To us, becoming parents means dedicating our lives to our child and completely rewiring our hearts to place their needs above our own as we guide them into the world. Caring for others has always come naturally to both of us. This is especially true for Brent, who works in pediatrics and dedicates his career to the health and well-being of children. We are absolutely thrilled to take this next, profound step into parenthood together.

What we look forward to the most are all the beautiful "firsts" that come with raising a child: their first words, their first wobbly steps, their first colorful drawings, and making their first friends. It can sometimes be easy to feel overwhelmed by the complexities of life, but we believe that watching a child experience the world for the very first time is more than enough to remind anyone of its pure beauty. More than anything, we are excited to see the world through the fresh, wonder-filled eyes of our child. We cannot wait to be there to support them, encourage their endless curiosity, and help them find joy in every single piece of the world around them.

We are deeply committed to honoring, preserving, and celebrating the cultural heritage of our future child. To ensure we provide the most supportive environment possible, we are actively educating ourselves through books, webinars, and live workshops. We are also listening closely to the lived experiences of transracial adoptees and other adoptive parents. Our goal is to understand how to maintain our child's cultural connections, engage meaningfully with their cultural community, and communicate with them in a deeply inclusive and affirming way. We know it is our responsibility to navigate how the world, whether at school or in public, might react to our family, and we are learning how to be the best possible advocates for our child.

Thankfully, our lives are already enriched by a diverse circle of friends and extended family members who are ready to be a positive, loving support system for us and our child. We approach this journey with humility. We know we won't always have perfect answers right away, but we promise to never stop learning. We are dedicated to always growing with our child, embracing exactly who they are, and doing whatever it takes to help them thrive.

We are incredibly lucky to have a wonderful support system of family living right here in California, as well as extended families in Washington, Idaho, and Texas. Matt's parents live just a ten-minute drive away near the beach, and Brent's sister lives thirty minutes away with her husband and their three young children (ages 1, 3, and 6). We absolutely love being active uncles, frequently visiting them and cheering on our nieces at their dance and gymnastics events. Coming together is a huge part of our lives.

We love blending our families and hosting everyone at our house for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also share a special tradition of taking an annual trip with Matt's parents and his sister. Whether we are relaxing at our cherished family cabin in upstate Minnesota, enjoying the sun in Hawaii, or reminiscing about our big family safari trip to South Africa, these shared adventures mean the world to us. Our entire family is absolutely thrilled about our adoption journey. Our nieces are already so excited to have a new little cousin close by to grow up with, and we know our future child will be welcomed into a tight knit, deeply supportive, and loving extended family from day one.

Our four-bedroom, three-bathroom mid-century modern home is located in a vibrant, welcoming neighborhood. Inside, our favorite place to spend time together is the downstairs "rumpus room," which serves as a large, cozy family area. Outside, we have a private, grassy backyard surrounded by fruit trees and ivy, where we love to relax and eat while monarch butterflies flutter by. Our community is truly special and full of growing families with children of all ages.

We love our local traditions, like the 4th of July bike and dog parades, summer outdoor movie nights where streets are safely shut down, and the Winter Wonderland event complete with hot cocoa stations and cookie bake-offs. During the holidays, one of our absolute favorite traditions is taking a short drive to the marina to walk around and admire the beautiful Christmas lights. We are perfectly situated within walking distance of a local K-8 school and a massive park featuring lakes, dog parks, bike rentals, and model plane fields. We are also just a short drive from local beaches and Disneyland, which we enjoy year-round! We absolutely cannot wait to share these magical, everyday adventures with a child.

First and foremost, we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read our profile and learn a little bit about us. We deeply admire the incredible courage, selflessness, and profound love it takes for you to consider adoption for your child. We cannot pretend to fully understand the weight of the journey you are on, but we want you to know that we are approaching this process with the utmost respect and empathy for you.

We are Matt and Brent. Our story began eleven years ago in August 2015 when we met online after we had both moved to Long Beach. We decided to meet up at a local dive bar and spent the entire evening talking about our hopes and dreams over a pitcher of cheap beer. Brent actually thought Matt wasn't interested, but a quick kiss at the end of the night proved him wrong! We have been inseparable ever since, spending years growing and maturing together as a couple, and officially tied the knot in September 2021.

We have always shared a deep desire to grow our family together. Because we both come from beautifully diverse family backgrounds, adding a child to our lives through adoption feels like the perfect, natural way to expand our home. We know our future child will feel completely comfortable, celebrated, and accepted within our blended family. Caring for others has always come naturally to both of us, and we complement each other perfectly. Matt loves Brent’s enormous heart, his infectious laugh, and the huge silly streak that makes our daily life so much fun. Brent loves that Matt is gentle, caring, and always the first to nurture others when they are sick or having a hard day, usually while making him laugh nonstop with a mix of witty remarks and classic dad jokes! Caring is especially central for Brent, who is a Wound and Ostomy Nurse at a major children’s hospital. He cares for kids of all ages through some of their hardest physical moments. His ability to build strong, comforting relationships with children and parents, even when he actively has to cause them pain during procedures, reassures us every day of the incredible, patient father he will be.

We are also so excited to share our passions with our child. Brent is a huge classical fantasy fan who loves reading about history and science, and he cannot wait for living room sing-alongs to musicals and classic Disney movies. Matt is equally excited to share his love of cooking, reading, drawing, and nature, and he is looking forward to laughter filled days catching bugs together in our backyard garden. If chosen, your child will grow up in a vibrant, safe community in Southern California, just a short drive from the beach and Disneyland! Our mid-century modern home is filled with warmth and the playful antics of our golden doodle, Ripley, and our cat, Dudley. Even with our fur babies included, family is everything to us. We have an incredible support system living nearby, including loving grandparents and two young nieces and a nephew who are already so excited to have a new cousin.

We want to make a sincere promise to you: your child will always know their story, and they will always know the deep love you have for them. We wholeheartedly promise to send you regular letters and pictures so you can watch your child grow. Furthermore, we are open to whatever level of ongoing contact feels most comfortable for you, whether that includes emails, phone calls, or photos. Thank you for taking the time to get to know our family.

With our deepest respect and warmth,

Matthew & Brent