Dear Birthmother,
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Our names are Terri and Brett. We live in a small town in Massachusetts, with our year and a half old daughter, Julia. We are grateful for this opportunity to tell you about ourselves and our dream of adopting another child. We admire your courage and selflessness in making an adoption plan for your child. We would raise your child to know of your generosity and love.
We are both managers for a financial investment firm. We have a two-story house on a five-acre lot on a street filled with families. We love to golf, take long walks in the state forest adjacent to our home, watch movies, and read. Brett has one sister, and Terri has both a brother and a sister. Terri’s parents live in Florida (a great place to visit), and Brett’s parents live close by.
We have always known that we wanted children. Unfortunately, after a number of unsuccessful fertility treatments and extensive testing, it was clear that we would not be able to become pregnant.
 Julia's arrival brought so much joy to our lives. We know she'll be a great big sister. |
Terri: I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. All the kids in the neighborhood played together and walked to school together. I loved playing in the woods, building forts, and riding my bike everywhere. That’s one of the reasons we chose the town where we live now. It reminds both of us of our wonderful childhoods.
I have a brother, and a sister. My brother, Alan Jr., is married with two children, Michael and Jessica, whom I adore. We get together frequently, especially during the summer, when they come over to play in our pool. Julia loves her “big” cousins, who dote on her. My sister, Julie, and I work for the same company, so we regularly have lunch together. Although my parents live in Florida, we still see each other about five times a year. And we talk on the telephone a couple times a week. In May of 2007, we took Julia to Florida for a visit. My parents love having their grandchildren visit because it feels more like a home when kids are around .When we arrived, my parents had a room set up for Julia with a crib, blankets, and stuffed animals to make her stay more comfortable and, of course, toys and new clothes. It was great to see my parents with Julia and how they love her as much as we do.
My mom, Jacqueline, stayed at home with us while we were growing up. She was a loving, involved parent who never hesitated to show her love for us with lots of hugs and kisses. We all sat down together at the dinner table and talked over our days. My dad, Alan, was a school teacher and guidance counselor. He was particularly skilled at talking with kids. He was very good at explaining to us what we did right or wrong in a way that we could understand and appreciate. I want to have that kind of clear, open communication with my children. I think it makes children feel safer to know what is expected of them.
 A day at the beach |
As a family, we used to go on picnics at the lake near our house. In the summers we would go mushrooming with our dad. In the winter, we would go sledding and ice skating. We used to get together with our extended family and friends for frequent dinner parties. My mom is a great cook, and everyone loved to be invited over for a meal.
I love to play golf, hike, work out, play the piano, and work on our house. It’s so satisfying to make a house into a home of your own. As a child, my family was into Christmas decorations. I still am. Not only do we decorate the outside of our house, but I am slowly acquiring enough decorations to have a little bit of Christmas in each of the rooms of our home. Julia really enjoyed seeing our house decorated and loved having family and friends over to help us celebrate. Brett and I treasured experiencing the holidays through Julia’s eyes. We can’t wait to see how Julia will introduce her brother or sister to our family traditions.
Although we celebrate most of the holidays at our parents’ homes, we have begun to host Easter. We invited the whole family over to dye eggs and hunt for chocolate eggs hidden throughout the house. This tradition has continued, and if we aren’t able to host for some reason, they are very disappointed. We’ve even had to celebrate Easter on another weekend, just so we can continue the tradition.
Brett: I grew up in a rural area outside of the suburbs of an East Coast city. My sister, Shannon, and I spent a lot of our time outdoors. We’d play in the woods, exploring the streams and ponds, catching frogs, and riding our bikes on the trails. My mother, Donna, worked as a teacher’s aide in our school. She was always involved in our activities, whether it was coaching my baseball team or driving my friends and me around. She was generous with hugs and praise. My Dad, Dennis, worked as a draftsman in the Navy, building submarines and battleships. When he was home, we would play ball and fish. (Now, we golf together.) As I think back, I realize how much I learned from him just by watching as he worked in the yard or on the family cars. He taught me the rewards of hard work, responsibility, and determination. I want to be that kind of role model for my children: I want to teach by example, knowing that the way Julia and our next child see me behave will inspire their behavior. My sister and I always knew how much our parents loved us. We grew up feeling safe in a loving, secure family.
We spent a lot of time at my grandparents’ house, having dinner, visiting with our aunts, uncles, and cousins. The women on my mom’s side of the family all have outsize personalities and I learned a lot from my aunts. We were taught the importance of respect, honesty, and sharing.
 Brett and Terri at a golf tournament. That's how we met |
Both of us: We met at a golf tournament sponsored by our company. When a terrible thunderstorm came up, we took cover in the corporate tent. We started to talk, and we were quickly attracted to each other. However, it took Terri to initiate the next contact. Brett spent days thinking about calling her, but couldn’t work up the courage to ask her out on a date. Fortunately, Terri asked him, and two years later we were married.
We were very happy together when it was just the two of us, but we’re even happier with Julia in our lives. We love taking her to visit family and friends, go on walks together, play outside in our yard, or work on crafts projects. Nothing beats snuggling together on the couch, reading a book or singing a song. We both like to work on our house and in our garden, and Julia “helps” us with these projects. We get such joy out of being with her. And we know that our joy will be even greater when we have a second child to hold and to kiss, to dance with and play with, to comfort and hug good night.
We love our home. There are decks off the kitchen and family room, and a pool and hot tub in our back yard. We have five bedrooms and a play room on the second floor, plus a finished basement with plenty of room for toys. Since Julia’s arrival, our house has become a children’s haven. We have a toy box in our living room overflowing with Julia’s favorite toys and books, and her latest artwork is always on our fridge. The upstairs play room is home to Julia’s bigger toys and there is still plenty of room here to share with a sibling. For safety purposes, we have gates in every doorway and locks on all the cabinets. We have nearly everything we want here: a great house, wonderful schools, excellent jobs, and friends and family close by, but we still long for another child to share in all of our happiness.
 Our house, a great place and a wonderful neighborhood to raise a child |
Brett: Terri is a loving and caring mother. She always seems to know exactly what Julia needs, and how to keep her happy. Terri’s love for Julia is written all over her face; she lights up whenever she’s with her. Terri is laid back, grounded, understanding, and fun. She works hard at her job and at home. Julia attends daycare and that will be our plan for another child. It’s a great place for her to learn, play and interact with other kids. She loves it, and we are thrilled with the care she is given. When Julia arrived, we both cut back on our previously-long work hours. We have made spending time with Julia our priority. It may not seem logical, but because of Terri’s ability to keep us organized, our lives are actually less stressful and more relaxed since we have become parents. We can get a little silly when we’re all together, clowning and dancing and singing around the house. For me it’s a great day when the house is filled with laughter. I’m a very lucky man.
 Terri is great with kids and knows how to talk and relate to them at their level. |
Terri is wonderful with all children, not just Julia. When we’re with our nieces and nephews, there just isn’t enough of Terri to go around. Every one of them wants her attention. At a recent visit to Terri’s brothers’ house, Terri brought out the tea party dishes and sat down on the floor with Julia and all the nieces and nephews. She even made sure to include her six-month old nephew. It was a lot of fun to watch her with kids of all ages keeping their attention and entertained.
Terri: Brett makes me feel safe and loved every day. He’s easy going, very patient, and family-focused. Brett is a hands-on dad. He changes diapers, gives baths, does laundry, and took his share of late night feedings. He is always reading on child development and is remarkably conscientious about Julia’s surroundings and safety. But, most of all he is loving. Daddy is her favorite playmate. He can be a real goof and knows how to laugh at himself. And once Brett starts laughing, Julia and I always join in. Brett and Julia have a wonderful father/daughter bond that warms my heart. I know that our next child will be just as enchanted with Brett, and will be just as adored by him.
 Julia with her favorite playmate at Halloween. |
During a recent summer, we had my niece Jessica for an overnight visit and he played with her in the pool for hours; they really bonded that day. That night we took her out to dinner and on the way they played a silly game using our dog’s name over and over replacing family members name with his to the point where he laughed so hard, he couldn’t stop. We had to pull over until he could regain his composure. One of my favorite stories about him is when we were at a horse race, and he bet on horse number two. During the entire race he was whooping and cheering for his horse, which was in the lead. He was ecstatic and jumping up and down. It was only when we saw the re-play that he realized that horse number two never even left the starting gate. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life — and neither has he.
When Brett’s nieces, Taylor and Abby, were little, he lived with his sister and brother-in-law. He was instrumental in helping to raise them. Whenever we are with them, they cling to their Uncle Brett. He always finds time to play with them or help them in any way possible. He has become important in the lives of my niece and nephew, Jessica and Michael, too. He has embraced them as his own. He loves to read to them, help with their homework, or just snuggle together in front of a movie. I love to watch them together.
Brett likes to takes Julia out for father-daughter time. He usually takes her shopping, for walks or to his parents’ house for a visit. I believe it makes their relationship stronger, and you can tell how much she adores him, because when he walks into the room after being away she is so excited to see him.
Both of us: We love being parents. We have a family-centered life, with a large and close extended family. We will raise our children with love, respect, and joy. We want to encourage our children to choose their own paths in life, while offering them the support needed to make those choices. We will provide our children with well-rounded educations, while exposing them to a wide variety of cultures and activities. We will be open and honest from the beginning about their adoption, and let them know how much you care. We would be happy to stay in touch with you after the adoption via letters and photos, if you wish.
We admire the generous decision you have made to find a loving, secure home for your child. Our attorneys, Steve and Joel Kirsh, will answer any questions you might have. Please call them at 1-800-333-5736. If they are not available when you call, they will call you back as soon as possible. If you would like to talk to us, we can be reached, toll-free, at 1-866-684-8648. We would be happy to hear from you.
We wish you all the best,
