To be a parent is to be a guide and a role model. Kids are incredibly impressionable and our job as parents is to lead them through every step of their lives as they learn new skills, handle new emotions, and form their identity.

We are fortunate to be parents to a four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son. It has been the greatest gift in our lives to be able to watch them grow. Our favorite part about parenting is seeing their little personalities shine through and the bond they form with each other. Rosalia is loud and funny while Killian is caring and assertive. Together when they play it is both loving as well as eventful and hilarious.

Kids are all unique individuals and we can't wait to add another personality to our family and watch them develop their own bonds and we form new loving and hilarious moments.

Our lifestyle is very family centric. Whether it be playing at the park, swimming at the pool, going to birthday parties, weddings, sporting events, or hanging out with our friends, the calendar on our refrigerator always seems to be filled with events. Brigid is a stay-at-home mom that always comes up with new games and activities to play with the kiddos.

We travel quite a bit, recently taking the kids to Colorado, Mexico, California, and Cape Cod. Brian works from home most of the time but occasionally travels to a big city or goes into the downtown office.

We also make sure we carve out time for ourselves for date nights or weekend getaways. We love trying new restaurants or meeting friends out in the city. We love watching sports, binging TV shows, or catching the latest big box-office movie.

Diversity and inclusion is a very important aspect of our lives. Chicago is a very diverse city and we love the wide-variety of festivals, foods, and people. We enjoy learning new cultures and traditions and including it into our lifestyles. When we moved to the suburbs we choose a town that mirrors our inclusive attitude.

Interracial marriage is present in our extended families and is something that is widely accepted within our friends, family, and community. Our block has several interracial families, and our kids go to pre-school and play sports and activities with kids from all races and backgrounds.

Although we are of the same race, if we are to adopt a child of a different race, it is important to us to learn more about their heritage and integrate that into our families' traditions and everyday lives and be proactive to seek out places that support and are owned by individuals of the child's race.

Our home is our forever home! We live in a four bedroom, four and a half bathroom house in an amazing suburb outside of Chicago. We love our renovated basement which includes a play area, gym, and movie theater. Our block is full of young families, with nearly 25 kids under the age of 10. Our daughter and son enjoy playing with the neighbors in one of the front yards and we all love our annual block party.

We live walking distance to four different parks, a pool, the elementary and middle schools, our pediatrician, and a cute downtown area that includes several family-owned restaurants / stores, and the local coffee shop which doubles as a weekend morning hang-out spot for families. During the summer/fall months, the town hosts weekly farmers markets and Wednesday night concerts. The town also hosts a slew of seasonal events such as the Holiday Walk, Halloween Witches Ride, and Father's Day Dash.

The local high school is routinely ranked in the top 100 best public schools in America. With such an amazing public school system, our neighborhood and the surrounding suburbs is a melting pot of races, religions, and ideologies which creates an incredibly active, safe, diverse, and welcoming community.

Because we started dating in high school, our extended families know each other well, which has resulted in fun shared events and holidays together. We are fortunate to be around our families often. Brigid's sister lives in Colorado but her two brothers and her youngest sister all live close by and all seven grandchildren hangout regularly, whether it be Sunday dinners, birthday parties, or night outs. Brigid's dad is a dentist in the area and Brigid's mom passed away a few years ago.

Brian's two brothers live nearby and Brian's sister recently moved to Texas, but facetimes her niece and nephew weekly. Brian's dad owned his own business before recently retiring, while his mom volunteers with a special needs non-profit. Brian's parents have a home in Colorado where we love traveling to a few times a year to ski, hike, and attend various outdoor festivals. We recently took a trip to Colorado with Brigid's entire family for Grampie's 70th birthday, which was a core memory for everyone.

Both sides of the family are very integral parts of our kids' lives. Whether it be Auntie Kitty hangouts or Boompa tea parties. Everyone is thrilled we have decided to expand our family and can't wait to meet the newest addition to our family.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us. We can't possibly imagine how overwhelming this decision must feel like, but we admire your courage and your selflessness. To even be reading this right now shows such incredible strength and bravery. We hope our profile can alleviate a bit of the anxiety and the unknown and provide peace of mind that your child will be safe, cared for, and loved.

The term family always had a loose definition for both of us growing up. Brian's family used to travel often and each "family trip" seemed to include a friend or group of friends who were all treated as part of the family. Brigid's home growing up was an open-door policy and became a safe space for any friend, neighbor, or extended family member that needed some of Brigid's mom's home-cooked meals or Brigid's dad's parental guidance. In several instances, non-family members lived with Brigid's family for extended periods of time. Each person that ever lived with them, or spent the night, or attended a single event, left being a part of the family. These welcoming environments had lasting impressions on us both. So, when the topic of family was first discussed long ago, both of us were not surprised we had the same dream to be a Foster Family or Adoptive Parents.

We met in middle school and hung around the same friend group in high school. Brian was struck by Brigid's warmth, sense of humor, and authentic personality. Brian likes to think his charm won Brigid over after years and years of bad jokes and charisma. Brigid saw Brian's potential as a partner and father through his kindness, leadership, and quick-witted nature. But the commonality of our shared long-term vision was something that pulled us closer together.

We have a playful and easy-going relationship. Being together so long, we have been able to overcome some traumatic life experiences together. Two examples being Brigid's mom passing away at such a young age and Brian's dad dealing with Alzheimer's, our relationship was able to grow together, and we have become stronger because of it.

We married in July of 2017 in Chicago surrounded by family and the same friend group we've shared since High School. While Brigid's nickname has been "Mom" for over 15 years, that nickname became a reality in 2019, when we had our daughter, Rosalia (Rosie). When COVID hit we moved out of our condo and bought a beautiful house in a friendly and inclusive suburb that has one of the top public school systems in Illinois. Our neighborhood is a melting pot of races, religions, and ideologies but all united in creating a family first environment. In 2021, we had our son, Killian (KJ). Two years later, our family still does not feel complete because our goal of being Foster Family or Adoptive Parents hasn't been reached yet. Which led us to American Adoption to start this journey.

Which brings us here, talking to you. This is all to say, we will support you and do everything in our power to be the best possible parents for your child. Words don't do it justice how unfathomably noble the choice you are considering is, and we don't want to ignore your role in that decision. You are loved. Your child will be loved. And we will always speak highly of you and stress upon your child the bravery and self-sacrifice it took for you to make this decision.

As years pass, we are more than happy to send letters and photos if that is something that will bring comfort and assurance on your decision. We hope one day you will have peace of mind knowing your child will be the baby of our family, undoubtedly spoiled by the mini-mom in training Rosalia, and protected by the sweet-hearted big brother KJ.

With love,

Brian & Brigid