Chuck & Lisa

We can be reached toll-free through Friends in Adoption at 1-800-844-3630

Click Here for a Printable Copy of our Profile
Click Here to Contact Us through FIA by Email

When we sat down to write this letter, we weren't sure we could say everything in such a short space. Could we answer all your questions and address all your fears? Could we fully convey who we are? Then it hit us: This letter is not just a way for you to meet us and learn what kind of parents we want to be. It's also part of the first chapter of a child's life story. One day, when that child is old enough, he or she will see these words and pictures, the same ones you're looking at now. "This is how it started," we'll say. "Long before you were born, we were dreaming of you."

About Us

We've been married now for 10 years, and trying to start a family for more than half that time. All that waiting gave us a lot of time to think about what children need from their mom and dad.

It seems really clear to us that being a good parent doesn't require a blood connection to your child. It does mean loving and nurturing and standing up for your child. It means providing everything your child needs to have a secure, productive and satisfying life - and that includes knowing the story of where he or she came from.

We look forward to telling our son or daughter what it means to be adopted: How two sets of strangers came together, united by their wish to give a baby the best possible life.

We're not climbing Everest any time soon, but we do like to explore. Here we are braving the dead of winter to visit friends on Lake Michigan.

One of the perks of living in New York City: enjoying the biggest Christmas tree we've ever seen and not having to decorate it.

That's not to say we have parenthood all figured out. (We still debate how old our child should be to watch certain shows on Comedy Central.) But we can give you a good sense of what life with us will be like: We're affectionate, creative, and conscientious. Our families valued education, and we do, too. Doing as well as you can in school is important. And so is having fun - playing sports, pursuing hobbies, hanging out with friends.

We'll be the kind of parents who are always trying to give our child new experiences.

We'll go to movies and museums. We'll make up funny songs and games. Since we're both writers, there'll be lots of reading - books, magazines, comic books. At dinner we won't just talk about what happened to us that day, but about the many things going on in our community and the world, and what we all think about them.

Our baby will be raised to accept and feel comfortable with all kinds of people, even those who are different from us. There will be a lot of talking, and a lot of listening. And we will always be asking ourselves: Who is our child? What does she or he need from us? What is the best way to help him or her grow?

The wonderful thing about adoption, we think, is that we'll have our eyes open from day one, waiting to see and appreciate the uniqueness of our child.

We love taking road trips,
like this one to Vermont.

It doesn't take a lot to crack us up.

We can't wait to share our life with children.

Chuck on his annual trip to his family's farm pond in Georgia. He can't wait to take our child.

Lisa loves having her sister in the same city. Not only is she a new mom, but she's also a pediatric nurse, so we expect to get a lot of advice from her.

Visiting Lisa's parents and their dog Duke.

Spaghetti night.

Back Story

As much as we're a team - ChuckandLisa - we're also individuals, from different parts of the country, different families, and different religions. Accepting differences, we think, only makes us stronger as a couple.

Lisa's from Michigan. Chuck's from Georgia. We're both journalists, and we live in New York City. We feel at home here, which tells you a lot about us: We made friends and found our place in a new part of the country.

We're adaptable, which will come in handy when we're parents.

Lisa works as a producer for a radio show. Chuck writes for a business magazine. We spend our days meeting people from all walks of life and listening to their stories.

As rewarding as our jobs are, though, we want to make our children the center of our lives. That's something we've been planning for and anticipating for years.

Here's Lisa reporting on election day in Philadelphia. They may not be old enough to vote, but these kids had a lot of opinions.

About Lisa

Chuck: When Lisa joined the newspaper where I was working, we both had a rule about dating people in the office: Don't. But once the right person comes along, rules go out the window. That was 14 years ago. Lisa's one of the warmest, most talented and modest people I know. She would never tell you that she won a very prestigious journalism award.

The same energy and attention to detail that make Lisa such a terrific journalist make her a wonderful companion and will make her an amazing mother. She cares about the things I'm passionate about - even my beloved Atlanta Braves. When I got hooked on watching "Lost," she not only joined me, but she also became an expert, reading the online discussion boards and Googling to figure out the crazy plot. She's the kind of wife who signed me up for an improv comedy class as a birthday present, knowing I wanted to take it, but was too nervous to enroll on my own.

Aunt Lisa and our niece at a playground near our home.

Lisa met this little girl while doing a story on her dad. By the end of the interview they were treating her like part of the family!

Lisa and her cousins getting ready for the big game.

Lisa will be the kind of mother who instinctively gives her heart, her attention and her creativity to our child.

I already see it in her devotion to our one-year-old niece. They developed a strong bond almost immediately. When Lisa comes home from visiting her, after an afternoon on the swing set or at the park, she'll say, "I miss her already!"

No trip to Michigan is complete without a football game at Lisa's alma mater.

Here's our niece Lula the day she was born. If she could talk, we think she would say: "I want a cousin!"

Dreaming of the future.

Over the years, Chuck has enjoyed coaching baseball, softball, soccer, and basketball.

About Chuck

Lisa: Of all the things I'm excited to give, all the opportunities I want to share with our child, the most important is Chuck. When you meet him, it'll take about 15 seconds to see why. Chuck is the kind of person - and people tell me this all the time - who makes you feel good just being in the same room as him.

We've been a couple for 14 years now, and I still look forward every day to coming home and seeing him. I love him, yes, but I also just plain like him. He's funny, and caring, and thoughtful, and curious about the world in a way that's contagious.

Anyone who sees Chuck around kids can tell that he's wanted to be a dad for years.

He talks to them, jokes with them, gets down on the ground and plays with them. He's interested in them.

Our friends have an 11-year-old son. When his dad is away on a business trip, who does he call to play video games with, or take him to a ballgame? Chuck. And while a lot of guys would say yes just to be nice, Chuck says yes because he wants to. Because that's who he is. He's a dad. He just doesn't have kids yet.

We like to make our own Christmas cards. One year we made a New Year's card instead. This was the cover.

Chuck (with one of our two nephews) hasn't been to every Major League park, but he's getting there. Fourteen down. Sixteen to go.

As a journalist, Chuck gets to follow his curiosity and see some pretty interesting things. Here he is at a recent Super Bowl.

Chuck's birthday is in December, and one of our traditions is to go ice skating - carefully.

Chuck does his famous baby dance. Gets them to stop crying every time.

We've got family nearby, cousins for our child to grow up with. Here's Chuck trying to avoid a dental checkup by one of them.

Chuck always wears them out.

Shout-Outs

What our friends say (from recommendations written for our adoption home study):

Tracey, mother of two: "Recently, Lisa and Chuck and my daughter rearranged the dining room into a make-believe pond, and Sadie taught them to swim and escape crocodiles. They embraced her story and played their parts, squealing if a crocodile came too close. Sadie was in heaven!"

Two of our closest friends live in our apartment building. Their sons sometimes come over to invite Chuck to play ball.

Lisa's best friend lives just outside the city with two terrific kids - our child's future friends.

Mike, father of three and Chuck's Little League co-coach: "Lisa has a very natural, unforced way with kids. She'll be the sort of parent who every child yearns for: She listens attentively, which is extremely affirming to young people.

"It's no wonder that Lisa is a favorite with my own children."

"The kids on our team adored Chuck. They responded to his instruction, reveled in his humor, and swelled with pride in the face of his never-ending support and genuine praise. Building self-esteem was our top priority, and it was impossible to interact with Chuck without feeling better about your self."

Our Home

We live in an apartment in Manhattan that feels like it's located in a park.

Right outside our building is a jungle gym, swing set and tons of space to run and play. We've got a bike path along the river a block away, and a big lawn where families have picnics and listen to bands play. The parents we know say it's an ideal place to raise children - a safe neighborhood with a sense of community.

A number of our friends and family live close by. Lisa's younger sister lives a couple of miles from us and works as an emergency-room nurse. She and her partner had a baby girl last year, so we get lots of diaper/feeding/crying practice when we babysit. Lisa's parents plan to retire soon and move here to be closer to their grandchildren.

You and Us

Thanks for reading this. We hope it gives you a good sense of who we are, and the sort of life your child would have with us. We're as ready as we can be - and we're excited. When we researched domestic adoption, we especially liked the fact that our child's mother chooses us and that we have the opportunity to communicate with each other. That's important - for you, for us, and most of all, for the child.

Sincerely,

Chuck & Lisa

Call Friends in Adoption at 1-800-844-3630