Even before we knew each other, we both individually knew we wanted to be parents, and when we met, we saw and loved that desire in each other. Even as teenagers, Amanda and Imran were both the designated babysitters for their family kids, and spent many days playing, snuggling babies to sleep, and getting to watch these amazing humans grow up knowing they were loved and safe. We both knew we wanted this in our own family as well.

We discussed adoption very early in our relationship, as both of us had always wanted to be open to adoption. We knew this would be true whether or not we also had biological children, but these feelings only grew stronger as we struggled with infertility. We know that adoption may not always be an easy road, and that it comes with its own set of struggles and challenges, but we believe we are up to the challenge. We did not arrive here suddenly, and we do not seek to replace an experience that we are "missing out on." We have longed for many years to be parents, and we are bursting with love to shower on a little one.

We are an interracial couple. Imran is a first-generation Pakistani American who was born in Pakistan and moved to the United States when he was a baby. Amanda is of Ukrainian, Spanish, and Italian ancestry, though her family has been in the States long enough that we mainly identify as "American," with a few traditions and customs that we hold from our heritage.

We have shared our cultures with each other throughout our relationship, from Imran's uncle teaching Amanda to make curries, to Amanda making homemade lasagna with Imran's cousins visiting from Pakistan. Our wedding was a mixture of all our worlds, with a Muslim Nikkah, a Pakistani Shaadi, and a more traditionally American wedding.

We both love to learn about each other's cultures and want to share our own stories and culture with a child, as well as learning about and helping them explore their own. We are fortunate to be surrounded by friends and family of diverse backgrounds, religions, and beliefs, and are confident that this will encourage the child to embrace their own cultural heritage.

Amanda About Imran: I first noticed Imran because of his sense of humor and his wit. He always made me laugh and I immediately felt safe and comfortable around him. I still love these qualities in him, but I have come to admire him in a way I hadn't expected when we first started dating, over a decade ago. He is honest, always challenging me to be the best version of myself while making me feel valued and supported just as I am. He is ambitious and determined, and will work exhaustively to provide for our family, even when faced with challenges. He is also fun and goofy, and I still find myself giggling as I watch him dance bhangra with our puppies or dramatically reenact Harry Potter scenes in our living room, collectible wand in hand. But mostly, I love that he's kind and isn't afraid to express his emotions or shower affection on the people he loves.

Imran About Amanda: When I first met my wife, I was a bit intimidated by her intelligence, determination, and playful spirit. She was not only fun to be around, but she was gifted with many talents, from excelling in her classes in law school to theatrical performances in front of thousands, and everything in between. As talented as she is, she is an even better person who radiates kindness and gives unconditional love to those closest to her.

We live in the suburbs of Atlanta, a quick drive to Stone Mountain, the Georgia Aquarium, hiking trails, and a few national parks. We live just minutes from some of our chosen family, who we often join for summer cookouts and winter dinner parties. We love to take walks around our neighborhood with the pups and, hopefully, a child in the future. We recently moved to this area specifically to be closer to many of our friends and family who have little ones of their own.

Our house is a sweet three bedroom, two and a half bath, with a fenced backyard that would be perfect for a swing set or playhouse. We currently have an empty bedroom that we are turning into a nursery/playroom. Amanda works from home and Imran works hybrid, and we each have home offices that reflect our playful personalities. Amanda's office is filled with windows that view the backyard, with space for her art and crafting. Imran's office houses his hockey trophies and some sports and Batman memorabilia he's collected over the years. However, our favorite room is our open living/dining room where you'll find us playing board games, watching movies, eating family meals, and talking and snuggling in front of the fireplace.

We come from very different families, but with many similar values.

Amanda is the youngest of 6 kids, with 12 nieces and nephews, who would all be thrilled to have another little cousin to love. Imran is the oldest in his family, with one younger brother. One similarity between us was growing up in homes with multiple languages. Amanda grew up switching between English and Spanish with her mother and grandmother, while Imran grew up speaking English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu in his home, and he later learned Spanish. Holidays are a big deal in both of our families, with lots of home cooking (from curries to lasagna and pierogies), and shared stories (and sometimes heated debates) around the table. With Christmas, Thanksgiving, Ramadan, Eid, birthdays and more to celebrate with our families, we also love and value quiet time with each other.

While we do not live in the same town as our immediate family, we visit them often. We are also wildly blessed to have a large extended chosen-family, full of friends and family friends who live nearby and who regularly celebrate birthdays and holidays with us. All of our families and friends are thrilled about the possibility of us adopting and are already discussing the excitement of a possible new family member and playmate to add to the mix.

We are Amanda and Imran, and we are very excited for the opportunity to introduce ourselves! Although writing this letter is a little intimidating, we hope it gives you a better sense of who we are.

Amanda grew up in a small town in North Carolina and, as self-proclaimed nerd, she spent most of her high school and college years studying, performing at the local theater, and running around at theater festivals with her best friends. After college, she worked in professional theater as an educator and actor. While she now works as a corporate attorney, Amanda's love of art and literature continues, and she spends her free time painting, sewing, and taking dance classes.

Imran was born in Pakistan and moved to Georgia (US) when he was a baby. Growing up in an immigrant household, he was taught the value of education, hard work, and persistence at an early age. His love for hockey started when Imran watched his own dad play, and Imran still plays hockey to this day. He grew up with a large group of friends, many of whom (along with their wives and children) have become our extended family. Outside of his role as a Service Delivery Manager, he is well loved for his ability to make anyone laugh, and his dancing at weddings has a reputation of its own.

The two of us met in law school and connected over a shared appreciation of comedy and a highly competitive game of bocce ball. Pretty quickly we were spending all our spare time together studying, dancing, watching movies, and pretty much non-stop laughing. We have been together for 10 years and married for 8. We have supported one another through celebrations and challenges. From law school graduations, bar exams, and new jobs, to the loss of both our fathers, we have been each other's cheerleaders and supporters.

We discussed adoption early in our relationship, as we both felt it was important to be open to building a family through adoption, should we be able to do so. We knew we might struggle building our family "naturally". Many of Amanda's sisters struggled with fertility, and we knew this would likely be a reality for us as well. We didn't know how hard it would be, but ?" like everything else ?" we tackled it together. After many years without success, we realized that our story would be different. We decided, together, that it was time to make our adoption plan.

The life we have built together is nothing extraordinary, but it is beautiful and filled with family, both blood and chosen. While we value spending time out with friends, we also appreciate time at home to just be together. We look forward to the days when Amanda can fingerpaint with a little one and share her love of singing (even if it's The Wheels on the Bus on repeat in the car), or when Imran can take a little buddy to the rink to meet his hockey team or to grill and swim together over a long summer weekend. We long to introduce a child to their cousins, to watch movies by the light of the Christmas tree, and to share the excitement of family vacations where we can learn more about the big world we live in. We also can't wait for simple moments like Saturday pancake breakfasts or dancing around the kitchen as a family before settling in for dinner.

We can't imagine how you must be feeling trying to make this decision, and we want you to know that we are grateful you are even considering us. We appreciate the importance and the depth of this decision, and we want you to feel as comfortable as possible. We would love to share milestones, pictures, and stories with you via letters or phone calls.

We hope you see in this letter our longing and our love, but we also hope you feel you got to know us a bit better. We hope that your journey forward is blessed and smooth, no matter which direction it goes. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Warmest wishes,

Imran & Amanda