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Hello,
Our names are Leanne and Brent and we are thrilled you are reading our letter. We hope it will give you a feel for who we are and how we try to live our lives. We are the proud adoptive parents of a beautiful little boy named Rylan and we anxiously await the opportunity to complete our little family by adopting again!
A little bit about us
A beautiful Chinese Proverb says: “The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.” How we handle things when life gets tough reveals a lot about our character. So we thought one of the best ways for you to get to know us a little better would be to tell you about the two biggest challenges we’ve experienced during our 16 years as a married couple.
Following a dream
After getting married in 1991 in Montreal, we took a huge leap of faith and moved to Vancouver. We loved the idea of making a fresh start on the west coast as a young married couple, even though some of our friends and family thought we were nuts. We had no place to stay, very little money and no jobs waiting for us when we got there. But we were determined to build a new life together. We crashed at a friend’s place for a few weeks but quickly found our own apartment. We picked up odd jobs to pay the bills but money was very tight for several months. (That’s when we really learned how to budget!) Our determination paid off when we both landed full-time jobs with large companies, eventually saving enough money to buy our first house in a popular Vancouver suburb. We also both went back to school part-time, Leanne earning a graduate certificate in marketing management and Brent earning his CMA designation. After two and a half years -- and a lot of hard work! -- Leanne’s company offered her a promotion to head up the company’s marketing department in the Toronto area, which is where we live today.
Following an even bigger dream
When we decided to start a family, we thought getting pregnant would be easy! After all, we are both healthy, active, non-smokers. But after many doctor visits, we learned that having biological children was not going to be possible. Even with such devastating news, we always knew, deep in our hearts, that what we really wanted was the opportunity to become parents and build a family. A family filled with unconditional love, laughter and support. So we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off and started the journey of building our family through adoption. We refused to give up on our dream. And today, we have a beautiful little boy who, with his big slobbery kisses and delightful giggles, reminds us that it was all worth it.
Please meet Rylan
Our “little man” Rylan came into our lives on June 27, 2006. He’s a blonde-haired, blue-eyed cutie pie and is absolutely the light of our lives. He is an outgoing, spirited and adventurous little boy. He has a little t-shirt that reads: “I was born to smile” which is perfect because everybody comments on how happy and smiley he always is. He’s quite a social butterfly and turns on the charm for everybody he sees. It doesn’t matter where he is -- whether it’s the supermarket aisle or the doctor’s office -- he’ll always flash you his big toothy grin! Every day we remind ourselves how privileged we are to be his parents.
We love being parents
Having Rylan in our lives has made us even more sure we want to become parents again. Yes we are sleep-deprived. (“So this is what a zombie feels like!”) And, yes, we have become professional worriers. (“Is he eating enough? Is he running a fever? Is that a rash?”) But the pure joy and love Rylan gives us each and every day more than makes up for the missed sleep and grey hairs!
We had always dreamed of having two children in our family, so we know in our hearts there’s one special piece of the family puzzle that’s still missing. Our home and our hearts are ready to welcome a second child into our lives.
Experience is a good thing
Some people have already warned us it might be difficult to adopt again, since many birth mothers want to place their babies with a childless couple. But we think having an adopted child already in the home is a very good thing! First of all, we have experience now as parents so we’ve gotten rid of those “first-time jitters” and are very comfortable with our Mommy and Daddy skills. Also, we know what it means to embrace -- and participate in -- an open adoption. We have a wonderful relationship with Rylan’s birth parents and their family members built on respect, communication and, most importantly, everybody’s common love for Rylan. We visit each other, share photos and exchange emails on a regular basis. It is especially wonderful to watch Rylan and his birthparents together; playing, cuddling, hugging and kissing, as they build their own special relationship.
Stay-at-home mom
When Rylan arrived, our financial security allowed Leanne to become a full-time mom. Children benefit when they live with the security and stability that only a stay-at-home parent can provide. Your child’s growth, happiness and development will always be our first priority.
Being parents is the toughest job we’ll ever have. We’re certainly not perfect so we’ll undoubtedly make some mistakes along the way. But there’s one thing we do know: Children learn what they live, so it will always be our goal to “lead by example” and demonstrate to your child the values we consider important. This includes treating others with respect, having confidence in yourself, always trying your best and the value of hard work.
Our relationship with you
Trusting us to raise your child is a precious gift for which we would be eternally grateful. We would love the opportunity to create a lasting friendship with you. Working together, we can create an adoption plan that works for everyone -- and is sensitive and respectful of your needs. Thank you again for reading our letter. We hope it has given you a sense of who we are -- and the loving home we can provide for your child. We hope we can meet you someday soon.
Sincerely,
Leanne, Brent and Rylan
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