Adam & Shaun

Why we're adopting:

From the moment we fell in love almost a decade and a half ago (and we fell pretty fast!), there was one thing we knew for sure – we wanted to be parents and share our love with a child.

As you may have noticed, we are both men, which makes conceiving naturally a bit difficult.
And while the option of surrogacy was discussed, we ultimately knew in our hearts that adoption was the path for us. We have been so blessed to have lives filled with supportive family, lifelong friends, and careers that have helped us create a happy life of our dreams – and it would be the
honor of a lifetime to give those blessings back to our future child.

HOW WE MET:

Picture it. Hollywood, 2010. A young guy named Shaun comes to a bottomless brunch on Sunset Blvd and is served by a waiter named Adam.
Each cocktail that came to the table included a dash of flirting, until Adam’s shift ended and he sat right down with Shaun. Fast forward 14 years and - spoiler alert! - it wasn’t just the cocktails, it was love. (And those guys? That was us.)

While the early days are always
exciting, we’ve been delighted to
find ourselves actually falling more
in love with each passing year. Cut
to today, and no matter how hard
or crazy a day is, getting to come
home to your favorite person each
night and collapse on the couch to
share stories and snuggle the dogs
is heaven. And the only thing that
would make it better? Adding a
baby to that couch cuddle puddle.

About Adam (by Adam):

I used to work as an entertainment writer and
host, so interviewing celebrities on red carpets
kept things exciting. But now that I work from
home as a marketing director, I make sure to
insert a few laughs into every online meeting.
And speaking of laughter, my favorite sound is
kids giggling, so I’m happy my office will only
be a few steps away from our future child so
we can have dance parties on work breaks.
I've had a lot of big dreams in my life, but
can genuinely say that being a dad has always
been number one, even when I was still a kid
myself. I think connecting with the beautiful
innocence and hilarious honesty of a child
is one of the most beautiful things on the
planet, and I was absolutely put on this earth
to be a father.

About Adam, by Shaun:

Adam may be my husband,
but he is also my best
friend and partner in crime.
He makes anything and
everything fun. The most
mundane tasks are a party
whenever he is around. He
is also the most caring and
thoughtful person I have
ever met. He always puts
himself last and everyone
else first. He is creative
and so intelligent that at
times I have to stop and
ask myself, what did I do to
deserve such an amazing
partner in life? He keeps
me balanced, knowing
exactly what I need and
when I need it.
When it comes to kids, watch out!
Guaranteed that if there is a child in the room,
nobody else exists - he will be playing dress up,
putting on a play, or at the kids table making art.
If it’s a baby, in 5 seconds or less, it will be in his
arms snuggling away. He was born to be a parent
like nobody I have seen before. He is “Uncle
Adam” to every child in our life, whether friend
or family, and I just can’t wait for him to also gain
the title of “Daddy” because that is his destiny.

About Shaun, by Shaun:

People would describe me
as serious but fun-loving. I
have a quick wit and a fun,
dry sense of humor.
I’m a natural-born leader in both my
work and home life. I always want
what’s best for everyone and will
do anything and everything in my
power to ensure all around me are
safe, secure, and well taken care of.
I have worked my way up the retail and fashion ladder to now run some of the most
prestigious fashion businesses on Rodeo Drive. By day I’m at work dressing anyone
from Beverly Hills Housewives to celebrities - and even royalty! - but my true passions
come alive when I get back home. The kitchen is my happy place and making big meals
for our family and friends fills my cup. My latest hobby now has me tending to the little
garden I created on our sunny rooftop deck, including herbs that I use in my kitchen
creations. The thought of being a parent is so exciting to me. I will stop at nothing to
protect our little one and keep them safe – all while teaching them to be a kind and
generous human who is authentic to who they are and who they want to be.

About Shaun, by Adam:

I am not exaggerating when
I say I’ve never met a better
man than my husband.
Imagine yourself wrapped
up in a giant cozy blanket -
that’s how safe and secure
he makes me feel. I can’t
believe how lucky a child
will be to have him for a dad
some day. Everyone in his
orbit looks up to him because
he inspires us all to be the
best versions of ourselves,
and I can’t wait to watch
him do that as a father. I
already melt watching him
with kids, using his childlike
wonder and sense of humor
to connect with them on an
adorable level.
One of my favorite things about him
is the dual sides of his personality. He
knows all the hottest restaurants in town and has
a taste for the finer things in life. But he’s also
not afraid to get down at a Chili’s and order the
sampler platter with me. We order three things
everywhere we go and share each of them, which
is a blessing since I’m so indecisive - and need to
try it all! Fun fact: Our first date ended at Del
Taco. True love!

OUR HOBBIES:

We’re happiest on
weekends when we get
together with our family
and friends.
We’ll walk to brunch and then
head home to our roof deck
to play cards or dominoes for
hours. The thought of adding
a kid into these weekend walks
and game fests is so exciting!
Beyond games, nothing brings
our family together like food!
Shaun is a great cook and Adam
is great at eating -- a perfect
match! But we also like to head
to local restaurants or order in
so we can curl up on the couch
to watch our favorite shows. If
it’s on Bravo, it’s probably on
our television at night.

HOME SWEET HOME:

We’re thrilled to have recently moved into a three-bedroom
townhouse in a more suburban part of town.
We still get all the perks of living near a big city, but now we live in a
residential area that is perfect for growing our family. Walking the dogs on
our tree-lined streets full of friendly neighbors who all say hello has been so
wonderful. The excitement of Hollywood is only a short drive over the hill,
but now we are tucked into a cozy little corner of California that’s filled with
families browsing farmers markets and frequenting parks and playgrounds.
Our new home has a great kitchen for cooking family meals and a private
rooftop deck where we gather to play games and listen to music while we
watch the sunset.

OUR FAMILY:

We have future grandparents waiting in
the wings who are very excited about us
growing our family- “Gigi and Pap” have picked
out their names and are waiting semi-patiently in Florida
for the announcement that it’s time to come visit their
new grandbaby. There’s also another set of grandparents
in Pittsburgh, nearby our giant extended family who we’re so
close to. We’re the oldest in a group of 10 close-knit cousins, who
have now started having babies of their own. We can’t wait to add a new baby into the
mix and watch the new generation all grow up together just like we did - complete with
visits to our grandmother’s lake house for boat rides and game nights.
As if we weren’t blessed enough to have that giant family as a support system, we’ve
built an incredible chosen family here in California. In addition to Adam’s sister who
lives five minutes away, our best friend of 25 years is officially family at this point –
and she just so happens to be a professional nanny who is ready to use her expertise
to teach us everything we need to know about raising a baby. We have two other best
friends nearby in Orange County. They each have two children of their own, and while
they often want to hang out with us as an escape from parental duties, we always beg
them to bring the kids because it’s so much more fun that way!

OUR THOUGHTS ON PARENTING:

Even with such a full and blessed life, for us, having.
a child of our own is when our lives can truly begin.
It will be a literal dream come true to bring a baby into our home
and get to see the world through their eyes. We have so much
passion for life - from holiday traditions with family to building
memories on vacation - all we want in this world is be able to share
these magical moments with a child. The innocence and passion that
children possess is genuinely the most beautiful thing on earth, and
it’s the reason why we always knew we were meant to be fathers.
We look forward to teaching them
how to communicate openly and
that it’s okay to have big feelings.
We look forward to filling them
with self esteem, teaching them
to be confident, but kind, always.
If you’re open to it, we’d love to keep in
contact and fill you in on how your child is
thriving. We want them to know who you
are, and to grow up as grateful for you as
we are, that you made the selfless decision
to give them the best life possible.