We are an active and social couple. James is a bit more active and Sarah is a bit more social, but we even each other out. James is an avid drummer (former instructor) and snowboarder (also former instructor), as well as bicycling enthusiast, and he is learning kiteboarding. Sarah jogs around the harbor about three times a week and goes on long walks with our rescue dogs if not jogging. Sarah also loves to read novels, nonfiction, and the occasional historical romance. We also do yoga at home in the living room together and are big fans of the YouTube instructor, "Yoga with Adriene." We also love exploring the greater Chesapeake Bay area and will take our bikes out to various state parks and inlets to explore. We look forward to taking our child out for bike rides and James is especially excited to someday teach them how to snowboard. Additionally, we have a large circle of friends in the area, many from college and even high school. We love to host dinner parties, BBQs, and board game nights. We share a love for art in all forms, particularly music. We have an ever growing vinyl record collection, but we now only buy records from the artists at the shows we attend. We go to our local jazz club every other month, attend rock and comedy shows, and go to local art events whenever we can. We also recently went to see a Broadway play with Sarah's parents in New York. We believe art is essential to happiness, community, and connection and will provide our child with exposure to art from all cultures and backgrounds.

Sarah About James: I admire James's optimism, resilience, and calming nature. He is level-headed and great in a crisis. I also love how keenly intelligent and sharp witted he is. We can engage in great conversation and debate. James pushes me to be a better person both in being active and in being grateful for the little things. I also love that he consistently pursues his passions including cycling and playing drums. Finally, I also appreciate how important family is to him. He is fiercely loyal to his family and is an amazing son, brother, and uncle.

James About Sarah: Sarah is the most generous, caring, and nurturing person I know. For example, she pampers our two little dogs, sometimes feeding our elderly dog by hand. Additionally, she is wonderful with our nieces and nephews, always finding ways to spend special time with them such as doing make-up with our older niece or playing games with the boys. I see in Sarah, the type of mother who will hug our child—just a little too long—because she has so much love to give. In the outside world, I like to describe Sarah as "fierce" – she is well-organized, task-oriented, and gets stuff done. In that sense, she is an amazing partner and will be a fantastic co-parent and advocate for our child. Finally, Sarah has the most pure, unbridled laugh, which is just a little louder than everyone else, because she is filled with that much more joy to share.

We are committed to living in diverse communities, which is part of the reason we chose to buy a home in Baltimore City. Our local elementary school is diverse and there are diverse families living in our neighborhood. We believe there are many instances of systematic racism embedded in the policies and practices that govern our society including in education, healthcare, employment, and criminal justice policy. We are committed to recognizing and confronting privilege and advocating for policy change. We also understand that despite our best efforts, we will never be able to fully protect our future child from instances of discrimination and inequality. With that knowledge, we will always support our child with open communication and active listening. We will validate their experiences and provide access to communities based on their racial and cultural heritage. Finally, we plan to teach our child about their rights and empower them to safely advocate for themselves in situations where they may encounter adversity.

We live in a beautiful, three-story row house in a historic neighborhood in Baltimore, just two blocks from the water, and two blocks from a vast public park that's known as the "Best Backyard in Baltimore." We moved here from Washington DC during Covid-19 to have more space to work from home and prepare for a family and we are so glad we did! Our neighborhood's waterfront promenade stretches around the Harbor for miles, and we love watching July 4th fireworks from our rooftop as they light up the water. The park boasts multiple playgrounds, sports facilities, and a dog park. We're there almost every day walking our two dogs. We also take advantage of the park's public pool in the summer, peruse its flea markets or art fairs, or enjoy free outdoor community events like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra or 'Shakespeare in the Park.' Just half a mile away is a great public charter school for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, which has a very diverse student population. We have built great relationships with our neighbors and often have them over for BBQs. Halloween is the best holiday on our block, which is known for going overboard with huge decorations and everyone sits outside in folding chairs handing out candy. We love our house as well. It has four bedrooms and an outdoor back patio. Our home is bright and full of color. We love art and have decorated our house with art from local artists and friends.

We are blessed to have close families on both sides. Sarah's parents live in Massachusetts and also have a cabin on a lake in Maine. She has one younger sister, who is married with two young daughters and lives outside of New York City. We often meet at her sister's house for holidays and birthdays. James is the baby of his family and has an older sister and brother. James's brother is his best friend and he lives near us in Washington DC with his wife. We meet them regularly to go out to dinner or see a concert. His parents live in North Carolina where they moved to be close to his sister and brother-in-law and their three children. Every year we spend a week at Holden Beach, North Carolina with James's family and we often go for extended stays to his parent's home throughout the year. Our nephews and nieces are incredibly important to us. With every visit, we make sure we spend dedicated time with each of them including shopping for make-up and clothes, paintballing, getting ice cream, or playing video games or ping pong. James is affectionately known as 'Uncle Jimmy' and our younger nieces always squeal with delight when we FaceTime. We stay in close contact with both families not only through phone calls, but also on family group text chats all day long.

We are deeply in awe of your strength and courage as you consider this incredible decision. We feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude that you're taking the time to learn about us. We can only imagine the emotions you are experiencing. Our hearts are open and we would be honored to welcome your child into our lives with unconditional love, care, and endless support. We have always dreamed of becoming parents, and hope that through our story, you'll see the love, stability, and joy we are excited to share with a child.

We have not been without our own struggles and challenges including James's cancer diagnosis early in our relationship and infertility. These periods of uncertainty however, have made us more grateful for the present moment and the love and support we experience in each other and our friends and families. We also believe that these times have made us better prepared to be parents in that we have expanded our perspectives on what is truly important in life.

We have been married for just about three years and together for six. We are both professionals, a lawyer and a management consultant, living in a vibrant and diverse urban community. We pride ourselves in our careers and work hard, but do not let them consume our lives. We both primarily work from home, which gives us time to enjoy our neighborhood including large parks and waterfront promenades, cafes and farmers markets, and the art and culture of our city. We have two beloved small rescue dogs, Benny who is 13 and Wallace who is six. We both consider our siblings our best friends and talk to them all at least weekly, if not daily. In addition to our families, we invest in our friendships and seek ways to bring people together whenever possible. We like to travel within reason, but also love our home and enjoy working on home projects such as Sarah's modest garden on the back patio. We are fun-loving, adventurous (James a bit more than Sarah), and dedicated to life-long learning.

As parents, we will provide the love and the resources to create an environment where our child is educated, their talents are cultivated, and they are encouraged to explore themselves and the world around them. A child's curiosity should be nurtured, and we will encourage them to ask questions and seek knowledge. While we know we cannot prepare our child for every challenge they will face in the world, we have faith that with our mutual love and respect, appreciation for diverse perspectives and experiences, and the support of our friends and families they will have the resources and knowledge needed to achieve positive outcomes.

When we think about the future, we are filled with joy and appreciation for the opportunity to build a family and it is one that includes you. Our door will always be open to you and your family as your child grows. We are committed to sharing milestones and little moments through pictures, letters, FaceTime phone calls, and in-person visits. We will always be honest with your child about how they came into the world and how so many people love them and want the best for them. Please know, you are always welcome as a part of this family and your child's life.

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us. We are looking forward to getting to know you and hope this is the beginning of a life long journey we will take together. You are in our thoughts regardless of your choice.

Sincerely,

James & Sarah