We are Nathan and Erica from Missouri

Dear Expectant Mother,

Hello! We are Erica and Nate and we would very much like for your baby to be the most important person in our life. We know that’s quite a way to start off this letter, but we figured that it would be best to share with you what we want more than anything in our lives. We’ve been thinking about it for a long time. 

We are writing this letter to express to you that entrusting us with your child will ensure that they will be loved beyond measure and taken care of for the rest of their lives. And it is about trust, isn’t it? You have to be willing to trust your child’s well-being to two people you hardly know. It’s impossible for us to understand what that must be like. While it’s hard to communicate this sentiment in a letter, please know that our thoughts, our hopes, and our well-wishes are with you - and this will be the case no matter what decision you make. We cannot fathom the weight that must currently lie on your shoulders, but we want you to know that if you decide to place your trust in us, your baby will find a husband and wife whose primary mission for the remainder of their lives will be to make sure that your child is safe, happy, and full of joy. 

When we bring your baby home, they will find a loving environment filled with laughter, where they will flourish as they grow. Currently, we live on a quiet street in an urban neighborhood. Most evenings we hear the neighborhood children running around until dusk. Sometimes we take our dog down the block to the park in our neighborhood. The playground is always packed full of kids of all ages. We live in an economically and ethnically diverse neighborhood, something that we sought out when we chose this house. It’s extremely important to us for our child to be exposed to people from many different walks of life because we feel this would engender understanding and kindness. These are values that we would instill in your child as they get older. 

We look forward to sharing our love of music and reading with your child. The idea of reading and singing to a baby brings us such joy thinking about that possibility. The daily routines that our friends with children talk about (changing, bathing, bed-time rituals) are things we are excited to take part in. These rituals of love performed by parents for their children are ones that we are eager to be a part of. Education is something we both strongly believe in. We are both avid readers, something that was imparted to us from our parents and something we look forward to passing along. Whether that takes the form of bedtime stories when they are young or trips to the library as they start to read on their own, there is a world of adventure inside a book. Finally, we want to extend a commitment and a promise. We have no illusions that raising a child will be easy. On the contrary, it will be the hardest thing we'll ever do. But it will also be the most important thing, the most rewarding thing. If you place your trust in us, we promise you that your child will be the center of our universe. They will always be looked after, that they will never wonder if they are loved. Our commitment to you is that no two people will work harder to ensure the safety and well-being of your child. No two people will strive to provide as many opportunities and choices as possible for them. Our promise to you is that they will not know a day without the infinite love of their parents, all three of them. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for getting to know us. We hope that you will consider choosing our family for your child. We are in awe of the courage and strength it takes to make this decision and we wish you all of the support and love you need as you are guided down your path. 

Nate & Erica