Hello, Thank you for considering adoption and for taking the time to read our profile. We’re looking forward to welcoming a baby into our lives and becoming parents through open adoption.  We are Mellani and Dave DeJesus from the San Francisco Bay Area.  We met 15 years ago over skee-ball and beers, and this year we are celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary.  Mellani is getting a new degree in Art and just established her own online children’s clothing and card line.  Dave is a firefighter for the City of San Francisco.  When we become parents, Dave's flexible schedule will allow him to be a part time stay at home dad.

We are very excited to parent a child through open adoption after years of trying to have a biological child.  Since we already have adopted children on both sides of our extended families, we know our families will warmly welcome our baby.

Thank you for giving us a chance to be part of such an important decision in your life.

Mellani - Written By Dave

Mellani was born in the Philippines and has been living in Northern California for most of her life.  She is a strong, beautiful woman both inside and out, and she loves to laugh. Mellani always sees the glass half full because of her positive attitude.  Food is definitely the way to Mellani’s heart.  A box of French pastries always puts a smile on her face.  On warm, sunny days you can find her at the beach taking in the ocean air.  

Mellani’s parents instilled the importance of family and investing time to maintain those connections that bring her so much joy.  When I’m on duty at the firehouse, Mellani often drives an hour away to spend time with her family, especially her two nephews.  A visit with her nephews normally involves going to the beach or park and of course, a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream on a sugar cone!  All of the children in my family love and adore her for her uncanny ability to connect with them.  Just ask my nieces and nephews who their favorite auntie is, and it's a good chance they'll say “Auntie Mellani.”

Mellani really enjoys travelling.  I have been blessed to experience so many things, people, places, and cultures for the first time with Mellani, and I also look forward to doing the same with our child.

After graduating from the University of San Francisco, Mellani worked in banking for years.  Recently, Mellani went back to school to develop her artistic talents and pursue her two loves: her love for children and her passion for fashion.  I’m so proud that she created an online store selling her clothing and card designs.  I think our child will be on the best-dressed list.  Mellani is enthusiastic about teaching our child how to sew and to share her love for arts and crafts.

Dave - Written By Mellani

Dave was born and raised in California.  His flexible schedule as a firefighter will often allow him to stay at home with our child.  Dave is easy going, gets along with everyone, and is compassionate.  His kindness makes him a great firefighter, husband, friend and future father.  Dave’s carefree and silly personality attracts people both young and old.  When we are with family and friends, he goes out of his way to make sure everyone is having a good time.  Children feel at ease around him because of his fun loving and playful attitude.  He has been nicknamed the “baby whisperer” because of the way he makes babies feel calm when he rocks them in his arms.

Dave is constantly open to learning.  He can fill his afternoons reading the news, watching a show on Animal Planet, or finding a recipe for a cake he ate at a local bakery. He makes a mean tres leches cake!  Dave has always been a nature lover.  He considers the great outdoors as his “church”, and his favorite place to relax.  When I first met Dave, the only articles of clothing he owned were hiking shorts, national parks t-shirts, and boots.  Dave is also crazy about photography.  His patience allows him to capture a shot of a perfect landscape or moment.  I know Dave can’t wait to give our child their first camera and take them to Yosemite to teach them how to shoot photos.

There is not one day that passes that we are not trying to make the other one laugh hysterically with pranks, jokes or just plain silliness.  Dave encourages me to try new things like kayaking, which has helped me to realize that I am a lot braver than I think I am.  He is also there to lift my spirits when I am having a bad day.  I am definitely a better person for knowing Dave.

Home & Adventures

Our home has plenty of space for a child and is located in the City of Fremont.  We live with Dave’s retired parents, so grandparents will definitely be part of our child’s life.  Fremont is in Silicon Valley and is known for it’s great schools.  It has plenty of parks and walking trails.  As a family, we plan on moving to our own home when our child is a few years old.  Our home is cozy and decorated with plenty of photos of family and friends.  Our favorite room in the house is the kitchen because we enjoy cooking, and of course eating, all types of food like lumpias (Filipino egg rolls) and sushi.  We are excited to share our love of food with our child. 

We love to watch movies.  Our week typically includes a couple of movies, whether they are on the big or small screen.  We enjoy all types of movies from the classics to independent films.  One of our favorites is Napoleon Dynamite.  We’ll make sure to make a larger batch of popcorn once we have a child to watch movies with.  We also enjoy playing tourists in the Bay Area like hiking in Big Basin State Park, going to exhibits at The Academy of Sciences, or trying a new restaurant in San Francisco.  Travelling to other states and countries is also very important to us.  We try to visit Hawaii at least once a year, and we ate our way through London and Paris a couple of years ago.  We plan to teach our child about other cultures and to appreciate the contributions every culture brings to the world. 

 

Family & Friends

We are very close to our families and friends.  We value our relationships with each of them.  Fortunately, most of them live within an hour or two away from us.  They are made up of all different cultures, religions, and personalities.  Most of the friendships we have go back to grade school.  We are constantly celebrating an anniversary, birthday, or just making plans to get together with family and friends to share a meal and conversation.  Our nieces and nephews are looking forward to having a new cousin to play hide and seek with.  There will literally be a village at our child’s welcome home party, and they will also be there to help us raise our child.

When We Become Parents

We try not to sweat the small stuff in life and hope our child will learn that from us.  Family connections are also very important.  Our family will love and accept you unconditionally.  We were both raised Catholic, and we hope our child will be spiritual even if it’s not within the Christian faith.  We plan to raise our child to be a confident, independent thinker who is adventurous and open to trying new things.  Respect for themselves, others, and the planet are also values we plan on instilling in our child.

Our Promise

Thank you for opening your heart to the option of adoption.  We hope that we have provided a glimpse of your child’s future, and that you feel we are the right match for you and your baby.  We respect and appreciate your bravery in making this decision.  We promise to love a child that is placed in our care with all of our hearts and to support them in any way we can. We wish you the best on your journey.  If you’d like to get to know more about us, please contact us at Adoption Connection at (800) 972-9225.  We would like to get to know you too.

Sincerely,

Mellani and Dave DeJesus