Melanie

My Home

I live out in the country on land that has walking trails through the pine trees, a fishing pond, and lots of fruit trees (blueberries, lemons, oranges, and figs) and room to play. There are about a dozen extended family members who live within a mile of here, so your child will have lots of support and love around.

Hobbies

I love hiking, yoga, songwriting and singing, researching our family tree, baking, kayaking, and am starting to learn how to garden as I explore country living. I even went hunting and fishing with cousins last year! Most of all, I enjoy learning new things and having new experiences, and especially sharing those experiences with people I love.

Pets

I have an outdoor cat named Sgt. Pepper and I have family dogs that I show love to by baking them pumpkin and peanut butter treats (I’m allergic!). My parents have a French Bulldog named Indi (my sister-dog), and my sister has a bulldog named Wendy (my niece-dog). They are both great with kids.

Parenting Philosophy

Ideas about parenting that I’m drawn to include: Montessori styles of learning, baby-led weaning, gentle parenting, and positive redirection and reinforcement. I believe that kids are mostly just trying to get their needs met with limited communication skills, so I see my job as figuring out what they need, meeting those needs, and lovingly helping them manage overwhelming feelings when they come up.

What Adoption Means to Me

My family has already been built by adoption. My dad was adopted, and I was able to find his birthmother before she passed away. I was so glad to get to know her. Her picture hangs in my hallway with the rest of my grandparents.

I tried to get pregnant on my own for a while but was unsuccessful. Adoption has always been on the table for me as a way to start my family, and I already feel so grateful to the birth family who will make that possible.