Hello. We are Greg and Michelle. To begin, we want to express how much we appreciate you taking the time to read our letter. We cannot image the situation you are in or the difficult decisions you have to make. You obviously care for your baby a great deal, and we commend you for your courage in examining all of your opinions. We are hoping that you view us as a happy solution for you and your child by allowing us to adopt and love your baby.

Greg is 29 years old, and Michelle is 27 years old. We have been together for 6 ½ years and married for 4 years. We have a 20 month old son named Luke and a 5 year old Golden Retriever, named Cooper, formerly our “son” now back to D.O.G. status. Our family of four is wonderful (obviously, not completely back to D.O.G. status), but we feel an addition would only increase the happiness and the excitement.

When Luke was born, we were blessed by his birth. As we will explain, it was a very difficult journey bringing Luke into this world, but it was all meant to be. As expecting parents, we were able to feel the baby move, hear the heartbeat, and experience the labor. This being said, the experience was a lot more than we bargained for!

While I was pregnant with Luke, I was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix. Basically, I could become pregnant but had a very difficult time carrying the baby because my cervix was not strong enough to do so. Because my cervix was weak, I was constantly having contractions, making my cervix dilate. I had to be put on bed rest for 13 weeks. Eight of those weeks were spent in the hospital. I had to undergo three surgeries each followed by pre-mature labor that had to be stopped by numerous shots and/or other methods. As these problems continued, the odds of giving birth to a healthy child were extremely low, but we never gave up hope, and we were prepared to handle all possibilities. Miraculously, in the end, we were blessed to have been successful with the delivery a healthy, baby boy, Luke. Even though, in Luke, our prayers were answered, we soon learned that it would not be safe to have another child because of the risks to both myself and the baby.

We have always planned on having more than one child. In fact, before Luke was born we set up two college funds. We feel that it is important for children to grow up with siblings. We both have siblings, and we can’t image our lives without them. We know what it is like to grow up in homes with numerous activities always taking place. We know how it is to tease, laugh, and fight. We also know that these experiences create a bond that can never be broken. A lifetime of love and memories is created and that is something we want to provide for our growing family. The risks involved with having another child biologically prevents us from taking that road, but being able to provide for a child through adoption is an equal blessing.

We met each other in an unusual way. Believe it or not….Our mothers set us up! We went on a blind date, hit it off, and have been together ever since. Not many people can thank their mothers for finding the love of their lives for them. We both come from middle class, blue-collar families. We had loving parents who worked hard to provide for us and our siblings. Manners and values were taught and stressed in our homes. We both were baptized as Lutherans, and we attend church regularly. Our Christian faith is very important to us, and we feel strongly in raising our children within the faith.

I am very blessed to have Greg as my husband. When I first met Greg, he was handsome, and he had hair! He is still handsome. I like to kid him about the hair thing all the time. What first attracted me to him was his personality. He is always doing something goofy to make me laugh. Besides having a great sense of humor, Greg is a BIG sports fan! So much so that our basement is covered wall to wall with sports memorabilia and 5 TV’s! Don’t worry; he isn’t always a fanatic, just except during the football season. He loves going to sporting events and cheering for his favorite team like other die-hard sports fans (minus the 5 TV’s, of course).

Greg is a very determined and intelligent individual. While we were engaged, he worked during the day and went to school at night to earn his Bachelor’s degree. Then in December of 2005, he left a lucrative company he started to become a Financial Advisor. He switched careers because he realized that he wanted to use his financial experience to help families in the area plan for their financial future. His office is only five minutes from home.

What I cherish most about Greg is the type of husband and father he is. Greg is very attentive and playful with Luke. Luke responds well to him, and they have a strong bond. I know that Greg will have this same bond with the child we adopt.

Michelle is an absolute dream come true. I have never met anyone with as much love and peace inside of them. My mind is always thinking about some plan or strategy, but she just takes everything day by day and moment by moment. She is the calming influence that our home needs with 3 boys running around (again, Cooper, not quite D.O.G., status). The patience and guidance she provides us is very special. She never has to raise her voice to get her point across, and this makes her a fantastic mom. She allows Luke to grow and learn without putting many restrictions on him. This balance provides a great environment for him and for any new child with whom we may be blessed with. As a wife, she is caring, honest, and supportive. When I made the career change, she told me to follow my heart and never questioned my decision. Luke, Cooper, and I are very fortunate -- to say the least.

As a couple, you can say we are planners. While dating we constantly discussed our thoughts and goals for the future. We discussed baby names, who would stay home during the day, and the values we would teach.

It was also important for us to purchase a home that would be a wonderful place to raise children in. After some searching, we found a home that we thought would be perfect for our family. We live in a new subdivision full of children. We have a four bedroom, four bathroom home with a finished walk out basement and a fenced in yard. We have a 10 acre park right across the street where the park district is building playgrounds, walking paths, basketball courts, and much more. Schools are within 2 miles of the house and are highly ranked in our state.

Cooper and Luke

Cooper arrived first to our family and was an only “child”. Cooper is a very loyal companion who loves attention and people. He has experienced puppy training camp, switching homes, being babysat, visiting Mommy in the hospital (that took a bit of doing), and much more. We were a little nervous on how he would react having a new family member, but to our amazement, Cooper loved Luke the minute Luke came home. Cooper is very protective of Luke and other children, as well! Cooper has other hobbies outside of being a family dog. He loves to run, eat, sleep, and take naps. He has his own dog bed but more often than not he sleeps on the couch and he would gladly steal your seat if you get up while watching TV!

Luke is a fun loving “little man”. Right now he is trying to learn how to talk. It is fun to hear him say “Ma” and “Da” and the other words he is attempting. Luke loves to dance, read, and take baths. Even though he is young and can’t express his feelings about wanting a brother or sister, we know he would enjoy being a big brother. With other children his age or with children in the family, Luke is open to sharing with them. It may be a snack, toy, or hug, but he isn’t shy when providing any of the three. We would love to have either a baby boy or girl join our family.

As a family we enjoy spending lots of time together. During the summer, we love going to sporting events, playing in the backyard and taking walks around the neighborhood. During the winter, it’s hard to do much of anything because it’s so cold. Since we have to stay in the house, we start the fireplace and rent movies, read books, and play board games. We recently went to Hawaii to escape the cold with Michelle’s parents and siblings. It was the first time for us in Hawaii, and it was a wonderful experience - - especially, taking a baby on a 10 hour flight. Luke handled the flight better than Greg! Our next vacation is a camping trip to Michigan with Greg’s parents and siblings. We are excited to add to our family so we can share our adventures with him or her.

In summary, we look forward to welcoming another child into our home. When the time comes, we will make certain to share with your child the tremendous love and strength it took for you to make your decision. We would like to have as much information about you as you would like to share, so that these details can be passed on to your child. We will be happy to share with you letters and photos updating you on how the baby is doing, if you desire. We hope that we have given you enough information to help you feel confident in making a decision. Your bravery will always be cherished, and we want to wish you the best of luck as you move forward. Again, thank you for taking the time to read our letter. If you would like to know more about us you can contact our attorneys, Steve and Joel Kirsh, any time at 800-333-5736. We wish you all the best. God Bless.

Sincerely,

Greg and Michelle