Isela & Michael
Thank you for taking some time to learn about us and for reading our story. We are grateful that you are allowing us to share a little about ourselves and our dream to welcome your child into our lives. If you are reading this, then we know that you have an important decision to make for you and for your child. We appreciate that this may be a challenging time for you and admire your courage as you take these important steps.
Hopefully after reading this, you will have a better idea of who we are and the life we would be thrilled to provide your child. Most importantly, we hope that you will know that we are excited to share a lifetime of unconditional love, support, and happiness with your child. Thank you for considering us for your child’s future.
We hope to meet you soon and look forward to getting to know each other better, if that is something you are open to. No matter what you decide, we are keeping you close to our hearts.
With much love and gratitude,
Isela & Michael
Our Adoption Story & Promise to You
Starting a family has long been a dream of ours, but we have been met with many challenges along the way. We tried for several years but struggled with infertility. This was a difficult and disappointing time for us both, especially for Isela, who had to suffer through multiple IVF treatments and injections, and we experienced numerous failed pregnancies.
Despite these disappointments, we have never lost hope. We are still certain of how much we want to become parents and welcome your child into our lives. Loving and nurturing your child is most important to us, and we have come to learn that we don’t need a biological connection to a child to feel that love and commitment.
Here are some things we believe will help your child succeed:
- Loving your child unconditionally.
- Making your child feel safe and secure, and supported each and every day.
- Giving them the self-confidence to follow their dreams and fulfill their potential by always being their biggest cheerleader and safety net.
- Always being patient with them as they continue to grow.
- Instilling values we think are important – honesty, generosity, empathy, effort, and respect.
- Learning about his or her biological family’s culture and traditions, and finding ways to incorporate those into our lives.
- Encouraging a sense of curiosity and joy in the world they are a part of.
We will work to create a supportive partnership for your child that is based on love, mutual respect, and communication. We know we are in for a lot of surprises (big and small!) once a child comes along. But with the help and advice of our family and friends, we are committed to being the very best parents at all times.
More than anything, we are ready. Ready to become parents and ready to welcome you and your baby into our world. A world filled with unconditional love.
About Us
We were first introduced to each other about 20 years ago by our mutual friend, soon after we had both moved to New York City (Isela moved from North Carolina, and Michael from Texas). From the start, Michael loved Isela’s big, beautiful smile, her kindness, and her honesty. He was impressed with her love of travel and languages (she is fluent in English and Spanish and taught herself Portuguese). For her part, Isela liked Michael’s sense of humor, deep intellect, and endless curiosity. She also thought it was pretty cool that he was a drummer and liked to play in bands in his spare time!
Not too long after we met, Michael left New York for graduate school to study Environmental Management, and his job then took him to Australia for several years. While we didn’t see each other very often, we stayed in touch throughout this time. After Michael moved back to the US, we quickly reconnected and rekindled our relationship. We were happily (and finally!) married in a small and intimate ceremony in NYC, where we still live. This was followed by lots of parties we threw to celebrate our wedding with our family and friends who live in New York, Houston, Chicago, and Denmark!
We prioritize our time with family, friends, and, of course, with each other. We come from different countries and cultures, and we have enjoyed getting to know each other’s families, traditions, and stories. We look forward to sharing these with your child, too! At the same time, it’s important to us to learn about your child’s culture and integrate it into our family.
We are both active and curious people who enjoy exploring new places and activities. We love to travel. Isela is definitely the chief planner, and Michael is good at coming up with fun ideas! We go for a hike in nature when we can and make a point to take advantage of the many things New York City has to offer, like going to see live music, to the theater, or to a museum.
We are fortunate that we are settled in our careers and have created a stable and loving home. Family is our priority, and we plan to be home with your child in their earliest part of life. We think it is essential to spend this valuable time bonding and learning about one another. We both have employers who offer generous parental leaves, so we already know we will be able to be there, hands-on, to love and nurture your baby.
About Isela
Through Michael’s eyes
Isela was born and raised in Chicago and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She grew up speaking Spanish at home and learned English in Kindergarten. She has always loved learning and was the first in her family to graduate from college and then get her master’s degree. Her adventurous spirit led her to study abroad in Spain for a year and then live in Brazil to learn Portuguese. She is grateful to have traveled to 60+ countries (and counting!) for work and vacations. Isela, however, keeps her feet firmly on the ground – she is honest, hard-working, loyal, and has never forgotten where she comes from.
Isela has a successful career in finance. She really enjoys her work and finds meaning and value in helping teachers and others to plan for their retirements and financial futures. Not to mention, she has quite a bit of flexibility and can work from home several days per week.
She is thankful for the opportunities she’s had and doesn’t take anything for granted. She is a person of faith and thankful to God for her blessings. Isela leads her life with honesty and determination rooted in a deep sense of loyalty and fairness. I have always known her to live her life according to her values. Whether it’s contributing her time to mentoring young women who are starting out in their careers or developing her new interest in making clothes, Isela is always thoughtful and intentional in how she spends her time.
She is a life partner in the truest sense by encouraging me to explore my life fully while always prioritizing our family. I know without a shadow of doubt that your baby will have a mother with such a strong sense of self, and who will love and parent unconditionally.
About Michael
Through Isela’s eyes
Michael was born in Australia to a Danish mother and an Australian father. He grew up in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S, and has traveled widely his whole life. He is a natural extrovert who loves being with friends and family and likes to make people laugh. More importantly, he is always ready to help them in little and big ways. Music is his great passion, and he still enjoys playing the drums in bands. He is also someone who loves the outdoors.
In his career, he is a consultant working on environmental and sustainability issues. He is lucky to work in a field he cares so much about. He particularly enjoys working with younger people to help them build their own careers.
Michael is smart, creative, and thoughtful. He is a walking encyclopedia of information; ask him about an event in history and he can tell you all about what happened before, during, and after the event! His curiosity is infectious, and he thinks creatively of how to approach situations and suggest solutions. His love of the arts and music is something we enjoy together. When he’s not practicing music at our local music conservatory, he’s tapping away at our apartment with his electric drums. The fact that only he hears his drumming through headphones keeps our neighbors happy 😉 It’s also fun to watch our pup Raisin sit down with him to watch him move his drumsticks. Michael encourages me to tap into my creative self, which is something I really appreciate.
He has always been aware of just how lucky he is to have traveled and explored his interests. I know how excited he is to provide your child with the same opportunities. Michael will be the most amazing father – ever present and filled with love.
Our Home
Our home is in a lovely and safe neighborhood in NYC, which we enjoy for its diversity and excitement. We are lucky to have a garden, where Michael grows plants and veggies. We like to have a home-cooked dinner there while enjoying the view of the city and meeting with our neighbors and friends. Even Raisin gets in on the action, trying to catch the bees and really anything that is flying around! We are excited to share our garden with your child, and we can imagine us all being a part of planting and watching everything grow.
We live close to beautiful Prospect Park, where we walk Raisin every morning. We are close to the Botanical Garden, the Public Library, and a farmer’s market. We think our lives are richer for having these wonderful resources nearby and can’t wait to share these simple and joyful activities with your child.
Raisin
Raisin is our beloved rescue dog who came into our lives in 2021 when she was three months old. We’ve all been the best of friends ever since then – she’s an essential part of our family and has come with us on many trips around the country. She’s a particularly good hiker for such a little dog! Raisin is a very gentle and sweet girl who manages to make us laugh every day, starting with when she enthusiastically wakes us up every morning to take her outside. She’s endlessly curious when we go on our daily walks to our nearby parks – her favorite hobbies include chasing squirrels and finding a sunny spot to lie in. We are sure Raisin will be a great friend to your child!
Travel
We love traveling to new places, both near and far. We’re fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel extensively, both before and after we met. Isela got the travel bug starting in college when she spent a semester abroad in Spain. She especially loved the southern part of Spain, with its ancient architecture, rich history, and, of course, the wonderful food! She enjoyed it so much that she spent an additional semester in Europe! Isela’s most memorable travel experience was going to Uganda in Africa to see the gorillas in the wild – at one point, she was just a few feet away from an entire gorilla family.
Michael grew up in various countries around the world, including Australia, parts of the Middle East, and Europe, before moving to the US for college. Even after he’d left home, Michael continued to travel as he visited his parents, who continued to live and work in different parts of the world. A favorite memory for Michael was a month he spent in India visiting his parents, who were living there at the time.
Amongst our favorite trips we’ve taken together were a family trip to Sicily, Michael’s birthday in Mexico City, a safari in Kenya, and a wonderful trip to the desert in Arizona. Between the two of us, we’ve been to every continent except Antarctica – but we’d love to go there, too! For now, we’re enjoying exploring the many amazing places here in the US.
We also travel often to see our families, particularly over the Christmas holidays. We take turns visiting each other’s families each year – we have plenty of options, given how our extended family is in so many different places. One year, we may head to Chicago to see Isela’s family, and the next we’ll go to the Netherlands or Texas to spend Christmas with some of Michael’s extended family. It’s always a fun time of year, and we enjoy seeing the different ways everyone celebrates this special time of year. We are also lucky to live in a beautiful part of the US with lots of lakes and hiking that we can get to easily, such as the Adirondacks in upstate New York or the national parks in Vermont and Maine.
We are so excited to share our love of travel with your child and share these incredible experiences together.
Our Loved Ones
Our families and friends are excited for us to become parents through adoption and look forward to welcoming your child. Isela comes from a big family of Mexican heritage – in addition to her two sisters, Hilda and Brenda, she has nine aunts and uncles and dozens of cousins. Needless to say, family events always need a big venue! Michael has an older brother, Ian, six cousins, and lots of second cousins. He grew up seeing his extended family often, and some of his happiest childhood memories are of summer vacations and Christmas holidays spent together.
Isela and Michael are also the proudest aunt and uncle to Allyson and Carl, who are Ian’s two kids. Michael got them a trampoline for Christmas when they were younger and remembers helping them set it up in their backyard. This was a big hit with the other neighborhood kids!
Our parents and siblings, and their families, live in Chicago, Houston, and the Netherlands. Our extended family lives in Denmark, Mexico, Chicago, Australia, Texas, and California, and we make it a priority to see them as often as possible. We can’t wait to introduce your child to these special people who will happily be your child’s aunts, uncles, cousins, and relatives.
We are also lucky to have a big group of friends that we’ve met while living, working, and going to school both here in NYC and elsewhere. We think of them as our chosen family and have enjoyed watching many of them raise their children.
We know everyone is waiting on pins and needles for us to share the news once we are finally lucky enough to become parents. We promise your child will have a huge support system filled with so much love.
Holidays & Traditions
Christmas is an important time for us. Michael’s mother, Bente, is Danish, and Michael has enjoyed introducing Isela to Christmas in Denmark with his family. Ever since Michael was a kid, the whole family would get together on December 1 to decorate the house with traditional Danish Christmas ornaments. To this day, Michael’s mom sends a Christmas decoration that she made for each of her kids and grandkids. Christmas lasts all month long (can you imagine how much fun the kids have with this!), including opening an Advent calendar, going to Christmas markets, and enjoying time with loved ones.
Isela grew up in a big family in a working-class neighborhood in Chicago. She has introduced Michael to happy events with lots of traditional Mexican food, like tamales and pozole, with Mexican music playing in the background.
In Mexico, Christmas is also an extended holiday ending on January 6th, and with the Dia de los Reyes Magos (the Day of the Three Kings), where small gifts and treats are left for the children inside a shoe by the door, representing the Biblical story of the three wise kings that came to give gifts to the baby Jesus. Like decorating our home on December 1, we also give each other little gifts on January 6, and sometimes even leave them for each other in a shoe by the door!
We can’t wait to share these celebrations and start new traditions as a family of three!
Thank you again for taking the time to get to know us. We hope this has helped you to learn a little about who we are, who we hope to be as parents, and the kind of life we cannot wait to provide for your child.
We would be thrilled to hear from you and to learn about you and what you want for your child. Please know that we will be considerate of your preferences as we get to know each other.
Whatever decision you make, we wish you health, strength, and happiness in this journey.
With love and gratitude,
Isela & Michael
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