Kara & Chris

Dear Birth Mom,

Our lives have brought us here for different reasons, but we are so grateful that our paths have crossed. We understand that considering who might raise your child is a deeply meaningful decision, and we appreciate you taking the time to read about us! We hope these pages show a clear picture of who we are, how we care for the people in our lives, and what home would feel like for a child with us.

If you’d like, we’d also love to learn about you – your hopes, your questions, and what kind of openness feels right to you.

Whatever you decide, we want you to feel respected and supported throughout the process.

With love,

Kara & Chris

About Kara

Kara has this easy warmth that makes people relax and trust her without even realizing it. Whether it’s  her playing peek-a-boo with a baby across the room at a restaurant, or when total strangers end up  telling her their whole life story five minutes after meeting her. She listens in a way that makes people  feel safe and not rushed. 

Kara is also one of the most selfless people I know. She’s the one pulling together plans for the group,  coordinating family visits, and showing up with a home-cooked casserole for her 101-year-old  grandmother. None of it is for show, it’s just how she’s wired. She wants the people she loves to feel  cared for, and she puts in the work to make that happen. 

Kara has an incredible work ethic. Despite a career designing costumes in NYC, she still finds time to  keep our home feeling stocked, clean, and welcoming. And her creativity doesn’t stop at work; she’s  really into ceramics, and our shelves are lined with pieces she’s made. She’s also the person who spots a  broken lamp on the sidewalk and sees potential. A few of those rescues have become some of my  favorite things in our apartment. 

But Kara’s not all focus and hard work; she has a playful side too. She’ll break into a dance in the kitchen  for no reason and finds reasons to laugh even when things are hectic. I know she’s going to be a  fantastic mom. She has the warmth, the patience, and the nurturing instincts. And more than anything,  she’s wanted this for a long time, and she is so ready.

Home Sweet Home

Our apartment is bright and quiet, the kind of place that feels like a deep breath after a long day in the  city. It’s peaceful, it’s clean, and it gets almost too much sunlight in the afternoon (we’re not  complaining!). Our favorite space is the terrace. In the summer, it turns into our little outdoor oasis:  pots of flowers everywhere, dinner outside most nights, and a view of the skyline at night that we never  get tired of. 

We know our neighbors and we’re constantly stopping to chat in the hallway or common spaces, and  sometimes quick hellos turn into real conversations. Around 7 AM, the lobby and elevators become a  mini superhighway of kids heading to school (backpacks, scooters, sleepy parents, the whole scene).  There’s also a shared courtyard connected to the kids’ playroom that everyone uses for little birthday  parties, games, playing in fresh snow, and summer BBQs. 

What we love about our neighborhood is the mix. We can have a slow day – a visit to the Farmers’  market, a long walk through Fort Greene Park, dogs and strollers everywhere. But we’re still in a city  where there’s always something to do when we want it. We like to wander – a ferry to Governor’s Island,  a new restaurant a neighbor recommended, a museum when it’s raining. For your child, we picture daily  life as pretty simple. Playing in the park, courtyard games with neighbors, library runs, after-school  activities, and weekend adventures. We think New York City is a special and diverse place where your  child can grow up around all different kinds of people, hear different languages, and try new foods. We  think that’s a pretty great way to see the world.

Holidays & Traditions

Holidays in our house tend to be rooted in simple rituals with some adventure thrown in. We’re not big  on formality or perfectly coordinated everything; what matters to us is being together and having fun!  For birthdays, we skip the big parties and do “adventure days” instead. One person plans, the other just  shows up. The only rule is that it has to be a surprise. Last year, Kara kicked things off with brunch at our  favorite neighborhood spot, followed by a cooking class and ending with front row seats at a comedy  show! 

In the summer, holidays like the Fourth of July are often spent with friends and family on Martha’s  Vineyard, where we eat lobster on the docks, watch the fireworks, or take a fishing trip. Another  favorite tradition for us is “Friendsgiving”, when we do an around-the-world potluck where everyone  brings a dish from another part of the world. Let’s just say we’ve seen some pretty creative meals come  together. Some dishes are delicious. Some are… ambitious. But all of it gets eaten! 

Around Christmas, we enjoy holiday festivities in the city, an annual ugly sweater party with friends, and  then spend Christmas time with the people we love. 

We also try to take one bigger international trip each year, ideally somewhere we’ve never been,  because seeing a new place together is one of the ways we connect and grow. Japan, Spain, and  Thailand have been favorites so far. 

If we’re lucky enough to welcome a child, we’re excited to share these traditions and also make new  ones that fit who they are. We’re already dreaming about letting them “pick the adventure” for their  birthday each year (even if the adventure is just pancakes and the playground). And if there are  traditions that matter to you, big or small, we’d genuinely want to learn about them and make room for  them in our family.