Hello! I’m Leigh from Santa Barbara, California

Dear Birth Mother: I want you to know that I have tremendous love and respect for your journey.  It takes great courage and strength to make such an important decision.  Your thoughtfulness and dedication show the immense love you have for your child.  I hope my profile gives you a sense of who I am and the life of unconditional love I would provide a child. About Me, I love to travel! I’m super fortunate that I have lived and worked in Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Africa.  I fell in love with traveling, exploring other cultures and people.  I’ve been to over 30 countries in my personal travels.  Those experiences have shaped me, and I look forward to sharing that perspective and the gift of travel and exploration with my future child. My parents instilled the importance of giving.  Not just financially, but with our time and open hearts. I grew up with the understanding that there are many in the world and our communities that are less fortunate, and we all have a responsibility to give and to be of service.  In adulthood, this joy of volunteering has brought me to Thailand, Guatemala, Fiji and my local food bank.

My Career: I work for a large oil and gas company. My career has taken me around the world to work on projects that power the planet which is super rewarding, but I know my most important job in life will be Mommy! I’m fortunate that my employer is very supportive of working parents. My work hours are flexible; many of the parents in my office drop their kids off and pick them up from school. They even provide time off for new parents.

3 Things I Really Enjoy:

• Traveling
• Music — Indie Rock, Jazz, Motown, Classical — turn it up!
• Entertaining for my friends and family. Planning a menu and putting together the music and décor is so fun for me!

Meet Leigh

I’m happiest when I’m outdoors! Growing up in Texas, outdoor fun meant camping trips and weekend walks at the park. On my travels I’ve hiked volcanoes, river rafted in Fiji and went scuba diving in Australia.  Now that I live in California, I’m soaking up all of the amazing outdoor adventures around me. I look forward to sharing my love of nature with my future child and taking them on many outdoor adventures.

My Faith: I grew up in a religious home – it was our family culture to be at church at least every Sunday and choir practice on Wednesday. I loved the sense of community that it provided for me growing up.  In my adult years, I’ve traveled the world and met many people from various religions that broadened my views on religion. I find myself being more spiritual than religious these days – never doubting that there is a higher power.  I still find great comfort in attending church and may decide to return to a traditional church practice when I have a family to give my future child a similar foundation of family culture, faith community and spiritual practice that I appreciate from my childhood.

A Few Of My Favorites:

• Holiday: Thanksgiving
• Food: anything Asian…and make it spicy!
• Candy: Jelly Belly
• Season: Spring

Top 5 Adventures:

• Hiking to Machu Picchu in Peru
• Safari in Botswana, Africa
• River Rafting in Yosemite National Park
• Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa
• Sand Duning in the Middle East (Qatar)

My Loving Family and Friends

My Family: I am the oldest of 3 girls and my sisters and I are very close.  We welcomed my middle sister’s daughter into the world December 2018 and we can’t wait for her to meet her future cousin. My sisters and I have always talked about how fun it will be for our children to grow up together and it’s so exciting to be at that stage of our lives.  My mother passed away almost 20 years ago and, in many ways, I have acted as the care giver for my family since then.  My siblings may argue I’m a little too mother hen, but hey – my maternal game is strong! Papa and Grannie Annie live in Tennessee along with more aunts, uncles and cousins that are ready to welcome another new baby to our family. It takes a village!

My Friends: I’m also so grateful to have the most amazing friends.  I’m still close with many old friends from my school days.  They are a mix of girl and guy friends that make-up a superstar support system.  Whatever crazy place I’ve lived in the world, I always know my friends were a phone call away and I could count on them for a good cry or giggle – whichever I needed.  We always find a way to stay connected.

5 Favorite Family Traditions:

• Late candlelight church service on Christmas Eve, followed by a Christmas story at home and each family member opening one present before bed (oh, the excitement!)
• Baking grandmother’s rolls and other family recipes at Thanksgiving
• Decorating a lamb cake at Easter
• Annual summer family reunion in Tennessee
• Stockings on Christmas morning – even now that we’re grown, my family still fills each other’s stocking with small gifts

My Home and Community: I live in Santa Barbara, California. This place is beautiful! I moved here in 2018 from Texas and I pinch myself that I get to live the beach life.  I love being outdoors and have started surf lessons! My home is in the hills overlooking the ocean – just a 5 minute drive down the hillside to the beach as well as endless hiking trails. Santa Barbara is a fairly small coastal town and a very tight community.  There are award winning schools, beautiful parks, fresh ocean air and a bustling farmers’ market on Saturday mornings. I am so grateful to start a family in such an incredible place!

My Promises to You and your Child:

• They will know your courage and deep love for them
• I will always be there to wipe their tears, kiss their boo boos, listen and hug tightly
• I will teach them to love with their whole hearts, to be honest, and will encourage them to try new things
• I will instill confidence and a sense of pride that they are enough, just as they are
• They will always know they are loved unconditionally by a village of people
• They will live in a home where they always feel safe and accepted
• They will grow up knowing I have their back and will support them in achieving their dreams
• We will have fun – dance around the living room with loud music, have family game nights, be silly and laugh lots!

My Final Thoughts: Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. There has been no better time in my life for me to enter this journey and I’m so very ready to take on being a mommy with a heart that is wide open and prepared to love a child fully and unconditionally.