Summer 2024 we welcomed our son into our family at just 33 weeks. Over the next 6 months we spent every day in the NICU/children’s hospital as our little one worked so hard to overcome many medical difficulties, always with the most beautiful smile on his face. Bringing him home at 6 months and 1 day was a truly surreal experience after dreaming of it for so long.

Watching him thrive at home, in the environment we cultivated with so much love and intention has been everything to us. He is the best part of our life and an absolute joy to us and to everyone around him. He is known for his big, bright smile, and infectiously happy personality. His (almost) limitless social battery, and his love for interacting with everyone he is around, especially his cousins, makes us believe he will make a caring, loving and fun big brother.

We rarely have much quiet time at home because we are an active and social family. Our evenings and weekends are typically busy hosting, going to family gatherings, watching our nieces/nephews sports events and shows, or participating in local activities such as river tubing, fruit picking at orchards, winery visits, beach trips, wondering farmers markets, and attending community festivals. Nick enjoys sports and plays pickleball and disc golf, and goes indoor rock climbing with friends and family when he is able. Nick loves to cook and bake and makes dinner most nights. A few nights a month we have people over to spend time together and enjoy great food, and if it's the season, watch football and cheer on "The Birds".

On the more low-key nights we enjoy spending time outdoors together on our patio or taking long walks in our neighborhood, sometimes stopping by Brigid’s parents’ house which is just a few blocks away. We are so happy that at the end of the summer the bridge at the bottom of the hill finally reopened, allowing us to expand our scenic walk options to include walking along the local river and picnicking when the weather is nice.

Although we always planned for and imagined ourselves as parents, our son has given us a glimpse into how we actually navigate parenthood. He has taught us that we get stronger in our marriage when we are faced with great challenges; we love having the privilege of supporting a child’s growth, and that we are a “everyone-first” type of family—meaning decisions are made in a balanced way between parents and kids. Sometimes that means a late bedtime for a little extra time socializing, and other times it means skipping social plans to keep the consistency of a routine. As the children get older this might mean we all have the same dinner, but their food preferences are considered just as much as ours when making the menu for the week. In all the little decisions, we want to model that a happy, healthy family is one where everyone is considered and respected. What we strive for most as parents is building a life for our children where siblings are there for one another, love is unconditional, and gratitude is spoken often and felt deeply. We know there will be hard times, but our goal is to walk with our children through those times with resilience, honesty, and unity. As parents we believe our role is to love our children for who they are, support them in becoming good people who have a positive impact in their world, and guide them through life with open communication and leading by example.

We are so fortunate to have such a supportive village. Our parents and most of our siblings, in-laws, and nieces/nephews are within a 15-minute drive. Our son is very close to his extended family, especially his cousins who all dote on him. We spend multiple hours every week with any combination of our extended family. Most notably, Brigid's parents host Thursday night family dinner which is our favorite night of the week, not only because of family time, but also because they are great cooks! It is a flexible tradition, sometimes being held at a little league field should one of the nieces/nephews have a game or moving to someone else's house to mix it up.

Our village is extra special due to our extensive, yet tight-knit, friend group. We love hosting, and Nick loves making food, so we have people over often - sometimes for "Friends, Food & Football" to watch the Eagles, or for just no real reason at all. While the core of this group is mostly Nick's high school friends and friends from our early work days it has grown into quite an eclectic mix of people.

Our family and friends are kind welcoming people who are always thrilled for anyone new to join - adult or baby alike. Their enthusiasm for our son is the same enthusiasm the new baby will receive.

Soon after getting married, we found what we consider our forever family home. It met our non-negotiables: a safe neighborhood, outside space to BBQ, and plenty of space to host family and friends. It also exceeded our hopes in many ways; an 1800s home updated over time offering the best of old and new. We especially enjoy the finished walk-out basement that’s become a favorite space for gathering, and the old-home charm, including many nooks which often elicit the comment “this is a great house for hide-and-seek”. We hand-stenciled the nursery and collected furniture from family and antique markets to cultivate an antique themed and truly tranquil space for a baby. We look forward to watching the nursery and the rest of our home evolve to reflect our children’s taste as they grow.

The neighborhood we live in is idyllic; a reflection of everything we love—nature, community, diversity, and history. There are old homes and newer homes; mansions a block over from row homes; bars, restaurants, and shops down the road from a playground and walking distance to a state park, art museum and river; a Catholic grade school sharing a corner with a public school. The mix of people and places in our neighborhood creates an environment that feels rich and welcoming. We often find ourselves pausing in appreciation that we get to live where we live and that our children get to grow in this enriching environment.

We are Nicholas (Nick) and Brigid from Delaware. While we hope to be the family you choose for your child, what we want most is for your baby to grow up in the home that is meant for them - with people who will love, support, and celebrate them fully. If that turns out to be us, we would be truly honored. Our journey to growing our family through adoption has been filled with hope, reflection, and commitment. We have always known we wanted to build our family this way, and we are ready to provide a loving, nurturing, and stable home. Our house is filled with laughter, warmth, and a strong sense of community. We believe deeply in showing up with love, leading with kindness, and helping each child grow into the best version of themselves - whoever they are and are becoming. We are fortunate to have a strong village of family and friends who surround us, and we’re excited to raise a child in that joyful, supportive environment. More than anything, we look forward to getting to know the little person meant to be part of our family and helping them feel safe, loved, and free to be themselves.

To help you know us better, we want to share some of our story. We met in 2016 when we both started working at a corporate bank. Initially our relationship was just friendly and professional. The team quickly became a close-knit friend group; many of those work friendships became lasting ones, a few remaining some of our closest friends today. After fully immersing ourselves in our budding friend group, our connection grew. Nick was the first to develop feelings and tried (often subtly) to find ways to spend more time together - offering rides to group hangouts, organizing movie nights, and showing up early before nights out. Brigid remained oblivious to the flirting, until it became a running joke among friends and family that we were clearly dating. Brigid did eventually catch on.

By the time the pandemic hit, we were in a committed relationship, and together with Nick’s roommate, we had our own quarantine bubble. That time together deepened our bond and confirmed our compatibility and how aligned we were in values and hopes for the future - including our shared vision of becoming parents, and our heart for adoption. Mother’s Day weekend 2021 Nick proposed and Brigid enthusiastically accepted. We had an amazing 15 months planning the wedding and living together after Nick moved into Brigid’s home. In August 2022 we had the most fun, joyful, love-filled, wedding we could imagine. Shortly after, we traveled to Greece for our honeymoon- an unforgettable trip and Nick’s first time abroad. His second, not a year later, was for the wedding of a family friend. Along with Brigid’s family, we traveled to Ireland for the festivities. Coincidentally coinciding with our first anniversary made it extra special.

Since getting married, we’ve settled into our forever home and turned our attention to growing our family. Through every season we’ve shared - friendship, dating, marriage, and now parenthood - we have always come back to the same shared values: love, joy, mutual respect, and a strong belief in the power of fully showing up for one another.

We want you to know we value openness in all things, including adoption. We can send updates and pictures so you can have a connection and watch the journey of childhood. If you are comfortable, we are also open to emails, phone calls, or even visits in the future if that feels right.

Thank you again for considering us. We hope that through our words and our story, you get a true sense of who we are and the kind of life we hope to share with a child.

Nick & Brigid