Having a family was something we both knew early on was something we wanted. As a same-sex couple, we explored our options and ultimately chose adoption. While it's a difficult journey, both for the birth parents and adoptive parents, the result is a beautiful thing. A child is given a chance at life that they may not have had otherwise. No matter the circumstance, the child is provided with endless amounts of love.

In 2022, we adopted our daughter, Mia. It has been the best gift we have ever received. The amount of joy we've had as parents is infinite and the love we have for her is like no other. Knowing that we are responsible for this little girl has pushed us to be better every day. The decisions we make as a couple directly impact someone else, so she's the first thing we think about when deciding on something important.

We also believe that adoption should be a shared experience. We're advocates for having an open relationship with a child's birth parents. We know our daughter will have questions one day, and we want her to know how loved she is by both her birth parents and adoptive parents. Birth parents wouldn't make such a selfless choice if they didn't love their child.

We enjoy keeping active and have a fair share of similar interests. We both love to cook and bake. John has mastered homemade pizza, sauce and meatballs (known as "gravy" in John's Italian household), and chocolate cakes. Steve has perfected chicken pot pie and bakes the best chocolate chip banana bread! We like exploring new places, trying different restaurants, and going to concerts just to name a few.

We also enjoy time at home. Taking walks with our daughter around the neighborhood and finding fun activities she enjoys, like trips to the park or zoo. We love decorating our home for the different holidays, reading a good book, binging the latest TV show, swimming in the pool during the summer, and spending time with family and friends.

When the weather is nicer, we love to spend time outdoors, taking care of the landscaping around our house and tending to our garden where we like to grow vegetables.

John About Steve: Meeting Steve was life changing. His passion for life caught me by the hook from day one. He is witty, kind, smart, and hard-working. Watching how he interacts with our daughter, nieces, and nephews has proven to me what an incredible team we are together. Steve truly challenges me to be a better person. Being with him made me realize early on that life is that much better when you share the days with someone you love.

Steve About John: There are so many things about John that have affected my life in such a positive way. He continually reminds me how important it is to cherish the time we have together and focus on making memories. His zest for life, drive to help others, and passion for family and friends has made him an amazing life partner. One of my favorite things each day is seeing him with our daughter, Mia. He is such a patient, loving, and present father. Her eyes light up every time he enters the room, and I can't wait for the day he can provide that same love to another child.

We live in a traditional colonial single-family home that sits on just under an acre. It's a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath with a finished basement and a sunroom – which is a dedicated playroom for our daughter where we love to spend time and make memories. We live in an amazing suburban neighborhood filled with families and kids of all ages about 40 minutes outside of Philadelphia, and only two hours from New York City, Washington D.C., and the Jersey Shore.

When purchasing our home, we wanted a neighborhood where our daughter would grow up having friends who live across the street where they can play outside, ride the school bus together, and so much more. We have a community club that offers a pool, sports, and plenty of activities for kids of all ages. They have a wonderful fireworks display every 4th of July.

We take pride in our home. Steve enjoys gardening and landscaping, and we love to find charming ways to decorate our home. Holidays are important in our household which also means that decorating is essential. You can bet that John has multiple decorations for both the inside and outside!

Our house is in a vibrant town and close to schools (our school district ranks in the top 15 in the state), a state university, grocery stores, parks, hospitals, train stations, and plenty to do for entertainment. There are also a lot of organizations and activities for kids to join to play sports, participate in clubs, etc.

One of the first things we connected on was the importance of family. Even more so, the importance of one day having a family of our own. Our feelings for that were rooted in the fact that we were both fortunate to have grown up in loving, safe, and happy homes.

Steve has an older brother and sister, and John has an older sister, brother, and younger brother. We live about 10 minutes from Steve's parents (Nanny and PopPop) and about 15 minutes from John's mom (Noni), and together we have four nieces and two nephews. Most of our family is less than a 45-minute drive from our home.

Making memories and hanging out is something we prioritize. We are often together for family dinners, game nights, holidays, or summer afternoons by the pool. We are also close to our extended families - aunts, uncles, and cousins. Even as we get older, we still take family vacations together, spend holidays at each other's homes, and enjoy a summer BBQ with one another. Annual vacations to the Jersey Shore for fun on the beach and boardwalk or The Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve are a few of the fun traditions we look forward to each year. Many of our cousins have now started families of their own, and it's always a fun time having all the families and kids together and playing with one another.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our story. While we won't guess how you are feeling or the emotions you are experiencing, we understand that making this decision is difficult. We hope that learning a little more about us through our profile helped ease some of the worry or questions you may be facing.

A little back history on us. We met online in June 2015 and had our first date on June 26. June 26 isn't a national holiday, but it was the same day the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage. Fast forward five years, and we are fortunate that the Supreme Court made that decision as we married in 2020 surrounded by our immediate family.

We both knew very early on that building a family of our own one day would be important. It was something we often talked about. We couldn't wait for the day that we'd be able to build traditions with our kids and celebrate the big and small moments. To experience their firsts, and to support them through life's ups and downs. Having both been raised in a close-knit family, we have such a strong desire to provide that for our children. We want them to have fulfilling lives, and be able to look back on their childhood with such great memories.

In 2022, our dreams of becoming parents came true. Our daughter, Mia, was born prematurely at 31 weeks. It was two weeks exactly from the day we were asked to be her parents to the time she was born. Everything happened quickly and our first time meeting Mia was in the NICU, and while that was scary, it's amazing to see her now as a vibrant little girl full of life. She walks everywhere, learns new words everyday, and loves exploring the outdoors. We are forever grateful to her birth mother for asking us to be her parents. While we didn't get to know her before Mia was born, we regularly stay in contact with her today through text messaging and FaceTime.

Open adoption is something we have come to value through our first adoption experience, and we really would like for our future children - one in which we can exchange communication, share pictures, and build a relationship with you. Adoption is a part of Mia's story and will be a part of our future children's lives. It's something we will openly discuss and proudly embrace. Our kids will understand the selflessness and courage of their birth parents. We also understand that you are on your own journey, and we respect your space, feelings, and desires.

We are excited to be at the point in our lives to welcome another child into our family. We have so much love to give. Having grown up with siblings, we look forward to providing our daughter with that same experience - a built-in best friend. Someone to share secrets with, or to go sledding with in the winter, razz their dads about a "dad joke", open presents with on Christmas morning, or trick-or-treat on Halloween.

We are more than ready to share our love with another child, and we welcome the ability to share the child's life milestones with you. While we cannot relate to what you are considering right now, we can only imagine the decision is a difficult and emotional choice. We want you to know that we will provide a home filled with love and support and a life full of amazing memories.

We truly appreciate the time you've spent getting to know us. Thank you!

Steve & John