Jessica: We treasure our weekends with Jessica and her friends. We spend as much time as possible with her, supporting all her school activities. Jessica is a very talented singer, often selected to give solos in her choir concerts. She lives with her mother in a suburb about 15 minutes away, so we are fortunate that we can play an active role in her life. Jessica’s mom was adopted, so the idea of adoption is not new, and Jessica is excited about the arrival of a baby brother or sister.

Libby (aka THE LIBINATOR): Libby is our medium-sized Chocolate Lab and also the Princess of the household. She enjoys road trips (to the dog park), playing ball in the backyard, and taking us for long walks. She is very easy going and really enjoys children, especially those kids who like to toss a tennis ball around the yard. She is very protective of us, but she only barks at the UPS man!

Our families: What makes our family unique comes from the way we were both raised—with a strong belief that family is the central ingredient in our lives. Both our parents have strong work ethics and have raised us to respect and value family time together. Brian has three sisters who live nearby and have given us amazing nieces and one nephew. I have a brother who doesn’t have any kids yet, but we know he’ll make a great uncle (he lives in Michigan). We love spending time with our families and know they will welcome our child with open arms.