Eric y Chase

Hi! We’re Eric and Chase, and we are so grateful you’re taking a moment to learn a little about us. We’ve been together for 17 beautiful years – full of love, joy, silliness, gratitude, growth, and plenty of real-life moments along the way. We knew from the very beginning we wanted to be dads (maybe not the usual first-date topic, but we went there!). Even before we knew where life would take us, we knew adoption was the path meant for us, and we are so ready to open our hearts fully to a child.

As co-dads, we want to build our home filled with even more laughter, warmth, and unconditional love – a place where our child feels safe, supported, and free to be themselves. We’ll always honor their story and help them understand where they come from, so they grow up proud of who they are and connected to the people who love them. To us, parenthood is about finding joy in both the small and big moments: bedtime snuggles, silly dance parties, showing how good a cookie is dunked in milk, heart-to-heart talks, and guiding them through life the best we can, always with honesty and care.

We’ve spent a lot of time learning, preparing, and surrounding ourselves with a strong circle of family and friends who can’t wait to welcome a little one! We know adoption is a lifelong journey built on trust and openness, and we’re fully committed to nurturing that every step of the way. More than anything, we have so much love to give and can’t wait to share our lives, our hearts, our families, and our home with a child.

Acerca de Eric

Job: Architect

Hobbies: Art & design, organization, reading, crosswords, traveling, DIY projects, meditation, entertaining, volunteering

Fun Fact: Eric lived and worked in Europe before moving to New York, but comes from the same town in Iowa as Aquaman and Superman. He was also a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholar while pursuing his Master’s degree.

About Chase

Job: Dentist

Hobbies: Hot Yoga, choir, reading, crosswords, traveling, hiking, cooking, knitting, volunteering

Fun Fact: Before becoming a dentist, Chase was an agent for Opera singers. He comes from a long line of accomplished family, including a former governor of Ohio whose family was active in the Underground Railroad, the founder of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, and a great-grandmother who made her debut at Carnegie Hall as a violinist when she was a teenager.

Nuestras vidas

We live in a very quiet, tree-lined, and diverse neighborhood in Manhattan with our two bonded rescue pugs, Grumble and Squeal. We have been in the same large building for 11 years, and recently finished renovating our home. We love to cook together, do crosswords or host game nights with neighbors, and to be outside as much as possible! In addition to the close friends in our building, we have friends and chosen family scattered all over and around NYC, and love visiting them – whether it be to babysit or leave the city to go on a hike, picnic, or spend a day exploring.

We often go to Riverside Park, which is a short walk and is equipped with playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, and baseball fields. We are very involved in our building and community, helping with the large holiday parties, Easter-egg hunts, and trick-or-treating — plus all the lobby decorating involved in each! We take care of three public tree beds with plants and flowers (and can enjoy them from our apartment’s two balconies). Eric is on the architecture and design committee and was formerly on the building’s co-op board. Chase sees this as practice for future involvement in schools and child-related activities 🙂

Our best friend and her 6-year-old daughter are like a sister and a niece to us. They live nearby and we spend a lot of time with them. In the summers, we go to their lake house in Maine – definitely our happy place – with lake swims, hammock naps, and amazing meals. We rotate hosting Easter with her family – and her mom, especially, is like a second mom to both of us. Venturing further away has also been a passion – traveling and exploring the world and different cultures has been a true joy in our lives, and we can’t wait to continue this as our family grows.

We’re surrounded by a close-knit circle of family and friends (or chosen family, as we like to call them) who are deeply involved in our lives. Our home is filled with laughter, creativity, and love, and our immediate circle includes many friends with young children nearby, including adoptees.

Nuestra familia

Eric’s mom and dad live in a rural area south of Des Moines and have two horses. Chase’s parents live on a cul-de-sac in a historical neighborhood in Phoenix. Our nephews love being there, swimming in the pool, and playing in a newly built treehouse. Our moms talk to each other regularly and are dear friends. Eric’s dad loves a good practical joke, and Chase’s dad is always a good sport. Both of us benefited from very special connections with our grandparents, and we know this will be no different with our child. Gigi, Papa, Nana, and Gaga are very much looking forward to their next grandchild!

We always look forward to family holidays, birthdays, and vacations. Whether it be the Great Smoky Mountains and Dollywood in Tennessee with Eric’s family, or Laguna Beach or San Diego with Chase’s family, there are ways we get to connect and make lasting memories. Most recently, we hosted Eric’s family (12 people!) in NYC. It was such a joy to see our nieces experience the city for the first time.
Both of our parents’ homes serve as the go-to spot for our larger extended families on holidays. White elephant gift exchanges with Chase’s and Trivial Pursuit with Eric’s always follow a delicious homemade meal. Christmas mornings are all about matching pajamas at Eric’s or Chase’s mom’s famous coffee cake and hand-knitted overstuffed stockings.

We’re super proud uncles and godparents. We love being part of these little ones’ worlds. Whether we are constructing pillow forts or doing art projects with our nephews, or dancing in the living room with our nieces, they are a bright spot in our lives.

Pensamientos finales

We are so grateful for the chance to share our story with you. Your love is the first chapter of your child’s story, and if you choose to pursue adoption, our hope is that they will always know their life began with that courage and boundless love. Regardless of the path you take, we truly hope you feel surrounded by compassion and support.

-Eric & Chase