are comfortable with. You will find that we are friendly and down-to-earth, and above all, respectful of your feelings and privacy.

We wish you peace as you make your way through this process, and comfort in the knowledge that your heart will lead you in the right direction.

God Bless,
Julie and Dave

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