Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Mia & Joel
Dear Birthmother,
Before we talk about ourselves, we want you to know how much we admire your decision to place your child with a loving adoptive family. We’re confident that you’ll find the perfect one, where the precious baby you’re carrying will receive all the love, support, and opportunities you wish for them. Thank you for reading our letter and for considering whether we might be that ideal family for your child.
We’re Mia and Joel and we live in Princeton, a peaceful university town about an hour from New York City. We first met while working side-by-side at the same art museum, and our paths have been intertwined ever since. Over the six years we’ve been together (married for two), we’ve built a strong, loving relationship based on honesty, respect, and a healthy dose of fun. We’re both passionate about art, books, and ideas, but we can also spend hours making up funny stories and games, teasing each other, or chuckling at videos of cute baby animals on the Web. Together we’ve faced personal challenges, like infertility, that have made us stronger as individuals and as a couple. We have a loving marriage, a warm, nurturing home, and a life filled with laughter and discovery.
We just can’t wait to share it all with a child!
Hi, I’m Mia. I grew up in New York City, but I’ve always been drawn to the beauty and mystery of the natural world. I love all kinds of animals and I’ve always found ways to make them part of my life, whether caring for a pet at home, walking dogs at the local rescue shelter, or helping endangered elephants in Southeast Asia.
My favorite hobby is cooking. I love to read cookbooks before bed—sometimes I fall asleep dreaming of new recipes. Lately, I’ve been making homemade pizza using fresh herbs from our garden. Cooking stimulates and relaxes me, and there’s nothing I like better than sharing a delicious meal with the people I love.
I’ve had a successful career as an art curator and writer. I think it’s important for children to see their mother fulfilled by what she does, and at this stage of my life, being a devoted mom is my top priority. I plan to take time off from work when the baby comes; later, my flexible part-time schedule will allow me to spend most of my time with our child, cuddled up at home or out exploring the wonders of the world.
Joel says: There are so many things I love about Mia, it’s hard to decide where to start. Here’s one great fact: she once traveled to Thailand with two artists to start up a painting school for elephants. They succeeded! Today, elephant paintings are raising wildlife conservation funds all over Asia. This is who Mia is: funny and smart, a believer in causes, a warm-hearted animal-lover, a New York girl who dreamed of living on a farm. Any time children are around, Mia is tenderly alert to them, curious about what’s on their unique minds. I know she’ll be a terrific mom – patient, nurturing, and ready for anything.
Hi, I’m Joel. My life has always been about art – looking at it and making it. I work in a museum and my greatest pleasure is helping kids and adults discover the joys of visual art for themselves. I also love to draw, which I’ve just never stopped doing since childhood. Recently, as our friends have begun having kids, I’ve enjoyed drawing illustrated alphabets for each of them (“A is for anteater”...“Z is for zeppelin”). And every year, I create a New Year’s card that we send to all our friends and family.
I grew up in California, the youngest of three kids in a family that went on lots of hiking and camping trips. My mother was earning her degree in botany while I was in grade school, so there was always something new to learn in the outdoors. Before becoming an art curator, I built trails, worked on a ranch, taught English in Japan, and fought forest fires. Now I really can’t wait to embark on the greatest adventure I can imagine: being a dad.
Mia says: Joel is my best friend and the love of my life. I’m continually amazed by his thoughtfulness, his imagination, and his utter originality. Plus, he makes me laugh every day! Joel is kind, attentive, and he really listens. I love watching him with our friends’ kids, taking turns making funny faces or teaching them how to skip stones across a lake (two of his secret talents). Whether hiking in the woods, hearing about a day at school, or making a mess with sparkles and glue, Joel will always be there for his son or daughter.
We live in a garden community of cozy townhouses surrounded by tall trees and rolling lawns. Most summer evenings, we enjoy barbecues with our friends and neighbors, or sit outside under the stars and watch the fireflies. Our neighborhood is full of young families with babies and small children. We love that kids can play together on the lawns and in the shared courtyards with attentive neighbors to keep them safe.
The nearby college campus is like a big backyard for us. There are always lots of activities for kids, sporting events, holiday celebrations, and of course, fantastic libraries—including one just for children’s books! As a university town, Princeton is very international, and we’re thrilled that our child will have friends from all over the world.
We also own a small apartment in Manhattan, and we spend lots of weekends in New York, looking at art, exploring new neighborhoods, or lingering over huge pancake breakfasts with our closest friends. The balance of small town and big city life feels just right to us. Travel is another a big part of our lives. Whether around the region or around the world, it’s going to be all the more exciting with a new explorer on board!
Our extended families are thrilled about welcoming a new child into their lives. Mia’s family lives in New York. Her mother is a retired schoolteacher who loves the city’s cultural life – theater, concerts, museums, lectures. She can’t wait to take her grandchild to see the Nutcracker ballet and the holiday windows at Christmastime! Joel’s family all live in California, north, south, and central. His mom and stepdad are caretakers of a nature preserve in the Sierra mountain foothills, and we especially like to visit there in the spring when all the wildflowers are in bloom. We were lucky enough to grow up in loving families who support us in whatever we do. Just as our parents have always been there for us when we need them, we’ll always be there to help our child pursue his or her dreams, whatever they may be.
Our friends are like a big second family. To the world they’re artists, writers, musicians, designers, teachers. To us, they’re a kind, wise, warm community brought together by long, close affection. Some winters, we visit friends in Utah and ski. Most summers, we rent a beach house on Cape Cod where we host a rotating cast of visitors, kids, and dogs, who all love splashing together in the ocean waves. Several of our closest friends have recently had babies, and one couple we know has two beautiful adopted children – a toddler boy and a baby girl. We can’t wait to raise a child amid the energy and humor of this great extended family of loving “aunts,” “uncles,” and “cousins.”
We’ll raise our child the same way we were raised: with lots of love and encouragement, warm hugs, and adoring kisses. We’ll learn alongside them, trust them, and give them space to make the right decisions. We’ll show them that even when things don’t go as planned, the results can be just as good, or even better. We’ll nurture their creativity and curiosity. We’ll teach them kindness, compassion, and generosity of spirit. We will love our child with all our hearts, each and every day.
We hope we’ve given you an idea of the loving and creative life we look forward to sharing with a child. We believe that adoption is a wonderful way to build a family, and your child will always know that it was your love and kindness that brought us all together. We understand that parenthood can be a great joy and a tremendous challenge, and we are ready for both.
If you would like to speak to us about adopting your child or have any questions for us, please contact one of our Adoption Advisors at AdoptHelp by calling 1-800-637-7999 toll-free.
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