Jeany & Vance

About Vance written by Vance:

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania with two younger sisters, and later moved to Southern California after college. Growing up, my family lived next to an animal shelter, so we were always surrounded by pets - I especially love dogs. I’m fortunate to have had a tight group of friends and even though we now live in different parts of the world, we still keep in close touch. I was an avid gamer as a kid, and today I’m proud to work as a video game producer on one of my all-time-favorite games. My parents also encouraged me to play a variety of sports, and while I used to be a picky eater, I’ve grown to appreciate the value of a healthy diet and regular exercise.

I’m excited to raise a child under the values with which I live my life: to have empathy for others, to work hard when it matters and not stress when it doesn’t, and to always chase your passions. I am incredibly fortunate to have grown up surrounded by a loving family where I felt safe to try new things and become my own person. Growing up is a long journey that I can’t wait to re-experience through my child’s eyes. I’ll help to fill our home with love and support, and hope to always be leading by example.

About Vance written by Jeany:

Vance is an outgoing and social person, who is naturally skilled at making friends. His playful and silly sense of humor is an essential aspect of his personality. He is very dedicated to his job, but he always tries to find balance between work and his personal life. Vance is open-minded and always willing to try new things, but sometimes I need to be careful i.e. not tell him exactly what he’s eating before he tries it (when I know he’ll like it).

Vance is excellent at working together with me to solve problems and overcome challenges in our relationship. While I may struggle to express myself at times, Vance is a skilled listener who can understand what I mean, even when my words are not quite right.

Vance would make a great dad because he likes to play, loves running around and being outside. He’s a great listener, attentive, and knows how to look at things from a kid’s perspective.

About Jeany written by Jeany:

I grew up in suburban Southern California. My parents divorced at a young age so it was just my mom and I at home. She immigrated from China with her siblings and so I’ve always had a large extended family nearby. I'm very close with my second generation cousins.
I’m still best friends with the girls I know from middle school and high school. Our larger friend group is very diverse and still gets together for birthdays and special occasions a few times per year.

As a kid I was interested in nature and animals which led me to study biology in college, and today I work as a scientist. I like to listen to podcasts, try new foods, and meet dogs. I look forward to learning what things our child likes and how we can spend time sharing and exploring our interests together.

About Jeany written by Vance:

Jeany likes to be silly and shares my style of playfulness. She appreciates thoughtfulness and is the best gift-giver I know (gifting is her love language). When it comes to trying new things she always keeps an open mind, but she’s opinionated and decisive when she finds something she likes, like a picture, a board game, or some delicious food. When it comes to occupying herself or troubleshooting home-things while I’m away, she’s independent and self sufficient.

Jeany will make an awesome Mom, because she’s great at living in the moment and she values learning and exploring.

She has an affinity for ecology and I love seeing her with our nephews at the zoo or the tidepools where she’s practically a kid herself, talking about why unique creatures are the way they are, and teaching me as much as she’s teaching them. I can’t wait to see how she bonds with our child through little moments just like that.

Home/Community:

We live in a vibrant urban neighborhood in sunny Southern California. There are lots of local businesses, as well as multiple parks, playgrounds, and elementary schools. We love where we live and we’re always walking around town, and the beach or the zoo is also just a short drive away. Even though it doesn’t snow in our area, we usually find a way to experience a bit of snow every year, whether by going on a weekend trip to the mountains or visiting family out of state for the holidays.

Interests & Hobbies:

We love games! On a weekday evening Vance might be online with his friends while Jeany is second-screening some Candy Crush on the couch. During the weekends we can spend hours playing board games with family or friends (we’ve amassed quite a collection). We think games are a great way for kids to learn new skills and critical thinking, but understand that moderation is key with how powerful today’s technology is.
An active life. We like to try new restaurants and are regimented about maintaining a diverse, healthy diet. We’ve both been CrossFitters for the past 5 years and have learned all kinds of gymnastic skills and weightlifting techniques through our gym community. It’s a fun hobby we can share with elements of competitiveness since we have different body types and different strengths and weaknesses.
Travel and adventure. We can get very comfortable in our home but love to break the routine and travel somewhere new (we’ve been to Hawaii, Japan, Italy, and camped all up and down the West Coast). Traveling with kids usually requires some special planning and accommodation, but we’ve always been happy to balance our personal interests with those of the larger family.

Parenting:

We want our child to benefit from the values we most appreciate as adults. They’ll have a routine that involves activities outdoors, meals with the family, and lots of time to play with other kids in our community. We’ll celebrate holidays with loved ones, splurge on vacations, and invest ourselves into the things that make them happy.

We want our child to have all the love and support they need to explore and discover the hobbies, interests, and activities they enjoy. How do they like to spend their time, and how can we help foster that? How can they develop and get better at that thing, or get more joy out of it? Encouraging and supporting that passion is one of our most important responsibilities.

In Closing:

Hopefully this profile gives you a glimpse into who we are and how we see our role as parents, but we also hope to build an enduring friendship with you. As birth mother, you play a key role in the child’s personal history and understanding who they are as they grow up. A strong relationship between us benefits us all, most importantly the child.

We hope to get to know you and share more about us, including all of the details that don’t fit in this format, and maybe aren’t all as happy as they might appear on the surface - we’re real people after all!

We can’t wait to hear from you.

Jeany and Vance