We find respect for others, tolerance, empathy and love the most important values that we wish to pass to the children we parent.

We are big believers of teaching children diverse schools of thought and letting them decide their own path. Education and learning are important to us and our future children. We believe at the core of a good person is kindness and empathy. Andrea's mom and dad taught her this through their loving actions and she believes this is the best way to pass these values along to children.

We think of children as fascinating little people - we believe in encouraging a child to have their own thoughts and ideas and we get a kick out of watching them grow and learn. We look forward to teaching your child while we experience life together as a family and getting involved in their hobbies and interests as they get older.

We lead a "medium-paced" lifestyle. We love the home we've created, so we enjoy it together by cooking, playing board games and video games, doing puzzles, gardening, relaxing on the patio or just lounging and watching our favorite TV shows and movies with our cats in our laps, and one day soon our child snuggled in between us.

We love to try new restaurants, hit up the arcade where we get to race go-karts (we're kids at heart!) stroll our many local parks and beaches and visit friends and family.

Matt works from home three days a week as a technology executive, and Andrea has her own design business with a flexible schedule and also manages their investment properties. We truly love spending time with one another, we even go grocery shopping together! The thought of spending all that time with a child of our own is something we've wanted for a long time and are simply ecstatic at the thought!

We will do everything to learn about and expose your child to the traditions and values his or her ancestors held. We are lucky enough to live in an area where there are many cultural events and communities that we are looking forward to becoming a part of. Whatever culture speaks loudest to your child is the one we will foster as they grow.

We already love learning about other cultures, so this is something we will embrace whole heartedly.

We already have a Christmas tree with Chanukah ornaments, a menorah, Nordic Santas, a Tibetan singing bowl, a small Buddha statue and Asian art in our home. If it brings our family meaning, warmth and belonging, we will welcome it!

We love traveling, especially to discover something new like culture, food, art and landscapes. This would be a love we wish to pass along to our children by traveling with them. Exposing our child to not only their own culture, but to other people's culture, is equally important to us. Understanding what others believe in and how they live creates compassion and inclusivity, not to mention our child might learn something new about themselves or find new passions.

We live in a suburban neighborhood in southwestern Connecticut with a fantastic grade school, restaurants, coffee, ice cream and donut shops, a brand new comic store, bodega and train station all within walking distance. We're friendly with our neighbors who have two young boys, 5 and 2, and other close-by neighbors who have small ones. There are many young families around our area.

Halloween is very popular in our neighborhood and in fact some families drive over to our street to let their kiddos go trick or treating. We love seeing all the costumes!

Our home is a modest size with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom on each floor. We have a cozy TV room upstairs, or we can spread out in our finished basement with our HUGE TV and Matt's collection of video games and car racing steering wheel with pedals! We have a fireplace we love to use often, a patio with no shortage of lounge chairs and plenty of grass for lawn games and our annual July 4th party!

There's never a shortage of things to do in our small city. We have active farms with animals for petting, arboretum for a walk along the trail and to learn about the trees and flowers, a big park with an indoor carousel, ice skating rink in the winter and outdoor events in the summer. We have a huge club with indoor courts, trampolines, Olympic size pool, rock climbing, parkour and summer camp options.

We understand that families come in all shapes and sizes and we are no different. Our close friends ARE our family, or as we say "framily." Their kids call us "Aunt" and "Uncle." We vacation and spend holidays together. We believe love is love, no matter where we come from and since we don't have large families ourselves this is so special to us.

Our framily lives in a few surrounding states, but we make a point to make plans often. Our last big trip together was on a campground where we each had our own cabin. It was so much fun hopping around cabin to cabin, gathering for BBQ dinners, riding bikes, swimming, fishing and playing lots of games. It felt like we lived in our own little village!

Matt's dad and step mom live close by in New York City and we see them often. We usually find new restaurants to eat or go see a show. Every year we make a point to go to the Big Apple Circus! Matt's mom and step dad live in Florida, so we see them once a year and enjoy boating around beautiful Florida waters.

Our family is SO excited and supportive of our choice to build our family through adoption!! Our parents and step parents just can't wait to have a grandchild to love and spoil. AND, one of our nieces has already made up her mind that she wants to adopt too.

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to read about us. We understand what an important and difficult decision you are faced with. Whatever path you choose takes a great amount of courage and your bravery is an inspiration to us. We understand you may or may not have support from your family, friends and community, but please know that you will have our support every step of the way. This will become our journey together if you choose us.

We've been together for 12 years and married for 8 and we've spent just about every day together since we met because we're not only a loving couple, but truly best friends! Laughter and thoughtful, respectful (and sometimes the dumbest) conversations can be heard around us and hugs and affection are always in abundance.

We're very content and happy with our lives. With a loving and supportive group of family and friends, a warm and inviting home in the suburbs and successful and enriching careers, we are more than ready to open our home and our hearts to your precious child.

We tried having a baby on our own, and when we realized that would not be a reality, we turned to adoption with enthusiasm. This never, ever felt like a second choice for us. We both know what a special gift adoption is through family and friend experiences and we both considered adoption even before we knew we would not be able to conceive on our own. Few things bring us as much joy as spending time with our friends' children and watching as they grow. All we want more than anything is to have the same. Family means love, biological or not.

We will always value and honor your wishes during and after the adoption journey. This includes the level of communication while you're pregnant, the day of giving birth and the many years to follow. As a woman, Andrea has tried putting herself in your shoes. While she has her own fears, she understands you have just as many, if not more. How could Andrea ever keep you, your child and your story a secret? How could she not let you see photos of your sweet baby as they grow, or even say hello if that is your and your child's wish?

We believe in and practice communicative, honest relationships and those with your child would be no different. Our plan is to be open about you and your journey and to foster an environment where questions and curiosity are encouraged by your child, our family and those around us.

We promise to tell your story and tell it often, because your story is our story. We will tell your child from day one, even when a baby, how brave and unselfish you are, how you will always be our hero and forever hold a special place in all our hearts. We will remain in contact as much as you'd like us to be. This can be over text, email, photo swaps, phone calls and even yearly visits!! We will not ever fade away from you.

Of course, we hope you choose us. But if you do not, all the best to you and your baby and remember–everything happens for a reason.

Yours Truly,

Matt & Andrea