Hello, we are Marianna & Mick!

Dear Birth Mother,

Hello! We are Marianna & Mick from Los Angeles. We feel fortunate that you are considering us as possible adoptive parents for your baby. From the beginning of our relationship, starting a family was important, so shortly afterwards our biological son Xavier was born. Early on we discussed the idea of adopting a child in addition to having biological children. Due to being unable to conceive, and now, 8 years into our marriage, both of us have a desire to expand our family through adoption, and Xavier yearns to be a big brother too!! We are very excited to start our adoption journey and 100% committed to becoming parents for the second time and providing tools, support and encouragement to build a beautiful and fulfilling life for your baby, if you select us as adoptive parents.Fun Facts About Us

• Our dream vacations are spending a week in the jungle and rainforest of Costa Rica and visiting the majestic beaches and elephant sanctuaries of Thailand.
• Each of us is fluent in 2 languages. At some point while living in Europe, Xavier was fluent in 4! – Russian, French, Dutch and English.
• We love tennis and have attended major tournaments and grand slams, such as the US Open and French Open. In the future, we’d love to go to Wimbledon outside of England and the Australian Open.

About us, by Marianna

Our relationship started in 2008 in New York, where we worked together in the marketing department at the large cosmetics company L’Oréal. There was an immediate connection between us. Mick knew early on that I was ‘the one’, and after working up the courage to ask me out on a date, he put a lot of time and effort into courting me. I was more traditional when it comes to romance so that approach worked perfectly. Together, we enjoy spending time outdoors with activities ranging from bike rides on the beach, hiking in the foothills around Los Angeles, playing tennis, attending concerts and shopping for fresh produce at the local farmers market. We have a passion for travel, having lived in Europe for over three years and visiting 19 countries during that period. We also enjoy spending time at home, often cooking or baking favorite family recipes. Marianna’s specialties are homemade thin-crust pizza and cranberry-banana muffins. Mick likes to make a shrimp gumbo family recipe. On weekends, we usually do a fun outdoor activity during the day and then make a nice meal in the evening before watching a movie or playing a game as a family.

About Marianna, by Marianna

I was born in Moscow, Russia and in my teenage years relocated with my parents to Los Angeles. Here, I attended high school and college majoring in marketing and international business. After spending a couple of years starting my career I decided to move to New York City to pursue a graduate degree in business. I worked for well-known companies like Neutrogena, L’Oréal, and Starbucks. Now I work for a company that develops partnerships for airlines, cruise lines and hotels. My office is just 5 minutes from our home and I have a flexible schedule that allows me to stay involved in Xavier’s extracurricular activities, volunteer at his school and take our labradoodle Oscar on daily walks in the park.

About Marianna, by Mick

I’m constantly in awe of Marianna’s ability to juggle so many things (job, cooking, planning family outings, decorating the house, caring for the dog). She is clearly a much better multi-tasker and I don’t know what I’d do without her. I feel blessed that in our 8-year marriage, I’ve been able to get to know so many sides of her. The fun-loving glamorous city-girl, the smart and driven career girl and also the comforting, warm mom and wife. Marianna cares deeply about her family and takes amazing care of us. She also makes sure that we take time to enjoy ourselves whether it is taking a vacation, a weekend trip or just a picnic to the beach. She’s truly a dynamic woman that brightens every life she touches. I am so excited to see Marianna become a mother again!

Marianna’s Favorites

• What I love to eat/drink – pistachio ice cream, vanilla lattes, Hawaiian-style homemade pizza, chocolate-chip cookies
• What I love to watch – Romantic comedies, House Hunters on HGTV and guilty-pleasure shows like Real Housewives and The Bachelor
• What I love to do – play tennis, practice yoga, visit botanical gardens, cuddle with Xavier and our dog Oscar

About Mick, by Mick

I spent my early childhood in Florida, surrounded by lots of extended family. Summers and holidays were spent outside playing and swimming with cousins at family barbeques. In college, I spent a year abroad living and studying in Paris and became quite enchanted with the French culture, food and people. The experience instilled in me a love for France, a place we now visit regularly for vacations. After graduating, I moved to New York city for work and six years later left to pursue my MBA degree in Los Angeles, subsequently building a successful career in marketing. Becoming a father has completely changed my life. I can’t wait to help raise another child introducing him/ her to the amazing wonders that surround us and watch that child grow, learn and thrive.

About Mick, by Marianna

What attracted me to Mick was his incredibly kind and caring personality and how close he was with his family. I knew I had found ‘the one’ shortly after meeting Mick and our #1 priority as a couple was starting a family. Mick embraced his role as a dad quickly and with ease! Whether it’s teaching Xavier French from an early age, putting furniture together, practicing soccer, or just snuggling up on the couch to read a book, he is the most patient and gentle father. Their favorite pastime together is reading the Harry Potter series of books. I am so looking forward to parenting another child with Mick by my side!

Mick’s Favorites

• Soccer is my passion! I participate in an adult league and my favorite team is Arsenal. Xavier has followed in my footsteps and every weekend the two of us practice at the local field.
• History and Literature – I love listening to history podcasts and audio books on my commute to work. My taste in books ranges from historical non-fiction to classical novels.
• International Travel – I developed a passion for world cultures and languages while studying abroad as a student. Most recently Marianna, Xavier and I lived in Netherlands and traveled all over Europe.

About Xavier, the soon-to-be big brother!

Xavier is a very social boy full of energy. His favorite sports are soccer and tennis. He also loves music and knows all the words to his favorite songs. He enjoys singing, dancing, playing guitar and a little bit of piano too. Last year, he performed The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine at his guitar recital and this year he is learning to play ‘Brown Eyed Girl’. His newest hobby is ice hockey through the LA Kings children’s program. Xavier is very kind, gentle and affectionate and adores animals. He takes great care of our puppy Oscar, feeding, bathing and brushing him. Xavier is very excited to become a big brother and will be a great help with the new baby!

Our Home & Community, We love Los Angeles!

Having lived in New York and Netherlands as a young family, we moved back to Los Angeles, California three years ago and decided to make it our permanent home. We love the warm and sunny climate of Los Angeles. Our house is near lots of parks and playgrounds. A short distance away are beaches to swim at and sandcastles to build. And just an hour by car are the mountains for skiing and sledding, Universal Studios, Legoland and the “happiest place on earth” – Disneyland! Our home is in an excellent school district. The elementary school Xavier attends is rated a 10 out of 10. The teachers and facilities are great and the students have enriching extracurricular activities like arts, science, and language programs. Both of us volunteer regularly at the annual Halloween festival and during multicultural week, and Mick is a strong supporter of fundraising initiatives with the school. Every week the school arranges for interesting animals to be brought in from a local animal rescue center. We are grateful that we can provide Xavier access to these fun and “hands on” activities and can’t wait for our future second child to experience everything our neighborhood and community has to offer.

Meet Our Pup Oscar!… he’s family too!

Our new family addition is our chocolate labradoodle puppy, Oscar. He is the happiest, friendliest dog with floppy ears and a tail that doesn’t stop wagging. His favorite activities are play-wrestling with puppy-pals in the park, chasing the ball, chewing on shoes and learning new tricks with his brother Xavier. He is looking forward to having a new playmate in the family and is great with kids!

Meet Our Loved Ones who are excited for a new family member!

We’re very fortunate to be living close to family. Marianna’s parents, Valentina and Anatoly, are just a short drive away in a suburb of Los Angeles and take Xavier for a sleepover every Friday, allowing us to have a weekly date night. Mick’s mother, Tina, and stepfather, Andy, reside in Portland, Oregon and stay very involved by visiting several times a year. His extended family consists of lots of cousins and little kids in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, whom we go visit during school breaks. We love traveling to new countries and try to have extended family join us, whenever possible. One of the most memorable trips was a recent summer vacation in the French countryside, where we lived for 2 weeks. Every day we drove to small villages, mingled with the locals and sampled delicacies from the fresh market. Mick’s mom and Marianna’s aunt came along on that unforgettable trip.  We took similar vacations in Scotland and England several years back with various family members and plan to continue this tradition. We look forward to having our future child join on these family adventures and discovering the world with us.

We hope that we’ve given you a sense of our family and that you see our potential to provide a truly caring and nurturing home for your baby. Parenthood has been an incredibly rewarding, and transformative experience. We are eager to continue that journey by adding another child to our family through adoption. We look forward to watching our children develop a special sibling bond as they grow up together.

Thank you again for considering us!

Marianna & Mick