Dana and John met twelve years ago on a friend’s porch and have been together ever since. We have shared the loss of a parent, the birth of a child, work achievements and challenges, and have grown stronger together and closer throughout. Having Elinor and supporting her education and development over the last seven years has been deeply satisfying, challenging and joyful. The two of us have talked for a good long time about how to grow our family. We can have biological children. But each of us has wanted to foster or adopt since before we were married. Maybe it’s because we have friends and family who are adopted, and are close to cousins, half siblings, and step siblings. Dana comes from a blended family where blood ties (or lack thereof) were no obstacle to developing a parent-child relationship. Adoption is a way for us to share the love we have been given.
About John
Job Description
Lawyer, former Kindergarten teacher
Hobbies
- Spending time with friends & family
- Reading
- Learning about science
- Legos
- Music and drawing
- Playing sports
- Swimming in the ocean
Fun Fact
John loves music and likes to tinker with things. He got Elinor to help him put together a small music computer when she was four years old and has been delighted as she and her friends make all sorts of odd sounds with it.
About Dana
Job Description
Journalist
Hobbies
- Gardening
- Reading novels
- Watching the Bear and the Late Show
- Knitting
Fun Fact
Dana loves animals, mostly mammals and birds, and is super decisive and practical. She was a great violinist, who keeps it simple and gets things done for all of us.
About Jack
Job Description
Retired
Hobbies
- Cracking jokes
- Reading detective novels
- Playing imaginative games with Elinor
Fun Fact
Jack was a great handball player when he was younger and studied algebra in grad school. He is a sharp card player, and loves to make grandpa jokes.
About Elinor
Job Description
In school
Hobbies
- Drawing and music
- Playing with family and friends
- Watching and singing along with Daniel Tiger and Bluey
- Swimming
- Reading
Fun Fact
Elinor has made up a language that she has spoken for years called, “La La language.” It’s complicated and takes lots of practice, but she will patiently teach you how to say just about anything in it if you are willing to spend the time.
Our Lives
Dana and John have challenging and satisfying 9-5ish jobs, good benefits, and time for family. Dana has the flexibility to work from home. Ellie has an 8:30 to 3:30ish schedule, with afterschool arts and athletics. Jack is retired and independent. Dana and John’s jobs will allow substantial parental leave with a newborn child. As we grow together, we will continue to have the time and flexibility to be home for dinner, be there on weekends, swim in the Rockaway surf, play basketball at the YMCA, visit the otters at the Coney Island aquarium and spend weeks during the summer with family in Cape Cod. Our vision for our child is informed by raising our seven-year-old daughter Elinor, and will continue to be informed by the personality of our new child. Just like with Ellie, we would spend a ton of time in the park, playing on the swings, slides, and under an umbrella on the sandy beach.
Our Family
Our family has the wisdom of age and the wisdom of youth sandwiching an empowered and sympathetic couple of parents. Jack, who is 91, is a lawyer and mathematician, and devoted father, son and spouse. Elinor, who just turned 7, is gentle and smart, full of love for others, of learning, and of new experiences. We like to eat dinner together at home and talk about our days. Sometimes we make it out to a small Italian restaurant where Elinor will almost always draw a gift picture for Fabiano, our favorite waiter, and eat a minestrone soup and broccoli with garlic and butter. We spend the holidays with grandparents and cousins. As a benefit of being a marriage of mixed religions, we celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Easter, Passover and Thanksgiving. Vacations are times for family and friends. You’ll also find us at swim lessons, playing sports, throwing on sun-screen and having fun on the beach.
Final Thoughts
We are looking out into the world for birth parents who, when they look back at us, see a family that will love, nurture, and raise the child you bear to be empowered, happy, healthy, and kind.
– John & Dana
English 
Spanish 
Chinese 
