Allison and Nick
Hello!
We are Allison, Nick, June (and our dog, Matilda). We’re so excited to have the opportunity to share a bit about our family and our life in Oregon. We have been amazed at what a fun, hilarious, busy, crazy and yet fulfilling life it is to be parents, and hope to expand our family through open adoption. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about us and envision what it would be like to bring us into your life.
We have been each other’s best friends and biggest cheerleaders since we met at an office party over 10 years ago. After about a year of laughing our way through cooking projects, jogs around the neighborhood, and binge-watching Battlestar Galactica, we moved to California together, where Nick went to grad school. Now, we live in Oregon, about 20 minutes from the house Allison grew up in and where her parents still live. Allison works as a nurse, and Nick works from home for a philanthropic organization.
Allison is very enthusiastic about learning new things, exploring places known and unknown, and generally looking for the magic in everyday life. She reads constantly, goes for longs walks, and sews colorful outfits with fabric she finds at thrift stores. She loves to get messy in the garden with June because it feels a little like time slows down when you focus on what’s growing around you. Allison has always been a “glass half-full” kind of person, but her years spent working in the hospital have reinforced her belief that day-to-day life is special, and that our time here is not just about milestones and achievements. If June makes an epic toddler mess in the house, Allison is more likely to laugh and make a game of cleaning it up than to get upset.
Nick tends to be the more grounded and practical half of the partnership, but that doesn’t mean he’s less fun. Nick is a diehard Padres fan, skateboards multiple nights per week, and loves to listen to the jazz records he inherited from his parents—all activities that keep him connected to his roots in suburban San Diego. He is a storyteller at heart, and keeps the memories of family and friends alive through lots of fond reflection. Despite never getting to know her Grandma Terri, June has a great awareness of Nick’s mom and asks about her often. Nick goes to great lengths to stay in touch with friends new and old, and we know he will excel at helping keep our adopted child’s family and history front and center in their life because of these skills.
Parenting our daughter June has been the greatest joy of our lives. June feels like a miracle in many ways—-one of which is that because of her, Allison’s doctors caught an early-stage ovarian tumor and were able to treat it before it spread. Allison had surgery and began chemo just four weeks after June was born, but despite those hardships, we still feel a sense of awe and magic when we reflect on those times. Inspired by this and other experiences in our lives, we hope to raise children who are resilient, flexible, confident, and kind. And who see life as the special, unexpected, up and down experience that it is, full of opportunities to grow and change and celebrate their uniqueness. As we expand our family through open adoption, we aspire to build a “more the merrier” family where everyone belongs – our children, extended families, close friends, and you as birth parents. Thank you for considering us.
Allison, Nick, and June