ABOUT JESSECA (BY DEREK)
Jesseca is the type of girl that you meet and cannot stop talking to. Within the first five minutes of meeting her, I could sense her kind heart and loved her contagious, non-stop smile. Jesseca is a natural caregiver and will do anything for anyone regardless of what sacrifices she has to make. The way she has made a career out of caring for children in many different capacities is truly remarkable! She is a fun, outgoing partner and we have spent tons of time together enjoying ourselves and our experiences. If you could make a “perfect mom” in a lab, Jesseca would be the human coming out of the petri dish! I look forward to many happy years as a parent with her.

ABOUT DEREK (BY JESSECA)
Derek is the funniest yet most serious guy you’ll ever meet. He is thoughtful and detail-oriented and a bit of a clean freak which motivates him to do laundry and keep a tidy house. Derek has always been a strong leader and works hard to ensure that our family is secure. He knows when to make me laugh and tells jokes all the time! He is the first person I want to talk to when I’ve have a bad day or when I have good news to share. He is able to be logical and calm even during tough times. Derek is a problem solver and does so much for our little family. He can build or fix just about anything. Derek’s fun-loving personality has made him a great uncle and will make him an even better father. He is certainly the glue to this family and will teach his children to be strong and independent with a good sense of humor!

OUR LIVES TOGETHER
We met during gym class in college and our relationship blossomed quickly.  We moved in together after a few months, dated for 7 years, and have been married for 6 years. We are truly each other’s best friend. Our relationship has always been strong and each challenge we’ve faced has only deepened our connection. Derek is good with money and determined to be a dependable husband. Jesseca makes it her priority to care for her family. She does a lot of cooking, planning, and caring of others. We like to spend time with our extended families and travel. We spend time with Jesseca’s family weekly and they are very supportive.

Our home is well established and in a great, diverse neighborhood. We are within walking distance to many schools, parks, local restaurants, and shops. We have a fenced-in backyard with a small garden, and our nursery is ready with a crib and lots of toys and books. Our two dogs, Flynn and Fletcher, are small in size, great with kids, and add a lot of fun to our lives.

We take our dogs on walks, ride bikes on the Monon Trail, and shop on Mass Ave. regularly. Derek likes to tease Jesseca and the two of us are always giggling or goofing around. We also enjoy going to baseball games in different cities and taking road trips together.

PARENTING
Our journey to become parents has been long but we wouldn’t change a thing about it.  Education is important to Jesseca as a teacher and we hope to enroll our child in a nearby public magnet school. Extracurricular activities have been something we envisioned our child doing and we look forward to supporting a child’s interests. Our neighborhood is very diverse and will allow a child to have lots of opportunities while embracing his or her culture.

We’ve had lots of practice with our nephews and niece. We have frequent dinners with family and Aunt Jesse is usually sitting right beside them to help! She enjoys watching them grow and using some of her professional experience to teach them new things. The boys love building trains, and Uncle Derek always steps in to help. He is typically the fun uncle that rough houses and plays silly games. Derek also likes to tease the boys and teaches them gross boy stuff. Slumber parties at Uncle Derek’s and Aunt Jesse’s usually include staying up late and having lots of snacks. Our niece is a bit younger but loves exploring with Aunt Jesse and Uncle Derek. We frequent the farmer’s market together and she likes to laugh at our dogs. We enjoy loving on her every chance we get.

Jesseca plans to take several months off work and Derek will stay home for the first few weeks. We will then utilize quality child care and education in our neighborhood. We will share the responsibilities of parenting and strive to offer the healthiest environment for a child.