Oakland, CA
Dan - Christmas
Rob - Thanksgiving
Beach day followed by dinner with friends
Dan - Playing fetch with Brie, cooking
Rob - Reading, baking
Dan - Peppermint Ice Cream
Rob - Chocolate Chip Cookie
Hello! We are Dan and Rob, a married couple from Oakland, CA. While we both grew up on the East Coast, we’ve lived in the Bay Area for over a decade. We’ve built a fantastic community, established our careers, and recently bought our first home. We’ve talked about our dreams of raising a child since our first date. Having been adopted, Dan knows the unique beauty of building a family this way. We are ready and excited to grow our family.
As you get to know Dan, you’ll learn that he’s the first person you can count on in a jam, has a knack for making anything beautiful, and can recite every line from the movie Titanic.
Dan grew up in Massachusetts and spent every summer of his childhood surrounded by his extended family on a small island in Maine — sailing, building forts with cousins, lobster bakes. After living in London and New York City, he migrated west. He is a world-class cook, a masterful skier, and is affectionately known by his friends and family as the “baby-whisperer.” (Have a crying baby? Dan, with his relaxed, calm demeanor to the rescue!)
As you get to know Rob, you’ll learn that he’s deeply loyal, has officiated 7 of his friends’ weddings, and loves belting out a 90’s rock song while on road trips.
Rob grew up in Maryland but lived around the world — in Philadelphia, Argentina, and Botswana — before settling down 14 years ago in the Bay Area. As a former first-grade teacher and current godfather, he’s always known he wanted to have his own child who he could support in exploring their curiosities and discovering their passions. As a learner himself, you’ll often catch him reading a great book, pushing his pace during a run around Lake Merritt, or tackling his next baking project (pie crusts are on the docket).
Dan was adopted at birth by his bi-racial parents, raised alongside his brother who is 20-years older, and grew up in a household full of music, skiing, and reading. Rob is incredibly close with his parents and two sisters, all of whom share an overactive group-text and have spent thirty years perfecting annual family trips and card games. Both families can barely contain their excitement about welcoming a baby into the family.
We live in the Crocker Highlands community of Oakland. We take daily dog walks down tree-lined streets and drive ten minutes to Redwood Regional Park. We’re just down the hill from one of the best elementary schools in Oakland and around the corner from the city’s most epic trick-or-treating street. We have close friends peppered around the neighborhood and can often be found chatting in the backyard while the kids play or picking fruit from each others’ trees.
Brie is our gentle golden retriever — she loves sticks, belly rubs, and any chance to swim.
Dan serves as the Chief of Staff for a family office. Essentially, he is the lead “problem-solver” and advisor for a finance leader in San Francisco and his family. Rob has built a career in education, which has included teaching first grade, running non-profits, and now leading his own consulting practice.
Thank you, we know what a courageous and difficult decision it can be to choose a future family for your baby, and we’re honored to be considered. The last few years have highlighted that life is full of twists and turns. However, we can promise a home where your child is loved unconditionally and a life full of dog cuddles, Easter egg hunts with cousins, and exposure to boundless possibility.
– Dan & Rob