Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Nicole and Ryan
Thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about us. We don't know where to begin except to say thank you for your bravery and for giving so much already to your child. Whether or not you choose us, thank you for letting us be part of your journey.
We are Nicole and Ryan. We are blessed with a warm home, amazing friends, and a healthy and happy family with room for one more soul to love.
Meet Our Family
Fifteen years ago, we became inseparable friends and fell in love. After three years, we were married and five years later we had our daughter Aubrey. When we first brought her home, we took one look at her and said, "What the heck do we do now?". She looked so small and fragile, but we quickly figured it out and fell in love with her in ways we didn't know possible. We always imagined a home filled with two kids and all of the friends and family that could fit in it. We are excited to bring another child into our home and watch in amazement as they build a special bond that only siblings can have.
About Ryan (by Nicole)
The first thing I noticed about Ryan, obviously besides his red hair, was his gentle blue eyes and his kind smile. He has a great sense of humor and the ability to get along with just about anyone.
Ryan has a love of all sports. He played baseball his whole life and loves every nuance of the game. It's been wonderful watching Aubrey and him bond over a shared love of sports. He has recently begun assistant coaching which he loves. He is at every practice and every game and loves to practice with her in the backyard, which she loves, in complete Red Sox gear, of course!
Ryan has taught us the ability to laugh in any situation, the grace to be open to learning, and the passion to see the world, for which I am thankful. Before I met him, I hadn't travelled anywhere and he made me feel safe enough to take the leap and see new things. The best part is, all I have to do is pack… he figures everything else out! He taught me that travel is not about the destination, it's about the journey… a truly awesome lesson.
Ryan's bond with his daughter is truly beautiful and his family is his number one priority. I know that there is nothing that he wouldn't do for us.
Ryan makes me laugh when…
- -- He giggles before you even tickle him
- -- He dances just about anywhere when inspired, even without music
- -- He drives 10 miles out of his way to go to CostCo for gas
- -- He drives 60 miles out of his way to stop at a Hard Rock Cafe (our vacations are scheduled around them)
- -- He plays with his hair when he is nervous or concentrating
- -- His mouth moves when he is feeding Aubrey or writing (every time!! I'm laughing just writing this!)
About Nicole (by Ryan)
Nicole is the love of my life, confidant and best friend. She is the most amazing and intelligent person that I've ever been around. She has the kindest heart that I know and has an amazing blend of goofiness and sense of humor. I often find myself watching and listening to her in amazement when she talks with others, especially to our daughter, as she has this unbelievable ability to connect with anybody and understand how they are feeling and puts them at ease by drawing them out and getting them to open up.
Nicole makes me smile and laugh, and really knows how to make a house a home. She just knows how to go that extra mile when celebrating birthdays like creating 3D birthday cakes or other events and knows how just how to add that little something extra that mom's just know how to do.
Nicole loves spending time with her family and friends. Her favorite day consists of waking up and heading to the beach and spending the day surfing, being with friends and enjoying the fun in the sand. She recently taught herself how to play the guitar and it is unbelievable watching and listening to her learn and play songs so quickly. I often break out the video camera and watch her and our daughter put on a show.
Nicole and her mother have the most amazing bond, friendship, and relationship that I have ever witnessed two people have until we had our daughter. Over the past six years I have gotten to watch first hand that amazing bond, friendship and relationship first hand, as Nicole and Aubrey have that special mother-daughter relationship. I find it truly remarkable how Nicole just knows what to do when it comes to being a mom.
Nicole has taught me how to stop, slow down and enjoy being in the moment. She has taught me how to open up and understand how to be a better person and father than I even knew how to be. Nicole has an amazing will and drive to go after what she wants and her insight and tenacity rubs off on me which I'm eternally thankful. She is very connected with those she loves. One of her greatest attributes is she is a very emotionally deep person which makes conversations with her always more stimulating than with most and this is why I couldn't imagine a better woman to spend my life and grow old with and share a family with.
I love the way Nicole…
- …laughs so hard that she cries uncontrollably
- …has to have her feet out of the covers when she sleeps
- …can't touch cotton or velvet
- …has to eat an even number of M&M's
- …is able to connect with our daughter
- …knows how i'm feeling before I do.
- …creates a mess in the kitchen when she cooks
i.e - chocolate chip cookies(my mother always cleaned after every step).
The rest of the family
We are lucky to live close to our parents, who play a very active role in our lives. Aubrey looks forward to her "Nana days" when her grandmother picks her up from school and they enjoy time at the park, dance class, and whatever else strikes their fancy. It’s great to watch the special relationship that they have. All of the grandparents are thrilled with our choice to adopt and can't wait to meet our new addition.
We also have many close friends that we are blessed to have in our lives. Aubrey has more "Aunts" and "Uncles" than she knows what to do with and each of them love her like family.
And then, there's Dublin, our "Irish" bulldog. He's a nutty, playful and incredibly gentle dog who is a great playmate and listener. He's listened to "One Fish, Two Fish" a hundred times and still pays attention like it's his first!
About Mom and Dad (By Aubrey, 6 years old)
I laugh when my mom and dad….
- "says stuff like knock, knock jokes"
- "act silly"
- "hug each other"
I love it most when my mom and dad...
- "play games with me"
- "and me go places together"
- "read with me"
- "snuggle with me in bed"
- "play with me at the park"
- "are funny together"
Our Work
We met at the University of San Diego. After that, we both attended graduate school (at different times). Nicole is now a software development manager at a personal finance software company where she has been for 8 years. Ryan works as a property manager. Both of our jobs offer us a stable income and the flexibly to put family first.
Our home
We live in a quiet neighborhood in a fantastic school district, just a block from a large park. We have a large backyard which we play in daily. The inside of our house is warm and comfortable, surrounded with family photos and homemade art. It's never quite messy, but never quite clean… always lived in.
Play time!
We strive to live a balanced life. When not attending dance recitals, karate lessons or softball games, we love to spend days at the beach building sand castles and surfing… complete with a picnic lunch that is inevitably full of sand! We like to be active and frequently take walks with the dog, bike rides, or play around at the park. We also love to come home and snuggle up on the couch and watch guilty pleasures like Survivor or Extreme Home Make Over.
Backyard barbecues with friends and family is a common occurrence for us. We love the chaos of the kids running and laughing from room to room creating a layer of toys on the floor that are impossible to walk through. Our friends love our home because they say it is "warm and full of love."
But, our very favorite thing to do is travel. We love the excitement of seeing new things, learning about new cultures, and trying new experiences. Our favorite so far is when we travelled to Ireland for 16 days. We have a long list of places that we have yet to visit that we can't wait to take our new family.
We wish you peace and clarity as you make this important decision. Thanks for taking the time to learn about us!
If you have an questions for us, or would like to talk to us about adopting your child, please contact an AdoptHelp advisor by Calling 1-800-637-7999 or clicking the "Contact Us" button below.
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