Billy

Hi, I'm Billy, and I'm 36 years old. Like Sarah, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and now work as a Director of Data Integration. I enjoy the challenge of solving complex problems and mentoring others, whether that's guiding my team at work or helping our son learn something new, but these days, my favorite title is "Dad."

Becoming our son's dad has been the greatest adventure of my life. There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing the world through his eyes. He's curious about absolutely everything, and I love encouraging that curiosity. Whether we're exploring outside, pushing trucks across the living room floor, preparing some food for our BBQ smoker, or figuring out how something works, I love watching him learn and grow. Some of my favorite moments are the simple ones—making him laugh during a game of roughhousing, carrying him on my shoulders, or seeing his face light up when he masters something new.

I've always enjoyed building and creating things. I love gardening, hiking, cooking, and tinkering with just about anything. If something around the house needs to be fixed, I'm usually excited to figure it out. These days, though, I rarely tackle a project alone. Our son proudly grabs his little toy tool bag, follows me wherever I go, and insists on "helping." It may take us twice as long to finish a project, but I wouldn't change a thing. Watching him imitate me and want to learn alongside me is one of the greatest privileges of being his dad.

Watching our son become my little sidekick has been one of the greatest gifts of fatherhood. I smile just thinking about another little helper following us around the house with their own tiny tool bag, eager to join in on whatever we're doing. I can't wait to welcome another child into our family and watch our son step into his new role as a big brother. I know our home has room for another little personality, another curious mind to encourage, and another child to love with my whole heart.

I'll admit I've also had a little fun reliving my own childhood through him. There's something special about introducing him to toy trucks, building sets, and all the things I loved as a kid—and maybe buying a few toys I always wished I'd had myself! Seeing his excitement reminds me just how magical childhood can be.

Family has always been incredibly important to me. I have three siblings, two of whom live nearby, making it easy to get together often. My sister lives in France, which gives us a wonderful excuse to visit family overseas. Whether we're spending time with relatives close to home or making memories while traveling, I love being surrounded by the people I care about most. I always knew I wanted to be a dad, but becoming one has been even better than I imagined. Watching our son grow has taught me to slow down and appreciate the little moments—the excitement of showing me a rock he found in the yard, the proud smile after he figures something out, or the tiny hand reaching for mine because he wants me to come explore with him. I can't wait to welcome another child into our family, to encourage their curiosity, teach them new things, help them discover what they love, and remind them every single day that they are deeply loved for exactly who they are.

Sarah

Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'm 37 years old. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and after graduating from Penn State's main campus, I built a career as a Software Engineer. I genuinely enjoy solving problems, building things, and the challenge my work brings, but my most important and favorite role is being a mom.

Over a year and a half ago, Billy and I welcomed our incredible son through adoption, and becoming his mom has been the greatest joy of my life. He is the sweetest, happiest, most energetic, and endlessly curious little boy. Watching him discover the world has changed me in ways I never imagined. Every day is filled with laughter, hugs, new adventures, and countless little moments that remind me just how lucky I am. Motherhood has given my life a deeper purpose, and there is nothing I love more than being his safe place, biggest cheerleader, and favorite person to explore life with.

When I'm not chasing after or on the floor playing with our little guy, you'll usually find me in the kitchen trying a new recipe, curled up with a good book, or enjoying a little reality TV after bedtime. Billy and I love cooking together and are always looking for new restaurants, recipes, and foods to try. One of my newest passions is creating fun, healthy meals for our son—especially if I can sneak a few extra veggies into them! Some of my happiest memories are gathered around a table with family, sharing a meal, laughing together, and simply enjoying each other's company.

I also weirdly love to tidy up. I have a bit of a passion for creating a home that feels warm, peaceful, and welcoming. I genuinely enjoy decorating and finding little ways to make our house feel extra special for our family. There is something so rewarding about creating a place where the people I love feel safe, comfortable, and completely at home. I love the feeling of home so being able to create that safe space for our family is such an honor.

Family has always been the center of my life. I have three amazing siblings, each with wonderful families of their own, and I grew up surrounded by a huge Greek and Italian family. My mom is the youngest of eight siblings, and my dad is the youngest of seven, so family gatherings are wonderfully loud, full of laughter, and always centered around good food and even better company. Our son is growing up surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so many people who absolutely adore him, and we can't wait to welcome another child into that same circle of unconditional love.

I lost both of my parents in my late twenties, just a short time apart. During one of the hardest seasons of my life, my siblings became my greatest source of strength, and it showed me just how extraordinary that bond can be. More than anything, I hope our son and a future child have the opportunity to grow up with that same kind of lifelong teammate, someone to celebrate life's happiest moments with, lean on through its hardest ones, and always call family.

I am so excited to meet our future child and discover everything that makes them uniquely them. I can't wait to learn what comforts them after a hard moment, what sparks their curiosity, what foods they'll ask for again and again, which bedtime story they'll insist on reading "just one more time," and all of the little quirks that make them who they are. Every day of being a mom has shown me that love doesn't have limits—it simply grows. My greatest hope is to help them grow into the happiest, kindest, and most confident version of themselves while giving them a childhood filled with security, wonder, laughter, and unconditional love.

Toby

Toby is our 8-year-old rescue pup and the sillier one of our two dogs. We adopted him in the late summer of 2018, and he quickly settled into our family as the sweetest, most goofy companion. His rescue organization believes he is part lab, part hound, and mostly just very cute—which feels very accurate to us.

Toby has occasional bursts of energy where he loves to zoom around the house and yard, but most of the time he is happiest simply being near his people. He especially loves kids and has become very attached to our son. He is known for his “drive-by kisses,” gently stopping by for a quick hello before going about his day.

When he’s not curled up in his favorite chair by the window or patiently sitting under the high chair waiting for the occasional dropped bite, you can usually find him outside sunbathing in the yard. He gets incredibly excited anytime we have visitors over - even people he has met a million times, but for the most part, he brings a calm, steady presence to our home and is very patient with all the noise, toys, and excitement that come with life with a toddler.

Our Wedding

We were married in May of 2018! We had over 270 people with us to celebrate our marriage and share in the happy day. Sarah's uncle, Frank, made the wedding cake and our aunts, uncles, friends and family provided a huge variety of cookies for the traditional Pittsburgh cookie table!

Watson

Watson is our 9-year-old rescue pup and an important member of our family. We brought him home a few months after we got engaged, during the summer we moved into our first house. He got to grow up alongside us in a backyard that was perfect for a dog to run, explore, and relax—just like the one we have now. Watson’s rescue organization believes he is part Labrador, part hound, and part heeler, which feels very accurate in his personality!

He is always hungry, incredibly smart, and very motivated by treats. He knows a wide variety of tricks and is more than happy to show them off as many times as you would like, as long as there’s a reward involved. These days, Watson has embraced two of his favorite jobs in the family - toy inspector and official high chair cleanup crew. He patiently waits nearby during mealtimes, ready to catch any little bits that might make their way to the floor.

Gardening

One hobby that has really grown alongside our family is gardening—especially for Billy! Not long after we bought our home, we built raised garden beds, planted berry bushes and grapevines, and have added to our garden a little more each year. There is something incredibly rewarding about planting a tiny seed, caring for it, and watching it grow.

Every summer, we look forward to harvesting blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, grapes, blackberries, and whatever else decides to thrive that season. We almost always end up with more than we can possibly eat, so sharing baskets of fresh produce with our friends, family, and neighbors has become one of our favorite traditions.

Now, one of the greatest joys is watching our son experience the garden alongside us. He loves helping us water the plants, searching for ripe berries, and proudly carrying around vegetables that are nearly as big as he is. Seeing the excitement on his face when he discovers something new reminds us that the garden isn't just about growing food anymore—it's about growing curiosity, patience, and an appreciation for the little wonders in everyday life.

We can't wait to watch another little set of hands join in, picking tomatoes straight from the vine, tasting sun-warmed blueberries, and making memories together in the backyard that will last a lifetime.

Traveling

Travel has always been one of our favorite ways to spend time together. Whether it's exploring a new country, taking a weekend road trip to see family, or returning to our favorite family traditions, we love experiencing new places and making memories along the way.

Together, we've traveled to six countries, visited countless states, and every summer we look forward to our annual family vacation to Hilton Head. Last year was especially memorable because we experienced it through our son's eyes for the very first time. He absolutely loved splashing in the pool between naptimes...the sand, on the other hand, was a little less impressive! We're excited to see what this year's trip has in store now that he's running everywhere and eager to explore.

One adventure we're especially looking forward to is getting our son's first passport and taking him to Europe to meet extended family and experience the places that are so meaningful to us. We can't wait to watch him discover new cultures, foods, languages, and traditions while creating memories that will stay with our family for years to come.

Wherever we go, our favorite part of traveling isn't checking destinations off a list—it's being together. We look forward to sharing that same sense of adventure with another child, helping them discover the world while always knowing that home is wherever we're together.

Hosting

One of our favorite things to do is bring people together. Our home has become the place where family and friends gather to celebrate holidays, milestones, and even the ordinary moments that are made special simply because we're together.

Each year our get-togethers become a little bigger and a little livelier. One of our favorite traditions is hosting a New Year's Eve celebration. We used to always look forward to ringing in the New Year shucking fresh oysters for our family and friends. But this past year, our celebration looked a little different. Instead of staying up until midnight, we hosted a "pre-bedtime" New Year's Eve party with some of our closest friends and all of our little ones - though oysters were still included for the parents. Watching the toddlers run around together in their pajamas was every bit as fun as the late-night celebrations of years past—and honestly, we wouldn't have traded it for anything.

We also love hosting Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, filling our home with good food, laughter, and the people we love most. The highlight of our year is our annual Oktoberfest, which has become our biggest tradition. We make homemade potato pancakes (using potatoes from our garden whenever we're lucky enough!), enjoy great food and music, and spend the day surrounded by the people who mean the most to us.

Now that we're parents, these traditions have taken on an entirely new meaning. Seeing the holidays through our son's eyes has made every celebration more magical—from watching him hunt for Easter eggs with his cousins, to seeing his excitement on Christmas morning. We can't wait to experience those moments all over again with another child and to watch our son share these traditions with a little brother or sister. More than anything, we hope our home will always be the place where our children know they are deeply loved, where everyone is welcome, and where some of their favorite memories are made around a table surrounded by family and friends.