Michael and Stephanie

Hi! We are Michael and Stephanie. We live in a quiet Seattle neighborhood with our labradoodle, Phoebe. Any given day, you’re likely to find us on a walk visiting neighborhood friends, listening to music in the backyard, huddled around our firepit, watching one of our favorite streaming shows, or planning our next vacation.

We were both born and raised in the Seattle area, and despite our itch to visit the rest of the world, neither of us would want to live anywhere else. We’re fortunate to have a large family presence in the area, and we’re ever so grateful for the support structure they provide us.

We were introduced because of our mutual love of travel, and we spent most of our 20s doing just that together. Our shared sense of adventure reinforces other shared values: experiencing norms outside those we were born into, appreciating what we have, finding peace and belonging in any circumstances, and building empathy through taking in other people’s perspectives.

Michael (as written by Stephanie) carries himself with a quiet, humble confidence and calm demeanor that instantly drew me to him as the perfect complement to my impassioned, occasionally indecisive self. He is whip-smart, hard-working, thoughtful, kind, and unfailingly generous to all those he loves.

He is a dual citizen of the United States and Poland and dedicates some of his free time toward sharing his culture in the Seattle area. Mike is becoming quite the handyman and has taught himself to fix most things around the house. He also loves sports, specifically soccer and football. You’ll likely hear him quietly commentating to himself when watching games, as his memory for sports trivia is incredible!

Stephanie (as written by Michael) is the most kind, personable, empathetic, compassionate, and low-key funny person you’ll ever meet. She also brings these traits out in everyone around her, despite her sometimes inability to recognize these strengths in herself.

She is getting a master’s degree in mental health counseling while working part time. This keeps her busy, but she finds time for daily walks with Phoebe and getting together with family and friends. She also loves baking, reading, working on house projects, and spending as much time as possible outside.

We value the role that our future child’s birth parents will have in their child’s life. We seek to approach our relationship with them with the utmost authenticity, respect, sincerity, and adaptability.

Warmest regards,
Michael and Stephanie