We are Carol and Dave. We welcome this opportunity to tell you about ourselves. We want you to have all the information you need to make a decision that you think is best for you and your baby.

We have been married for more than six years. We've always wanted to bring a baby into our hearts and our home. After years of trying, we have been unable to conceive a child. We are eager to give your baby a loving home filled with laughter, hugs, and supportive guidance. It's another way of giving life: not giving birth, but giving a lifetime of security and stability, encouragement and love. That's what we dearly want to do.

We live in the suburbs of a medium-size Midwestern city, just twenty minutes from downtown. Carol is an elementary school teacher, and Dave is a civil engineer in construction management.

Carol: I am the third of four children, and most significantly, the only girl with three brothers. Growing up, I often felt like I had four fathers, because my three brothers were always looking out for me. We've always been a close family. My parents and all my brothers live close by, which is wonderful because we love spending time together. My whole family, including nieces and nephews, often come to our house on the weekends for barbeques and throughout the year. We also go on vacations together.

My parents have always been a strong influence in my life. My dad was a vice-president at a local bank, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. There was never any doubt that their children were the center of their lives. They were at all of our academic and athletic events. They helped us with school work, welcomed our friends, and encouraged all of us to work hard and take pride in our work. We were active in our church, a big part of our upbringing. I loved our family vacations to Florida. We'd spend long days at the beach, playing in the water and in the sand. With three brothers, there was always a game going on-and I was never left out. We'd spend holidays with our extended family, visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My mom was one of fourteen children, so any family gathering was a major event. When we got together, there was lots of conversation, laughter, and food-and lots of kids running around. It was wonderful, and perhaps one of the reasons I love being surrounded by children now.

I enjoy being a teacher. It is rewarding to encourage a child's curiosity and to see how he or she learns. It is so gratifying to comfort an anxious child, and to support him or her to take risks and to try new things. Nothing is better than watching a child finally understand a new concept-and see the light in his or her eyes when he or she has it right. I can't wait to have these experiences with our child, watching our baby explore the world, encouraging our child as he or she learns to read, watching anxiously as our teenager begins to drive. I have been teaching part time for the past two years, and when our baby arrives, I will stay home full time.

When Carol met Dave, she could immediately tell what a great dad he was to Chris.

I'm lucky. I already know what it's like to help to raise a child who isn't my biological child. And more importantly, I know that loving a child doesn't require giving birth to him or her. For you see, I met Dave at the school where I am a teacher and where he had a son, Chris, in the fifth grade. I used to watch Dave pick up Chris at the end of the school day. Not many dads were waiting for their kids; it was mostly moms. So Dave stood out. I was struck by the relationship between Dave and Chris. Dave was so attentive as he asked Chris how his day had gone. When he asked Chris a question, Chris was always so excited to tell him, and Dave truly seemed interested in the answer, unlike so many parents I witnessed who took their kids for granted. It warmed my heart. I didn't realize until later that Dave had noticed me, too. (But I'll let him tell that part of the story.) When Dave and I started dating, I learned that he had fought hard to get shared custody of his son when his first marriage ended. Chris spent Wednesday through Sunday of every week living with his dad. And out of this grew a very special father/son relationship, a very close, very loving one.

I not only married a man I love, I also got a son I love. Chris is a blessing to us, and we cherish every moment that we have with him. However, we have always dreamed of a baby to add to our family. (Chris is very excited and can't wait for a baby brother or sister, too.) I have no doubt that when we bring a new baby into our lives, Dave and I will love that child with all our hearts.

Dave: I am the eldest of three children. My parents have been married for nearly 50 years. Their love and support of me and my two sisters, has been a true gift in my life. My dad was a hospital administrator, and my mom was at home full-time. They both led by example, teaching us the importance of family and what it means to care for each other. My dad was always busy with his job, but he still took the time to volunteer in the community, and he was never too busy for his family. Both of my parents were at my games, whether I was playing football, basketball, baseball, or running track. They taught me to take pride in my work, and that just because a task is tough doesn't mean it can't be done-and done well. I was raised to keep my word, to do what I said I'd do. I have raised Chris with these same values, and I will teach them to my new child as well. I want my children to be confident that they can trust me to do as I promise, to always be there for them, and to be certain in my love for them.

Dave fell for Carol while watching her work with her students. "I loved the way she cared for the kids."

Our home was always open to our extended family and to our friends and neighbors. There was always a game being played in the neighborhood, and a lot of them were played in our back yard. We regularly sat down to family meals together, and that's a tradition I've continued in my own home. I love to cook bacon and French toast on weekend mornings for Carol and Chris.

When I was a child, we went on family vacations to Florida, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. We often visited relatives for a family celebration. And that's something else that has continued. My extended family continues to travel to celebrate with each other. My aunt and uncle came from Vermont to attend Chris's high school graduation.

Carol told you that we met when Chris was in grade school. What she didn't tell you was that I noticed her, too. I loved watching her with her pupils. I could see her concern for the children, whether it was playing a game with them, helping them with a craft, or calming them by reading a story. I loved the way she cared for the kids. And I couldn't help but notice how pretty she was (and still is). I asked Chris to find out if she was "Miss" or "Mrs." I was very happy when he reported back that she was a "Miss." At our wedding, Chris tattled on me in his speech as best man, telling all of our guests that I used my 10-year-old son to gather information on Carol.

Our house is a neighborhood gathering place for kids and adults.

Carol is a wonderful wife. We share the same values and many of the same interests. She makes me smile when she comes home with stories about events in the classroom. She is relaxed with her students, all the while teaching them accountability, organization, and responsibility. She's outgoing and loves to make me laugh. She's very organized and very efficient. (I, on the other hand, can start fifteen different projects at once-and get distracted before I finish one of them.) Carol loves dogs, not just our dog, Riley, but all dogs. Sometimes we dog-sit for the neighbors, and when we do, Carol takes pictures and writes a dog diary for their return.

Nothing could be better than a quiet evening at home together, with some good food and the time to talk, read, or watch some TV. But we also like to be active. I like to play golf and softball. Together, we work out at a health club, play racquetball, ride bikes, and go for long walks. We enjoy spectator sports, too, football, baseball, and basketball. We both like to entertain, and love that the neighbors congregate at our house-adults and kids.

Riley, our beloved companion.

We live in a beautiful, four bedroom home. Our neighborhood is filled with children. There are sidewalks for walking and riding tricycles. Neighbors are always out in the yards. We live near a big park where we take our nieces and nephews to play whenever they come to visit. We have a wooded backyard with a deck and a finished basement with a pool table and a small office. Our favorite room is our family room, which is really the gathering place for friends and family. In the winter there's always a fire burning in the fireplace, and in the summer we can enjoy the outdoors, as it opens onto the deck. We imagine the room with toys scattered throughout, and the music of a child's chatter and laughter.

We're eager to welcome a new member to our family.

We will raise your child as we were raised: with a strong understanding of the importance of family and with faith in God. We will encourage him or her to take pride in his/her work and self. We will always be present, cheering successes and helping him or her to learn from failures. We will model responsibility, clear communication, common sense, hard work, and accountability. We will give a child a life full of love and happiness. And, just as importantly, we will be sure that our child realizes the tremendous love and courage his or her birth mother demonstrated in making an adoption plan for her precious child. In our home, your baby will grow-up knowing that you were our hero, our angel.

If you choose us as parents for your precious baby, we will gladly provide you with letters and photos, letting you know how your child is getting along.

We are happy to answer any other questions you may have. If you contact our attorneys, Steve or Joel Kirsh, at 1-800-333-5736, they will answer your questions, or arrange for us to talk with you by telephone, or meet with you, if you would like.

We hope to hear from you,

Carol and Dave