We fit the description work hard ... play hard. We both work in healthcare; Sarah is a Nurse Anesthetist, and Rishi is a Gastroenterologist. Both of our careers require focus, care, and compassion. We love that we can use our knowledge, skills, and training to help others and relieve their suffering.

When not working, we love to have fun. We regularly meet up with friends for family-friendly activities such as dinners at home, meeting up to watch sporting events, and picnics in the park. In addition, we both enjoy the arts and love going to concerts, musicals, and plays. Our city has more than one children's theater company, and Sarah cannot wait to take our child to the shows.

We love to travel, and we know there will be many road trips and international vacations in our family's future. We want to share our love of adventure and exploration with our child. Rishi has already started planning several nearby trips that would be great to take with a child.

Thoughts from Rishi: Sarah is loving, caring, sweet, patient, and always there to listen. She is thoughtful in her words and actions and will be a calming presence in our child's life. I love watching her interact with our nieces and nephew. Sarah always plans fun activities, such as setting up an arts and crafts station or organizing an epic hide-and-seek game. The children gravitate to her warm, fun-loving personality, and I cannot wait to see her share that kindness with our child.

Thoughts from Sarah: Rishi is organized, disciplined, intelligent, caring, and hardworking. One of my favorite things about Rishi is his big laugh – he's funny and lights up a room when he laughs. When our friends' children are around, Rishi loves to make them smile and laugh with his funny faces and the occasional "Dad Joke." He also loves sports and learning, so I know he will make a wonderful dad who will embrace the role of helping with homework and coaching on the sideline.

Rishi's parents were born in India and immigrated to the United States in their 20s. While growing up, Rishi celebrated Indian traditions such as Diwali, Holi, and weekly prayer service (Puja). In addition, he has fond memories of the home-cooked Indian food his mom made daily. We plan to continue these traditions of food and celebrations. Each year we celebrate Diwali with our friends, many of whom are also of South Asian descent, and we are excited to share these traditions with our child.

Sarah's parents grew up in western North Carolina. Her family is of Scottish descent. Her parents moved to Alabama in their 20s, and Sarah grew up in a small, close-knit community where her dad was a local college professor, and her mom was a nurse. Between the university activities and their membership in the local Methodist Church, this created a sense of community and family that still exists today. She has fond memories of the neighborhood Christmas Eve party, where they always drank hot chocolate and ate tamales.

Because we come from different cultures, we respect each other's backgrounds and do a great job celebrating each other. We will do the same for our child if they are from a different culture than our own. We believe it is important to learn and celebrate all types of people and would encourage the same for our child.

Our 4-bedroom home is located on a quiet street in a family friendly neighborhood. One thing we love about our home is the proximity to parks, nature trails, child-friendly restaurants and museums. Our favorite community park has a large green space, playground, amphitheater, tennis courts, and a stream. The best part is the local donut shop across the street where families like to stop in for a sweet treat after playing.

We are blessed to have very close friends in the neighborhood who have young children. We gather each month for a supper club where the children and adults get together. The parents are all such good friends, and it is heartwarming to see the children, (ages 1 – 8). forming these same close friendships. We are so excited to include our child as well.

Our town is known for their holiday celebrations and parades. One of our favorites is the annual 4th of July celebration. They block off the main street for a festival with food trucks, face painting, and live music. The evening culminates with a big fireworks show. We've found the best viewing spot to be from our neighborhood elementary school, which as a bonus is just a short walk from home.

Our extended families live in Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, New York and Louisiana. Sarah's parents live 40 minutes away and we see them frequently, as they help care for our dog, Nola, as well as enjoy catching up over dinner. Sarah's sister and husband have 3 children and live in Northern Virginia. We see them 3-4 times a year, including a tradition of meeting in their parents' hometown in North Carolina for a Thanksgiving celebration that we cannot wait to share with a child. We love playing with Sarah's nieces and nephews, who affectionately call Sarah by her nickname, Deedah, and grandparents, Grandmar and Pappy.

Rishi is from Louisiana, where his parents still live, and we see them 2-3 times a year. Rishi's dad continues to work but plans to retire in 1-2 years, and then his parents will relocate within 10 minutes of where we live now. During family visits, we enjoy home-cooked Indian meals and a tradition of cooking his mom's homemade lasagna for the holidays. Rishi's brother, Ravi, lives in New York. We get together 4-5 times a year, whether it's going to visit him in New York or continuing the tradition of enjoying college football weekend trips to support their team. This is something they both look forward to sharing with a child.

Thank you so much for reading our profile. We know you face a difficult decision as you consider placing your child for adoption. It cannot be easy or come lightly. We recognize your tremendous sacrifice in placing your trust in potential adoptive parents like ourselves. Our hope is this letter allows you to learn more about us and see how your child could fit into our loving family.

We are Rishi and Sarah. We met over 13 years ago when Rishi spotted Sarah across the room at a party at the local art museum. We quickly learned that although we came from different backgrounds, we had much in common. We value education, hard work, compassion, kindness, and adventure. We both worked in healthcare, Sarah was a young nurse and Rishi was completing his medical residency. We dated for 7 years (3 of them long distance) as we strengthened our bond.

Shortly before our wedding in 2015, we learned we would not be able to have biological children. This was a trying time for both of us, as having a family was something we looked forward to. After grieving the loss of traditional childbearing and ensuring our continued health, we opened our hearts to adoption. We have found that the adoptive process allowed us to examine ourselves and our desires for our family. We know that adoption is an honorable and humbling process and one that will make our family complete.

Rishi is a physician specializing in gastroenterology, and Sarah is a nurse anesthetist providing anesthesia at an academic medical center. Sarah has excellent flexibility in her work schedule. She also can transition to a part-time role when we welcome a child. Rishi is fortunate that he controls his schedule and can set aside time to attend special events.

As parents, we plan to raise and nurture a child in a home filled with warmth and love. We want to provide them with opportunities to learn and experience and allow them to become their authentic selves. Sarah will most definitely be the shoulder to cuddle into, and Rishi will be the one to encourage and inspire. Our sweet senior dog Nola will undoubtedly be their best friend.

We have extended family who cannot wait to welcome another family member. Sarah's parents, known by their grandparent names Grandmar and Pappy, love being grandparents and live only about 30 minutes away. Rishi's parents will be first-time grandparents, and we cannot wait to see what their grandparent names will be. In our family, your child will experience traditions such as Thanksgiving and summer vacations in North Carolina with Sarah's family, trips to New York City to visit Rishi's brother, and Diwali celebrations with Rishi's parents.

What we find so remarkable about adoption is as adoptive parents, we will only be a part of our child's story. You, the birth parent, make this loving relationship possible. We want you to be a continued part of your child's story and life if you are willing. We promise to send you letters and pictures, and if you would like, we are open to visiting with you too.

Thank you so much for considering our family. We will continue to hold you in our hearts as you walk this journey.

Sincerely,

Rishi & Sarah