Basic Info
Susan
Religion: Christian
Denomination: Lutheran
Andrew
Religion: Christian
Denomination: Lutheran
Susan & Andrew
Illinois
Intro
About
Work & Education
Susan
Education: JD; BA in International Relations
Profession: Stay-at-home mom!
Andrew
Education: BA in Political Science
Profession: Finance
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Semi Open (open to an in-person visit before adoption placement, phone, email, sharing pic/letters after placement
Closed (no contact after placement)
Environment
Country: USA
State: Illinois
Us Region: Mid-western US
Parent Relationship: Married
Parent Years Together: 10 to 15 years
Parent Residency: House
Parent Pets: Yes!
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual parents
Preferences for a child
Age: Newborn to 1 year of age
Gender: Either
Multiple Children: All
Race/Ethnicity: All
Special Needs: Open to discussion
Certification 
Adoption Service Provider
Center for Family BuildingOur Year
Music Is Everywhere
We Promise To Love, Protect and Cherish Each Other
Our Promise
You will always have a place in our family and in your child’s heart.
We admire and respect your strength as you consider the best future for your child. We are grateful you are considering adoption and we are thankful you are considering us.
Your child would be welcomed into our fun and loving home. We will treasure, support and guide your child throughout their life. We will demonstrate compassion and empathy. We will laugh with them and hold them when they cry. We will teach your child that they have value and worth. We will fiercely protect your child as much as we are able. We will build in them an inner strength to sustain them through their lives. Above all, your child will be loved, every day and unconditionally.
We promise you that your child will know you, the brave choices you made and your love for them. You will always have a place in ou...
We admire and respect your strength as you consider the best future for your child. We are grateful you are considering adoption and we are thankful you are considering us.
Your child would be welcomed into our fun and loving home. We will treasure, support and guide your child throughout their life. We will demonstrate compassion and empathy. We will laugh with them and hold them when they cry. We will teach your child that they have value and worth. We will fiercely protect your child as much as we are able. We will build in them an inner strength to sustain them through their lives. Above all, your child will be loved, every day and unconditionally.
We promise you that your child will know you, the brave choices you made and your love for them. You will always have a place in our family and in your child’s heart.
Our Story
In our hearts, we know that our family is not complete.
We Stand Together, Strong in Faith and Spirit
We met in Washington, DC, where we both had moved for work. Andy was attracted to Susan’s strong independent streak and intelligence. Susan fell in love with Andy’s kindness and generosity. Married over 10 years, we have been each other’s companion and source of strength.
In 2015, we joyously welcomed our daughter Tessie. Unfortunately, Susan experienced complications post-delivery and can no longer have children. In our hearts, we know that our family is not complete. You might wonder if, with a five-year old already to love and enjoy, do we really want to do it all again? Yes, a thousand times, yes! We cannot wait to experience it all again—all the tiny cuddles, the amazing firsts, the sheer joy of watching a child grow and change. (We even look forward to all the bottles, late nights and laundry!) We are excited to watch Tessie be the great big sister we know she can be.
In 2015, we joyously welcomed our daughter Tessie. Unfortunately, Susan experienced complications post-delivery and can no longer have children. In our hearts, we know that our family is not complete. You might wonder if, with a five-year old already to love and enjoy, do we really want to do it all again? Yes, a thousand times, yes! We cannot wait to experience it all again—all the tiny cuddles, the amazing firsts, the sheer joy of watching a child grow and change. (We even look forward to all the bottles, late nights and laundry!) We are excited to watch Tessie be the great big sister we know she can be.
Our Family
We give each other big hugs and kisses!
Where You Go, We Go...Together
Meet Susan: I grew up in Wisconsin with my parents and 3 older siblings. We lived minutes from extended family and celebrated holidays and birthdays together, creating lasting family traditions. My siblings and their families still live in the Midwest and my mother is delighted when my childhood home is filled with the now eight of us and our nine children.
I love learning and enjoyed both college and law school. It was a great experience practicing law but my most rewarding job is being a stay-at-home mom. I learn about myself and from Tessie every day. I am fiercely loyal and protective. I can be serious and practical but I love to joke and laugh. Friends say my sense of humor is witty and dry but my daughter just finds me silly. We give each other big hugs and bunny kisses. I end each day carefully picking up my sleeping daughter, holding her to me and whispering how much I love her. I long to be able to go to two rooms each night, giving out hugs and kisses and loving whispers.
Meet Andy: I grew up in Massachusetts. My parents, although divorced, lived near each other and my sister and I lived at both houses. I come from a family of educators and activists which shaped my worldview.
I was a camp counselor as a teenager and that describes who I am today—a caretaker, an organizer, a positive energy in all situations. I am passionate about being a father. I revel in everything from having tea parties to splashing in the lake to teaching her baseball.
I am grateful to have a career at a large Chicago bank that provides for my family but also permits me to be home for dinner every night and allows flexibility for family time. I have enjoyed volunteering at our daughter’s preschool and with an inner city reading program.
Meet Tessie: Tessie is kind and loving. Her favorite color is pink and she loves dressing up as princesses, ballerinas and fairies. Tessie loves music, animals, and nature. She also loves worms and bugs--she digs them up, catches them, talks to them and builds them nests. Tessie cannot wait to be a big sister. She draws pictures of our future family and has set aside clothes and toys for her future sibling.
Meet Butterscotch: Butterscotch is our beloved family dog. She has been with us for 10 years. Butterscotch is gentle, sweet and full of personality. We love her to pieces!
I love learning and enjoyed both college and law school. It was a great experience practicing law but my most rewarding job is being a stay-at-home mom. I learn about myself and from Tessie every day. I am fiercely loyal and protective. I can be serious and practical but I love to joke and laugh. Friends say my sense of humor is witty and dry but my daughter just finds me silly. We give each other big hugs and bunny kisses. I end each day carefully picking up my sleeping daughter, holding her to me and whispering how much I love her. I long to be able to go to two rooms each night, giving out hugs and kisses and loving whispers.
Meet Andy: I grew up in Massachusetts. My parents, although divorced, lived near each other and my sister and I lived at both houses. I come from a family of educators and activists which shaped my worldview.
I was a camp counselor as a teenager and that describes who I am today—a caretaker, an organizer, a positive energy in all situations. I am passionate about being a father. I revel in everything from having tea parties to splashing in the lake to teaching her baseball.
I am grateful to have a career at a large Chicago bank that provides for my family but also permits me to be home for dinner every night and allows flexibility for family time. I have enjoyed volunteering at our daughter’s preschool and with an inner city reading program.
Meet Tessie: Tessie is kind and loving. Her favorite color is pink and she loves dressing up as princesses, ballerinas and fairies. Tessie loves music, animals, and nature. She also loves worms and bugs--she digs them up, catches them, talks to them and builds them nests. Tessie cannot wait to be a big sister. She draws pictures of our future family and has set aside clothes and toys for her future sibling.
Meet Butterscotch: Butterscotch is our beloved family dog. She has been with us for 10 years. Butterscotch is gentle, sweet and full of personality. We love her to pieces!
Our Home, Our Adventures
We can't wait for a new little adventurer to join our family!!
We Might Venture Far, But Together We Are Always Home
We live north of Chicago, along Lake Michigan in a quiet, diverse neighborhood. While the neighborhood feels "tucked away", we are within walking distance to the downtown area, the library and public transportation. There are several neighborhood parks near our home.
We have worked hard to make our house a cozy and inviting home. There is plenty of space to play and relax, inside and out. The large kitchen is perfect for baking, casual family dinners and art projects. In our fenced-in backyard, we play games, dig in the sandbox and catch fireflies. We enjoy picking vegetables and flowers from our gardens.
We love to go on adventures and explore together. Whether we go near or far, whether the adventures are small or grand, it is really just about being together. We love living near the Lake and we enjoy the lakefront throughout the year. We often go on nature walks, either at the lakefront, our city’s arboretum or a nearby nature preserve. Little bits of nature always make their way home with us, hopefully in Tessie’s nature bucket but often in our pockets!
Music is a constant in our lives—we sing and make music all day long. We march in parades around the house and have dance parties. We love exposing Tessie to different music and attending concerts and music class. Susan enjoys playing the piano and teaching Tessie about musical instruments.
We try to take advantage of all that our area has to offer, visiting zoos, museums and farms. We enjoy camping in the warmer months and exploring new places. Winter means sledding, snow angels and building snow animals together.
Having great adventures and making memories is fun but even more important are the smaller, everyday things that make up our family life—dinners together, cozy cuddles and kissing away life’s booboos.
Thank you for getting to know us and learning about the life we can offer your child. We hope that you can feel the respect and compassion that is here for you and all the love that is waiting for your child.
We have worked hard to make our house a cozy and inviting home. There is plenty of space to play and relax, inside and out. The large kitchen is perfect for baking, casual family dinners and art projects. In our fenced-in backyard, we play games, dig in the sandbox and catch fireflies. We enjoy picking vegetables and flowers from our gardens.
We love to go on adventures and explore together. Whether we go near or far, whether the adventures are small or grand, it is really just about being together. We love living near the Lake and we enjoy the lakefront throughout the year. We often go on nature walks, either at the lakefront, our city’s arboretum or a nearby nature preserve. Little bits of nature always make their way home with us, hopefully in Tessie’s nature bucket but often in our pockets!
Music is a constant in our lives—we sing and make music all day long. We march in parades around the house and have dance parties. We love exposing Tessie to different music and attending concerts and music class. Susan enjoys playing the piano and teaching Tessie about musical instruments.
We try to take advantage of all that our area has to offer, visiting zoos, museums and farms. We enjoy camping in the warmer months and exploring new places. Winter means sledding, snow angels and building snow animals together.
Having great adventures and making memories is fun but even more important are the smaller, everyday things that make up our family life—dinners together, cozy cuddles and kissing away life’s booboos.
Thank you for getting to know us and learning about the life we can offer your child. We hope that you can feel the respect and compassion that is here for you and all the love that is waiting for your child.
Post-Adoption Relationship
Open (Open to contact, phone calls, in person visits before adoption. Sharing photos and letters after placement. Visits at neutral location after adoption, etc.). If you want a more closed adoption, we would honor that request as well.
Semi Open (open to an in-person visit before adoption placement, phone, email, sharing pic/letters after placement
Closed (no contact after placement)
Environment
Country: USA
State: Illinois
Us Region: Mid-western US
Parent Relationship: Married
Parent Years Together: 10 to 15 years
Parent Residency: House
Parent Pets: Yes!
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual parents
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