Life with us
We want to give you a glimpse into what your baby’s life would look like as a part of our family.
Where will my baby live?
Our Home
We live in a 4-bedroom home that is spacious and aside from our room and the baby's room (which we are in the process of setting up), we also have a design studio and a media room for game/movie nights. We live in a family-friendly subdivision that has a swimming pool, walking trail, and two playgrounds.
The guest room will be transformed into the baby’s room
Neighborhood playground & pool just steps away
Tammie’s decorating makes Christmas a magical time
A Very Special Crib
We wanted to do something unique for our future baby’s crib. This crib was made by hand by Starr Woodworks, and is made to grow with the baby while also using creative, hands-on symbolism about the adoption journey in a way that will help teach the child about their story as they grow up.
Complete with drawers underneath for storage and an adjustable height for the mattress, this crib will grow with the baby
Hand-made, sturdy design made with only the safest materials and built to last.
Made from two different kinds of wood to symbolize adoption, this crib represents how the baby will be joined to our family.
Who will care for my baby?
We both work full-time but work some of that time from home. Ryan works from home two days per week while Tammie works everyday from home. For the first few years, we plan to have an in-home nanny help out during the day. Tammie will be close by and will take breaks to spend time with the baby throughout the day.
How will you raise my baby?
How will you help them develop?
One of the things that gets us really excited when we imagine parenting our future child is helping them explore, learn, and grow into the amazing person God has created them to be. We look forward to helping them explore their interests, and uncover their gifts. We look forward to reading to them early and often and encouraging reading a lot when they get a little older.
We are also excited about helping them develop healthy coping skills and ways to express themselves. We want to help them to grow into authentic, confident, and healthy adult who loves to learn new things for themselves.
How will you discipline?
We believe that the goal of discipline is to help the child to make positive decisions from a place of good emotional and mental health. We believe that this is about teaching and training, not punishment. We plan to focus our disciplinary efforts on teachable moments, setting clear expectations, and helping them learn about actions and their consequences. We believe that consistency is key and that this should always come from a place of clearly communicated love and care for the child’s wellbeing.
What kind of community will they have?
We believe that the role of family is very important. So first and foremost we look forward to ensuring they have strong relationships with grandparents, aunts/uncles and cousins. We also believe it is important for them to grow up rooted in church and we will make that a priority. We are also thinking about ways to ensure they have ways to be involved and connected with our diverse local community in central North Carolina.
Will they know about me?
We will speak positively about you!
If you place your baby with us, we will not take that gift lightly. As an adoptive family, we promise to always speak kindly, and graciously about you. We will honor this gift that you have given us and we will only ever speak well of you (whether or not the child is in the room). We would also be happy to work with you on anything specifically you would like us to share with the child in your absence as they grow older.
We welcome Open Adoption!
As a family looking to adopt, this journey has been one of incredible learning and the more we learned about the benefits of open adoption the more we came to appreciate and value it. We understand that children will grow with questions about their story, and keeping the door open to communication with their birth family is a blessing.
If you are interested in having an open adoption we would work together with you to figure out what open adoption looks like for our unique family.
Open adoption can look like…
Sending pictures
Writing Letters
Phone/Video Calls
Scheduled Visits
Our Promise
From the depths of our hearts, we want to express our profound gratitude for considering us as the potential parents for your precious baby. We promise you that your baby will be surrounded by lots of care, love, and support if they become a part of our family.
Your baby's care and development will be our highest priority. We'll help them follow their dreams, challenge them to try new things, and help grow in confidence and love. If you choose, we're open to keeping in touch with you. We know you're an important part of this child's life, and we'll always respect that. We promise to take care of your baby with all our hearts.
