A bit about Natasha, by Ryan

It’s hard to put someone so special into just a few sentences. Natasha is the most kind-hearted woman I have ever met. She has pursued a professional career of helping children process their emotions and build their own self-compassion, so that they may grow up to be capable adults not just emotionally but also mentally. From the day we met, I knew through our conversations that she would be an amazing mom. She is patient, understanding, and best of all genuinely concerned about how you are feeling emotionally over what is going on externally. She is the most honest and empathetic person I have ever met and she makes anywhere we go feel like home.

I used to think that you couldn’t rely on anyone but yourself until I met Natasha. The night after our first date I just wanted to call her up and continue talking! Ever since, we have not gone a day without talking to each other. She has shown me that there is indeed a love that can withstand anything. Natasha is the kind of person who can and will take the time to actually listen to what you’re saying and try to understand. This constant emotional support and patience makes me confident that Natasha will be a great mother and any child she raises will know a love that’s patient and kind.

Natasha’s repeated acts of kindness and generosity for those that she not only knows but doesn’t know, as well, drives me to be a better man than I was the day before and to keep growing. Natasha also keeps me from being too boring, she loves to go on adventures and road trips. Natasha is usually the one coming up with the best and most fun date night ideas and little adventures for us to have. She isn’t one to shy away from any activity from board games, video games, hiking and camping, or even taking a short weekend trip to make new memories and see new places.

A bit about Ryan, By Natasha

Ryan is the most kind hearted selfless indivdual I know. My heart is filled with so much joy knowing that someday I will have the opportunity to see him be a father. I know he will be the most amazing dad ever. He always puts me first and shows me love in so many ways. This reassures me that he will do the same for our future child.

Ryan does so many small things throughout our everyday life to show me love such as texting me throughout the day, planning the nursery (we have a shared pin board for things like this), making special meals for me and not being upset when he has worked and I have not made dinner, and helping equally take care of the house and not complaining if I am feeling tired and he cleans up the kitchen on his own. It is his selflessness I most appreciate. It helps us be a strong couple. I am confident that Ryan plays a huge part in me knowing we will be able to model through our relationship to our future child what a healthy happy relationship is.

Ryan puts those he loves first. Because of this I know he will be a dedicated father that loves and appreciates our child. On top of being a loving father, Ryan will be a fun dad. He is young at heart. Not too cool to dress up as his favorite super heroes and never too busy for a game of Pokémon. I am fairly certain my nephew and younger brother are both more ecstatic to see Ryan than me any given day, but this is no surprise. My brother especially loves sharing with Ryan the latest video game he is into and having Ryan play with him.

A bit about our home, pets and family

We live north of Indianapolis in a small neighborhood with a lot to offer. Our neighborhood community is diverse, family friendly, and host a lot of kid specific events, including an outside movie night and cake walks. The school’s in our district are also fantastic.

What we love most about our home community is that it is far enough out of town that we can star gaze without all the light pollution. Also, our neighbors are extremely kind hearted and show up for each other rather it’s as simple as borrowing a power washer or as big as volunteering to paint a garage for free. Being a smaller neighborhood helps it be tight-knit, welcoming, and friendly. Ryan makes it a point to wave at everyone when we go on walks with Sylo. Sylo loves getting all the attention from the kids in the neighborhood.

Our pets are a very important part of our family. Sylo has lived in three different states with Natasha as she finished school. He is definitely her best friend. Both Bastet and Moon were Christmas gifts and we couldn’t imagine life without them. Moon loves chasing laser lights and playing! Bastet realized that we were controlling the laser light so he does not partake, but opts for pets instead. Sylo’s favorite toy is his Tickle Me Elmo. Ryan found him a replacement when Sylo’s original Tickle Me Elmo wasn’t working as well. Sylo also loves going on walks. He is old and has back problems. Ryan will carry him if he needs a break.

Also, both of our families live near enough to easily visit. We enjoy day trips to spend time with Ryan’s family by the pool and to Natasha’s hometown to see her family, which always involves getting a special treat from one of the local restaurants or ice cream shops. Both sides of our family are extremely excited for the adoption and are already spoiling the baby with items they wanted to get for the nursery.

A bit about us as parents

Our goal as parents is to provide a safe and loving environment for a child to grow. We value communication, honesty, and fairness in our house and we hope to teach these values to our future child. Navigating infertility was tough, but we communicated openly with each other, and were on the same page early on that we hoped to adopt regardless of if we were able to have biological children.

We have this tradition that before one of us leaves and on our return, we make sure to tell each other “I love you” and share a kiss because we want to reassure each other that no matter what, we both know we are loved every day. We will continue this as parents with a child.

Although we both work, family time is extremely important to us. After having a baby Natasha plans to take time off from work and Ryan will take paternity leave. Our goal is to not need to use child care for the first year of the baby’s life.

Healthy self-esteem development is important to us, as well, and we understand a big part of positive self-esteem for our future adopted child will involve valuing their personal identity and helping them have connections to their birth family. A large part of this is maintaining connections with possible siblings, knowing their culture and honoring specific practices within that culture, and by teaching through example that as a family we honor differences within and outside of our home.

Our hearts are invested in an open adoption. If you were to choose us to parent your child, they will know who you are from day one and adoption will be a common word in our home. We will welcome open healthy interactions. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us-we are excited to get to know you!