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State We Live in: Maryland
Our Religion: Christian
Stay At Home Parent: No
Our Age Preferences: Newborn-3 Months
Our Gender Preferences: Either Gender
Our Race Preferences: Any Race, African American, African American/Hispanic, Asian, Caucasian, Caucasian/African American, Caucasian/Asian, Caucasian/Hispanic, East Indian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Native American
Sibling Group: Yes
With oldest up to 4 years old
Open to Twins: Yes
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Call or text Lifetime Adoption at 1-800-923-6784.
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Hello from Maryland! Our joyful, music-loving family is excited to open our hearts to a child through adoption. Family is at the center of our lives, and we are devoted to being present for those we love. We are grateful to be considered as your child’s adoptive parents and would love to get to know you and the hopes you have for your child’s future.
About Us
We met at church almost 10 years ago and got to know each other serving on our church’s music team. We have been married for 8 years and have a beautiful, happy life together that would only be made more beautiful by the addition of a child.
Together we enjoy:
About Dana
Dan says: Dana is a goofy, sincere, and kind person who loves fiercely. She adores children and has an incredible gift for connecting with all of the kids in her life. In daily life, Dana is an avid reader and a fantastic cook. She always wants to be near the water, and she particularly loves to swim and paddle lakes and rivers in her kayak. She also dabbles in many different art forms including painting, singing, dancing, and stained glass. Dana works as a scientist for an organization that funds Parkinson’s disease research. She loves her job and that she gets to do something so impactful. Dana works from home full-time, but travels to cool places for conferences occasionally.
Dana enjoys:
Dana can’t wait to share her love of learning, music, and cooking with her future children, and to give them the gift of her deep presence and joyful wonder!
About Dan
Dana says: Dan is a steady and curious person with a generally quiet demeanor that is often interrupted by his big bellowing laugh. He is very intentional in how he goes about his days, in both serious work and fun adventures. Dan is a musician who composes and plays guitar, and he loves his job as a professor at the local community college. He directs the music program at his school and one of his favorite parts of his job is advising the music students as they plan out their futures in music. Many of his students are first-generation college-students and he deeply believes in the mission of serving this population.
Dan enjoys:
Dan is excited to share his love of music with our baby, and can’t wait to putz around a lake with Dana and the baby in a canoe.
Our Family
We firmly believe that family is built on love and not biology. Our families have always had open door policies, welcoming friends, neighbors, or anyone in need of a place to stay or somewhere to spend the holidays. Adoption has also been a meaningful part of our lives. One of Dana’s younger brothers joined her family through adoption when he was in high school, and that experience shaped our understanding of what it means to build a family through love and connection. Because of this, and after learning that a health condition makes pregnancy risky for both Dana and a baby, growing our family through adoption feels like the path that’s right for us.
We are very close with our extended family. Dan’s family lives nearby so we see them often. Dana’s family lives in North Carolina, but we keep in touch via phone and text and take turns visiting each other multiple times a year. Our families are thrilled that we are adopting, and we feel incredibly supported in choosing to grow our family in this way. We also have a wonderful circle of friends who are supporting us every step of the way. There are so many people who will welcome and love the child who joins our family!
Our Life & Home in Maryland
We spend much of our time on the enclosed front porch or in the big backyard of our 100-year old home. Our neighborhood is friendly and diverse, with a park and the elementary school just a short walk away. Each sumer, the town’s 4th of July fireworks light up the park, and we host an annual party with all of our friends to celebrate. We love that it is a short drive from our house into the city or to the state park, so we always have fun places to explore!
During the week, we balance work with fun evening activities, like choir and dinner club. No matter how busy our schedules get, we always make time to sit down together for dinner and talk about our day. Our weekends are a mix of relaxation, outdoor adventures, concerts, fun with friends, and preparation for the week ahead. When a child joins our family, we’ll continue to make family time and genuine connection our top priorities.
Our Promise
Thank you for taking the time to learn about us and what your child’s life could look like with our family. We are so grateful and honored to be considered as your child’s adoptive parents. We promise to provide a loving, stable, and joyful home for your child. We will prioritize education, quality time, and access to opportunities that will set them up for a lifetime of joy and fulfillment. Your child will always know the story of how they joined our family and will grow up knowing that they are loved and cherished. As your child grows, we welcome staying connected with you at your comfort level.
We’d love to talk or answer any of your questions. Please call or text Lifetime at 1.800.923.6784.
More About Dan
Education: MFA, Music Composition; MMus, Classical Guitar Performance
Profession: Professor of Music
Stay-At-Home: No
Racial Background: White
His Favorites:
Vacation Spot: Deep Creek Lake
Outdoor Activity: Hiking in the mountains
Place I've Lived: New York City
Food We Make At Home: Spicy Asian Noodles
Brunch Order: Reuben omelet
Country I've Visited: China
Gift To Give: Tickets to a concert or game
More About Dana
Education: PhD, Neuroscience
Profession: Scientific Consultant
Stay-At-Home: No (work from home)
Racial Background: White
Her Favorites:
Vacation Spot: Lost River, WV
Outdoor Activity: Kayaking
Place I've Lived: Boone, NC
Food We Make At Home: Crispy Persian Rice
Brunch Order: Eggs Benedict
Country I've Visited: Germany
Gift To Give: Homemade art
Gallery
click on any image to enlarge
More About Our Family
Family Traditions
We both love family traditions! A few of our favorites are:
- Dana’s dad has given her and her siblings a Christmas ornament every year to represent something that happened in their lives. When we got married, we started collecting Christmas ornaments on vacations too!
- Dan’s family has a “You are special today” plate that gets used for everyone’s birthday dinner.
- Dan’s family creates games for gift-giving occasions. Instead of just opening a gift, you may have to go on a scavenger hunt, solve a puzzle, or answer trivia questions to get your gift.
We can’t wait to continue these traditions and make this kind of magic for our kids one day!
Our Pet
Our dog, Layla, has been a part of our family for almost three years now. She is a goofy girl who loves belly rubs, rolling around in the grass, and blueberries. She will happily lay in the backyard watching the birds and bunnies for hours. Her absolute favorite thing is to go hiking and swimming. Layla is great with kids of all ages and is best friends with our friends’ toddler across the street. We are so excited to introduce Layla to the newest addition to our family!
Our Faith and Values
We come from strong Christian backgrounds. We were both raised in the Protestant Church and both of our fathers are in ministry (an ordained pastor and a Christian counselor). We attend a diverse Episcopal church with great music and children’s programs. Our faith leads us to prioritize issues of belonging, social justice, and living in love through grace in Christ.
Our Parenting Philosophy
- We believe that babies and children deserve to be treated with the same respect as adults. Their thoughts, feelings, and interests matter, and we make it a priority to listen to them, care about what they care about, and talk openly with them about the world around them.
- Play is a vital part of childhood, and we fully embrace it. We love to get down on the floor, get silly, and get messy—because that’s where connection and learning happen.
- Education is a cornerstone of our family values. We see learning as something that extends far beyond the classroom, including travel, camps, and activities like music lessons. We’re committed to giving children a wide variety of opportunities that spark curiosity, creativity, and growth.
-We look forward to spending quality time with your child and helping them discover their unique passions and strengths. Our promise is to provide a nurturing environment rich in love, learning, and laughter and to support their development into happy, confident, and independent adults.
-We desire an open adoption for our child and would love to share updates, pictures, or occasional visits with you, if desired. We want our children to know how loved they are by everyone in their lives. We truly believe that family is built, and we are ready to build a connection with you as a part of our extended family at your comfort level!
In Closing
Thank you for taking time to get to know us! We are so excited at the prospect of becoming first time parents through adoption. We look forward to introducing a child to our family traditions, the joy that is paddling a river or lake, and three-part harmony. It would be an honor to talk with you more about your hopes for your baby’s future. Our hearts are ready to welcome your child with love.