Andrew is from a Black, Creole, and culturally mixed family with roots in West Africa and French-speaking Louisiana. He stays connected to his culture through family memories; listening and dancing to music, especially R&B and soul; and making traditional dishes like gumbo, cornbread stuffing, and beans and rice. He grew up outside Denver, Colorado, and spent his childhood doing lots of outdoor activities like hiking and camping. Elizabeth's family has a mixture of European ancestry, including Scottish, Austrian, Czech, and French. Her family has an appreciation for southern U.S. food like succotash, okra, pulled pork, and coconut cake as well as coastal seafood like shrimp and crab. She was born and raised in northern Virginia and attended culturally diverse schools at every age.

As a biracial couple, we have learned a lot from each others' backgrounds and experiences. Over the years, we have also had a chance to travel to and live in many different parts of the U.S.: the north, the Midwest, the south, the mountainous west, and the coasts. We have lived in the suburbs, small towns, and major cities. As part of our work, we have traveled around the globe, including to Poland, England, Italy, and El Salvador. Because of the richness of our experiences individually and together, we know we can enable our child to find the beauty in their own cultural and racial identities and to enjoy experiencing the world as they grow.

Andrew shoots hoops outside and follows the NBA and WNBA. He also participates in the local church's social justice ministry. Elizabeth does charcoal drawings and ink washes. She played the drums for years growing up and will resume this activity once we move out of our apartment complex and can make more noise! We take walks with our dog every day and hang out with the other dog owners in our building. We enjoy reading and browsing at local bookstores, and we have movie nights with popcorn, candy, or ice cream. We also do local DC things like see the cherry blossoms every spring. We take the train up to NYC every January to see concerts and comedy shows. In the summertime, we vacation near the water, and just eat, relax, and have a good time. We get together with friends regularly for game nights and special occasions.

We want to share these activities with our child. We will help them develop their interests in reading, sports, music, and/or the arts (really, anything they like to do). We will introduce them to people who will inspire them and open up their worlds; if they have a favorite book, we'll take them to meet the author when they come to town. We'll spend time with them outside, taking them to parks, playgrounds, and the zoo. We'll also encourage them to play with their friends from school, church, and the neighborhood and, eventually, have their friends over for pizza and sleepovers.

Andrew About Elizabeth: I fell in love with Elizabeth because she is beautiful, brilliant, and deeply caring toward people who are suffering. She is a strong advocate for the poor and unhoused, survivors of abuse, and persons with disabilities and mental health challenges. While she takes these social issues very seriously, she also has a great sense of humor, and I cannot get enough of her joyous laughter. From the start of our relationship to now, we can easily spend hours just talking to each other about everything from movies, to music, to politics, to faith, to our hopes and fears. I really admire her personal authenticity. She is always true to herself and is unafraid to share her genuine feelings and thoughts with others. I know she will be an amazing mom.

Elizabeth About Andrew: I was attracted to Andrew's intelligence, strength, and drive. He has always taken his education seriously and has therefore had his pick of career opportunities. At the same time, however, he loves comedy and therefore knows not to take himself too seriously. Ever since we met, he has made me laugh more than anybody else. We have had so much fun together, not only through having scintillating conversations, but also watching "guilty pleasure" TV shows or going to live comedy. Lastly, I have been struck by Andrew's depth of concern for justice; he is bothered when vulnerable people are mistreated. I have always admired his excellent moral compass, and I know that he will make an exceptional father.

We currently live in a two-bedroom apartment in a diverse and vibrant neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Our building has 24-hour concierge service, a secure parking garage, and a rooftop vista of the city. There is a playground just across the street from our building with swings, a basketball court, and a baseball diamond. A beautiful park within walking distance is filled every weekend with families having picnics, walking their dogs, and tossing balls or frisbees.

We live in a very walkable area close to elementary schools, ice cream shops, bookstores, and restaurants. We are a short ride away from the National Mall with its world-renowned museums and cultural attractions.

This city is full of life and opportunity, and it would be an amazing place to raise a child. Any activity you want to do–whether it's playing sports, studying history, becoming an artist or musician, or advocating for social change–you can do it here and find a community of people who share your passions and interests.

We are saving up to buy a larger and more permanent home in this area within the next few years, but for now we really like living in our cozy apartment in this fun and unique neighborhood in our nation's capital.

Here on the east coast, we are blessed to live close to Elizabeth's parents, older brother John Paul, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Living so close makes it easy to get together for birthdays, holidays, and casual hangouts on a monthly and sometimes weekly basis. There is always plenty of delicious food, including more cake than anyone can eat. Elizabeth's family has a tradition of making heartfelt toasts to mark major life milestones like anniversaries and graduations, and these are always moving occasions. They also like to take quick little regional trips to interesting parts of the area and do some fun sight-seeing.

Andrew's parents, younger sister Nina and brother-in-law Zach live out west, right next to the Rocky Mountains, and his older sister Rebecca, brother-in-law Jared, and seven-year-old niece live on the west coast, less than a mile from the beach. Family visits in both places involve beautiful surroundings and rowdy games of Monopoly or Scene-It.

Both of our extended families are full of caring people who will be a consistent network of support as we raise our child.

Ever since we were married years ago, we have hoped that one day we would start a family. Having our own children biologically was not our path, but we see adoption as the best way for us to welcome a child into our hearts and home. We can't wait to cuddle with them, play with them, read to them, and watch them grow. We look forward to all of the fun memories we will make together, whether traveling to amazing places in the world or just curling up together with a bowl of popcorn and watching a movie.

As a couple, we really enjoy each other's company. Within two months of our first meeting, we already felt that the other was "family." We love comedy and have always made each other laugh, and we are eager to share this good humor and silliness with a child. Andrew can't wait to teach them some of his dance moves, and Elizabeth is excited to show off her artistic side by helping them learn how to draw. Our dog Jubilee-who is wonderful and gentle with children-is also ready to join the fun with her ball or her tug-of-war rope.

Life has thrown us some curveballs, but we always have each others' back. We have a strong relationship built on radical honesty and trust, and we are each other's best friend. With this bond, we feel ready to take on any challenges that inevitably come with raising a child. Importantly, we are close with family and friends, and we want to introduce our child to these communal ties and help them know how important community is.

As citizens, we are committed to the values of justice and compassion, and we advocate for policies that protect the most vulnerable communities. We want to raise our child to have that same kind of moral compass. As people of faith, we believe in God's ever-present love, and we want that to shine through everyday in how we parent. We want our child to feel loved by God and to see how others are also loved by God. As professors, we place a high value on education, and we intend to support our child to do their best academic work and to feel confident in school. We want them to feel like they can pursue any dream they want in life. As individuals, we care about authenticity, and we want our child to know that they have inherent dignity as well as special talents that the world needs. In this sense, we know that as we raise our child, they will also be telling us who they are in their deepest selves, and we want to nurture that.

We are open to whatever levels of contact you would like, and, for our part, we are happy to be in touch via photos, email updates, phone calls, and occasional visits. We would like our child to know their adoption story and to have a healthy sense of connection with you and with their biological origins. If you choose us to be your child's adoptive family, we would look forward to getting to know you and, if you feel comfortable with it, relating with you as part of our extended family. No matter what, though, we will always represent you positively and lovingly to your child.

While we do not know all that you are going through right now, we can imagine that the process of deciding whether to place your child for adoption might be overwhelming. We hope that the information we have provided here will be helpful to you as you ponder these things.

Whatever decision you make, please know that we genuinely support what you feel is best for you and your child. If you end up deciding that we are the right match for you, we promise that your child will be our first priority. We will protect them. We will give them room to grow. We will love them deeply.

Sincerely yours,

Andrew & Elizabeth