Welcome! Meet:
Alex + Carolyn
Physician Assistant / Stay at home mom & church kids ministry worker (and nurse but not currently working as a nurse)
Ohio
Caucasian
Christian
All About Alex & Carolyn
We are Carolyn and Alex! We live in Cleveland, Ohio with our 2 year old daughter Evie and our dog Oliver. Alex is a physician assistant in the intensive care unit at one of the hospitals in our city. Carolyn is a nurse, and worked with cancer patients for 6 years, but is now enjoying being at home while our family is young while working just a few hours a week for our church. We love to be outside exploring the city or hiking and looking at birds and other wildlife. We also love to cook and have people in our home. Alex’s hospital schedule allows us to travel regularly, so we often visit family in Michigan or travel to see other people and places we love.
Our daughter Evie is adventurous, imaginative, and social. She loves to read many books in a row, take care of baby dolls, and make up games with toy animals. She is very active outside and spends a lot of time going on walks and exploring playgrounds. Evie loves other people - she is quick to chat with grown-ups, follow along and learn from big kids, and help take care of babies and make them belly laugh.
Why Adoption?
We have talked about adopting since we got married, and we both spent time around adoptive families and adoptees in our childhood and young adulthood. We had, and still have, a deep desire to be parents and to nurture and raise children. We would welcome biological children if they came into our family, but we never saw that as the only way to have a family and we have long been excited to grow ours through adoption. About 6 years after we were married, Evie joined our family through adoption, and the complex beauty of adoption became even more clear to us. Adoption is beautiful because the story of each adopted child is unique. We know Evie’s story will be different than any future siblings. Adoption has created new connections for us with people we would have not otherwise known. The process of adopting has expanded our understanding of what a family looks like and how a family unit operates.
Family & Home
Our home has been described by our guests as warm and hospitable. We enjoy hosting friends and neighbors for meals, and we often have family and friends come and stay with us while they are visiting. Our home is oriented around rhythms and routines that are meant for developing health and flourishing. Our home is sometimes messy, but we know that beauty and learning and meaningful growth happen even in messy circumstances.
Our neighborhood is diverse, vibrant, and walkable. We live nearby parks, playgrounds, restaurants, libraries, and museums. Many of our close friends live only blocks away, and we see them regularly. We even have a monthly dinner with a few families in our neighborhood. Our church is only a couple miles away from our house. We benefit from a very supportive community that brings us diverse perspectives. We regularly share meals, time, and life’s joys and burdens with our friends.
Our families are close, supportive, and loving. Carolyn’s family is nearby; they live only a few miles away. We enjoy meeting them for meals or outdoor activities, Carolyn’s sister comes over often to spend time with Evie, and Evie also spends a few hours every week with her Nana while Carolyn works. Alex’s family lives farther away (in Michigan), but they remain close in heart. We visit them in Michigan often and regularly go on vacations together.
How others describe me
Carolyn is kind, down-to-earth, organized, and rooted in love. She is always eager to learn about new perspectives and ideas, and she spends significant effort informing herself about the world and people around her. She is an avid reader and can usually be found with a book or her Kindle nearby. The combination of a nurturing and logical mind make Carolyn an excellent and equipped mother.
Alex is wise, gentle, patient and creative. He is thoughtful and intentional about everything he does, which is a blessing to our family. He is disciplined, hard-working and caring, which means his patients and coworkers at the hospital all love him, as do his friends and family. He loves to draw and try his hand at various types of art, watch baseball games, and do all sorts of outdoor activities and sports. All of these qualities make him a playful, compassionate and dependable dad.
How We Met
We met in college while we were both studying science in Chicago. We lived in the same dorm and had a lot of the same friends and classes. We studied together during the days, and spent many evenings and weekends going for walks and having long, deep discussions about what we were learning and about our future hopes and dreams. We dated throughout college, and got married the year after graduating.
Advice to Future Child
You are deeply loved and cared for, so live in the freedom that love brings. Be free to pursue your passions, learn from your mistakes, and explore the world around you. Take correction and feedback from others, but don’t be burdened by it – you are loved as you are. Find as much joy as you can in life’s ordinary activities. Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Perspectives on Open Adoption
We have experience with open adoption, as we have had an open adoption with Evie’s biological family since she joined our home. We see open adoption as good for all parties involved. It is good for adopted children to know their story and where they came from, as much as they are able. Children flourish when they have a strong sense of their identity and story. It is good for biological parents to maintain relationships with children after adoption placement because there is a meaningful continued connection with a loved child. And it is good for adoptive parents to practice openness in adoption because we gain perspectives and insight into the child’s background that would not otherwise be available, and we have the chance to see the child thrive in embracing all of who they are.
Favorites
- Favorite Movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox
- Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Sunday night nachos and movie night
- Hobbies/Interests: outdoor activities (biking, hiking, skateboarding)
- Dream Vacation: Birdwatching in Costa Rica
- If I Could Choose a Superpower: healing hands
- Favorite Movie: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Favorite Holiday/Tradition: decorating for Christmas
- Hobbies/Interests: reading novels
- Dream Vacation: hiking and seeing old cities in Europe
- If I Could Choose a Superpower: teleportation
We’re here to help.
AdoptMatch connects expectant mothers to a community of licensed, ethical, and compassionate adoption providers and their waiting adoptive families.
AdoptMatch is an initiative of Ethical Family Building, a nonprofit organization working to safeguard domestic adoptions through education, transparency, and accountability.
- AdoptMatch
- 140 S Lake Avenue, Suite 348
- Pasadena, CA 91101
- (626) 219-6266