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Dino & Janna are hopeful adoptive parents from Washington waiting to adopt a baby.

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

We are so grateful and impressed that you are considering parenting your child through adoption. Thank you for reading our letter. We’ve tried to describe ourselves in a way that will help you make your decision, because as much as we want to expand our family, we believe it is more important for you to choose what is best for you and your baby. Please trust your instincts and follow your heart. That is what we have done, and why we are writing to you.

Since we became a couple twelve years ago, our plans for the future always included two children we assumed would be born to us. After several years of trying to have a baby, we learned that what we really wanted was not just to be pregnant, but to be parents. Our daughter, Riley, was born in January 2008, and we finalized her adoption shortly thereafter. She is the single best thing that ever happened to us, and not a day goes by when we do not think about how lucky we are. Because we had to work very hard to become parents, we do not ever take it for granted.

Dino has three sisters and Janna is an only child. We are committed to raising siblings, because we want our kids to experience childhood together and be able to share memories with each other after we are gone. Our extended families live nearby, and they are just as excited as we are to welcome a new baby. We think we have the best of both worlds – Dino’s family is big and busy, with lots of aunts and uncles and cousins of all ages. With sixteen nieces and nephews, holidays are cozy and wonderfully chaotic. Janna’s family is smaller, but spending time together is a priority. Her mom and dad absolutely love bring Grandma and Papa. Grandparents have been powerful, loving influences in both of our lives, and we want our children to benefit from strong relationships with theirs.

We live in Seattle, in a neighborhood with plenty of parks and a beach nearby. With Riley, we have personally tested all the best playgrounds and pools. Our street is full of young families, and we love the fact that both our next-door neighbors are the type you could ask for a cup of sugar in your pajamas on a Saturday morning. Our home is a warm and comfortable place, with room to play and a fenced backyard full of grass and flowers.

Our jobs allow us to enjoy both financial stability and the flexibility to put our family first. Dino is a high school teacher and volleyball coach. Janna is an adoption attorney. We love exploring the city, especially now that we get to do it with Riley. She comes with us everywhere, in a wagon, backpack or bike trailer. We also have a wonderful group of friends to keep us company at the zoo, children's museum, pumpkin patch, and swimming pool.

Our parents believed that the most important thing they could give us was their time. We share that belief, and our children will always be the first priority in our lives. We have learned a tremendous amount since becoming parents almost two years ago. Though we are far from perfect, our experience with Riley has only confirmed our commitment to parenting and our desire to raise a second child. We will love both of our children completely and provide a healthy, comfortable, and supportive home.

As you decide what’s best for your baby’s future, and for your own, we wish you peace.

- Janna and Dino