Our Story
Dear Expectant Parent(s),
Thank you for viewing our profile and considering us as adoptive parents. Even though we have not met, we have so much admiration for your strength and courage. We offer our sincere support during this time.
While we lived less than a mile apart, we met on a dating app in July of 2017. We clicked right away, and realized even though we had some differences, we shared many of the same views, cared for our family and friends, and wanted marriage and family. We pursue making the world a better place for us, the people in our circles and for any whom we can help.
We started living together in January of 2018. Our relationship flourished as we got to know each other better. Michael proposed in 2018, almost exactly a year to the day from when we’d met. Lía preferred an autumn wedding, but Michael wanted summer nuptials, and we were married in June 2019.
We began looking towards starting our family. Adoption has been in our hearts since before meeting each other. However, we wanted to try for a biological child and even went through a few rounds of IVF. Unfortunately, neither of these have been successful. We began prioritizing what we both knew we wanted — to adopt. We are excited to begin our journey into parenthood!
About Michael, by Lía
Michael is the sweetest man I have ever met, and a family man. One of the many reasons I married him is that he makes me laugh, even when he is not trying. He is very close to his family, and while he has three older sisters, he basically grew up as an only child. His oldest sister is twenty years older and youngest is thirteen years older.
Growing up, he enjoyed activities with his dad. From building Lego models, setting up model railroads, learning about space and the sciences or learning about sports and watching his favorite local teams. As he got older, the models got bigger and eventually turned into cars. Science was focused in school towards a degree his dad was proud he’d achieved. His mother was the caregiver and teacher and helped Michael pursue his academic goals. He is excited to pass down similar great memories and the encouragement which he received from his parents.
He graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and has two decades of experience working in construction management, building many new, exciting structures. He has developed stability and flexibility in his career, has provided for our family financially and looks forward to prioritizing time as a parent.
Michael is such a patient and kind soul that I know having him on my team will make this new phase of our lives go smoothly. Having Michael in my life has made me want a nuclear family with a beautiful little baby more than ever. Any child would be so lucky to have Michael as a father and we are looking forward to that opportunity.
About Lía, by Michael
Lía is a wonderful person and the love of my life. She balances me in many ways and we are a great team. She was born in Mexico City and raised there until she was seven years old. She travels back often and so much of who she is comes from her roots and family. Her father loved the United States and insisted it was better for their family. When her family immigrated, they lived with family in a Chicago suburb, where Lía grew up and learned about her new country. Lía grew up with her mother, father, brother and many cousins and relatives. Eventually, her parents bought a house just a block from where I was raised.
She was baptized and raised Catholic, but as she got older, felt drawn to Buddhism’s honest and kind religion. She practices a mix of Catholicism and Buddhism, and considers herself to be a spiritual person.
Lía enjoyed school and loves learning. She graduated from high school and pursued a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She has worked professionally in the accounting field for many years. She mainly works remotely from home. Her current job has given her the flexibility to concentrate on physical and mental health, and spend time with her family.
Lía’s love is her family and spending time with them. She adores her college-aged nephew and has been heavily engaged in his life. Although she enjoys spending time at home, she has a love for travel, which has rubbed off on me. Lía loves going out for meals, dancing and watching movies. She is excited about our life ahead.
Our Home
Our home is our favorite place. We love it because it is the neighborhood where we mostly grew up, and we have lots of family and friends close by.
Our house is a cozy 3-bedroom ranch that we renovated a few years ago. It is a great fit for us and our small furry friend. One bedroom is ready to become a nursery. We spend most of our time in the kitchen and living room, making and enjoying our food and spending time together. We have two fenced patios, which offer nice privacy while enjoying the outside.
When venturing further away, we have a great set of neighborhoods, all well-connected with trails. We are a very short walk to both of our mothers’ homes, which we walk to several times per week with our dog, Willy.
We know most of our neighbors, some for a long time. Our neighborhood has a shared pool, tennis courts and game rooms. During the spring, the Easter Bunny stops by the rec center for an Easter egg hunt and photos. In the summer, they have two pool parties with a live D.J., food and games. There is also a Halloween party and trick-or-treating in October.
We are within walking distance of both the elementary and middle schools and the town center. The community offers many activities for children and toddlers, such as crafts, tumbling, sports and ballet and tap dancing. As a young child, Lia took ballet for a year and loved it! As a young boy, Michael took tumbling, swimming and tennis lessons and loved them! We are excited to create similar fun opportunities for a child to participate in.
We love where we live, and even when building a bigger home, we don’t plan on leaving our neighborhood. It has been our home for many years and provides us with a great, safe, stable and fulfilling environment and community to live in. We hope to provide that same feeling of home that we have had for a child.
Our Families
Our family and friends are greatly supportive, and we know they will help us as much as they can. They are all mostly close by. Michael’s mom lives a block away and Lía’s mom lives less than a mile away. Our siblings and most of our friends all live within a few miles. Lía’s dad passed away in January of 2018, and Michael’s dad passed away in 2007. They are both tremendously missed. We have a great group of people to help support us.
Lía plans to take time off work for six months to take care of the baby. Her mother will be helping, as well. When Lía does go back to work, her mother will take a larger role in childcare. Both of us have the option to work from home as desired, which will surely help. Abuela, which means grandma in Spanish, will read and sing to the baby in Spanish, and she has a beautiful singing voice.
Willy is our fur baby who joined our family in December of 2020. He is a mini Yorkshire terrier, and loves to eat and go on walks. His favorite thing to do is nibble on Michael’s toes and fingers. He is a very sweet boy and Lía has trained him well. He has earned three certificates in Puppy Training, Intermediate Training and Advanced Training through PetsMart!
Our Traditions
We are both very open in our views on religion. Michael is mostly a believer in science and less in traditional religion. After working for a faith-based organization, he realized the importance of diversity in upbringing and allowing children to make their own decisions by arming them with knowledge. That said, we do plan on a Catholic baptism for the baby.
One thing we both enjoy is lounging on the couch, watching one of our favorite shows or movies. Willy snuggles with us, and we can’t wait to share our snuggles with a baby!
Lía loves to swim and can’t wait to teach the baby to swim from a very young age through classes at the fitness center. She has dreamed of being a parent, holding a little one in the water and teaching them to not be afraid. Michael’s favorite hobby is collecting cars, and he hopes to continue adding to his collection. His first car, a ‘91 Mustang, was originally his father’s. He loves to work with his hands and is a good handyman, but he gets distracted easily and his home projects can tend to drag on.
Lía’s family hosts Three Kings Day every Jan. 6, when we cut La Rosca de Reyes, sweet bread shaped as a crown. Whoever gets a plastic figurine representative of Baby Jesus, must host a tamalada, feast of tamales, on Feb. 2. We also celebrate Ofrenda de Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead Offering, on the night of Nov. 1. We offer pan de muerto, bread of the dead, and water to welcome the spirits of family members who have passed away.
Thank You
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to tell you about our future dreams. It’s very difficult to convey who we are in just a few pages. We hope we have been able to give you some idea of our family without completely boring you. So, if you are still with us, thank you.
We promise that the baby will be loved and cherished, nurtured and guided throughout their life. They will be bilingual, as Lía is Mexican and fluent in Spanish, and will be read to and sung to by Lía and her mom.
We believe that appropriate delivery of information, while remaining open, is how a child can understand and make their best decisions, with guidance. The child will know of their adoption from a very early age, and will know as much as possible about their birth mother. It is important to us to be open with the child about their roots, background, and story and to especially honor the importance of their birth mother in their life.
We are very flexible on communication and would agree to regular updates, as preferred, whether that is sending pictures and letters through the agency, through direct texts or emails or in-person visits as possible, our hope is to keep ongoing communication with you. We want the best for the child, the birth parents and for us as we get to know each other and our relationship grows.
Thanks for spending some time getting to know us!
