To A Very Special Woman, Hi! We are Bill, Tracy and Allyson! Thank you for taking the time to read our letter. We would like to begin by expressing our true admiration for you and our desire is to help this difficult decision you are facing a much easier one. We want you to know what a special person we think you are for considering open adoption. This is a very exciting time for us and we want to welcome you into our hearts and lives as we get to know each other. This letter is just a short, brief glimpse into our lives, but we hope to show you how much love and dedication we have to offer to another child. We have had the wonderful experience of adopting our daughter Allyson through open adoption. We want you to know we want to include you in our child's future, and will ALWAYS let our child know what special people his/her birthparents are. A Little About Us We met each other on a blind date eight years ago and it was truly "love at first sight." We have built our relationship on love, trust, and most of all friendship.               Mommy and Me hiking in the Sierra's             We are best friends. We have always desired to be parents. We live in sunny Southern California where the weather is always good. Our home is one mile from the beach where we frequently walk to and sit in the sand, build sandcastles with Allyson, roast marshmallows, and make smores of course. We also live across the street from a large park where Allyson plays on a daily basis. The cul-de-sac that we live on is constantly growing with young children whom Allyson plays with. We cannot wait to add one more! We are so fortunate to be able to drive two hours away to the snowy mountains where Bill can ski and we can make snow angels together. On Being Parents Becoming parents has been the most wonderful "dream come true." We love being so involved with Allyson's daily activities. It is so rewarding to walk into her room each morning or after nap time and see her smiling face. We treasure those quiet times before bedtime when we rock her, read her favorite bedtime story, and sing her favorite lullabies to her. We cannot wait to do the same with our next child. We look so forward to those midnight feedings, staying up with our children when they are sick, and the cuddling/bonding times. We look forward to kissing their boo-boo's and putting that special band-aid on the tiniest               Bill & Allyson on a "Safari" scrape. We will ALWAYS love supporting          at the San Diego Zoo      our children by going to Mommy-and-Me classes, Back to School nights, soccer games, or even a piano recital. We will provide them with unconditional love and will encourage them to pursue their dreams in life. We will always love and respect our children, and will always lend that special ear to listen. They will ALWAYS know how much they are loved and adored. Our Families & Friends We are proud to say that both of our families are very supportive of our decision to adopt and are very excited about our "new addition." They absolutely love Allyson and call her every day to say hi! Bill's family lives within 5 miles of us.          Allyson and her cousin Ashley waiting                  to open Christmas presents Allyson sees them often. Tracy's parents live in Texas on a horse ranch which she has visited and has even gotten to ride a horse. They have a lake house in New Hampshire where we go every summer and spend a week kayaking, fishing, and enjoying time with the family. Holidays are always spent with family and friends. Every year our neighborhood has holiday events where the kids make homemade cookies, gingerbread houses, and have Easter egg hunts in the park. Christmas day is a special day which the whole family attends and we eat a lot of good food. Santa always makes a special appearance!! A Little About Bill Bill is employed as a fireman/paramedic and has a flexible schedule with many days off each month; perfect for meeting the demands of fatherhood. Bill's favorite activities include: surfing, traveling, snow skiing, water skiing, date nights with Tracy, and most of all being a DADDY! Allyson is always spending quality time with him, going to the park and swinging on the swings, playing with puzzles or just reading that favorite story in his lap. A Little About Tracy Tracy is a licensed nurse and worked for a local hospital in their newborn nursery until Allyson was born. She is now a                   Daddy's Our Hero proud "STAY AT HOME MOM" (AND LOVES IT!!) Her favorite activities are cooking, traveling, working out, scrapbooking, date nights with Bill and of course being a MOMMY! Allyson and Tracy share so much quality time together every day, whether it is going to story time at the library, play dates, gymnastics classes, or just even hanging out with each other singing her favorite songs. Tracy can't wait to include our new baby in these same fun activities. A Little About Allyson Allyson is the light of our lives. She is happy all of the time. We love seeing her grow and mature as she gets older. Everyday she is discovering new things and is such a pleasure to be around. She is happiest singing and dancing around the room to her favorite songs. She also loves visiting Bill at the fire station and sitting on the fire truck.       The Lady Bug Allyson, Halloween 2003 She is so ready to share her toys and books with her new brother or sister. We know she is going to be a great big sister. Things We Love To Do As a Family We are an adventurous family who love to experience life and its opportunity. We have been so fortunate to go on camping trips in our motor home to Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks, lake trips with our new boat, fishing            The park across the street from our house and hiking trips in the Sierra's. We also love spending the day at DISNEYLAND (we live 15 minutes away and have season passes), going to SEA WORLD, the SAN DIEGO ZOO, and most of all just being a family. We love those nights when we all curl up in front of the fire with hot chocolate in our jammies, and read books or play games. We also love those mornings when Allyson climbs into our bed and cuddles up next to us to watch Sesame Street. We can't wait to share these times with our new baby. We would like to thank you for taking the time to get to know us! We hope to continue this wonderful journey and look forward to building a special relationship in the near future. If you would like to get to know us better you may call us anytime at our toll-free number 1.866.869.9399. You may also reach us by email at mcquaidbaby@hotmail.com, or you can contact our counselor at the Independent Adoption Center at 1.800.877.OPEN (6736). For more information you may look at their website at www.adoptionhelp.org/birthmother.html. We would love to hear from you. Until then take care of yourself and know our thoughts and prayers are with you and your baby. View our family photo slide show! Best Wishes Always, Bill, Tracy and Allyson McQuaid Thank you! Return to the top...