Dear Expectant Mother,
I'm sure that dealing with an unexpected pregnancy is difficult for you. Our hearts and thoughts are with you as you face this time in your life. In considering adoption as a possible birth plan for your new baby, I'm sure you are aware of the wonderful opportunity you are creating for everyone concerned. As a couple not able to conceive a child ourselves, you give us the opportunity to fulfill the dream of being parents. As a mom whose situation in life is not ideal for raising a child, you give yourself the ability to move forward in a new direction, and of course, you give your baby a chance at a wonderful life.

We are Daniel and Marlaina, we've been married 10 years and we live in the Seattle area. We are unable to have a baby of our own so we have decided to adopt. We have been through the state approval process and have been approved as adoptive parents. Since it is our plan to go with open adoption, the next step is to meet an expectant mother like you who feels that adoption is a good choice for her and her baby. Since we aren't that great at talking about ourselves, we decided to tell about each other….

About Daniel:
Daniel is great dad. Things I love about him are how clear he is; I love his sense of adventure and I love how patient he is when he is teaching someone to do something. He has a quick wit and a great sense of humor. I am always amazed at how he can do anything. He has a workshop where he can fix or build things. He flies airplanes. He knows everything about computers, but the thing that I absolutely adore is his ability to figure out what's going on in any situation, put people at ease and make them feel safe no matter what's happening. Daniel is a great storyteller, a good teacher and a great provider. A new baby would be very lucky to have Daniel as a dad.

About Marlaina:
Marlaina is beautiful. I never get tired of looking at her. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about how lucky I am. She has so much energy. She makes my life wonderful because she makes our home wonderful. She decorates and sews and makes jewelry. Everything feels so much like home when she is around. Marlaina is every kid's favorite aunt. The kids love her because she gets down on the floor with them and helps them color or draw or make pretty necklaces. She is always helping to save the world somewhere and even though I wouldn't march for some of her causes, I am so proud to be married to a woman that is clear about what she cares about and will put her time and energy into it. Even though we don't have a child, Marlaina is already a great mom and a baby in this home will be a very lucky one.

Thank you taking the time to read our letter. We have put together a book that we can send you that tells more about us over the years with lots of pictures and history. If you are thinking that you would like to know more about us, you can do that several ways:

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO OUR ONLINE INFORMATION REQUEST FORM (usually the best way to reach us)
Call us directly (we would love that!) toll-free 1-888-753-7033
Call Fran Thoreen (our adoption social worker) 1-800-331-8620
Call Joan: (our adoption lawyer - our file # is 3515) calling collect ok 1-206-728-5858

Again, thank you, good luck, we hope to hear from you,

Daniel and Marlaina