Toni

My Story:

Thank you for considering me to love and nurture your child. I know this can’t be easy. I respect you and the situation you are managing, and I very much want to get to know you better. While no one can fully understand what you are going through, I hope you can take some comfort in seeing who I am and all of the love, care and support I am so eager to give this baby. I have been preparing my entire life to be a mother and I am ready, excited and able to create a happy and healthy home filled with laughter and unconditional love for your child. Truly there is nothing more important to me.

About Me:

I am a loyal, fun loving and curious person. I have always valued family and made my career about helping youth and families on the south and west sides. I have worked for a long time and am blessed that it has put me in a position to give a child everything he or she could possibly need. I live in downtown Chicago, with the lake, its wonderful beaches, four parks and playgrounds all within a few blocks. I live in a high-rise condo with lots of small children, a swimming pool, and a large bedroom for the baby that faces the lake and has an amazing view to the sun rising every morning. I love living downtown and being able to walk to work and museums and parks or on chilly days stay in and do puzzles, bake cookies or paint. My dad was an artist and while I don’t quite have the talent, I definitely have the enthusiasm. I also have a car for when it’s time to find adventures outside the city like going up in a hot air balloon with my friend Melody and her kids. So many of my closest friends have children under three years old. One of my best friends has twin boys and lives just a few blocks away. In the summer they come over and watch the air and water show from our living room. It’s a great place to ride bikes along the lake path and on rainy days take a short walk to museums or the movies. In the winter we have a bird’s eye view to the Festival of Lights and we can always catch Santa Claus in the Michigan Avenue mall.

Parenting Plan:

I will take four months off for maternity leave and then decide whether to use in home care or daycare. Having a baby is so important to me and once I have a little one I plan to return to University teaching where I have the summers off to spend more time with the baby. One of the things I love about being a professor is how much you can work from home and the flexible schedule to be able to attend recitals, sporting events, and parent teacher meetings. I am a big believer in education and will give this child all of the care and support and opportunity to excel and succeed in the ways that matter most to him or her. I grew up doing a lot of activities from ballet, to science camp, to piano lessons, basketball and summer festivals. I love to travel and believe that seeing new places is its own education, I am so excited about exploring the world as well as all 77 Chicago neighborhoods with this child. My brother and his wife live in California with their two elementary age children and I look forward to taking family trips together as well as spending time with my very close support network that include guys like my friend Lolis who has a one year old and is an excellent chef and musician; John, a physician who is ready to help with math and science homework; and Herm my childhood friend who is a retired Major in the Marines and knows all of the old school things like laying tile and changing tires but also every bit of American history and foreign affairs. After this quarantine, I am also giving serious consideration to moving to a house with a yard.

Perspective on Openness:

My Aunt Shirley was adopted and didn’t find out until she was 16. My best friend’s older brother found out he was adopted when he was 19. In both cases it caused unnecessary stress discovering it the way they did. I believe wholeheartedly in openness and will follow your lead on the level of openness that makes you comfortable. I have enjoyed researching my own family and understand fully the importance of knowing where you come from. My best friend from Grad School is a professor at the University of Miami and she has a four year old daughter that she adopted at birth and little Ella has always known and is the most confident and secure little girl I know. Adoption is a common occurrence in my extended family and friend group and even when I thought I would give birth to a child I always knew I would also adopt. I know firsthand, from life and my work, the value of a safe and stable home and I believe in the power of unconditional love.

Thank you for considering me. I look forward to getting to meet you.

Sincerely,