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Terry & Bethany 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.

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Hello!
We are best friends, happily sharing life together and ready to start our family. Thank you for stopping by to learn more about us as you consider adoption for your baby. We will try our best to give you a snapshot of who we are, so you can better decide if we might be the right family for your baby – if you have any questions, we would love to talk with you.

Our beginnings
We met 7 years ago during a school orientation, when Terry was behind Bethany in line to pick up worksheets. Terry was struck by the smiling, cute lady next to him, while Bethany was more focused on organizing her paperwork and didn’t really notice Terry at first. Over the next couple of weeks and a few study sessions later, we started dating and were married two years later in June 2004. We have now been married for over 5 years and our love just keeps growing. We recently moved to Maryland from the other side of the country and we spend weekends taking day trips to places like Hershey’s Chocolate World and the museums in Washington, DC.

Why we want to adopt
We have decided to start our family through adoption because even though Bethany is in good health, pregnancy carries extra risks for her that we would prefer to avoid. We see adoption as a wonderful way to become parents and are excited to share our love with a child.

We have close friends and even a neighbor who were adopted, and we have enjoyed hearing their experiences as adoptees. In addition, we plan to join adoption play groups to provide our child with opportunities to have friends who were adopted.

Bethany
Bethany has a calming way that immediately puts people at ease. She is one of the most caring and considerate people I know, and she is incredibly loyal to her friends and family. She is a wonderful wife and I have no doubt that she will be a wonderful mother.

Bethany loves to cook and she is always baking different treats or trying something new for dinner. More than once I’ve seen something interesting in a magazine or on TV and said, ‘That looks good!’, and she had tracked down a recipe by the next day. Bethany also loves to garden and she has made our home beautiful both inside and out. She recently became involved with the music program at our church, as well as a community performance group, and she enjoys playing the piano in her spare time.

Bethany recently completed her degree as an Occupational Therapy practitioner and plans to work part-time until the baby comes. She then plans to be a full-time mom and is looking forward to sitting in the rocking chair, singing and telling stories to our baby.

Bethany’s sunny outlook, great sense of humor, caring nature and absolute devotion to the people in her life are all part of why I love her so much, but another reason is that whatever is important to me becomes just as important to her. She is my best friend, my source of strength in dealing with whatever life throws at us, and we can’t wait to start our family.

Terry
Terry is an incredibly patient, kind and thoughtful man, and I know he will be as devoted a father as he is a husband. Terry served in the Navy for several years after completing graduate school and now works as a healthcare administrator for the federal government. He has a great schedule that allows him to work just four days each week, giving us plenty of free time to spend together having fun.

When first talking with him, you can't help but notice that he is extremely intelligent - and if I had my way, he would go on Jeopardy! However, Terry doesn't dream of being on quiz shows, rather his favorite moments are those spent with the ones he loves. Terry is an avid reader and likes relaxing on the couch with a good book, but most of the time he keeps busy fixing things around the house or coming up with new places we should visit. Terry is always reading about community happenings and usually has at least one fun outing planned for us. In fact, while at the library last week he picked up a magazine about fun things to do in the area with kids.

Terry is a fantastic listener and generous with his time, willing to drop everything when he is needed. For example, I once needed to make dozens of favors for a friend's bridal shower and Terry spent hours helping me cut and tie little bows onto each one, never once complaining. I know he will do the same for our child, happily helping with school projects, changing diapers, going on field trips and showing the same genuine love as he does for me.

Our faith
We regularly attend a local Methodist church, where Bethany has recently joined the handbell choir. The church has an active Sunday school with numerous opportunities for children to get involved. Although Terry did not grow up in a particular religion, he was raised with strong morals, taught to value family and to have compassion for others. Bethany was raised in a Christian home, attending church with her best friend whose father was a pastor. We plan to teach our child the importance of being kind to others and to value family, and we will encourage them to follow their dreams while always staying true to themselves.

Our families
We are fortunate to both have loving, supportive families and friends who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a baby. Terry comes from a large, close-knit family who love to get together and spend time in the kitchen, creating everything from tamales to cookies to traditional Asian dishes. Terry is an only child, so this will be his parents’ first grandchild and they are so excited to be a part of our child’s life.

Bethany grew up in a small town and stays in close touch with her family and friends from middle school and high school. She has a close relationship with her sister, who has two fabulous children, and she talks daily with her mom, who is waiting for the green light to start making the baby’s first quilt.

Fun times
Our favorite times are those spent together, whether it’s making a big, delicious mess in the kitchen, digging in the dirt in our garden or taking a walk in one of the parks near our house. We are very casual people most of the time, preferring jeans and tee shirts to dressing up. If there is a festival or a fair you can bet we will be going, and if there is a petting zoo that is where you will find us.

Our absolute favorite activity is traveling. One of our most memorable trips was to Prince Edward Island in Canada, home of Anne of Green Gables. After reading the Anne books as a child, it became Bethany’s lifelong dream to visit – and we did! We spent a week exploring the island, walking along the red rock beaches and even dressing up in outfits like the characters in the books. We had such a fabulous trip that for Christmas, Terry created a book with all of our photos so we can look back and remember.

We are looking forward to having a child to share these adventures with, and we are also excited to see what unique interests they will have so we can help them experience all the little and big things that make life so wonderful!

Our home
We live in a wonderful, safe community in a four-bedroom home with a fenced backyard and plenty of room to run and play. There are many playgrounds and parks nearby, and many family activities to enjoy. We live in a neighborhood with lots of children – in fact, the children from our neighborhood fill up their own school bus! At Christmas, all the families sit on their porches and wait because Santa makes a special trip to our street on a fire engine.

Maryland is a great place to live with so much to see and do. We enjoy taking weekend trips to places like New York City, Williamsburg, Virginia and Bethany Beach (we like the name and the beach itself), but also staying close to home where we take our dog for walks and explore nearby communities.

We share our home with our miniature poodle mix named Stella. We like to joke that Stella was supposed to be a cat because right after we were married we went to the local animal shelter to adopt a kitten. We looked at several cats, but we also happened to notice a little dog in a pen in the corner. Her hair was so long and matted that we couldn’t see her eyes, but we decided to say hello anyway. Within a minute or two of meeting her, Bethany told Terry, “This is our dog!” And the rest is history.

Stella enjoys napping, but she especially loves going for walks around the neighborhood and stopping along the way to visit with our neighbors and their children. Stella is a gentle dog, Terry’s little cousins adore her, and we know she will be patient with a baby.

Our promise & open adoption
We plan to share our child’s unique adoption story with them throughout their life. We want them to feel confident in the fact that they are loved and deeply cherished, not just by us but also by their birth family. As their first parents, we want to include you in a way that you are comfortable with and we are open to discussing any level of openness with you.

We deeply value education and will provide your child with opportunities to learn and explore their world. However, we believe the most important gifts parents can give come from the heart. We will raise your child with unconditional love and acceptance. We will teach them to be truthful and loyal, and to always do their best in whatever path they choose. We also promise to play Candy Land, splash in the pool, laugh at their jokes and always kiss and hug them no matter how old they are.

Thank you!
We appreciate your taking the time to learn more about us, and we would be honored if you would choose us as the family for your baby. We know this is a difficult decision and we truly want you to make the choice that is right for you. We wish you peace in your heart as you consider all of your options.

Terry & Bethany

Call toll-free: 1-866-206-2936
or email by clicking on the "contact us" button below

We are open to any question you may have. Our adoption friend and advisor, Mary Lisa, will get you in direct contact with us. She has been a great source of support for us on our journey, and we know she will take great care of you on yours. We look forward to hearing from you!