We are Michael and Mary from Minnesota

Dear Expectant Mother,

We can’t wait to meet you and begin a relationship and journey with you. We are brand new to this and maybe you are too!  Know that you aren't alone and we wish we could wrap our arms around you, let you know how loved you are, and that you aren't alone and don't have to do this on your own. We have no expectations other than to remain in the present moment and enjoy this journey and all that it brings. To be parents to your child and welcome a new life into our home would be the honor of our life and the greatest blessing we have ever received.

We can’t wait to experience all of the firsts; that first word, first smile, first step, first birthday, first everything—even down to the first dirty diaper. It will be our very first memories as parents and we can’t wait to be there for it all. The realization that this time we can really take those pictures, take that video and make those memories and hold on to them makes us pretty emotional—in a good way. We can’t wait to form a lasting bond with your child who we have waited our whole marriage to meet!

We believe in God directing paths. Our path has felt less like a path and more like a crazy roller coaster but we are grateful because that is what helped us mature and grow in our marriage so that we can write this letter and be ready for this step. We got married on a very hot fall day in September 2015. When we first got married we never imagined we’d deal with infertility. After all, Mary is the oldest in a large Catholic family of 8 kids. Not knowing what the problem was, we embarked on a series of blood draws, exploratory surgeries, and appointments and discovered that we both struggle with diagnoses that make pregnancy unlikely. Although these diagnoses were difficult, we are so glad we took the time to investigate because there are good things that came out of it - Mary’s health improved, it became easier to know the “why” behind our struggle to conceive, and also helped us get excited for our adoption journey.

Our home, our jobs, our marriage, and our hearts are now open and ready for the adventure of welcoming a baby of our own into our home. We have an army of support from our families, church community, and even our work. People we barely know will stop by and drop off baby items and tell us they are praying for us with our adoption. It is so incredibly heartwarming!

We will have paid paternity and maternity leave from both of our jobs, which is so amazing. Mary has started picking out a cute polka dot theme for the nursery across from our bedroom upstairs. Already we are planning for Mary to cut back on her work in order to be home more when the baby comes. We keep talking about how we want to get the backyard ready so we can do a backyard barbecue-style baby shower when the time comes! Michael can’t wait to pick out Vikings themed baby garments and Mary can’t wait to go baby item shopping with her mother, mother-in-law, and all the sisters, nieces, and sister-in-law. There will certainly be a multitude of help wherever we need it! Everyone is simply thrilled to welcome a baby to the family and learn more about you. We are so ready and hopeful for this next step in our marriage: parenthood!

Warmly,
Michael and Mary