Melissa & David

Our core family consists of our parents, aunt, uncle, our siblings, nieces, nephews, and close friends. Melissa has a large family who all live within a few hours away in South Carolina, while most of Alan’s family reside in North Carolina. We talk to our families multiple times a week and see them as often as we can, usually once a month or so. Alan's dad is recently retired and is so excited to become "Pap"; Our moms are close to both of us and definitely look forward to being "Mimi" and "Gaga" to our children. Both of our families love to travel and enjoy “being in the moment.” While we have always prioritized family time, we have done so even more since Covid. Our yearly family vacations are spent at the family beach house. Melissa likes to take her mom, aunt, and Alan's mother to concerts and live performance events. We love spending time with our siblings, especially Alan's sister, Carol, and her husband, Cody. We all enjoy the same things, like video gaming and travel, so we frequently make plans to spend time together. We also make time to spend with our close friends, whether it be going out to dinner, concerts, festivals, or other excursions. Our friends and family have fervently supported through our infertility struggle and are so excited for us to begin the adoption journey. We are so grateful and thankful for such a strong support system.

I was born in a small town in upstate South Carolina. I was the baby of the family; my two brothers are eleven and thirteen years older. My youth had wonderful moments but also scary moments. My dad was a kind man who never met a stranger and told the best stories! However, he was also a Vietnam war veteran and suffered from PTSD and alcoholism. My parents divorced in 2004, but reconciled years later and stayed together happily until my dad lost his battle with lung cancer in 2013. My mom and I are very close. She is the kindest person I've ever met. She encouraged me to follow my dreams no matter what obstacle was in my way. Her strength and perseverance was so impactful in my life. Growing up, I was always the "mom" of my friend group. I genuinely care about others' mental and physical wellbeing. This trait has carried over into my my adult friendships and my relationship with my students. I am happy to say they can always look to me for care, help, and support. Attending college changed my life. I absolutely fell in love with theatre, especially its ability to help people understand themselves and each other. I knew I wanted to impact students just as my theatre professor had done for me. This year marks my ninth year of teaching, and it is truly my calling. I love being a small part of students’ lives and helping them see their own potential. In addition to theatre, I also love cooking, baking, crafting, playing video games, and traveling. I'm a lifelong learner who loves to experience new places, food, cultures, and perspectives. I truly can not wait to be a mother and I hope that you choose Alan and I to raise, love, and support your child.

I was born in Maryland but moved to North Carolina when I was eleven. Growing up, I fell in love with the outdoors, playing sports and being a “beach bum.” Our family would go on RV trips, we would go to museums, National Parks, and experience the US. The most memorable trips were Traveling to Alaska and the Bahamas. My dad had a career in IT, working on computers and electronics. He would always share knowledge, wisdom, and passion for daily projects around the home and always included me as a helper. I especially loved to help him repair and maintain his 1955 Chevy Bel Air. My mom would include me in cooking dinner for the family. She was always present for sports activities and I considered her my cheerleader for sporting events. Family morals and values were embedded into my childhood that I carry on today. I consider myself analytical, with a fun and goofy mindset. I love to play video games, and tinker with retro technology. I like to think this brings past and current imagination to life. My family's motto that I would like to pass onto my children is to: Remember where you came from. Stop and think of where I am now. Always aim for a brighter future.

I fell in love with Melissa’s red hair and sense of humor. She is quirky, witty, and insanely intelligent. We met online and I could not resist her charm and care for others. Our first date was at a local park where we sat and talked about our dreams and ambitions in life. One of Melissa's best qualities is that she has a way of making you smile and laugh even when you're having a bad day. She is highly educated and has a knack of retaining a ton of random information. Melissa took her love of knowledge and passion for Theatre and became a High School Theatre Teacher. She loves helping people be better versions of themselves. Melissa has the ability to make our family a home full of love, happiness and memories. She is passionate, caring, and prioritizes strong family values. During her downtime, she loves listening to audiobooks, watching Theatre, and playing Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy. Melissa also enjoys traveling and seeing what new things the world has to offer. During holidays, Melissa is known for her mind-blowing cooking skills. She even won 2nd place in city-wide pie baking contest. Melissa loves anything Harry Potter, even to a point she was willing to ride Harry Potter themed roller coasters. Melissa has never been a fan of roller coasters, but with confidence and a passion to try something new, she was able to accomplish her goal. I am confident that Melissa will be a great mother. Showing love, support, empathy, and being present for every child's activity is a promise she will not break. I can’t wait to see her as a mom with superwoman qualities! We hope that you consider us for adoption as we open our hearts to your child.

From the moment he came into my life, Alan has been a constant, calming force of a human being. On our first date, we went to a local Italian restaurant and then to a nearby by park. We sat on a bench swing and talked for hours until the sun went down. Our conversations flowed easily and being around him instantly put me at peace. This has remained a constant within our lives together. Over the past 9 years, I have felt nothing but love, support, respect, and commitment from Alan. We do everything together: traveling, running errands, video-gaming, building legos, etc. He fully embraces being a true partner in our household. We both thrive in a clean and organized home; he cleans and I organize. He washes dishes each night while I dry and put them away. He helps take care of our dog, Watson, such as bathing him or taking him to grooming appointments. He supports me in every endeavor, whether it be seeking a masters degree while teaching full-time, or joining me on a thrifting adventure to find the perfect costume for a play I'm directing. He attends every performance of every show I direct. He loves my family and friends and considers them his family and friends. He is the most thoughtful gift giver. He loves finding trinkets and other unique items that shows how much he cares. Alan brings so much joy to my life; one hug from him and all other things fade away. He is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. There is no doubt in my mind that he will make a great dad. He'll be there for every scraped knee, every doctor's appointment, every game, every dance, and every milestone. He'll teach them how to plant flowers, change a tire, ride a bike, build legos, and take them on their first rollercoaster ride. Most of all, he will be a loving, supportive, and constant presence in their lives, the type of dad you can go talk to about any problem, mistake, or issue. I truly can not wait to see him become a father.

We met through an online dating app in the summer of 2014. We instantly connected, spending hours texting and talking on the phone. We finally met in person on June 30, 2014. From that first date, we knew we had found something special. Our time together was, and still is, effortless. We enjoy each other's hobbies such as theatre arts and video gaming. Throughout our courtship, we learned how to communicate our feelings and support one another's dreams and goals. We vacationed with our families, spent holidays together, and adopted our dog, Watson. Alan (David) proposed on New Year's Eve 2016 in Charleston, SC, and the task of planning the wedding began. Alan helped with every aspect of planning, from choosing the venue to the arrangement of the centerpieces. We chose to write our own vows and to complete a unity puzzle in the ceremony as we have always said we are each other's missing puzzle piece. Every choice made was a testament to our love and sentimentality. So, on June 30, 2018, exactly four years from our first date, in front of family and friends, we pledged our commitment to the life we were creating. We began trying for a family after our wedding. After a year of no results, we decided to seek medical help. After many tests and doctor appointments, we learned each of us had an issue with being able to naturally conceive a child. We soon made the decision to begin the daunting IVF process. After one failed embryo transfer and one miscarriage, we spent the months that followed processing our grief, supporting each other while also growing and healing. After giving ourselves this time, we both agreed to seek adoption. We have always planned to adopt in the future so we could continue to grow our family, so we jumped in whole-heartedly. We researched adoption, met with others who had gone through the process, and had many long and important talks with one another, discussing our hopes, fears, and excitement. We shared the news with our friends, family, and work colleagues. They were all thrilled and excited, eager to support us throughout this journey. From that moment, everything seemed to fall into place, like a missing puzzle piece.