Hello! We are Brenna and Gabe. We appreciate you looking at this profile of our life together! Gabe works in the purchasing department for a growing company, often with the ability to work from home, when needed. Brenna has been a preschool teacher and daycare worker for 11 years and loves her job working with children every day. Our house is a little like a zoo and a museum rolled into one. With lots of pets (exactly 14, to be precise!), books, and things from around the world that we hope a child will someday have so much fun exploring!
We believe our approach to parenting will be unique, as we have both spent our lives overcoming obstacles; in our six years of marriage, we have been able to come out stronger together! Gabe has autism, but now sees his neurodivergence as an advantage, and Brenna survived a rare leukemia as an infant – which caused her adorable, but small stature – that helps her better relate to children and have more empathy towards kiddos she teaches, some with special needs. Together, we understand that life can throw you curveballs, but we know we will continue to overcome everything life has thrown our way.
From Their Spouse’s Perspective
Brenna is the sweetest lady I could possibly imagine. She cares so much about how people are doing, and looks after little ones so well. She can be shy, but can also be very brave when she needs to be. Brenna does a great job helping me with figuring out art projects; she has a good eye for color combinations. Every morning she helps me wake up and get going to work. I don’t know where I would be without her.
After 11 years in childcare as a career, she’s excited at the possibility of having a baby. She has a very special place in her heart for young kids. She grows so close to her students that many of them claim that she is “theirs.” Her nurturing side and love for children is going to make her an amazing mommy someday!
Gabe is eccentric in a very fun way. He is always on a mission to learn something new. He enjoys helping me with chores and telling jokes to friends and family members. He is such a fun uncle to all of our nephews and our little niece. He is such a good artist, always researching new pictures to make. I can’t imagine my life without him.
He has autism (this comes in handy for immersing himself in research for art projects!). He can relate from an inside perspective on sensory issues, getting overwhelmed, and navigating social challenges. Over the years, he has learned how to not just cope and function, but to use his unique brain in special ways. If a child has any challenges, he can help them with empathy, understanding, and patience, knowing the effort it took others to help him through hard times.
Our Marriage
We originally met in our church youth group, then reconnected later as adults. We have been married for 6 years now. We help each other very well and complement each other’s needs. Brenna is the calendar for what we are going to do, and Gabe is the map for getting there. We like to cook dinner and clean the house together as a team. We are full of fun, and we look after each other in the good and bad times.
Our Family
(Gabe) My mom is very excited to have another grandbaby close by. She has already made baby quilts for them! I can’t wait for a little one to try grandmommy’s chocolate chip coffee cake too. My brother and his wife have three bright little guys, all seven and under. They live out of state, but visit multiple times a year. The oldest likes to design 3D prints with me, the middle nephew loves elephants, and the youngest still enjoys babbling excitedly while pointing at pictures! They are getting excited about a new little cousin to share with! All of them love when Aunt Brenna reads them bedtime books.
(Brenna) My parents can’t wait to welcome another grandbaby as well. They live in the same town as us, as do my siblings. My brother and his wife have one son who makes friends with anyone and everyone. My sister and her husband have four boys and one girl, who is the youngest. The oldest boy is starting to grow in responsibility and watches out for his little siblings, and we know he will be very caring for a new baby cousin. The second oldest loves sports; he could do a great job teaching our baby baseball once they are old enough! The middle son is very sincere and always takes time to give us a hug when he sees us; he will be very caring towards his newest cousin. The youngest boy is quite an adventurer and has a fun time looking for bugs with Uncle Gabe. Finally, our niece is a little princess with four older brothers to dote on her constantly. All of the kids are excited to welcome another cousin.
Our Community
We live in a quiet neighborhood near some nice parks and walking trails. There are really good zoos and museums close by for day trips too. Our city is surrounded by beautiful countryside in all directions. We’re surrounded by dazzling autumn leaves on the trails and on drives each fall. There are grocery and department stores nearby, and in case of emergency there is quick access to a hospital.
Our Home/Museum
Over the years, we have been collecting special and unique items from places around the world. A nutcracker from Germany, a little elephant from India, and a set of jars from Egypt are just a few of the pieces of art that are on display in the “museum room” of our house. Even though we haven’t gotten to go to these places yet, we love to learn about them and can’t wait to teach a little one about the extraordinary cultures around the world.
We are avid book collectors too. We have even been collecting kids’ books about everything from ancient civilizations to holidays around the world to deep sea animals. We love to learn and explore and can’t wait for a child to share these journeys through books with us!
Our Faith
We are both Christians who want to live out how Jesus told us to live. Comforting hurting people, giving to people who are less fortunate, and inviting everyone to God’s offer of eternal freedom and life are very important to us. Our faith fuels our desire to respect and love everyone our lives touch. These are beliefs that we want to make sure a child grows up in.
Our church is a medium-sized congregation with a very welcoming emphasis on families. Gabe helps with our church’s preschooler hallway, making sure that nobody wanders into the classrooms who shouldn’t; he makes a good protector! Brenna helps teach the preschoolers at church, continuing her love of helping little minds grow during the weekend as well. In case you can’t tell, she loves being surrounded by kids!
There are several families in our church who have adopted kids of multiple ages and races, so we have good people to go to for support and advice when unfamiliar situations arise.
Parenting
We very much want to have a strong focus on education. Because Brenna works at a preschool/daycare, we are grateful that she will be able to take the baby there with her after her parental leave ends. That way, she won’t have to miss any of the baby’s milestones! Beyond academics, we want to teach a kid the Golden Rule – treat people the way you would like to be treated. Even when they’re young, we will educate them about sharing and valuing others’ feelings. That being said, we will emphasize setting healthy boundaries with others and encourage them to ask for help right away when something is wrong.
We love the beauty of cultures and can’t wait to show a child how diverse the world is and how to respect people who are different. Above all else, we want a child to know how loved they are, and that we are here for them no matter what they do.
Important Traditions
- Christmas Bingo with Brenna’s Family: We make sure everyone gets the opportunity for something good, it’s not overtly fierce. Okay, secretly Brenna really wants to be first though, LOL.
- Advent Calendar with Gabe’s Family: Before Christmas, the children take turns adding pieces of the nativity scene each day until it is complete. Gabe always enjoyed putting in the camels and cows when he was his nephews’ age.
- Halloween: The kids on Brenna’s side dress up in costumes to see Brenna’s parents and her grandparents. The kids on Gabe’s side are still using the special costumes that his mom sewed for him and his brother when they were little. It’s so special to see the costumes passed to another generation!
- Easter: Brenna’s family does an egg hunt for all of their nieces and nephews, while her mom hides a big egg with a prize for each kid. We put the eggs for the younger kids in more obvious places, so they can have an easier time.
- Grandmommy’s Cake: Gabe’s mom makes chocolate chip coffee cake for our nephews every time they visit. The little guys have always asked for it since they were barely old enough to talk!
- Outdoors: Brenna’s parents have woods behind their house that have been a source of endless exploration. They enjoy hunting for mushrooms (safe ones!), looking for frogs with our nephews, and enjoying the fall leaves and spring flowers with our niece.
Our Zoo
We have several small animals that we know will provide endless hours of entertainment for a future little one. We also hope that teaching our kids to care for the animals will be a rewarding way to teach responsibility.
- Guinea Pigs: Wiggle-Booty is shy, and Fluffy-Bottom likes to hide the treats we put in their cage so her friend can’t find them first. I guess she is a little selfish.
- Tortoise: Miss Bow looks grumpy, but is very sweet. She loves all sorts of leafy greens; maybe she can be a good example to a little kid who doesn’t want to eat their veggies?
- Chameleon: Boga is very silly and likes to climb on her trees. Sometimes, she blends in so well it’s like a hidden picture puzzle to find her.
- Frogs: Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum like to lurk in the water. Chubbers prefers to burrow and wait for food to walk by his face.
- Goldfish: Our little school of seven goldfish like to do twirls and loops to say hello when we walk by their sizable tank. Their names are Rocket, Comet, Mr. Silver-pug, Mr. Floppy-face, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli.
Infertility
Brenna knew at a young age that she would probably never be able to successfully carry a pregnancy because of her cancer treatments as a very young child. Her mom knew she wanted to be a mother someday, so she talked to her about adoption being a good path. Even when Brenna was little, she fell in love with the idea of adopting someday.
Gabe has known for quite a long time that adoption was the right path if he was going to become a father. When we started dating each other, we talked about how Brenna would not be able to get pregnant. We were able to be on the same page about starting our family right from the beginning. We are a perfect match!
To the special mom reading this
Thank you so much for considering us to be parents for your sweet little baby. We know this must be a very hard decision to make; we know you are very brave and strong, even if you don’t see or feel that way right now. No matter what you decide, we are praying for your health and comfort on this journey.
