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Torsten & Astrid 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.

ABOUT US Dear Birthparents:
Thank you for letting us share our story with you. We are Torsten and Astrid. As parents, we wish with all our hearts to have another child to love. Our three-year-old son Lucas was adopted as an infant. We are fortunate to have met with his birthparents several times, before and after he was born. There is an African saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” Together with you, our family and friends, we would like to be that village for your child. We have much respect for your situation and the decision you are making.

ABOUT US
Native Germans, we moved to the U.S. nearly eight years ago and have made it our permanent home. We have known each other since high school but didn’t start dating until we met again in college. On our first date we went out for ice cream. That was 15 years ago. We have been together ever since! We live in the suburbs and every evening when Torsten comes home from work we enjoy a sit-down dinner as a family. That is our time for sharing what has happened during our day. We try to go out on date nights about once a month. We also like to work out together at our gym while Lucas plays in the childcare center. Before Lucas was born, we traveled all over the USA. Our favorite memory is our hiking tour through several National and State Parks in the Southwest. We can’t wait to take our children on such a tour once they are old enough to take in the amazing landscapes this wonderful country has to offer.

WHO WE ARE Astrid About Torsten:
Torsten is a loving, caring husband I can always rely on. He cooked (delicious!) soup for me for several weeks when I had a broken jaw due to a sports accident. He likes to joke and always makes me laugh. With his strong sense of humor, he does not take himself too seriously. Torsten is playful with kids. Once he gets home from work, Lucas enjoys playing with Daddy. Sometimes Torsten has to play the wild mustang and take Lucas for a ride on his back on all fours or hide under a blanket and peek out to play ‘Blanket Monster.’ Torsten likes working out at the gym once or twice a week. He also likes to play golf and go downhill skiing. He hasn’t done much of either since Lucas was born though. He values family time too much. Torsten is the Chief Financial Officer for a construction company that makes materials for bridgework and high-rise buildings. He is very good with numbers, which helps a lot with his profession.

Torsten about Astrid:
Astrid is a social person—outgoing and very friendly. When she accompanies me to a business function, she is immersed in conversation with a stranger before we even take off our jackets. She loves to be a stay-at-home mother and wife. She is a fantastic cook. Her German-style Wiener Schnitzel with red cabbage and mashed potatoes is one of Lucas’ and my favorites. Astrid loves to be out in the nature with Lucas. She is down-to-earth, loves people and always tries to see the positive side of things. She is a horse lover and always looks forward to going riding and taking dressage classes. She is a passionate reader.
Our son Lucas is an active three-year-old who loves to play. We adopted Lucas when he was a newborn. We raise him bilingually in English and German. This way he can easily communicate with his German family. Lucas attends pre-school four mornings a week and is very good in sports. He goes to soccer and swimming classes once a week. Lucas tells us that he would like to have a sibling and that he would help and play with the baby.

HOW WE CAME TO ADOPT HOW WE CAME TO ADOPT
Even before we married, we knew that we would not be able to have biological children. We love children and firmly believe we can offer a loving, secure and fun-filled home, so we decided that adoption is the best way for us to add children to our family. We both grew up with a sibling, whom we dearly love, so our wish to have another child came naturally.
We strongly believe that openness benefits child, birthparents and adoptive parents alike. We share stories and pictures of Lucas’ birthparents in our daily life. We met them before Lucas was born and felt lucky to get to know them. We met again in the hospital on the day Lucas was born, then a few days later when he was released. When Lucas was almost a year old, we met with his birthparents again. We send regular letters with lots of pictures and encourage the birthparents to meet again. Surely Lucas will appreciate all the details we will be able to tell him about his birthmother and birthfather (whose name we picked for Lucas’ middle name). We understand that every situation is different and are open to talking with you about how much contact you wish to have, recognizing that this may change over time.

OUR HOME
We live in a beautiful house on a private street in a friendly, sunny neighborhood filled with children of all ages. Our home has four bedrooms and three baths, so there is plenty of space for another little one. The breakfast bar in the kitchen has become the center of activity in our home. This is where we cook, snack, play or chat with friends as we watch the kids doing their runs on tricycles around the first-floor ‘race-track.’

FAMILY, FRIENDS, HOBBIES OUR RELIGION
We belong to the Lutheran Church and believe it is important to raise a child with Christian beliefs and values. Lucas was baptized in a small Lutheran church when he was two months old.

OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Our families live in Germany. Two fun grannies look forward to loving and spoiling another child. They and other family members stand ready to board an airplane and come visit, once a new baby has arrived. Because we live in the U.S. and our family is back in Germany, family meetings are limited to about two times per year. When we see them though, we do get to spend a lot of time together—usually about three weeks at a time. Of course, we spend a lot of time chatting on the phone or e-mailing in between visits.
We also have many dear friends here in Chicago. Most of them have kids, too. Luckily one of Lucas’ best friends lives right next door. Other neighbors just had a sweet new baby.

OUR HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
We cherish family time and take long bike rides through nearby parks or walk to the playground. We also like meeting friends to talk and watch the kids play while we enjoy the company and some good food. We belong to a gym that offers indoor and outdoor pools and wonderful programs for children. Last summer the three of us went to the pool almost every weekend. We also enjoy weekend trips to Navy Pier, Lincoln Park, the Brookfield Zoo and beautiful resorts like Geneva-on-the-Lake. Each winter we take a family cruise through the Caribbean where we spend a lot of time playing with sand toys on pristine beaches.
We look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you might have. We are eager to get to know you. Be assured that your child would have a wonderful, fun-filled and secure home with us and that we would love your little one unconditionally for the rest of our lives.
You can contact us by e-mail: Send us a message or call our adoption agency The cradle at 1-800-272-3534

With Love,
Torsten, Astrid and Lucas