Cody and Kelsey

How We Met

We met in college in San Diego, California, 13 years ago. We quickly became best friends, signing up for the same classes, bicycling, and visiting Sea World on our student passes at every opportunity. We later started dating, and when we decided we couldn’t live our lives apart from each other, we got married, surrounded by our dear family and friends. We continue to laugh together daily and have frequent adventures. After college, we both went to medical school, then Family Medicine residency, and finally, after 11 years of schooling and training, became doctors. Through those many years of long hours, hard work, and sleepless nights, we learned how to support each other through difficult times. We believe these skills will go a long way when it comes to parenting together.

 

Cody, by Kelsey

From the moment I met Cody, I was drawn to his good naturedness and kindness. It was easy to see that he was selfless, confident without being arrogant, and always up for spontaneous adventures. We’ve known each other now for 13 years, eight of which we’ve been married, and my life is unbelievably richer because of Cody. He always makes time to listen with all his attention when I’ve had a hard day. He wakes up every morning to make me breakfast. Knowing that I love surprises, he throws me a surprise birthday every year (and usually pulls it off!).  He is someone who appreciates each day, using his spare time to learn something new or explore some curiosity, like taking a woodworking class or examining a bug he’s found in the back yard with a magnifying glass. He loves his work at a primary care clinic for immigrants and refugees, where his Spanish skills come in handy; he is well-loved by his patients. Over the years, I have watched with fascination as Cody interacts with his nieces, nephews, and children of friends. He has a true gift for interacting with children, partly because he is not afraid to be silly or outrageous. He always seems to know how to enter their world and engage with them. I cannot wait to see him become a father and shower his love and gifts on our children.

 

Kelsey, by Cody 

Even after 8 years of marriage, Kelsey is still my best friend; she is a beautiful person, both inside and out. Her laughter is contagious. She lives her life with unmeasurable integrity and depth. Kelsey has a gift for connecting with anybody. People come alive when they talk with her. I’ve seen her joke with burly farmers in rural Kansas, hold deep conversations with timid inner-city teenage girls, chat about cooking with middle-aged Muslim women. She surrounds herself with people from different cultures and backgrounds and never feels shy about connecting with someone who is different from her. This is partly what inspires her to work as a doctor in an inner-city clinic, where her passion for diversity and her ability to speak Spanish with her patients are two of her greatest assets. She knows how to be silly with her family, kind and thoughtful with her more quiet friends, sincere with her patients, and fun and energetic with our nieces and nephews. Kelsey is deeply committed to making the world a better place. But her life is balanced by her great sense of humor. She is quick-witted and playful; I often marvel at how funny she is bantering with my brothers over the phone. Sometimes I’ll be in another room of the house, hear a chuckle, and come find her laughing uncontrollably about a silly dog video on Instagram. Kelsey will excel as a parent. She will show our child the same kindness and selflessness that she shows every day of her life. And in the same way that she shows hospitality and care for our friends and family, I know Kelsey will welcome a child with open arms and plenty of love.

 

Home life

This child will be the first child, with several siblings to follow. Both of us, Kelsey and Cody, want to be very present with our children as they grow, playing with our kids in the backyard, going on walks together, reading bedtime stories, and eating meals together every night. In fact, Kelsey has already downshifted into working part-time, in anticipation of a baby. Someday, when it is feasible, Cody may do the same. There is a large, loving extended family that is eager to meet our child: grandparents, cousins, second cousins, aunts and uncles. They can’t wait to hold, snuggle, and love our baby. We envision our child as creative and unique, one who breaks the mold, celebrates her/his heritage and history, and knows from the start that he or she is adopted. Through an open adoption, we want for you to be able to continually show your love to this child as he/she grows. We hope our child is someone who has a sense of who they are and how they fit in this world. We see our child as one who is good at being silly, respectful, and kind — especially kind to people who are different.

 

With Gratitude 

We feel glad that you’ve taken the time to learn about us. We’d love to get to know you more, too. And no matter what you decide for your child, thank you for the love and kindness you’ve already demonstrated.