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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.

Dear Birthmother, Our names are Julie and Dave. Thank you so much for reading our letter and considering us as prospective adoptive parents of your child. Although we have never met you, we believe that you have enormous strength and courage to give your child life and a future. Through our home study we have attended seminars where we have listened to adoptive parents, adoptees and even Birthmothers speak about their experiences with adoption. No matter what decision you make, it is hard to express in words how much respect we have for you. We cannot know the range of emotions you are feeling as you go through this process but we understand how difficult this must be for you.

Blessed to have found eachother... Dave and I met in July 1998 at a street festival in Chicago. We dated for six years before getting married but knew early on that we had something special. What set Dave apart from other guys for me was the fact that underneath the romance was a genuine friendship. For the first time I understood what people meant when they say "you just know" he's the right one. When I think of all of the great times that we’ve had together, I think of laughter. We appreciate one another’s goofy sense of humor. In November of 2004 we were married in my hometown of St. Louis. At first, we were a little gun-shy about planning a traditional wedding, but we went for it, and it was the most beautiful beginning to our married life together.

Graditude for our life and our family... Dave and I are very close to our families. I lost my father to cancer when I was 11 years old, and Dave recently lost his father. 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. As hard as it was losing my Dad, it shaped who I am today and I have wonderful memories not only of our life prior to losing him, but afterward as well. My Dad ran his own business which kept him busy but he made lots of time for us. He shared his many interests with us - speed skating, tennis, fishing and the outdoors. He also sang opera and taught me to appreciate music. My mother is my hero. As she fought through her own grief, she managed to keep a positive attitude in raising my brother and me, and she worked hard to make sure we enjoyed many activities growing up from family trips to sports to music lessons. My Mom has been happily remarried for 11 years, and my step-dad is like a father to me. The greatest gift she has ever given me is her own example as a mother who overcame setbacks and found joy again.

After graduating from the University of Kansas, I moved to Chicago and worked for 15 years in the Natural Foods Industry. Since we live a relatively short distance from St. Louis, we get to see my family often, and I still have many good friends there. Dave grew up in a suburb of Chicago and has three sisters. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound (a small university in Tacoma, Washington) and has been working in the aviation industry ever since moving back to Chicago. We are very lucky in that most of his family is in the Chicago area because we love spending time with them as well. Dave’s mother is a gourmet cook and often treats us to fabulous home cooked meals. When we got married, she put together a bound cookbook filled with dozens of favorite home recipe’s that had been 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. It meant so much to us. Dave’s Mom has her PhD in education and has been a high school math teacher for over 40 years. She also volunteers a lot of her time to charitable causes in our community.

We love to travel. Dave’s Dad had a long, successful and interesting career in aviation. When Dave was younger, he traveled extensively around the world. Dave’s Dad was in the business of buying and selling airplanes so he and his sisters often got the opportunity to go with him to far off places to pick up or deliver the planes. He has been to South America, Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Dave received his pilot’s license before he got his driver’s license. He has been flying all of his life and worked as a commercial pilot for five years. I am constantly inspired by Dave’s passion for aviation and feel privileged that I get to be a part of that passion. When it comes to planning trips, there is nobody better. Dave’s always researching new and interesting places and things to do, and has a keen sense for adventure. In recent years we have taken some amazing trips to the West and East coasts as well as all over the Midwest. He made me fall in love with the beautiful coastline of northern Michigan. I have not traveled as much as Dave, but I lived in Europe for a time after college which allowed me to see some of the world before I started working. We also share a love for dogs, baseball, hanging with friends, good movies and ethnic food. In fact, when we travel one of our favorite things to do is hunt down really good local food, instead of always hitting the touristy places. We love to be outside, whether it is on the lake, the beach or in the woods. My Dad's side of the family is Greek, and Dave's Mom's side is Polish, so return visits to Greece and Poland are definitely in our future. We also hope to take a trip to Australia one day, because that is a place we have always wanted to see.

Why we want to grow our family through adoption... Successfully becoming pregnant was a challenge for me and we had all but resigned ourselves to the fact that I would not be able to bear a child. But we were blessed with a miracle in January of 2007 when our daughter Naomi was born. She has changed our life in such a positive way that we knew we wanted to have another child. I resigned my job last spring when we decided to adopt so that I can be at home. Expanding our family through adoption is how we want to grow our family. Our daughter Naomi will make an awesome big sister! At two and a half years old, she is one of the happiest and loving souls you could meet. Naomi enjoys going to Gymboree, tumbling class, swimming and being outside. She is crazy about babies and loves nothing more than playing with her friends, cousins and Grandparents. We want her to be able participate in lots of different activities throughout her childhood, but also want for her to enjoy “just being a kid” at her own pace. I doubt I could ever take even one day as a Mom for granted, but having spent some time worried I wouldn't be able to have children it means even more. It is my true passion. Dave is an amazing Dad - fun, kind and gentle. Most nights before bedtime he and Naomi can be found playing guitar and singing together. Our bond has grown since becoming parents and we can’t wait to welcome another child - another miracle, through adoption. If we are blessed to become adoptive parents, the child will have the same unconditional love we have in our hearts for our daughter, and all of our support and guidance throughout life’s ups and downs.

Our family has some strong ties to adoption. Several of Dave's aunts and uncles were adopted, and four of my cousins were adopted. Most of my cousins were adopted just after birth, and one was adopted at age eight. She and I grew up together, are the same age, and remain close today. Through our adoptive family members, we know the importance of embracing and celebrating the biological background and heritage of an adoptive child. If you feel we could be the right adoptive family for your child, we want you to know that we will raise him or her to understand about their adoption from the earliest possible age, with nothing but openness and honesty from us throughout his or her life. He or she will know that you made the ultimate selfless act of love for them, and that we as parents will always respect and love you for you for that, along with the child.

Our faith in God is strong. I was raised Catholic and Dave was raised Jewish, in fact we had both a priest and a rabbi perform our wedding ceremony. If we are blessed to become adoptive parents, Naomi and her little sister or brother will enjoy the rich tradition our family has of celebrating both Jewish and Christian holidays.

As biological parents of one child, we are able to feel some sense of the difficulty that this situation brings to a Birthmother. I remember being pregnant well, and think of it often. Even though we don’t yet know the path that will lead us to adopting a child, the feelings and strength of character of the Birthmother are already in our minds and heart, and will stay there throughout the life of the child.

We look forward to having the opportunity to share more with you. Please don't hesitate to call toll free at 877-607-5890, even if it's just to ask additional questions about us. You can simply get more information, or you can be put in touch with us directly, whatever you feel comfortable with.

Thank you again for reading our letter. Dave and I hope it has given you some insight into who we are and why we want to become an adoptive family. We wish you peace as you make your way through this process, and in the knowledge that your heart will lead you in the right direction.

God Bless,
Julie and Dave

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