We are Nathan and Chelsea from Iowa

Dear Expecting Mother,

Our greatest hope is for you to know just how much we will love your child. We will dedicate our lives to providing your child with the best childhood and upbringing we can, filled with fun, family, activity, and a lot of love. We understand we could never fully fathom the enormity of your choice and the internal struggles you might be going through. We want to open with how much we respect and appreciate your bravery.

We realize that a few paragraphs and a couple of pictures are a hard way to build a relationship, but we will do our best to convey our true and authentic selves. We have known and loved each other for over a decade. We are high school sweethearts who met working at our local grocery store. Through that time our love has greatly evolved – from simple puppy love to a true and unshakable type of love. We’ve worked hard to build a foundation on faith, love, and respect. We are excited to grow our family and be introduced to the wonder that parenting can bring.

Being together for so long there really isn’t a whole lot we haven’t discussed. And the topic of parenting is something we’ve spent a lot of time on, especially on long car rides when there is a lull in the conversation. We will be the type of parents that are fun-loving and energetic yet remain constant with setting boundaries. Our plan is to create a bond with your child through respect and trust. We will practice guidance through teachable moments and be sure to end each night with giggles and goodnight kisses. Our wish is for him/her to have every opportunity to learn, grow, love, and make connections. We want to be their home, where they feel the safest and most valued. We will be his/her biggest supporter and loudest cheerleader. As they grow up they will never have a day when they are not told how loved they are.

We will do our best to provide opportunities for them to experience a full and wonderful life. We will encourage them to step back and look at life through multiple lenses to really appreciate all that there is in this life. We will introduce them to the faith community and hope that he/she will come to experience the love and compassion that God has gifted us. We hope to instill a deep and unwavering belief in themselves. To encourage kindness, confidence, and self-awareness and that no mistake is too big and they are always worthy of love.

Your selfless decision is not something we take lightly. The love that you have for your child does not go unnoticed. We may not know you yet, but we have been praying for you and loving you from the moment we decided to take this path to grow our family. If you decide we are the right parents for your child we hope to establish a relationship with you, in any form that you are comfortable with. As your baby grows, we promise to share all their milestones and accomplishments with you through pictures and letters, if that is something that you are open to. It is important to us to honor your wishes through this journey.