Jaideep and Libby
Location: Michigan
Ages: 44 and 49
Religion: Agnostic
Professions: Physics Professor/Graphic Designer
Other Kids: One
Preferences: Any Race, Either Gender, Newborn up to 2 years of age
How We Met: We met on a dating site where Jaideep suggested a meetup at a lecture at the Art Institute of Chicago. Libby was the first to reply and we found out that we had much in common (except bacon – Jaideep is a vegetarian and Libby loves bacon). We dated for about a year before Jaideep moved to Germany for work. We had daily video calls while he was away. Unlike Jaideep’s first proposal at the world’s largest truck stop, Libby accepted Jaideep’s subsequent proposal over breakfast in Vienna, Austria at our favorite coffee shop.
Qualities We Love, Admire and Respect in Each Other: Jaideep is very calm and patient. He’s won several teaching awards and it shows! Jaideep is a wonderful dad and uncle. He will patiently sit for ages while Libby’s nieces braid his hair and put bows and scrunchies in his beard. He loves taking Benny to the zoo and our local kids science center. Every Christmas, he helps all the kids in our annual gingerbread house build. Libby loves drawing and joking around with Benny. She is looking forward to teaching her children all about music. She hopes they play at least the piano and one other instrument of their choice. Libby loves to bake, and cakes and cookies usually turn out well (and only burn to a crips 6/10 times). Benny is 6 years old and is beyond excited about having a little sibling. When Benny grows up, he wants to be a “four-ologist:” someone that studies plants, animals, electricity, and planets.
Our Hobbies and Interests: Here are a few more things about us! Fun Facts about Jaideep: 1. He was born in India but grew up in Canada and West Texas. That translates into an awesome variety of food at home: lots of spicy sauces! 2. His favorite food is his mom’s matter paneer (cheese cubes and peas in a tomato curry sauce). 3. His favorite sports teams are the Steelers (football) and Penguins (hockey). Fun Facts about Libby: 1. She loves to sing and sang semi-professionally (which means sometimes you get paid!) 2. She loves bacon. My friends often send bacon to me for my birthday. Being married to a vegetarian has been a learning experience. 3. She painted two public murals, and she takes a sketchbook with her wherever she goes!
Why We Want to Adopt: We found each other later in life, and adoption has always been something that we discussed from the very beginning. After Benny (6) was born, we experienced infertility, but knew that we always wanted to have another child. We both grew up with loving and supportive families and want to offer the same book- and fun-filled environment to our children. Being a biracial family allows us to combine and enjoy our very different traditions, which means double the holidays and gifts! We are so grateful that we get to celebrate these traditions with Jaideep’s parents and brother who all moved from San Diego to live near us.