ParentProfiles.com

Sean & Shauna are hopeful adoptive parents from Maryland waiting to adopt a baby.

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

Dear Birth Parents, We are filled with respect and appreciation for you as you consider adoption. Since finding out that we are unable to have children, we have often contemplated the difficult decisions that a birth mother has to make. Thank you for taking this path. Words cannot express our feelings of gratitude for your decision and for giving us the chance to begin our family.

We have always wanted to adopt. Even before we got engaged, we discussed having a big family composed of biological and adopted children. The discovery that we are unable to have children naturally has led us to skip a few steps and go straight to a big family of adopted children. Our extended family has already experienced the joy of adoption. Sean has two adopted sisters whom we love and adore. Since they became a part of our family we have incorporated their culture and traditions (Chinese New Year, etc.) while ensuring that they feel and know they are important to our family. They have been a great blessing in our lives, and our family would not have been complete without them. In fact, they are almost as excited as we are for this adoption.

You may be apprehensive or worried about placing your child for adoption, but through our experiences we have seen how well adoption works out for children, families, and birth parents. Thank you for taking the time to read more about us!

About Us Six years ago, we met as next door neighbors at college. Many of our interests and goals were similar; yet our personalities were different enough to balance each other out – the balancing act continues to this day. We love traveling, and learning about new places. Our adventures have led us to Asia and Latin America, to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, and now to the Washington D.C. metro area – where we both received our graduate degrees.

Sean – a comic book enthusiast and horror movie aficionado – has always been interested in international affairs. After receiving his B.S. in Psychology at Brigham Young University, he decided to go on and get his M.A. in International Affairs at George Washington University. Since his mission in Peru, his goal was to be a part of the Foreign Service to improve the image of the United States abroad. He has since achieved his career goal, and is currently working for the State Department. Sean’s career as a diplomat for the United States will take our family to foreign countries for the next few years of our life. We look forward to experiencing new cultures, learning new languages, and living internationally as part of the U.S. diplomatic community.

Sean: “I like to cook, travel, camp, and hang out with friends. Eating out is an area where I am uniquely gifted; I love ethnic fare (specifically Indian and Moroccan food), greasy hamburgers, juicy steaks, and baby back ribs. However, eating in can be just as enjoyable as eating out. I enjoy cooking, especially Creole and Southern food. I love inventing my own recipes, and I never scrimp on the heat. I love international things: international food, people, politics, travel, etc. Problem solving is another interest of mine. Give me puzzles, riddles or brain teasers, and I will be content for hours. I really enjoy hanging out with friends. We play board games, watch movies, attend community events, or just tell stories and laugh at each other.”

Shauna’s interests range from rock climbing to baking. However, her primary passion is education. She received her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology at Brigham Young University, and then went on to get her M.S. in School Counseling at Johns Hopkins University. Shauna has always been drawn to work with teenagers. She has pursued school counseling in order to help teens in their struggles and achievements, to become successful in life. Shauna currently works at a preschool and as a School Counselor trainee at a local middle school. Through these experiences, she has discovered a love for teaching that she didn’t know existed. In the future, Shauna plans on using these skills while volunteering in the community. Her main focus will be her family as a full-time mother. She hopes to enrich her family’s life through her own knowledge and talents.

Shauna: “I enjoy reading, art, photography, camping, traveling, playing games, and listening to all types of music. These interests literally fill my home. Along with camping, I have always loved kayaking and rock climbing. Rock climbing gives me the greatest feeling. It is very satisfying to reach the top – knowing you achieved it of your own accord. I enjoy working with my hands. Whether it is crafts, playing the piano, baking, or even cleaning, if I’m using my hands, I am content. I love baking. While Sean is the chef of the family, I am the baker. Together we can make a fantastic meal. At the end of the day a favorite way for us to wind down and take a break from life is by putting in a good movie. We love movies and entertainment. “

Our Family Family is very important to us. We both grew up in big, active, loving families who are ready for a new addition to love and spoil. Sean comes from a family of nine. He has five sisters and one brother (Sean was ecstatic when Ryan came along). After most of his siblings were grown, Sean’s parents felt their family was not yet complete; the adoptions of Mei Lin and Kaia completed his family. It is always exciting when Sean’s family gets together because of their boisterous personalities. Shauna comes from a family of seven. She has three older brothers and an older sister. While not as boisterous as Sean’s family, when they all get together it can get rather loud. This is especially true when her five nieces and three nephews join in with the adults. Shauna’s family traditionally has a family reunion every three years. It has been a great way to keep familial relationships strong. We have such a great time playing games, talking, catching up, and relaxing together. Family is a very big part of our life and we will keep it that way.

We both have fond memories of our childhood and feel extremely blessed for the life experiences, lessons, and opportunities our families provided to us. It is our hope to share many of these experiences and more with our future family. We will offer our children the chance to take sports lessons and music lessons, and to go on fun outings like camping, attending museums, parks, aquariums, and other places where learning and fun occur all at once. In addition, our children will have incredible experiences and opportunities that we can’t even imagine while living overseas.

Even though we will be living overseas for the next few years, we will take great efforts to ensure that extended family remains a very important part of our lives. While Skype and other forms of communication will keep us connected when out of the country, we will return to the States regularly. Without family close by we will rely on other sources of support. The State Department community and our church community will be very important in our lives and the lives of our children.

Thank You Whether or not you choose us, we are grateful that you are considering adoption. Thank you!

Sean & Shauna