It’s not easy to figure out what is best for yourself, let alone what is best for your child. You just go with your gut, take it one day at a time, and trust that because you are acting out of love for your child, it will work out. And as your child grows older you start to follow their lead.

At least that’s how we try to do our best for our daughter. And that’s what we will do for the child we adopt.

We are Emily, Ryan and Maisie, and we are excited to share our story with you.

We’d love to become part of your adoption plan and learn about you.

Hello

Emily and I were high school sweethearts, and we’ve been married for nearly 12 years. The experiences we’ve had, both apart and together, made us stronger as a couple.

Maisie was born after years of infertility, and parenting her made us sure that we wanted to parent another child. When doctors advised against another pregnancy, it didn’t take us long to decide that we wanted to grow our family through adoption.

Emily says:

Ryan is focused, calm and methodical. While I can be anxious and detail-oriented, he keeps in mind the big picture. He is reliable and keeps everything together for our family. In adoption as in other things, this will strengthen us.

Ryan says:

Emily is the most conscientious and caring person I know. Her first thought is always regarding how she can actively help people around her. Emily's actions and feelings are invaluable to our family's relationship and to everyone she interacts with.

Open Adoption

Because we want what is best for the child who will always be both yours and ours, we're committed to building an open and lasting relationship with you. Whether through visits, phone calls, email or social media, we are committed to ongoing openness. Your story will be part of our family’s every day.

Parenting Plan

I (Emily) am happy to be home with Maisie now, and I will not to go back to work until after the children are in school. Maisie and I fill our days with bike rides, walks to the park, and time at the local arboretum, YMCA or library. Ryan gets home from work in time for dinner with us every night.

 

Fun facts

Emily
  • Knocked out her two front teeth. Twice. The baby teeth and adult teeth.
  • Lived in France when she was young.
  • Speaks English, French, German fluently, and a little Spanish and Russian.
  • Rode a bike across Iowa in College.
  • Regularly has a stack of half-read books by her bed.
  • Just last year tucked her security blanket away in a drawer rather than sleep with it every night.
Ryan
  • Ran over 500 miles in a summer in high school.
  • Is a sucker for stories with a villain, a hero and a happy ending.
  • His high school nickname was Pup, when he was a freshman running varsity.
  • Worked one summer at Dairy Queen, one as a janitor, and one in the Public Works Department of his town.
  • Is a HUGE Cubs, Bears and Bulls fan.
  • Rode on his grandpa's tractor on the family farm in Iowa when he was a toddler.

Pregnant and exploring adoption?

If you’re interested in learning about adoption for your baby, we can help. We’re available 24/7. All of your information is confidential.

To speak to someone now, call our 24-hour hotline: (800) 272-3534 or text us at (312) 800-1559 (answered 8:30am-8pm).

If you’d like us to contact you, please use the form below.

If you are looking to adopt a child, please schedule a call with an Adoptive Parent Counselor.

If you are an adopted person looking for information, please schedule an informational consultation with our post adoption department.

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