Hello!

We are Katie and Robert from San Francisco, California. Thank you for talking the time to “get to know us” in what we imagine must be a very difficult time for you. We have such respect for the choice you have made to explore your options, to decide what is best for your own future and that of your unborn child. We’re an active and social couple who enjoy spending lots of time outdoors, travel, sailing, visiting our family all over the US and enjoying healthy food. As a family, we value learning and experiencing life; education is a priority as is being out in the world taking in new ideas, cuisines and cultures.  We hope that this profile helps you to get to know us better as a couple, as individuals and as future parents.

About Us

Katie is high on positivity and energy and does not do well sitting-down! She grew up in Portland, Oregon as an only child where a good attitude is required to overcome the rain. She moved to San Francisco 11 years ago for her career and now works full-time running a large group of radio stations. She loves her weekend yoga, walking with friends, hikes and exploring with new recipes.

Robert comes from a larger family, he is one of three children raised in a small town in Connecticut. His childhood was filled with family pasta nights where laughter was as common as parmesan.  Today he runs his own benefits business from home. Robert has an excellent sense of humor and puts relationships first. He is an avid golfer, a sports fan and a big fan of his mothers’ homemade meatballs.

We have been married for six years, together for nine. We met at a Halloween party and it remains one of our favorite holidays; the costumes are fun to create though maybe the love is just an excuse to eat anything with a pumpkin flavor. Together we love to sail in the bay (a passion taught to Katie by her father from before she could walk), ski in Lake Tahoe with family, and spend an entire evening cooking and eating.  We travel whenever we can to new places in the US, like Miami or Boston, and to visit friends in Bermuda, France and elsewhere.

About Robert (from Katie

Robert is funny, extraordinarily high on responsibility and very protective of his family. His humor is the best kind; witty and topical and never at the expense of other people.  It’s rare that a day goes by when we don’t have a good laugh.

He keeps his commitments, his word is a bond and he values friendship. If he says he will do something, go somewhere or complete a project, you can count on him to deliver. He checks in with his mom for a long phone call a few times a week because he knows the call will make her day. He is the kind of friend who maintains relationships across miles and years. I marvel at the fact that he has friends from his childhood who live thousands of miles away.

Robert is protective of the people (and animals) he loves. A good example of this is our cat, Olive. She is quite old and needs special care. He has devised a complex, but effective, system of feeding her. It includes a combination of wet and dry cat food, canned tuna, deli turkey and the bottom of a cereal bowl on occasion. Her plate gets placed all over the house so that she can eat wherever she is comfortable. While this would not be a recommended strategy of feeding a child, it sure works with Olive.

He is giant Red Sox fan, an excellent golfer and a regular basketball player. While I don’t think he would admit it, his favorite pastime seems to be making sure Olive is well fed, sufficiently pet and has a good lap for her evening of snoozing.

He will be a wonderful, involved and highly committed father. The protectiveness he has for Olive will be amplified with an infant. Later, I can imagine him taking an active role coaching a sports team, teaching a child to cook and playing a board game after a day of skiing. A child in his family can count on equal doses of love, laughter and probably a father who insists on too many safety measures!

About Katie (from Robert)

Katie is intelligent, trust-worthy, goal-oriented and has a never ending thirst for knowledge. She loves to read and always needs to know the origins of ideas and how things work. She likes to challenge herself to know more. That comes through in all kinds of ways. For example, on our boat, she is as happy taking apart a complex winch as she is trimming the sails. She has been successful in her career rising quickly in a male-dominated environment. She is comfortable with who she is and knows where she wants to go.

While she is goal oriented, she is more sensitive than she lets on. She “wells-up” at the end of every sad movie, every ad for the humane society or a stranger in need.  She worries about homeless people when it rains and supports several charities with her time and money.

Her quirky sense of humor keeps me smiling…even when I don’t want to. It could be at the end of a long day at work when I am tired and searching for a bit of quiet. She will creep into the room with her shoulders moving up and down, a huge smile on her face as she dances to whatever music from a random commercial playing on the television.  It always cheers me up and is really hard not to laugh.

I know that she would make an excellent mother; she has confidence around babies, she just seems to know what to do. She will gladly get on the floor with our friends’ children to play a game or read a book. She invests time in her relationships with our friend’s kids, especially her godson Jackson who calls her “Aunt TT” (because he couldn’t say Katie). At times I lack confidence when it comes to infants, she carries the load for both of us with such ease and pleasure, while encouraging me too. It truly calms me to know she will be there as my partner throughout this journey. Her nurturing instinct is always present when our friend’s children are around. She can easily disappear for long periods of time before sitting down with the adults. She will be right at home as mommy.

Path to Adoption

Shortly after we were married, we struggled with infertility. It was a hard time both emotionally and physically. When we turned to adoption, it was the first time in our journey to parenthood when things have felt right. Neither one of us had a “traditional” family structure growing up. Katie’s parents divorced when she was little and she grew up with her mother as well as her farther and step-mother in a three-parent childhood. Robert’s two older half-siblings were adopted by his father when Robert was a baby. In some ways, it feels like those upbringings have led us to where we are today…. Talking to you.

We’re drawn to open adoption because there are no missing pieces for a child in their own story. That knowledge builds a stronger foundation as a child grows and develops their identity. We are committed to speaking honestly to our son or daughter of your courage, our respect for your decision and of the strength of your path. We invite you to speak for yourself too should you be comfortable.

Home and Work

We live in San Francisco where the city affords access to parks, arts, restaurants, friends, classes and so much more. It is not atypical for us to pull our car into the garage on Friday and spend the weekend completing all our errands by foot. There is a wonderful neighborhood farmers market just a few blocks away every Sunday morning, it is a magnet for families. We are two blocks away from Golden Gate Park and close to many friends with small children. There is a pre-school less than a block away and we often see the parents walking their young children to school, we envision a day when we can walk with our child.

Our home is warm, safe and inviting and it is often a gathering place.  Especially for the city, we have ample space with a guest room that will become a nursery. There is a large kitchen which is, inevitably, where the gatherings end-up.  Robert works from home and Katie’s office is just 2-miles away so one or both of us will always be close by.

Our Promise as Parents

We value and prioritize education, health and life experiences. That means lots of books, time exploring the outdoors, help with homework and providing experiences that allow a child to find their own passions.

•    A loving, safe and happy home life.

•    Commitment to education

•    A life of exploration and exposure to new experiences

•    Lots of play! From parks to ski slopes to pools and with friends.

•    Ample hugs, kisses and love.

•    Openness and celebration of how our family was created

We are ready with open hearts and open minds.

Thank You

Thank You.  As you read through these letters we hope you find the family that feels just right to you. This is a personal decision you will likely make as much with your heart as your head. Whether it is us or another family, we wish you all the support you will need through this time.

Warmly,

Katie & Robert