Dear Birthmother:

If you are reading this letter, you are probably at a significant crossroads in your life and have a very big decision to make. We have a lot of respect for you, and we recognize the courage it must take to weigh all your options to make the best plan for your child.

We are Pat and Kathy. Thank you for the opportunity to share our family, our home, and our dreams for a child with you. At this time, we have two very friendly dogs, whom we treat as our "children". As much as we love them, we are ready to have a real baby. We have been married for 4 ½ years and have always planned on having a family. When we first started dating in the fall of 2001, one of the things we discussed, up front, was the real possibility we may not be able to conceive a child on our own. We both agreed that our love for each other would carry us through and that we would let our having a child take care of itself.

We began right away trying to conceive. After a year, when nothing had happened, we went through a year of various infertility treatments. This was a very emotional and frustrating process, especially since we were told that we are part of the 10% of couples who fall under "unexplained" infertility - i.e. no medical reason why we were not able to get pregnant.

At the end of that year, we came to the realization that there is a child out there who needs us more than a child we could have conceived on our own. We have faith that God will lead us to that child and that child to us.

We met seven years ago when Pat's brother married one of my (Kathy's) good friends. We were both in the wedding party and paired with each other. I was not dating anyone, at the time, and remember how much I enjoyed my dinner conversation with Pat. He was so positive and told wonderful stories of his childhood and how much he cared about the woman he was dating at the time. I remember thinking how it would be nice to find someone who cared that much about me.

Well, lo and behold, his relationship did not work out, and almost a year later, he asked his brother, Mark, if I was dating anyone. Pat had remembered me from that night and how much we enjoyed each other's company. We went on a double date with Mark and Laura to Greektown, and the sparks flew once again. This time, they stuck, and we were engaged a year later and married in the summer of 2003.

In combining our households and lives, we made the decision to sell both our houses and find our perfect home together. We spent a lot of time looking for just the right neighborhood with the main goal of looking for a warm and friendly place where we would want our child to grow up. We found that in a neighborhood near Chicago. It is a quick train ride from the heart of downtown, but feels and looks more like a cozy and friendly suburb. Our home is right across from a park with a community pool, fieldhouse, and lots of children's activities throughout the year. In the fall, the local elementary school hosts a "big top" circus which we look forward to bringing our child to as the neighborhood children love this so much. And, at Christmastime, there is a Holiday House Walk fundraiser which we participated in this year.

Pat comes from a large family, born and raised in the South Side of Chicago. Pat is one of 8 children; all but one sibling and his parents live within an hour of our home. There are many family get-togethers for holidays, nieces and nephews (9 and counting) birthday parties, barbecues, and the annual Chicago South Side Irish Parade

I grew up predominantly in Michigan and have one brother, 3 stepsisters, and 3 stepbrothers. Additionally, I have 11 nieces and nephews. Although my family is scattered throughout the U.S. and even Brazil (I spent my junior year of high school at an American school in Sao Paulo), we make a point of visiting family as much as possible.

We just returned from our second trip to visit my extended family in Sao Paulo, Rio, and Buzios, Brazil (My stepmother, stepsisters, and their families are Brazilian).

It had been 4 years since we had seen all of them, but it was like no time had passed at all. Although it is hard to not have my family local, we enjoy visiting a variety of places including Arizona, Florida, California, Michigan, and Brazil. The fact that we have so many places to visit family is a nice way to enjoy one of our biggest shared hobbies: travel. We look forward to sharing this passion with your child someday, and giving them the opportunity to experience and explore a variety of different places and cultures with us.

We share many interests as well as have some of our own. I, Kathy, in addition to traveling, love to read as a way to wind down at the end of a busy work day. I also enjoy working out, especially swimming outside during the summer and when we visit warm places.

Pat is a seasoned, master carpenter and very artistic. This came in very handy when we did a complete home renovation in 2006. Because of his in-depth knowledge of home building, he was able to serve as the General Contractor of our overall build and coordinate all of the different trades. Quite a feat and after a very long year, we are very pleased with the results. Pat also enjoys designing and building cabinets, furniture and art pieces.

Both of us are movie and theater buffs. Finally, of course we are both big dog lovers. Parker and Brady are our "boys", and we love to play with them, walk them in the park, and just enjoy their company. Parker is a lovable Black Lab/German Shorthair mix, and Brady is a purebred Beagle who has quite the personality. We love and cherish both of them.

As far as raising a child, our childcare plans are for Pat to be a stay-at-home Dad while I continue my job as a Sales Manager for my current employer. Since I am in sales, there is a great degree of flexibility in terms of family and home needs. We feel fortunate to be able to offer a child this type of environment.

We are very active in our local Catholic Church community. Pat is an usher, and Kathy is close to finishing her sojourn program to convert from Protestantism to Catholicism. This is a journey she has very much enjoyed. We intend on raising our child in the Catholic faith and have them attend Catholic School. We will encourage our child to attend college to help them fulfill their dreams and prepare them for a successful life of achievement.

We hope this letter gives you a good introduction to us, and a picture of what life could be like for your child. If you are interested and would like to learn more, please contact Steve or Joel Kirsh at (800) 333-5736. Their phones are answered 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Before we close our letter, we also want you to know that we would be happy to send you letters and photographs, letting you know how your child is getting along, if you wish.

Thank you once again for reading this letter and considering us as a possible match for your child. We hope to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Pat & Kathy