What does "Family Life" mean to you?
Spending time together, working though problems together, learning from each other, and setting an example for each other. Loving each other unconditionally, and always having something to talk about or going on. Being each other’s number one fan!! Family is the main building block of a community; family structure and upbringing determines the social character and personality of any given society. Family is where we all learn: love, caring, compassion, ethics, honesty, fairness, common sense, reason, peaceful conflict resolution and respect for ourselves and others, which are the vital fundamental skills to life.
Describe your childhood:
Adoptive Mom? Heather had a wonderful childhood with lots of family road trips and vacations. She can clearly remember singing with her family on the long drives from Chicago to Buffalo, NY, and spending her summers in Canada at the family summer cottage, with her extended family. Her family is very close and they visit quite often.
Adoptive Dad? Andre also had a wonderful childhood filled with all sorts of music and sports, where his father was his coach for a number of years. Andre and his siblings also all played in a string quartet together, and he played viola. Andre is the oldest of five children so there was never a dull moment in his home.
Tell us about your home?
Our lovely 4 bedroom is comfortable, warm and it smells great especially when something wonderful is cooking in the kitchen. We are located on a quiet cul-de-sac with just enough kids to make it a very fun place.
When you have a 3-day weekend, what do you like to do?
Spend time at home in order to relax and recharge each other, go to the pool, go kayaking, watch movies, play on our playground. We enjoy going to the local Farmers Market to pick out new fruits and vegetables for dinner. We also have a family membership to the zoo and enjoy going on an animal safari ever chance we can.
Do you have pets? If so tell us about them?
Yes we have three dogs and two cats, Molly (Lab), Biscuit (Bichon Frise), and Zenni (Dachsund/Chihauhau/Beagle Mix) are our dogs. Lily and Garfield are our cats. They each have their individual personalities…we love them all.
What is your favorite food?
Well since you are asking for our favorite, but not necessarily the most healthy, it would have to be Chicago-style deep dish pizza. For Heather’s birthday every year Andre orders a couple and has them shipped to the house for her to enjoy rather than a birthday cake.
What do you hope to teach your children?
Values, think for themselves, learn, love themselves, being compassionate, accepting, morals, leaders, respective, live life to the fullest.
The best way to teach your children of course is by example. If your children see you reading your bible, praying, actually living according to Christian principles they will respect you when you suggest that they do the same. They will also respect your word - because you live what you teach.
Do you play any musical instruments?
Andre grew up playing the piano, trombone, and the viola. Heather played the clarinet and a little bit of piano and flute. We still have a strong love for music as we attend all of the children’s symphony events every year, and always have music playing in our home.
Describe your neighborhood?
Kid friendly, mother approved, good school district, lots of kids.
Share something about your spouse that only you know:
Adoptive Mom? Sleeps with a Garfield that she has had since birth
Adoptive Dad? Will not eat anything purple, example beets or eggplant.
Describe the last romantic thing you did together?
While we are not the most romantic couple in the typical sense of the term, we try to show each other that we love each other every day. We do simple things that remind each other of this. For instance, Andre shapes Heather’s eggs in the morning into a heart. We often leave notes or hearts on the bathroom mirror for each other as well. We like to go on picnics together, son included as we feel that our family is not complete without him, and he needs to see examples of us loving each other and how parents should teach each other.
What will you tell your child about their birthmother?
We do not plan to withhold any information from our child about their birthmother. If the birthmother does not mind us sharing the information, and our child wants to know, then we will be completely open. We feel that it is important for our children to understand their history and where they came from.
It's Daddy's day - what activity do you want to share with your child?
While we typically would do the ceremonial breakfast in the morning, we also like to play home-run derby in the yard. Dad typically likes to grill for the family even though he shouldn’t have to work on his special day.
Do you plan on sharing with your child what their birth parents were like?
We feel that it is important for our child to know what their birth parents were like, and do not plan on withholding any information if the birth parents are ok with us providing information. We would hope to form a relationship with the birth mother and father so that we know what they are like in order to pass that information along to our child.
What kind of education are you hoping to provide for your child - Private or Public?
Currently we are planning that our children will attend public school as we have the best public school system in the state. If necessary, or if our child shows a specific interest in something not available in our public school system then we have the means to provide a private school education.
How did you come to the decision of adoption?
We realized that since Heather was not going to have another child that adoption was the most loving way to go.
What faith will you raise your child?
We attend a Christian church and will raise our child according to the same beliefs that we were taught in church.
How will you help your child accomplish their dreams?
We think it is vital to provide our children with the education and means to accomplish whatever they want to accomplish. While we recognize that not everyone can be a movie star or President of the United States, we want our children to understand that if they work hard to attain their goals and dreams in life then anything is possible.
What kind of a relationship do you hope to build with your birthmom through her pregnancy?
We hope to build a meaningful relationship in which we can learn as much as possible about her and her upbringing so we can pass all of those memories and stories to our child.
How did you meet?
Andre and Heather met on the commuter train in Chicago in 2000 during an early morning commute.
What was your relationship with your parents like?
We both have great relationships with our parents. Heather talks with her mom almost every day, and her father weekly. They are her best friends and are always there for us. Andre too talks with his parents weekly, usually on Sundays after church. They live closer that Heather’s family so it is easier to go and see them.
What attracted you to each other?
Andre was so full of great ideas to show Heather around the city, and took her to romantic restaurants. He made her laugh, and she could talk to him about everything for hours. Being friends first was important to Heather. It was like we knew always knew each other, and now we’re complete.
Please describe your personalities:
Adoptive Mom? Spunky, energetic, friendly, loving, nurturing, outgoing, detailed, organized, patient, careful, unassuming, unselfish, pleasant, extraverted, effective communicator, and faithful.
Adoptive Dad? Funny, organized, planner, nurturing, loyal, we are both very similar in many ways.
What are your hobbies (please share those you enjoy as individuals and those you enjoy as a couple):
Adoptive Mom? Heather loves to scrapbook, kayak, camp, and cook desserts.
Adoptive Dad? Andre loves to kayak, cook dinners, barbeque, fish, and camp.
Couple? We love music and going to the symphony and children’s theatre as a family. Regional festivals are also a lot of fun for us to go and explore the area.
When you close your eyes and see yourself holding your precious baby in your arms what are your thoughts regarding the birthmother?
When I close my eyes and see my precious baby, I think about how the birthmother is a very unselfish and loving person. She made an impossible decision to give the baby she carried for nine months up in order to provide them with a life she felt she could not. I will be very thankful that she made that decision so that our family would have the opportunity to experience the love and the journey that a child can bring.
How will a child enrich your life?
Every child is special in its own way. They each have their own ways of learning and discovering things. Nothing is more special than to watch them grow and see them actually live the values that you have taught them. Children bring life, laughter, and unconditional love to our lives.
Why did you each choose the career path you decided on?
Adoptive Mom? Heather is a very analytical person and love working with numbers, so working as a Senior Financial Analyst is perfect. She has also always wanted to be a mother, so she will be staying home with this new baby and their big brother. Heather is a big kid at heart and loves to play with children.
Adoptive Dad? Andre is a Project Manager and loves building health centers and pharmacies. He started at a very young age working with computer programs and really enjoyed it. He likes the challenges that come along with managing large technology projects.
What makes a birthmom special?
A birthmother is a woman who carries a child for nine months and makes the most difficult decision in her life. She is a woman who realizes that the child she is carrying will not have the life that it deserves, so she decides to give it a better life. And last but not least, she’s a woman who can take the pain of someone else away by giving them a most precious gift, her child.
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