ParentProfiles.com

Marc & Debra 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.

WE KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE Thank you for taking the time to read our story. We hope the words that are written here will convey a sense of who we are, and what we believe. As parents blessed with the birth of our daughter four years ago, we are truly grateful. As parents now waiting to adopt, we are reminded that building our family is no longer in our control. We believe in destiny, that people are brought together for a reason. We have faith that we will be guided to the child that was meant for us, and also to you, the birthparent(s). We have searched the only way we can search for a child, deep in our hearts, and what we have found is there is so much love left to share. We would be honored to meet you, and we are committed to staying in contact with you after the baby is born, should you desire. Send us a message

BOY MEETS GIRL We met twelve years ago, and we both felt an instant attraction to each other. However, our first date did not go exactly as planned...
Debra's story: I suddenly came down with the stomach flu that evening. Marc & I were sitting at a cafe, and I felt really nauseous; I excused myself from the table three times! I was pretty queasy walking from the cafe, so we sat in Marc's car, listening to music, for a good hour or two. I put my head on his shoulder, but we didn't talk much. Later I realized that Marc was a good sport about the whole night, and that he must be a pretty laid-back and also very caring guy. I decided I couldn't let him get away..We married in the Spring of 2001.

Both of us are outgoing people who love to laugh; we try not to take life so seriously. Equally important, we share core beliefs and values we hope to pass along to our children. During the first years of our marriage, we pursued our love for travel. Now, we continue to travel with our daughter. We love experiencing different cultures, foods, and languages, and we hope travel will enrich the lives of our children.

Our daughter, Marina was born in the Spring of 2005. Once you have children, it is hard to imagine life without them. It is really amazing to care for such a small being, and then watch them grow before your eyes. Children are so full of life and energy, which can be quite contagious. We are definitely an active family. We love the outdoors, and we enjoy spending time together, often with our dog, Ariel, a friendly, furry Siberian Husky. In warm weather, we love to take long walks, bike, and go to the beach. In cold weather, we cross-country ski, with our dog in a harness pulling Debra, and Marina in a sled pulled by Marc.

ABOUT US Debra According to Marc
Debra is my best friend and a wonderful mother to our daughter. She is the organizer of our family, and that extends to all areas of her life. I love that Debra is able to laugh at herself, as well as make others laugh. She is such a warm person who wears her heart on her sleeve. She cries at all weddings, including ours! Debra had the desire to adopt a child since she was 12: she told me how she cut out a picture of little Asian girl from a magazine, and called her Jasmine.

Since Debra is a stay-at-home mom, she & Marina spend plenty of time together. At home, they read books, draw, or bake. Debra has taken Marina to kids cooking classes, and we make many of the recipes at home. Some favorites are banana/chocolate chip muffins and veggie cakes (which are made with grated zucchini and then fried.) They also meet friends for play dates, walk to the park, or visit the bookstore. Debra is a great storyteller: she has a soothing voice and is very animated way of reading. I think Debra is a natural mother, as she is affectionate, caring, and patient.

Debra loves to do yoga, and has always been committed to staying healthy. She is in a book club, and loves to read in general, mostly mystery novels and fiction. In addition, she is on a parents committee for Marina's school.

Debra on motherhood: I am definitely a list-maker. I like to write things down, probably because I like to write in general. I am a pretty laid-back mom. I don't have schedules, as I recognize the importance of flexibility, and letting a kid just be a kid. However, I do insist on things like my daughter wearing a hat or sunglasses, and brushing her teeth at least two times a day. Reminding Marina to clean up her toys or after an activity can be a challenge. I sometimes sound like a broken record, but I want my daughter to learn responsibility. I like to eat healthy, so I expose my daughter to healthy foods. Peanut butter and jelly is fine, but the bread is whole wheat. I'm proud to say Marina loves brussel sprouts! I pointed out to Marina that brussel sprouts look like baby lettuces, and she loved that. I serve them with olive oil and a little salt, and we all eat them up.


Marc According to Debra
Marc is a very optimistic, happy guy, and this is why I fell in love with him. He is very easy to get to know, and many of his friends come to him for advice and support. Marc is energetic, confident, has a great sense of humor. Early in our relationship, I discovered Marc likes to be in the spotlight: We were on vacation in the Caribbean, and I was relaxing with a book on the beach. I got up to look for Marc, and I was walking through the pool area, when I heard a pretty good size crowd cheering at the far end. I decided to see what was going on, and there was Marc and another guy arm-wrestling. (Apparently the arm-wrestling was one of many pool activities the hotel was doing for fun.) Now Marc is a tall guy (6'-1”), fairly strong, but with a lean, muscular build. The other guy was much bigger, who obviously power lifted pretty much daily. I watched as Marc easily beat this guy, and heard a few people remark, with disbelief, that the “skinny guy” won. I laughed and said the “skinny guy” was my boyfriend!

Marc is on a volleyball team, and he also likes to fish. On weekends, Marc likes to round up our family for walks in the woods, where we often feed apples to the deer. Cooking is another hobby; some of his yummy dishes are beef stew, chili, and he also makes a mean barbecue!

Since Marc is a commodities trader, he is home by 3 pm. Marc loves spending time with Marina, building houses out of Lincoln Logs or going outside to pick raspberries. Marc is a great father and husband, very supportive and fun to be around. He is really looking forward to an addition to our family!

Marc on fatherhood: Being a father has affected me in ways I could not imagine. My little girl became my best friend overnight. We do everything together, such as going to the store looking for supplies to make fun projects. For our last project we built a boat out of a box, and we used Christmas wrapping paper and tinsel to decorate it. We also added a paper cup turned upside down with a plastic egg in it to make a bell for the boat. Marina then added a piece of tinsel to make a seat belt. I pushed her around on the boat until we broke it, so time for the next project!

Our Daughter Marina
Marina is a very energetic, happy little girl. She is really observant and has a great memory. Her memory is great when it comes to learning at school, not so great when she reminds us daily of an upcoming event that may be weeks away. She is enrolled in preschool that features drama, music, and Japanese classes as part of their regular schedule. She is so excited to go to school every day; she loves to learn and has made so many friends! At home, Marina loves to paint, color, and read.

Already, Marina is proving to be very independent with definite preferences. Her favorite color is purple, so her big girl's room will be a soft lavender (she has already picked out the bedding/see our journal page for a picture). Every day, she picks her own clothes and dresses herself. Sometimes she looks straight out of a catalog, with everything matched perfectly. Sometimes she wears flower pants with a polka dot shirt and striped socks, the more patterns and colors, the better!

Marina loves our dog Ariel, and all animals in general, though her favorite animals are kittens and bunnies. She enjoys playing with other kids, especially her six cousins, who live nearby. Marina is excited to be a big sister; she talks about helping to feed and change the new baby, and she is already practicing with her dolls!

OUR PROMISE TO YOU Before we say our goodbyes, we wanted to share one more story:
Marc's story: The first time I really got to know Debra's family and their offbeat sense of humor was the first Christmas I spent with them. We were all at Debra's aunt's house, and we played a game where everyone walked around with a paper bag on their heads, humming a Christmas song. The object of the game is to find the person also humming your song; the last two are the losers. But unbeknown to me nobody else had my song (which was the joke), so I walked around the room with a bag on my head, humming my song, while everyone had a good laugh.

Thank you for getting to know us. We are so excited to adopt, and we are lucky to have the support of our family and friends. We can provide a warm, loving home for your child, with plenty of attention from mommy and daddy. We will try to teach right from wrong, and respect and compassion for others. Rest assured your child will immediately be welcomed into our family, and be so loved. We promise to provide guidance and encourage confidence so your child can achieve his/her dreams. We will let your child know how special you are to us, and how we became a family through adoption. We would be very excited to meet you, and would love to share letters, photos, and possible visits after the adoption, if you are open.

Marc, Debra, & Marina

Please call us anytime at Lifetime Adoption 1-800-923-6784