Andrew & Karen
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

You can reach us via e-mail at andrew.10@ns.sympatico.ca or call us at 902-445-7936.


Hello!
We understand you must be going through a difficult time right now. Trying to decide whether to place a baby for adoption is a decision not to be taken lightly, and one that involves many, possibly conflicting, factors. We wish you all the best in reaching the decision that is best for you, your family and your child. At this time, we would like to take a moment to explain why, if you do make that difficult decision, that we are great potential parents for your baby.

About Us:
We met in 2001 after joining the Canadian Forces and clicked right away. We were engaged in 2002 and married in 2003. We always agreed that we wanted a large family and we considered adoption from the very beginning. Our first meeting with Community Services was in 2004, while we were still living in New Brunswick. However, we quickly became pregnant with our first son, born in 2005, and our adoption plans were put on hold. Our second son was born in 2006. In 2007, we began a two year struggle with infertility and began to look into adoption in Halifax. We were approved for international adoption in March 2009 and domestic adoption in November 2009. It was around that time we managed to become pregnant with our third son, born June 2010. Once he turned one we agreed to pursue our adoption dream and initiated our domestic home assessment update.

Our Neighborhood:
We live in a nice area in Halifax Nova Scotia, with plenty of room for another child. We are only 15 minutes from downtown, and close to the many amenities our subdivision has to offer. We are two blocks from the elementary school and junior high. There is also a soccer and baseball field in the area. Our community pool is located in the Canada Games Centre and the local library is only a ten minute walk. We live in a two story detached house, with four bedrooms upstairs. Our future child would have their own bedroom. We have a finished basement, with a recreation room, home office and playroom. We also have a large, fenced-in backyard for the children to play in. With three boys already, we have tons of toys on every level.

Our Family:
Karen grew up in Cape Breton and her parents still reside there, on the Mira River. Our boys love to visit Grandma and Grandpa! They live next to a Provincial Park, so there is sledding in the winter and swimming in the summer. We visit 3-4 times a year, and Karens’ parents come to Halifax for other special events.

Andrew grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and his parents still reside there. We visit every summer, spending time with extended family and seeing the sights. The boys love the Toronto Zoo, the CN Tower, and playing with their cousins.

Karen has one brother who lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife and two sons. The boys have all been to Rhode Island several times, and especially like the beach and the Childrens’ Museum. The family comes to Cape Breton during the summer and the boys love playing with their cousins.

Andrew has two brothers and two sisters, along with three nephews and two nieces. His sisters live out West, one in Calgary and one in Regina. His brothers reside in Hamilton and Toronto. Our boys love getting together with their cousins whenever they can.

Finally, our boys! Our oldest is six and loves puzzles, crafts and Lego. He is in Grade One and loves his piano lessons and Beavers. Our second son just turned five and is our little gymnast! He is always on the go and is in hockey and gymnastics, as well as piano and Beavers. He is currently in Grade Primary. They both play well together despite their differences and are completely adorable. They were asking for a brother or sister during our struggle with infertility and were thrilled to welcome our youngest, who is 17 months. He adores his brothers, loves trains and is a very happy (and busy!) little guy.

Our Daily Routine:
Karen works part-time for the Canadian Forces, giving legal advice (she is a lawyer by training) and instructing online courses. This allows me to stay home with the boys for most of the work week. The boys come home for lunch, and our youngest is home or at the military daycare for the morning. Andrew is a teacher by trade but is currently working an Engineering contract with the Canadian Forces as a Reservist. Our two oldest attend school during the week, with piano, hockey and gymnastics on the weekends. The baby and Karen go to Kindermusik, the library and to local musuems and playgrounds. We also like to camp in the summer and ski in the winter. We travel every Christmas and summer. All three boys have been christened in the United Church and we attend most Sundays during the school year. Our children are the center of our lives, and we would really like to have another child to shower with love and affection.

Our Views on Parenting and Adoption:
We are warm and loving parents who still set firm and consistent boundaries for our children. We want them to experience the best life has to offer. We also want them to be kind, happy and able to reach their full potential. Education is very important to us and we already have RESP’s for the children. We would love to have another child to parent and love.

We believe adoption is a wonderful way to add to our family. We also understand the importance of openness between us and our future birth family. We would like your child to grow up understanding the difficult decision you made, and valuing you as part of who they are. We are happy to work with you to create a level of openness that is right for both you and your family, and are open to exchanging photos, letters, phone calls and visits.

We wish you the best of luck in your difficult decision. If you do decide to place your child for adoption, I hope you will consider us as your adoptive family. We look forward to meeting you, to hearing all about your hopes and dreams, and to sharing the upbringing of the beautiful child we hope to share with you.

Sincerely,

Karen and Andrew