Mattie: Brendan is the most thoughtful person I have ever met. He is the kind of person that you mention something that made an impact and he will not only remember, but he will do something to show you he remembers. For example, I once casually mentioned how nice a neighbors front yard looked when we were on a walk and the next weekend while I was gone, he had not only spruced up our yard and put in a vegetable garden, but found out exactly what plants the neighbor had that I loved so much and planted them for me. Brendan is a very hardworking and dedicated guy, always working on projects around the house. He is also very playful and fun and I know he will always keep our child laughing, entertained and feeling loved.

Brendan: One of the qualities I admire most about my wife, Mattie, is her selflessness. She always puts everyone before herself and is constantly taking care of others. She is a truly positive person and always strive to see the bright side of things. I know I can always count on her to be there for me when I have had a bad day or just need to laugh. She knows exactly how to put a smile on my face. I know she will be an amazing mother because of the love she shows me and others every single day. There is no one else I would rather share this experience with.

We are extremely fortunate to live in a very diverse and vibrant area. Our friends, family and community would accept any child of ours with open arms. They would also help us embrace and celebrate the child’s culture and unique background, whatever it may be.

Mattie comes from a multiracial family and is a mix of a lot of different races-most notably Native American, Filipino and Caucasian. Brendan is Irish but because we both have large extended families, there are lots of family members and cousins from a wide variety of races and cultures. It will be very easy to introduce any child into that environment.

We understand the importance of respecting, honoring and celebrating different races and cultures and would absolutely do this for our child. Some ways we may incorporate this would be to celebrate any cultural traditions or holidays, have a variety of books and other media in our home that are representative of our child’s race and be sure to continue to surround ourselves with people that can guide our child through the ups and downs of navigating their particular race. We are also really looking forward to cooking special dishes and cultural treats with our child.

We live in a quiet suburb in the Bay Area of California. We have a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a nice size backyard that we utilize almost all year round. Our favorite part about our house is probably the back deck. Brendan built it all himself, with just a little help from Mattie. It has a nice gazebo, a fire table and comfy chairs, so when the weather is mild (which is very often in our part of California) we like to play cards or games or just relax on the deck.

Our neighborhood is quite diverse-our neighbors come from all different cultures and backgrounds and we love that about our area! There are lots of different ethnic grocery stores and restaurants where we can try a variety of delicious foods, all within just a few minutes’ walk.

We really love to walk around our neighborhood and are right down the street from the local library and school. We can get to two large parks with lots of play structures and grassy areas within a few minutes’ walk of our house. One of the parks even has several miles of hiking trails! At any given time when walking around our neighborhood you can find families biking, walking the dog or playing at the various parks. One of our favorite times of year to walk around our neighborhood is Christmas time to see all the holiday lights!

We are both so blessed to have large families that live close by! Brendan has 24 first cousins and Mattie has 26 first cousins and countless second cousins. With a few exceptions, most of our extended family members live within an hour drive so holidays and family gatherings are always a special time. Our child would be surrounded by love and laughter and instantly have several kids to play with around their age!

We have many wonderful family traditions on both sides. On Brendan’s side of the family, we gather together around Thanksgiving to play a friendly, but competitive game of kickball. We also go to Tahoe every year with the whole extended family for skiing, board games and hot chocolate by the fire. Another favorite family activity is going to the Russian River for the 4th of July to swim and play in the river, have a large family barbecue and play cards under the stars. On Mattie’s side of the family, traditions involve singing and playing instruments around the fire pit at Christmas time and going to Pismo beach with the whole extended family for a weekend of swimming, sand and games. We are both so close to our extended families, with our cousins as some of our best friends, and we know our child would share those bonds and traditions with their cousins too!

Hello,

We understand the courage and strength it takes to make an adoption plan and we appreciate that you are considering this for your child. We cannot imagine the weight of the decision you are facing right now and hope that no matter what you decide you find peace and joy with it.

We have been a couple for eight years and have been married for four years. We share many interests and feel so lucky to share such a beautiful partnership. Our relationship is full of love, tons of laughter and unending support. We are truly best friends and have a wonderful time doing everything and anything together.

Brendan is extremely thoughtful and sensitive and would be a wonderful role model to any child. He would be a fun and playful father, always willing to share their interests and participate in their games. He used to work in childcare and learned early on how to balance discipline with fun and respect. He impacted the lives of so many kids he taught and we hang the ornaments they made him in class from our Christmas tree every year still! Our nieces and nephews absolutely adore him and are always asking to see and talk to "Uncle B."

Mattie is the definition of a nurturer. She is loving, warm and selfless and always invites everyone she meets to be a part of her circle. She is a Godmother and a beloved aunt and is always the first person that people call when they need a babysitter. Mattie is so excited to teach our child to bake and cook and be creative. Some of her best memories with her mom are in the kitchen and she can’t wait to carry on that tradition. We look forward to raising children to value education and hard work, be kind and respectful to everyone they meet, see the inherent dignity in every human being and to not take themselves too seriously-life should also be fun!

If you choose us to parent your child, we hope that you and your family would be an integral part of our child’s story and someone that they know about from the very beginning. We plan to have open, honest and age-appropriate conversations with our child about adoption and their personal journey all throughout their life. We never want our child to feel like there was any secrecy or something to hide because adoption is such a beautiful start to any story.

We understand the need to be flexible because life is unpredictable. We know that there will be times with greater contact, less contact or perhaps no contact for a period and we are open to it all. Whether it be letters, phone calls, exchanging pictures or visits in person, we just want to assure you we will do our part to make sure that our child knows who you and your family are and that they will always have whatever love and support they need. We will be sure they understand the love and strength it took for you to make this decision and always speak of your bravery and selflessness with them.

Thank you for considering us to be parents to your child and thank you for being open to an adoption plan. We are thrilled to be embarking on this next adventure in our life and are so honored you have taken the time to read this letter. We wish you a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery and we are sending you love and support as you make this most difficult decision.

Brendan & Mattie