Website design by Mary Lisa at Adoption Expressions!
welcome to our adoption webpage!
If you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and are considering adoption for your baby, please read our letter below to learn more about us, and click on the links to see our fun family photos!
We are homestudy approved and ready!
If you think we could be the parents for your baby, please email us or call us toll-free at
1-866-206-2936
Mike, Melissa & Sofie
Hello!
We appreciate you taking the time to read our profile. Having been through the adoption process, we understand how important this decision is for you. We recognize the love, hope and courage you possess that brought you to make an adoption plan for your baby. We are ready to become parents again and we thank you for the opportunity to share our lives with you.
Our beginnings...
We have been together for 13 years and were married almost nine years ago. It was love at first sight for us. Within a few months of dating we knew that we wanted to be together forever. On a sunny, but cold winter day in January 2001, with our families and friends present, we exchanged our vows.
For many years we struggled with infertility and pregnancy loss; however, the challenges we faced strengthened our desire and commitment to becoming parents. We became very excited and hopeful about growing our family through adoption.
In August 2007 we adopted our daughter Sofie from Guatemala. Although we were unable to meet her birthmother, we know she loved and cared for Sofie very much. We feel we have a responsibility to her birthmother to love and provide for Sofie and make sacrifices for her benefit.
Why we want to adopt again...
Becoming Sofie’s parents has been a true blessing. There is never a day that goes by that we don’t express how fortunate we are to have Sofie as our daughter. She has brought so much joy and happiness to our lives. We love being parents and want very much to bring another child into our lives. Mike has three brothers and Melissa has two sisters and our sibling relationships are very important to us. We very much want to raise our children with siblings and we can’t wait too see them learn from each other and explore new things together.
Our families are very excited about the possibility of us adopting another baby. Their love for Sofie is endless and we know they will welcome a new baby with their arms open wide.
Melissa...
Melissa has been Registered Nurse for 11 years. Over the last eight years, she has worked for two large Pharmaceutical companies. She plans on taking 6 months off of work when the new baby arrives. Melissa loves meeting other families in our community so for the last two years Melissa has been an active member of a local moms group where she is the chairperson for Family Outings. Melissa also enjoys scrap booking and is currently creating a book for Sofie which details her life in Guatemala before we became her parents.
Mike…”Melissa is an amazing and dedicated mother. Although she works outside the home, she puts our family first. All of her time apart from work is spent with Sofie. They enjoy going getting together with friends for play dates, going to the playground and attending mommy and me music, gymnastics, and Spanish language classes together. Melissa is very affectionate and nurturing with an endless supply of hugs and kisses for Sofie. Melissa is looking forward to becoming a mommy again and is just as excited to bring a new baby into her life as she was the first time.”
Mike...
Mike also has a strong work ethic and works very hard to provide for us. He worked during his teen years to put himself through college. He graduated with a Bachelors degree and has worked for the last 15 years as a Landscape Architect. Mike can fix or build almost anything. Over the last five years he has renovated an old house, an apartment building, and completely rebuilt our kitchen. Mike is very family oriented. He comes from a large family of four brothers and is very close with his parents, especially his father.
Melissa..."Mike is a devoted and loving husband and daddy. He is a very fun and hands-on dad who changes diapers, reads bed-time stories, and takes Sofie to pre-school. Spending quality time with Sofie is a priority for him. They enjoy picking vegetables from the garden together and going on bike rides or swimming together. He is always excited to teach her new things. Mike cannot wait to have two little ones to run around with, dance and play with!”
Sofie...
Sofie is a bright, funny and energetic 2½ year old with a huge smile and adorable dimples! She loves to be tickled and play hide and seek. She also loves to run, swim, dance and sing! Sofie adores babies...especially when they laugh and smile at her. If she sees a baby on the swing at the park, she always asks to sit on the swing next to the baby. She also enjoys pushing her dolls and stuffed animals around in her baby stroller as well as feeding them and changing their diapers. She is gentle and nurturing and we know she will be a wonderful big sister!
Parenting...
We love being parents. Our goal is to raise our children to be happy and self-confident. We hope to instill a love of learning and nurture our children’s strengths. We were fortunate to find a local pre-school for Sofie that emphasizes play, education, physical activity and respect for others. We plan on having both of our children attend this school. We believe that these positive learning experiences will set a strong foundation for our children in years to come.
We are very hands on parents and have fun participating in activities that our daughter enjoys. We work with her to develop her skills such as learning to pedal a tricycle or walking on the balance beam by herself. We know each child is unique and we look forward to discovering all of the activities our new baby will enjoy.
We are encouraging Sofie to learn Spanish and we read books about her birth country. Additionally, we have a friendship with the foster family that raised her from birth to 7 months and we plan on visiting them in Guatemala in the future. It is very important to us that our children keep ties to their heritage and we will encourage both of our children to understand and learn about their cultural backgrounds.
Fun times...
We love to travel… especially to places near the beach! In addition to Cape Cod and the New Jersey Shore we have taken family vacations to Florida and Puerto Rico. We love playing in the sand and in the ocean. Mike is teaching Sofie how to swim and this past summer she learned how to use a boogie board. We look forward to many more beach vacations as a family of four!
We love to be active. When Sofie was a baby Melissa took her for long walks in the stroller. Now that Sofie is older they take walks together in the park, frequently stopping so Sofie can pet every passing puppy. Melissa looks forward to the new baby joining them. Mike loves the water and enjoys swimming and surfing. He swims regularly at our indoor community pool and afterward takes Sofie swimming during the family swim time. She loves to splash and kick in the water and jump off the side into Daddy’s arms. Mike has been surfing since he was a teenager and hopes one day to teach our children how to surf.
What we love most is spending time together as a family. A typical evening or weekend for us is playing in the backyard or going to the playground or for a bike ride. We also like to put on music and dance! In the fall, we enjoy pumpkin and apple picking, and in the winter, we bundle up and play in the snow. Sofie loves sledding down our driveway, and last winter she helped build her first snowman. We also enjoy spending time with our extended family. On weekends we go over to Grandma and Pop Pop’s house for dinner along with Mike’s brothers and their families. It’s so much fun when everyone gets together and we love watching all of the cousins play together. The girls love to do ring around the rosy and we look forward to Sofie’s new sister or brother joining in!
Our home...
We live in a quiet, suburban neighborhood in New Jersey. Our home sits on one-half acre of land. Over the last four years we renovated our home, and we now have a beautiful space with four bedrooms, a large family room, playroom and new kitchen to prepare and enjoy eating our family meals together. Your baby will have his or her own bedroom and plenty of space to play both inside an out. Our community has an excellent school system where your child will attend grades Kindergarten through High School as well as many recreational programs such as tennis, soccer, cheer leading and basketball. We also have a town pool where families gather together for fun during the summer.
Mike designed and built a beautiful bluestone patio in our backyard which is surrounded by gorgeous flowers. We enjoy outdoor parties with friends and family as well as dinners with just the three of us. We also have fun relaxing together in our oversized hammock. Sofie loves to swinging, climbing and sliding on her back yard play set. She also loves to play chase! She will say, “I’ll be the racer and you be the chaser” and one or both of us will run after her.
We have wonderful neighbors who give lots of attention to Sofie and are very excited about us becoming parents again. Our neighbors are so generous and helpful, frequently bringing by gifts and offering to baby-sit. Our neighbors own dogs and Sofie spends a lot of time playing with “her” dogs Sassy and Kylie.
Our families...
We both have our parents and siblings living nearby. Mike has three brothers, two of which are married with children, and Melissa has two sisters, who are both married with children. Your baby will enjoy cousins (four boy cousins and four girl cousins plus one girl on the way) all nine years of age and younger. We see each other often on weekends, vacations and holidays. Each year we host Thanksgiving for Mike’s family. The kids and the men play outside while the women chat and help get all the food on the table. On Father’s Day we have an outdoor barbeque for both of our families. For Christmas we visit Melissa’s dad and step-mom in the morning for brunch, and in the afternoon we drive to Mike’s brother’s house for dinner. It’s a long day, but we are fortunate that our families live close so we can visit with everyone.
Melissa’s parents own a home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and her family vacations there each summer. Their home is only a minute walk from the bay. We enjoy swimming, kayaking, fishing, and playing the beach. Mike’s family owns a home at the New Jersey shore where we spend summer weekends with his family. In the fall we drive to New York State with Mike’s brothers’ family our annual apple picking trip. We love to taste the apples right off the tree. When we get home, we make apple pies.
Our families were very excited when we brought Sofie home from Guatemala and we know they are equally as excited to welcome a new baby into the family. We receive a tremendous amount of unconditional love and support from both of our families. Our families adore Sofie and are eagerly anticipating us bringing home a new son or daughter!
Open adoption...
Due to adopting internationally, we did not have the opportunity to meet Sofie’s birth mother, but we know she loved Sofie very much. We have a framed photo of Sofie together with birthmother and we spend time talking about “Mommy Reyna” and she often gives her a kiss before bed or looks at her picture and says Hi! Fortunately we do have contact with Sofie’s biological sister who was also adopted from Guatemala by another family here in the United States. This past summer our families had an opportunity to meet each other for the first time. We are so excited that the girls’ know each other and will have an opportunity to have relationship in the years to come.
Please know that we will cherish bringing your child into our family. We will share your child’s adoption story with them and always let him/her know the wonderful way he/she came into our family. Please know that your child will be raised knowing the love you have for them. We are open to discussing an open adoption plan with you. We know each adoption situation is different, and we will respect your wishes for the type of adoption you desire.
Thank you!
Thank you for reading our letter. We hope we
answered most of your questions and welcome
you to get to know us better. We’d love to
talk with you on the phone or even meet if
that is your wish. We hope your heart is
comforted during this process and that you
find peace in your decisions.
With love and respect,
Mike, Melissa & Sofie
CONTACT US
Call toll-free: 1-866-206-2936
Email: apreciousgiftarc@yahoo.com
Graphics purchased at PcCrafter.com
