Ellen & Daniel
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about us! We absolutely love being parents to Maxwell and we are so excited to be starting the journey to becoming parents again. We are incredibly grateful to you for considering us as parents to your child. This must be a huge decision to make, and we want to let you know everything about who we are, how we spend our time as a family, and what we care about most. We want to learn about your wishes for an open adoption too. We want to be part of building an amazing life for our children, and to enjoy all the steps of that path.
With love,
Ellen, Daniel & Maxwell
Our Adoption Story
When we decided to become parents, we had always talked about adoption as something we would be excited to do together. A year after Maxwell was born, we found out we couldn’t have any more children biologically. There is no denying that we had a lot of emotions at that time but we also knew that life was opening another door for us. We knew that adoption meant we could share our home and family with an amazing child who needed one and that we would be lucky to match with an expecting mother who could have the chance to get to know us and choose us.
Parenting is the most important part of our lives, and not only do we love it, but we learn from it every day. We want to raise our family with warm affection and long-lasting relationships. We think an open adoption would be a great fit for our family, since it can let your child know their roots and build connections. Our promise to you is that we will raise your child with unconditional love, joy, and patience. We will spend hours every day with outdoor play, answering deep questions about why hippos are faster than humans, and helping sticky little hands stir the pancake batter. We are committed to cheering on our children’s passions as well as helping them work through tough times. We promise to build lasting memories and traditions together, and to honor their history and background with pride.
While we are excited for a future as a family of four, we also know the difficult decision you have in front of you. Please know we will respect your wishes every step of the way.
About Us
We met in New York, in 2015. We felt an immediate spark for each other and a shared outlook on what our future could look like together. On our first date, we talked about books, music, and how we had both worked a lot with kids. We were so excited to introduce each other to our friends and family, and we have shared that connection ever since.
We have been Polar Bear swimming at Coney Island in January, and we love to see live music, from opera to rock. We knew from the start that we wanted a family together and were overjoyed when we had Maxwell in late 2017. We make each other laugh every day, we support and trust each other, and we enjoy and appreciate each other.
We cherish our time with our son and also make time for each other, making special meals, sharing movie nights (old favorites like Indiana Jones, a new one we loved was Everything Everywhere All At Once!), and talking over everything serious and silly.
About Ellen
written with love by Daniel
Ellen is always showing the people in her life how special and loved they are. Her warmth, patience, and creativity as a mother and family member always remind me how lucky Maxwell and I are that she is in our family. She is a shining example of a devoted mother, partner, friend, author, and social worker. Her kindness is contagious and her intelligence is powerful. Maxwell is most at home snuggled with her while she reads him a book. One of Ellen’s unique talents is telling stories in fascinating ways, often inventing them on the spot while we are on a walk through the wooded park or driving in the car.
We can see Maxwell’s imagination growing in the way he tells stories of his own and through his creative play. Ellen’s values are the guiding light of our family. She makes friends easily and keeps them for life. Another way Ellen shows her love for those around her is with food. She is always working to find unique ways to keep our family healthy by feeding us homemade foods that we love to eat.
About Daniel
written with love by Ellen
Daniel’s kindness comes from his great interest in people and understanding what is important to them. I can see it every day in the way he listens to Maxwell tell a story and ask questions to keep it going, or how he makes sure I have time to write or brings home the kind of candy I like (Kit Kats are my favorite!). Daniel’s wisdom comes from his own experiences, and he is dedicated to the topics he cares about. I watch it get deeper when he tells me new facts about how to help Maxwell learn how to read and count, or while we are watching a video of a new starship taking flight.
Daniel’s fun comes out every day, with music he can’t wait to share with Maxwell, with a sack full of chalk or a soccer ball to share with all the other kids at the playground, or when he picks up a pizza to keep our friends out at the park a little longer.
Daniel has so many passions, like studying Spanish every day and playing music, but it has been clear since the day we met that family is the thing he loves the most, and he shows that every day. From the time I was getting a social work degree to Maxwell’s newborn days to more than two years of a pandemic, Daniel shows his support, keeps his cool, and keeps us all safe, strong and happy.
About Maxwell
Maxwell is a kind, curious, and caring four-year-old. He is always ready to share, and has close friendships and loves to play with kids of all ages. He likes to play superhero or astronaut best of all. Some of his favorite things to do include snuggling up for a story, building with Legos, and playing keyboards or drums. When we put on oldies he loves to get up and dance with his whole body.
He loves comics but he can sit down and listen to long and exciting chapter books too – we just got into Harry Potter! He also loves being outside in playgrounds or the woods. Maxwell loves school, and his preschool teachers say he is excited to learn, and is great at sharing and including other kids.
He is a patient and gentle guy, and he cannot wait to show a little brother or sister how to eat noodles or put on sneakers. He has already set aside some favorite books about dinosaurs and his rainbow stuffed owl to welcome your baby into our family!
Family & Loved Ones
We do lots to stay connected with our family. When we get together with Daniel’s family in Detroit or DC, we get out the guitars and ukuleles to jam together, play board games, or explore museums. Visits to Ellen’s family mean long walks in the New England woods near the family cabin, baking treats, or going to the Washington Zoo.
We also have an amazing friend network here in Brooklyn. We have been getting together at least once a week for almost fifteen years! Our friends love to come and play with Maxwell or babysit to give us a night out, and they share beloved old copies of Winnie The Pooh and The Nutshell Library. Ellen’s oldest friend Elizabeth is also starting her own adoption journey. Our dear friend Tim, who was adopted at birth, has shared his experience and is thrilled to be part of our village.
Everyone is so excited that we have chosen to grow our family through adoption. They cannot wait to welcome another little one and shower your baby with love!
Home Sweet Home
We recently bought our forever home in Brooklyn, and are so excited about raising our family here. Our living room is already full of Legos, books, and art supplies, and our kids can each have their own bedroom. We have a backyard where we can get our wiggles out and practice bird-watching. Our neighborhood is really kid-centered, with many nearby playgrounds, excellent elementary schools, and libraries. We care a lot about education and are thrilled with the schools in our neighborhood.
We live next to a huge park and spend time there every day, just walking in the woods or visiting the carousel, the zoo, or the ice-skating rink. Our neighborhood has a small-town feel, but we can easily reach Manhattan to visit the Natural History Museum, or go to the beach at Coney Island. It is really the best of both worlds!
Holidays & Traditions
We love special occasions and holidays! From picking pumpkins for our Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations, to making homemade birdseed ornaments for Christmas (although the squirrels got them, not the birds!) we cherish the time together and with our extended family. Mother’s Day means flowers, paper crowns, and homemade waffles, birthdays come with colorful candles and cake. We also love building new traditions – like getting to run the bases at the Coney Island Cyclones minor league baseball game, or kicking off the summer with camping, s’mores, and sing-alongs!
Thank you so much for getting to know us. We are so excited to welcome a new child to our family, and give them unconditional love, safety, and joy. We promise to show how much we care for them every day, to work for an amazing future for them, and to keep learning how to be the best parents we can be. We promise to share a sense of wonder at the world, to connect your child with a community that loves them, and to let them show us who they are.
We feel so lucky and honored that you are thinking of us and we look forward to the future so much.
With love,
Ellen, Daniel and Maxwell
CONTACT US
We know this is not an easy decision. Everything you share will be kept confidential. Once you complete the form, call or text, we will reach out to you.