Richie & David

About Us

OUR STORY

It was an early June evening when we met at a neighborhood Australian bistro. We initially met online, and both of us were recently out of serious relationships just yearning for good company. There was an unexpected spark that night, one that would quickly ignite into a feverish love. Neither of us knew that fast forward years, we would experience what we did; finding a puppy on a Black Friday, moved in together after a year of dating, get engaged in wine country, purchased a country home, endured a global pandemic, get married at our country home in the middle of a global pandemic, and now finally embarking on our lifelong desire of fatherhood together.

In our spare time, some favorite date night activities include dinner and a movie, live music, bike rides in the park, outdoor activities like hiking or kayaking, musical theatre/comedy shows, an opera/symphony, game nights, and lots of deep conversations about our desire to devote our lives to raising a child. We really love to immerse ourselves in culture, be it the arts, food, music, philanthropy; and fully intend to extend that love to your child. We also enjoy adventure and travelling the globe. While a beach holiday is a favorite go-to for relaxation, we most enjoy trips learning about local culture, food and cuisine, traditions, etc. We hope to raise your child by exposing them to environments that are truly diverse and culturally fulfilling, much like our families provided for us.

On the other hand, we also fully intend to ensure they learn true life skills like how to master Monopoly, jigsaw puzzles, Rummikub and Yahtzee (some of our favorite games). Richie also really enjoys cooking, and when we say cooking, it’s not for a party of 2. Since he grew up in a big family, all of his grandmother and mother’s recipes are catered to families of 10+, so there’s always plenty of leftovers. He has also begun incorporating David’s culture as well, marrying each identity into a new dish. Have you ever tried Soy Ginger Matzo Ball Soup?

MEET RICHIE

Hello! My name is Richie and I’m a first generation Laotian-American. My parents and their families were refugees from a country called Laos in Southeast Asia (it’s next to Thailand) and immigrated to the United States in the late 1970’s. I was born and raised in the Midwest and we were a family of five. I’m a Scorpio just in case you are interested in astrology (moon in Leo, rising in Sagittarius). I’m also a middle child with two sisters Leelee and Stephanie, both of whom have children, five and two each respectively and they are – Tyler, Eliana, Ariela, Mya, Jordan, Kaydence and Leilani. Their husbands and our brother in-laws are David and Michael.

These kids are some of the greatest loves of our life and we treat them as our own. Eliana and Kaydence both love acting and singing, and no doubt I have had numerous amounts of time reading scripts with them and giving them tips and tricks to combat stagefright. Jordan loves his games, so he’ll just sit down right in our laps and teach us all about one of his favorite video games (as well as David’s) Plants VS Zombies. I don’t think I’ll ever understand it, but the joy in him explaining it to me lights up my whole heart. Tyler is the eldest of the children, and I remember the day he was born. I was only 10 years old but couldn’t wait to help change his diaper and read him bedtime stories. My younger sister, Stephanie and I at the time were obsessed with filming music videos. I recall a time we put our little Tyler, who was just under a year old in one of our videos to Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” He made his cameo in a makeshift Titanic made out of a cardboard box.

Ariela and Mya are the middle children and we connect on so many levels with that life experience. We always had Uncle Richie time when they were younger – taking trips to get ice cream at our favorite neighborhood spot, just the three of us. Nowadays, it’s trips to the shopping mall and walking a few steps behind… Teenage girls… And lastly, there is the current baby of our family Leilani. We haven’t had too much time to spend with her due to the pandemic, but we FaceTime very often to ensure that she knows who her Uncle Richie & Uncle David are.I also have a rather large extended family, 20 first cousins whom I grew up with, living within a 5-mile radius of each other. We are each others’ brothers and sisters, and their children are our nieces and nephews now totaling 35+ kids! Needless to say, our Christmas shopping budgets have certainly shot through the roof and Guncle (gay-uncle) duty is in full force. Our parents felt it was important to embrace American culture and assimilate, which included celebrating holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving (my favorite), Easter, Halloween, etc. It truly felt like a melting pot of cultures. As you can imagine, birthdays and holidays were big in my family. We are talking 100+ people parties with an endless buffet of food, games and of course, endless karaoke.

Entertaining is in our blood. My uncle is a singer/songwriter himself and had a band. Growing up, we watched them play almost every weekend. It was a weekly family affair. It translated into my life when I took a love in performing as well, leading me to attend a performing arts high school and furthermore briefly studying theatre in college. Ultimately, I’d find passion behind the scenes in talent management, where I am now able to help others find success in the entertainment and fashion industries. It is what brought me to the East Coast where I now live with my husband David and our sweet Jack-Russell Chihuahua, Rico who loves kids so much.

MEET DAVID

Hiya, my name is David. I was born and raised in New York. I have one brother, Mitchell, who we are very close with…he lives only 10 minutes away, so he is over all the time. My parents, Adrienne and Jackie also live very close to us…we are neighbors. There are no grandchildren yet on this side, so expanding our family would bring an immense amount of joy to everyone. My brother keeps saying that he can’t wait to be the world’s best uncle and treat our kids like his own.My side of our family is small and a very close one, so holidays and celebrations are always spent together. From birthdays to good old-fashioned mother’s and father’s day, I can’t remember the last time we all didn’t celebrate together.

Growing up my mom liked to call me the “tinkerer” because I always liked to play (and yes sometimes break) things when I was little. My curiosity led me to play with computers and technology, which I studied in college. After college I started my career at a consulting firm helping customers grow and manage their business. The foundations I learned at the consulting firms allowed me to find a place at a global tech company. Here, I help to bring smiles to my customers day in and day out by helping them build new solutions. Richie and I have built a relationship based on the foundation of mutual love and respect and we cannot be more excited to welcome a new little nugget to our family!

Our Home & Community

Home is where the heart is, and we are fortunate enough to find our hearts in many places. Our primary residence is in a safe and beautiful Manhattan neighborhood, New York City. Within walking distance of our New York City home are some of the best schools in the city, great parks, restaurants, a movie theater, the arts, shopping, etc. Our neighborhood is comprised primarily of families with young children. Not to forget, Grandma and Grandpa are close-by.Holidays are a very big deal in our families and for the past few years, we have always planned our Halloween couple’s costumes months in advance. From Gomez & Morticia Addams (The Addams Family) to Sailor Moon & Tuxedo Mask, or Hannah Montana & Billy Ray. We cannot wait to include our little one(s) and dress up as a family and take them trick or treating in our neighborhood. It is always such a joy when we see the kids all dressed up going door to door collecting lots of candy.When there is a need to escape the sounds of the city, we have a quaint country home about a 2.5-hour drive away. In our quiet town, we enjoy a much slower paced lifestyle. Hiking on the beach, lounging by the pool, walks in the forested neighborhood, etc. There are plenty of parks, museums, lighthouses to enjoy. It is a beautiful home, large enough to host both of our families. Richie loves to host Thanksgiving as it is his favorite holiday! Who does not love a day where you can graze on food all day long without any guilt? And with Richie, there is no traditional dish left unmade… From an oven roasted turkey to mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, potato salad, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mac and cheese, and homemade desserts like apple pie and pumpkin pie. Needless to say, we are making turkey sandwiches for days!While we don’t have a physical home in the Midwest, we still call it home because even though it is a plane ride away, there is no denying that our hearts are very much with Richie’s family there too. We always visit during Christmas because Richie’s family celebrates in big style. The family takes turns hosting each year, and the guestlist is nothing short of 100 people. You will have kids running around playing games and hide and seek. The adult children singing karaoke. And the endless amounts of food you cannot even imagine. While Thanksgiving is usually American fare, Christmas is a time we eat foods from Richie’s culture (Southeast Asian cuisine). It is everything from pan-fried noodles, pho (noodle soup), papaya salad, banh-mi sandwiches, grilled chicken, etc. Once the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, the open-a-thon begins. The kids just go wild, opening their gifts one right after another, and the toys just pile up. Richie recalls the memories of when he was a child and how he looked forward to that moment every year, and cannot wait until we can let our child experience that as well.

Our Thoughts about Parenting & Adoption

RICHIE’S VIEW ON DAVID BECOMING A FATHER

I cannot wait for David to become a father. If there were a person who was ever destined to be the greatest father in the world, it is my husband. He is kind, compassionate, sensitive, intelligent, practical, strong… Not to mention, he is already brushing up on his dad jokes. Although funny may not be one of them, there are truly not enough words. He is going to be able to teach lifelong skills that will really set a child up for wild success.

When I sometimes doubt my own endeavors, he is the rock I need to feel safe and secure. Safe… It’s a feeling when you are home. A feeling I feel when I see my mother’s face, my father’s face, my sisters’ faces. I have felt home and safe with David and his side of our family for quite some time now and I know, if given the opportunity, that he will undoubtedly be able to provide that for your child too.

DAVID’S VIEW ON RICHIE BECOMING A FATHER

Richie has a parental instinct unlike anyone I have ever met. The day he met my best friend Bryan and his wife Sarah and their children Nora and Evelyn, Richie dove right in and started playing with them like they were his own. Recently, we got a chance to take the kids to the beach 10 minutes from our country home. It was a cooler day, so we grabbed a blanket to have lunch and watch the girls roll around in the sand. Chasing them up the dunes and down to the water. I recall at one of their birthdays, we helped the girls put on a fashion show – showing the family all of their new outfits for school. Richie of course, having worked in fashion gave tips on how to pose for the camera and walk the runway. We babysit our neighbor’s (Jeremiah and Pierre who live down the block from us at the beach) one-year-old twins. We’ve gotten a lot of bottle-feeding practice under our belts since we’ve met them.

Richie loves to host, especially the family. Every time my family visits, they always say how Richie makes them feel welcomed and at ease every single time. On top of that, my smart, caring, loving and stubborn (for the right reasons) husband exudes a simple yet fun energy that makes everyone want to be around him. I really think this is what made me fall in love with him so early on and makes me fall in love with him over and over again. I have no doubt that he will be there when your child is happy, or sad, or mad, or frustrated (even at us) and will provide the unconditional love and support needed for your child to reach their fullest potential in this difficult world. Richie is the yin to my yang, and I could not be more excited to embark on this journey with anyone else.

Closing Thoughts

We know this journey for you is not easy, but we hope that we can provide support for you in a way like our family and friends have provided for us. Especially how they will be celebrating with us when we finally get the chance to welcome a child into our home. We are blessed to have such a loving and supportive family on both sides. Grandparents and parents who love us unconditionally. Throughout our coming out journey, they have been there every step of the way for both of us individually, and now together as a couple hoping to grow their family.

Aside from our blood relatives, we have our chosen family. Our friends who have been rooting for us since day one, who are so excited to be aunties and uncles themselves, who some now have young children that can hopefully soon call on us for playdates.

While we know words and photos can only share a small glimpse into our lives and not show the full picture of the kind of family we are and can be, we hope that it was enough for you to continue considering us as someone who can be the right family to care for and love your child. If you believe so, we would be thrilled to learn more about you, your journey, your hopes and dreams for your child, and how we can be your support through this immensely difficult time for you.

Ultimately, whatever you choose your journey to be for both you and your child, we wish you a blessed life and thank you for your time and consideration. May you only know rainbows, and never the rain.

With Love,
Richie & David

www.richieanddavid.com

We’d love to hear from you!
Call: 1-347-620-5044
Email: richiedavidadopt@gmail.com