Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Jamie and Carol
Dear Birthmother,
Thank you for taking the time to read our letter and learn about our family. We are Jamie, Carol and Isaiah (plus a dog, Sammy, and a cat, Ella) and we are truly honored that you are considering us as your child’s adoptive family. We are looking forward to bringing a new baby into our home and family, -- a place filled with love, laughter, adventure, play, and stability. The decision you are making now requires a great deal of courage. We admire your commitment to giving your baby the best home and life possible.
Jamie and Carol
Jamie and I both grew up in a small town in Northern California. We first met in 5th grade when our elementary schools merged and we ended up in the same class. Early on, we played catch at recess with a football and passed the occasional note in class. We knew the same kids and ran around the same playground. But it wasn’t until the 9th grade that our friendship began to take root. Jamie and I were the only two freshmen in the high school musical. And so, we found ourselves hanging out together in the back of the gym during rehearsals, doing our homework and discovering how easily we could make each other laugh. Soon enough, there were trips to Jack-in-the-Box, a mud-fight or two, and eventually, a run for student body office together. Without really noticing it, we had become one of each other’s best friends. Jamie admits now that he was “too chicken” to ask me out on a real date so we simply remained good friends throughout high school.
The next years brought adventure, mostly times apart, and some times together. I went off to Peru as an exchange student after my junior year. And after high school, Jamie went off to college at UC Davis to study Economics while I studied Biology at Stanford. After graduation, Jamie continued on to law school, and I moved to Seattle for my first job. Although we loosely kept in touch, life had sent us on different journeys.
Fast-forward seven years when the two of us reconnect: I moved back to the Bay Area, and Jamie had just returned from a big adventure in Africa. Jamie still remembers the night he dialed 411 to track me down. Both of us were ready for a new chapter of life to begin. That year was a time of renewing our friendship, exchanging stories about life, and starting once again to hang out. We went on hikes, ate dinners together, and laughed. Just like before, and so it continues to be, the laughter came easily. So, when cupid finally pulled his arrow for us, he pulled it hard. All of that laughter between us bubbled up and created a big, wide, easy romance. That’s twelve years ago now, and we’ve been together ever since.
Along comes Isaiah
Isaiah came in 2003, a little star in our sky. He is Mr. ready-to-roll, Mr. I love running around, and making art. Mr. Christmas decorations are great, and “can you show me how to make ice cream?” Mr. can we ride bikes now?, and I love you, Mom and Dad. He is a first grader now, just joined Cub Scouts and is playing basketball with his buddies at the local YMCA. Being a parent has opened up dimensions in life and ourselves that we didn’t know existed. We have loved the adventure and sweetness of being parents; the nurturing and the love. The crazy, early mornings when Isaiah comes running into our room because he’s got something to tell us. And the sleepy, fall-on-your-pillow nights after a long day at the beach, touching sea anemones and chasing the tides. It is our life now, and we love it. We are ready for more.
Why we are choosing adoption
We always have wanted a larger family. After Isaiah was born, we were pregnant twice but were unable to carry either pregnancy to term. It was a rigorous lesson in letting go and frankly, the miracle of life. We have not been able to get pregnant again and are truly grateful for the opportunity to expand our family through the miracle of adoption.
Our home and life
Our home is about 15 miles northwest of San Francisco in Marin County, in a beautiful small town with fantastic schools. We live on a cul-de-sac in a very special neighborhood that includes a well-kept, hundred year-old horse stable and a pasture of goats, sheep and chickens. The heart of the neighborhood is the community pool, which attracts kids in the summer for play and the swim team. It brings the neighborhood families together in the evenings for barbeques and conversation. All around us is beautiful open space. We hike, play and ride bikes on the trails all throughout the year. Our home is spacious and comfortable and we have a play structure in the backyard. Just last year we planted a vegetable garden. We truly feel blessed to be able to live here.
The weekends are a chance to get together with friends, go on adventures, and make time for relaxation. Though what we do continues to change as Isaiah grows older, we love being outdoors. We go hiking with Sammy, our dog. Go swimming or shoot baskets. Bring a picnic to the beach or ride bikes on the street. Lately, we’ve been meeting up for pizza on Friday nights with another family or two after Isaiah’s basketball games. Jamie volunteered to coach Isaiah’s team of 1st and 2nd graders. For this, he and Isaiah go to practice once a week and we all go to the game on Fridays. I helped coach the swim club during the summer, so we were up at the pool a lot during the summer months. We like getting together with friends and often have people over, share a meal, or host an occasional party.
And then there’s the down time. I like to cook most days, preparing homemade soups, roast chicken, my mom’s legendary pies and other treats for dinner. We try to eat together most every night, after saying a short thank you for the food and our time together at the table. Each night before bed we read to Isaiah, although he now has started to read to us as well. And then, a couple of times a month, we’ll have a “movie night,” where we all sack out on the couch and watch a movie together. Late at night before bed is Jamie’s and my time to chat. It is a peaceful end to an often full day.
Our families are local, so we frequently see them as well. We get together for birthdays and holidays, and travel occasionally for the out-of-town wedding. Jamie’s family has a cabin near Tahoe, which has become the site for both relaxing and increasingly athletic vacations in the snow. We would love to share this life and continue to grow with a new child.
Jamie
Jamie is a sweet, lovable, funny guy. After knowing him over 35 years, I can say he is a true-blue good guy. I am proud to know him and be his wife. By day, he is an attorney who navigates through complex deals with grace, intelligence, and a sense of humor. By night, he transforms into a bath-giving, story-reading, guitar-playing wonderful dad and husband. Jamie is an accomplished athlete (he played college baseball, and can pick up new sports in a flash), a natural coach, and with a little coaxing, willing to fix all the little things that go wrong around the house. Jamie has gotten up early with Isaiah over the years to color, complete find-and-search puzzles, and learn more about magnets --whatever Isaiah has been into. In short, Jamie shows up. Jamie loves charting our travel plans and makes the occasional splurge with enthusiasm. He’s a baseball fan and truly appreciates a beautiful song. Jamie gets along with most everybody and his heart is wide open, ready for this next little being.
Carol
Carol, my wife, my friend, my true companion. As you have read, we go back a long way. Carol has so many talents. She is bright and creative and manages her work life and the flow of our home with energy, spontaneity, and balance. I love Carol’s warm and positive energy and her ability to laugh easily. Wherever we go, I watch Carol make friends. Other moms trust and like her, and kids feel welcome, safe and comfortable in our home. In life, Carol has the courage to follow her heart and often pursues paths way ahead of the curve. She traveled abroad in high school, began practicing yoga way before it was cool, taught an Afro-Brazilian dance class after her time in South America, and parlayed her teaching background and biology degree into practicing acupuncture just as it was gaining recognition and respect in this country. And while there is so much I love about Carol, it is ‘Carol the mom’, whom I am most proud of and thankful to be married to. She is incredibly patient, creative, and kind. And she is just always there for Isaiah on every level. I know she will be just as devoted to the next little being that comes into our life. And I look forward to seeing her in action again.
A big support network
Because we are both are native to the Bay Area, we have a large web of family, old friends and newly-made friends that keep life ever-changing and full of love. We are regularly connecting with these people and their kids. They are there for us when we get sick or when we may need a helping hand, just as we are there for them. Both of our parents’ marriages have been going strong for nearly 50 years. They’ve been good role models on how to surf the roller-coaster of life and move with the ebb and flow of time.
Some final thoughts: We are ready!
We are ready to welcome a baby into our loving home. Isaiah talks with excitement about getting to play with the new baby that joins our family. “Each of us”, he says, “will get to be a brother or sister”. We have an extra bedroom and lots of baby books and toys just waiting for this being. Mostly, we have a lot of room in our hearts. We hope our new family member will come soon.
We will give this new baby the love, space and opportunity to grow up healthy and strong. We will help them find their way in this world with support, love, laughter, and (hopefully, a little) wisdom. I plan to be at home with the baby for at least the first year. I then hope to transition back to work part-time. We welcome a new addition to our family and are excited to provide a secure and loving place for him or her to grow up.
Thank you for spending some time reading about us. We look forward to learning more about you. If you would like to speak with us about adopting your child or have any questions for us, please contact your Adoption Advisors at AdoptHelp by calling 1-800-637-7999 toll-free.
We wish you the best!
Carol, Jamie, and Isaiah
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