Adoption Services
Creating loving homes since 1947
Dylan & Bailey
Dear Birth Parents
Thank you for taking time to learn about us as you consider an adoption plan for your child. We admire your strength and the love behind this decision. We are Dylan and Bailey, and we are grateful to be included in this process. A little bit about us: We love to go on walks with our dog, watching college basketball, or looking for a really good local coffee shop.
Community is a huge part of our lives and we both serve at our local church. Dylan plays guitar and sings in the worship band, and Bailey serves as a greeter. We live an active life and enjoy spending our time together. We are also very close to both sides of our families and live near grandparents who are excited at the possibility of being part of your child’s life. Our life also includes our silly dog, Winston, who brings a lot of joy and energy to our home. We want you to know we are not lost on how difficult this decision is. We are so grateful for the family and friends we have who have walked through the adoption process and have been a great insight for us. If chosen, we promise to raise your child in a home centered on faith and family. Following Jesus and caring deeply for others will always guide how we live and how we love your child. Please know that if we are not the right fit, we are praying that you find the family who is meant to be the right home for your child.
Thank you again for taking the time to learn about us. We cannot understand all that you are walking through, but we have a lot of respect for you and the love behind your choice. If we are chosen, we will love your child with everything we have and will never take that responsibility lightly.
About Dylan from Bailey's Perspective
What stood out most to me about Dylan was his kindness and the way he cares for people. He
is selfless in a way that I had never experienced before. He always is willing to put others before
himself and never hesitates to show up for others. He is incredibly smart and a deep thinker, but
he is also very humble about it. He is funny, friendly, and patient. He brings a lot of joy and
laughter into our lives. I was first attracted to his heart for others and his love for God. He is also
open with his emotions. He has always shared his heart and was honest with me. He
intentionally tries to love me well every day.
Dylan is also extremely talented, especially musically. He has an amazing singing voice and
plays guitar. He uses his gifts to lead worship at church. He is hardworking and determined, but
also goofy and able to have fun anywhere. One of the things I love most about him is that if he
does not know how to do something, he will figure it out. He is also great with children and has a
natural ability to connect with them. Our niece Rory can be very shy, but she always asks for
“Uncle Dyl” when we are together. I know he will be an incredible father who leads with patience
and love. Dylan was born to be a dad and my life wouldn’t be as bright without him in it. I am so
grateful for the way he loves me, our families, and the people around him.
About Bailey from Dylan's Perspective
My wife is the most amazing person I know. That sounds cliche, but I don’t know any other way to put it. She has never met a stranger, and has an innate ability to make anyone feel comfortable, welcome, and at ease. She goes through life with a lightheartedness and ease that is contagious and beautiful. Those attributes are what first drew me to her, and are the things that I appreciate about her more and more each day. It is truly a gift to get to love and be loved by someone so special.
Ever since we met, any time I heard my wife sing, I have had the image in my head of her singing to a baby or young child. The way that she nurtures her relationships now and prioritizes her family now makes me sure that she will apply those same attributes to raising a child. I cannot wait to see her in a new capacity as a mother.
About Bailey
I currently work as the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at a local college. A big
part of my job is building relationships with alumni and donors and fundraising. One of the best
parts about my job is the people.I get to meet with donors who are often selflessly looking to
give back. Many of them have emotional stories that I feel honored to be part of. I plan to
continue working after a child arrives into our family. I also feel very supported at my workplace.
I work in an office full of parents, so they understand the importance of being a mom. I also get
Fridays off in the summer. My husband Dylan and I also work at the same workplace. This has
been nice because it keeps us on the same schedule. We both have maternity and paternity
leave available for us to use. This would give us the chance to be present during this change.
A hobby that I love is knitting. I am part of a knitting club that meets once a week. It is a group of women who are older than me, but we have the best time together. They are all amazing moms and people. They have already made clothing for a future child, which is incredibly special to me. I also love running and have completed a half marathon. I am currently training for a marathon. I am hoping to get a running stroller for a future child!
Another meaningful part of my life is that I wrote a children’s book about our dog, Winston, and it was published. It is called Handsome Winston Finds a Friend. It was such a fun accomplishment for me. I also enjoy staying active and spending time with friends. If I had to pick three words my friends would use to describe me, I think they would say friendly, happy, and light-hearted.
Bailey's Perspective on Becoming A Parent/Caring for a Child
Becoming parents is something we have looked forward to for a long time. It feels like
something we are truly ready for in this season. We are excited for the small moments that
come with raising a child like bedtime routines, family dinners, and cheering them on at their
events. One of my biggest hopes is to be a child’s biggest cheerleader just like my parents have
been for me. I have been so supported by my family even as an adult. We also have close
friends with children and nieces and nephews in our family. I have really enjoyed watching them
grow into their silly and sweet personalities.
We both feel grateful for the way we were raised and the examples our families have been for
us. It has shaped the kind of home we want. My greatest wish for my children is that they are
kind. I am very lucky to have a husband who is a good example of kindness in the way he treats
others. I also think a lot about the way I was raised. My parents gave me independence and
always supported me in finding my own way. I packed my own lunches, played golf, was in
musicals, and wore outfits that definitely did not match to school. I was always supported and
loved for who I was. I would love to give that to a child and watch them grow into who they are.
Something that I try to do to make my spouse feel respected and cared for is to talk things through even when it’s uncomfortable. I also try to be mindful of the way I speak to him and about him to others. I try to remind myself that we are a team, and I want him to feel like we are always on the same team.
I think a lot about what it would look like to love and parent a child. I would want them to feel safe and loved for who they are. This would look like creating a home where they feel happy and cared for. I picture the small things and everyday life with a child all the time. I can see us reading together, playing together, and growing together. If we are blessed with a child through adoption, I would want to honor their story and who they are.
About Dylan
I am a big numbers guy: data, statistics, and numbers are the essence of my job day-in and
day-out. I’m an accountant and a business instructor at a community college, where I get to engage
with people and help them understand the numbers. I love my job and the work that I do, especially
getting to teach and see firsthand what the student experience is like.
My favorite part of my job is that Bailey is there too. Almost every day, we take a walk together on
our lunch break, and we get to enjoy the same schedule year-round, which includes Fridays off all
summer! Each summer we make a list of fun things that we want to do on our Fridays and we make
every effort to take advantage of the free time. We are given a good deal of flexibility year-round as
well, with additional time off given to new parents.
Outside of work, I love to stay active. Our dog, Winston, makes sure that he gets a walk in every day! I also enjoy trail running and lifting weights. I find that I think better when I am moving, so all of those activities give me the space to move my body but also process my day, connect with nature, and pray for people. I also love to sing and play the guitar. Growing up, I was a theater and choir kid, so once I began college, I picked up the guitar and began leading worship at my campus ministry. We also live in my hometown, so many of my family members live close by. We see them often, and my dad and I spend many nights and weekends working together at our houses. I’ve learned that any kind of house-related work is always better with a buddy! Together we have done lots of projects, from landscaping to fencing to full-scale remodeling. We’ve learned a lot and made lots of good memories in the process.
Dylan's Perspective on Becoming a Parent/Caring for a Child
My hope is that my future children will describe me as a constant and consistent presence in their
lives. The way that I do things is not the most flashy, but I will show up for them every chance that I
get and always be around to play and help and teach along the way. In my experience, the most fun
and memorable times that I have had came in the unplanned, spontaneous moments, not
necessarily the moments that we had planned for and built up expectations around. The times when
everyone was present and there was room for the “what if we …” moments create space for
memories to be made.
I want to care for my children with my actions every day, prioritizing the things that I believe to be most important. I can talk to my kids about what I think is important until I am blue in the face, but if my actions do not back that up, the words are worthless.
Loving my children, loving my spouse, and loving the Lord are all connected in my mind. More than anything, I want my future children to love the Lord, and so the primary way that I can show love to my children is to show them what it looks like when an adult is fully devoted to serving and knowing God. Similarly, I want my kids to find someone that they love as much as I love Bailey, so by continuing to love my wife, I am providing an example for my children when they grow up.
As it pertains to interacting with my children, I want them to know that as long as we keep the first things first, the details are theirs to decide, and I will always be a part of that. Whether the interest is legos or bike riding or having tea parties, I will be engaged and encouraging. Life is so big and there are so many options and routes that anyone can take; I want my kids to have a solid foundation to build upon however they like and create a life that they will be proud of. I see my role as being a resource when asked, a guardrail when needed, and an encouragement always.
Why Adoption
Adoption is something that is very meaningful to the two of us. While not adopted from birth, Dylan was adopted by his step dad as a teenager, and has seen firsthand what it is like to be brought into a family that, while not “blood related,” becomes “yours” over time. We met in college and fell in love. Early in our relationship we started talking about adoption as how we hoped to grow our family.
We learned later on that it would be difficult to have biological children due to some health reasons for Bailey. This emotional time for us showed us what we already felt in our hearts. We have taken time to learn from others who have gone through adoption. We look forward to everyday moments like family dinners, walks to the park, holidays with grandparents, and little league soccer practice. We are so excited to be parents and to show up every day for a child we are given the opportunity to love.
Heart for Expectant Mom
We want to start by saying thank you. We can’t begin to understand the decision you will be making. What we do know is this decision comes from a place of love for your child. We have a lot of respect for you and for the care you are putting into thinking about what is best. Even taking the time to look through profiles like ours shows how much you love your child. If we are chosen, your child would be fully cared for every day. They would grow up surrounded by family, laughter, stability, and a home where they are valued for who they are. We also want you to know we will always honor the role you have in your child’s life. Our hope is that you feel supported and cared for through this process. You are connected to your child in a way that no one else will ever be, so now more than ever, your judgement is crucial.
Our Love Story
We met in college at our campus ministry at Eastern Illinois University. Dylan was the cool guitar player at church, and Bailey definitely noticed. We were both involved in the ministry and started out as friends. We served together and laughed together a lot. Bailey was there on an athletic scholarship, and Dylan was there on an academic scholarship. We came from different paths, but had the same values and faith. That friendship grew and we were eventually married at the same campus ministry where we met. Our campus ministry is still a big part of our lives.
We love spending time together and often say we are happiest together no matter what we are doing. One of the things that makes our marriage work is that there is very little “yours” and “mine,” and a whole lot of “ours.” We even work at the same workplace and get to share a lot of everyday life together. We love running together, doing DIY projects around our house, traveling to unexpected places, and snuggling with our dog while watching TV. Dylan is an accountant and brings a very practical side to our life. He loves crossword puzzles, playing guitar, and listening to podcasts. Bailey enjoys knitting, writing children’s books, and talking to strangers. We feel like that balance works really well for us.
Faith is an important part of how we try to live. It has shaped the way we love each other and the way we want to build our home together. We are excited to step into parenthood together. We fully trust in God’s plan and are loving each other through every season we walk through together.
Our Timeline
- October 2018 – We met at our campus ministry at Eastern Illinois University (Go Panthers!)
- December 2020 – We got engaged in Dylan’s parents’ backyard.
- December 2021 – We got married at the same campus ministry where we met.
- April 2023 – We got our dog, Winston, who quickly became a huge part of our lives and even
- inspired a children’s book.
- September 2023 – We bought our first house in the same town as Dylan’s family.
- April 2026 – We began pursuing adoption..
Connection to Adoption
Dylan was officially adopted at the age of 13. His biological father and mother divorced just a month after he was born, and his biological father played a limited role in his life after that, terminating his rights completely. Fortunately, his mother remarried to an amazing man who was willing to adopt Dylan as his own son. While the relationship and the transition was difficult, Dylan and his adopted father now have a wonderful relationship that he would not trade for anything. While not exactly the same as the process that Dylan and Bailey are going through now, Dylan has firsthand experience with many of the feelings and questions that a future adopted child might have and can lean on his own experience for support.
We plan to make adoption a normal part of our conversation with our child as soon as he or she is able to communicate. We plan to tell your child stories about you and make honoring you a major part of their upbringing.
Family Values
Faith is one of the biggest parts of our family. It shapes the way we treat others and the way we hope to raise future children. Our faith is part of our everyday life. Our faith looks like going to church every Sunday as a family and trying to love people well every day. Family is also extremely important to us. Some of our favorite memories are simple things like watching basketball at a grandparents’ house, Sunday dinners after church, or spending holidays with everyone together. We also value adventure and making memories together. Adventure for us can be traveling somewhere completely new. It can also look like walking at our local lake surrounded by nature. We really value the small moments in life and believe those are usually the memories that we remember the most.
Family Quotes
1. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They arenew every morning.” – Lamentations 3:22-23
This verse has hung in our home since we got married in 2021 and is very meaningful to us. It
reminds us that no matter what we are walking through, there is always hope and a fresh start
every day. It has encouraged us through difficult times and reminds us to trust God’s faithfulness
in both the exciting and uncertain parts of our life.
2. “Love is shown more in actions than words.”
We love this quote because it shows the kind of home we want to have. Love is in the everyday
moments. Showing up for each other and being present is the best way to care for others. We
hope our home will be a place where your child feels loved and safe through our actions.
3. “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal
pleasures at your right hand.” – Psalm 16:11
God is the one that provides the way to eternal life. In Him is where we find peace and joy and
contentment.
Family Activites
Our family loves to travel to new places together. Some of our favorite trips have been to Alaska and Jamaica. We cannot wait to share our love for travel with a future child and show them new places and cultures as they grow up. We have dreamed of taking our future family to Japan, and we cannot wait to make that happen! We have been spending a lot of time running. For some people, that might feel like a punishment, but we have been having a blast! Bailey trained for and ran the Detroit International Half Marathon in 2025, running from Detroit into Canada and back! Dylan ran the Indianapolis Marathon in 2025. When he finished, he said he would never do it again… alone. The two of us will be running a marathon together in the fall of 2026!
A typical weekend for us is a nice balance of rest, good food, family, and time outside. Saturday mornings are usually slow. We love simple traditions like making pancakes, spending time outside, or watching a good TV show (usually Survivor). We also like to go on a walk with our dog, Winston, and sometimes meet friends at the park. We go to church every Sunday and have Sunday lunch with family. When we visit Bailey’s family, we often go to the zoo with our niece, parents, and brother and sister-in-law.
Pets
We both grew up with dogs, so we knew that as soon as we could, we wanted to get a puppy. About a year after getting married, we brought home a little Bernedoodle puppy and named him Winston. Named after a character from New Girl, one of our favorite TV shows, Winston grew from a seven-pound fluff ball when we brought him home to a 50 pound bundle of energy! He is the sweetest, smartest, and most gentle dog that either of us has ever been around. When we bring him around our nieces and nephews, he loves to play with them, just watching and following them around everywhere they go. He loves to play, but he especially loves bed time, so we know that he will be a great companion for any child, ready for anything!
Family Traditions
Holidays and traditions are very important to us. A lot of our favorite memories are because of traditions we do every year. One tradition we do with our family is visiting a local Christmas tree farm each December to pick out a live Christmas tree together. They have dogs that pull the trees in sleds, and they serve fresh hot cocoa while families walk around the farm. It has become one of the highlights of our year.
Birthdays are also celebrated in a big way with our families. We always choose somewhere fun to eat and there is always a personalized cake. We believe every birthday should feel special and worth celebrating! Family gatherings usually include grandparents, parents, siblings, great aunts, uncles, and anyone else who wants to join in. Dylan’s mom also celebrates half birthdays which is also a fun tradition.
One tradition we would love to create with a future child is celebrating their adoption day each year. We want them to know how loved they are in our family. We have talked about making it a special yearly tradition. We have seen where other families plant a tree together, take a trip, or just set aside time each year to celebrate their story and the day their family grew.
Extended Family
We are very close with Dylan’s parents who live near us and are very involved. They are super
excited for their first grandchild and are already talking about their grandparent names. They
hope to move into the same neighborhood in the coming months. Dylan has a younger sister
who we see often. Dylan’s grandparents are a very important part of our lives.
Bailey’s parents live about two hours away. We usually spend entire weekends together when
we visit and talk constantly. They are already grandparents to their three grandchildren and are
known as Gigi and Papa. Bailey is very close with her brother and sister-in-law. They have a
three year old daughter, Rory. Bailey also has a sister and brother-in-law who have a three year
old named Josephine and a two year old named Jack. We are known as Aunt Beet and Uncle
Dyl to our nieces and nephews. Bailey’s family is extremely excited to welcome another child
into the family.
We have very close relationships with both sides of our extended family. Dylan’s family lives close to us so we see them often throughout the week and on weekends. Bailey’s family is about two hours away, but we take weekend trips to see them all the time. Both families are very involved in our everyday lives. We share a lot of traditions together like visiting our local Christmas tree farm, going out for breakfast, and zoo trips with our nieces and nephews. Family is a big part of our everyday life.
Dylan was adopted by his dad, and has two adopted cousins, so adoption has already been established as a path in his family and is well-supported. his looks like sending us books that they read when they were a child, and coming up with fun grandparent names. They also pray for us a lot, which means the world to us. We feel very surrounded by love and excitement from our families. We know they will all play an active role in a child’s life.
Our Home
Our home is a three bed, two bathroom ranch house in a quiet neighborhood with wonderful neighbors. They are always looking out for one another. It is a one story home that feels very lived in. One of our favorite parts of our home is the fireplace in the center of the living room. It has become the center of so many of our memories. The living room is our favorite space because it is where we celebrate holidays. We also have small groups in our home every week around our fireplace and get together for things like basketball tournament watch parties. Our house is very open, so you can see everything from the kitchen, which is another favorite spot in the house. We do lots of cooking at home and we have made lots of memories in the kitchen. This looks like hosting friends, making dinner, or eating a dessert that was so good, we had to eat it at the counter rather than walk all the way to the kitchen table!
Our backyard is fenced in and is one of our dog Winston’s favorite places. We also have a raised garden bed where we planted tomatoes last year. Our home always has music playing from our kitchen radio. We spend a lot of time around the dining room table playing games and watching TV shows as a family.
Community
We live in the Midwest where people are extremely welcoming. We love our town and the connection we have built through our local church and community. Our church is very diverse and has many families who have adopted. This has been encouraging to us as we begin our own journey. Our community also has a great university which has brought amazing opportunities to the area.
There are many things for families to do where we live. We have great parks and hiking and running trails. There are a lot of little league sports and kids. We have a walkable town square from our house with local shops and our favorite coffee shop that has live music. It feels like there is always something happening in our area. We chose to stay in this area because of the strong community we have built and our family. It feels like a place where we can raise a child surrounded by support.
Future Plans
Our hopes for the future is to build a big family and continue the life we have started together. We would love to adopt more than one child, because everyone needs a buddy, and cannot wait for the chaotic parts of life that come with that. In the coming years, we would like to continue to deepen the roots that we have already begun to grow in our community. We live in Dylan’s hometown, so the roots already run deep. We look forward to trips to see different pockets of the country and all that they have to offer.
Faith
Education
We both work at a college, attended our local university, and earned our master’s degrees. Learning and personal growth have always been important to both of us. At the same time, we understand that every child is different and that a four year college path is not the right fit for everyone.We plan to send our children to public school, because we see that as part of our child’s mission field. We feel that there is a lot to be learned teaching our children from a young age that everywhere they go, they have a chance to represent Jesus to people who may not know Him yet. We would love to encourage a child to go to our local university because it shows that you can set your mind on a goal that takes multiple years to achieve, and then have the follow-through to achieve that goal. However, we want them to know there are many successful paths in life. College, trade school, creative careers, athletics, or another passion can be meaningful. We want to support them in becoming confident and fulfilled in whatever direction they choose.
Commitments
- We promise to honor and celebrate your child’s culture and background. We will make sure they grow up feeling proud of who they are.
- We promise to raise your child knowing they are deeply loved by us and by God.
- We promise to encourage your child to try new things and build confidence. We will let them know it is okay to fail and grow.
- We promise to fill our home with laughter, traditions, music, game nights, pancakes on the weekends, puppy snuggles, and cheering from the sidelines at any of their activities.
- We promise to have fun, laugh, and enjoy the gift of life.
- We promise to help with homework, school projects, and last minute poster boards.
- We promise to surround your child with a loving community of family and friends.
Thank You
We know there are no perfect words for a moment this big. Neither of us could pretend to know what it feels like to be in your position, but there is one thing that we know with all our heart: the same God who created everything you see, everything that ever was, is and ever will be, knows you and loves you. There is nothing you can do to change that, either.
If chosen, we promise to love your child unconditionally for exactly who they are if you decide we are the right fit. Our life is full of people who are already excited to love a future child. We will honor your child’s story and speak about you with kindness. Your child will know that they are loved not only by us, but by a birth mother that was brave and bold. We will also remind them of how much courage there was in their story from the very beginning.