Dear Expectant Mother,

I am Peter and I live in San Francisco, California. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and considering me as an adoptive parent. I can imagine that you are facing an extraordinary decision as you consider adoption and I want you to know that my heart is so full of love and I am ready to be a parent.

My Family and Community

I grew up in a suburban neighborhood just north of Miami with my two brothers. My older brother now lives in New York where my parents grew up. My younger brother lives with his wife and two children (ages 5 and 1 and one of whom is adopted) in Florida near my parents. I've lived in California for the last 20 years. My father currently heads up a medical school in Florida and my mother (who recently passed away) was very creative and loved to dance and learn languages. As a child, we often traveled to New York to visit family where we were able to get a taste of where our parents came from and experience great art, music and theatre.

I have developed a strong and diverse community of friends in both Florida and California, many of whom I consider family. My friends are both married and single, and many have children, some of whom are adopted. My friends are an interesting and loving group of people who look forward to sharing their interests with my child; I have friends who run businesses, are chefs, day care providers, artists, a whole range of professions; they come from all different types of families and are very active in their families lives; they are extremely supportive of adoption and look forward to welcoming my child into their lives with open arms and open hearts. Having a close and supportive community is extremely important to me particularly since I am adopting as a single parent.

My Work

I am a professional photographer and a financial and business consultant. Since I work for myself, I have the ability to shape my own hours and take as much time as I need to be at home with my family.

I use my business skills to help businesses create jobs for minorities and people with disabilities. It's extremely important for me to use my business skills to help others become successful.

My photography clients are business people and also people who hire me for weddings and portraits. I love to photograph landscapes and people in both black and white and color. I've shown my work in galleries in San Francisco. I've taken so many wonderful images of my family and friends and can't wait to take pictures of my adopted child as he or she grows up.

I'm a very adventurous person. I love traveling and discovering new places and cultures and have had the privilege to photograph many places throughout the United States and abroad including Europe, Russia, Mexico and Israel.

My Home and Interests

I absolutely love living in San Francisco and often love going on long walks and to the beach. I live in a quite neighborhood called Noe Valley in a 2 bedroom house that I have already started to furnish with a crib, playpen, toys and a stroller. My neighborhood is full of families with children of all ages and has beautiful parks with fun and wonderful playgrounds.

I love art, architecture, music, science, traveling and playing sports. I love reading about almost anything and especially love reading about history. I like to play basketball and bike ride and really enjoy hiking, running and skiing.

I find that San Francisco and California are great places for me to be since I love being physically active and really enjoy the outdoors.

On Being A Parent

As a parent, I will always provide my child with the best possible education and the most nurturing and loving environment that I can. I am empathetic and fair and will provide the best possible guidance and support. I will listen and take the time to recognize my child's needs and always encourage my child to be his or her best. I believe that every human being is unique and has the potential to be amazing and wonderful. I will encourage my child to be confident and independent and will always provide him or her with unconditional love, trust and support.

Thank you again for taking the time to read this letter. I promise that I will keep your child safe and loved. I look forward to meeting you.

You can reach me directly at 1.877.357.3972 or email me at peterincalifornia@gmail.com or through my friendly adoption attorney, Susan Romer at 1.800.823.6788 or adamsromer@aol.com.