We are grateful that you’ve taken a few moments to learn about us. The life that we’ve built together has been centered around becoming parents and we are ready to continue that journey. We will provide a life of laughter, learning, and love for our children. We want to give them every opportunity to explore their own interests and talents so they can succeed. Parenthood has been an amazing learning adventure so far, and we are excited to see what our next child will be able to teach us, too!
Our Story
Greetings from the Scenic City – Chattanooga, Tennessee!
We are the Barlew-Cases, and are currently seeking to expand our family through open adoption. We are excited to share our story with you, and would like to invite you to follow along in our journey. Our goal is to form a genuine, lifelong bond with a child’s birthparents because we believe that is the best way to create an open, honest, and loving life for them. We also believe that open adoption will give our child confidence and security in their identity while allowing us all to celebrate him or her together!
Adam and David both grew up in Tennessee and met in college in 2003. We fell in love instantly and have been inseparable ever since. Some of our earliest conversations were about our long-term plans, and we both knew then that having children was a common dream. We moved to Chattanooga after college and were legally married in 2008. Our commitment to one another and our future has been a priority since day one. We operate as a team and do everything together from grocery shopping to carpooling. We approach parenthood the same way.
In 2016, our son Caius joined our family through open adoption. Becoming parents has been a dream come true for us, and we are eager to have another bundle of joy in our home. Caius is a curious, energetic, and loving child, and will make an excellent big brother. Seeing the world through his eyes as he learns and grows is a joy and a privilege. We are all very fortunate to have a great relationship with his birth family, too!
We are grateful that you’ve taken a few moments to learn about us and will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to contact us any time!
The life that we’ve built together has been centered around creating a family, and we are excited to continue that journey!
Adam
by David
“I fell in love with Adam the moment we started talking. I was attracted to his keen intelligence, kind personality, and love of animals. His speaking French didn’t hurt, either. We have always had a shared vision of our life together, and he has steadfastly been by my side through all of life’s ups and downs. Adam is creative and witty, and he can bring a room to laughter with his sense of humor. He is the master of funny voices during story time. Adam is also deeply considerate of others’ feelings and exudes a loving warmth that is both comforting and approachable. I am looking forward to experiencing the joys and accepting the responsibilities of parenthood with Adam as we begin the next phase of our life together.”
David
by Adam
“David is everything I could ever ask for in a husband, and he is an excellent father, too. His curiosity and desire to learn never cease to amaze me. While studying abroad in Poland, David ventured out on his own to explore a new country, all while learning an unfamiliar language! He is the most caring, giving person I know and is always the first to offer help to anyone who needs it. I have depended on him through trials and triumphs, and he has never let me down. He is energetic and has an upbeat personality – the kind of person that others want to be around. His background in architecture will make our children’s snow forts the envy of the neighborhood! I am the luckiest guy in the world to be David’s husband, and I look forward to our future together as we continue our parenting adventure!“
Caius
Caius is our energetic, friendly, and curious little guy who has turned our world upside down - in a good way! Whether we are building and knocking down towers or reading books with milk at bedtime, we always have a blast playing and laughing with him. He is like a sponge and wants to learn and soak up everything he can. Maybe that's why he can already count in four languages (English, Spanish, French, & Swahili)! He attends preschool directly across the street from David's office and about three blocks from Adam's. He enjoys singing, playing with our animals, and watching videos that have anything to do with construction equipment. He is genuinely concerned when other kids are upset and tries to comfort and console them. We know he will be an excellent big brother and can't wait to watch him develop a special bond with a sibling. He's pretty amazing, though we may be a little biased. We love our Little Man!
Family & Friends
Our family and friends are all excited to dote on a new addition to our lives. Adam’s family lives in northeast Tennessee, and we visit them several times a year to celebrate holidays and birthdays. Adam’s niece and nephew will love having another cousin to introduce to their farm animals! David’s family lives in the Chattanooga area. His two nieces are close in age to Caius and they love playing together. We’re all excited to have another little one running around at family gatherings.
We have lots of great friends that we consider to be family members as well. We love getting together for dinners or day trips and look forward to sharing those experiences with our children. Our family wouldn’t be complete without some furry companions, too! Whether we are curling up on the couch with our cats or taking walks with our dogs, we are definitely “animal people”! Our child will never be without a playmate!
Interests and Hobbies
We enjoy traveling and learning about different cultures and want to share those experiences with our child. We’ve been to France, Hawai’i, Puerto Rico, and coast-to-coast across the US mainland. Adam is a passionate fan of the Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball team and can’t wait to take our children to their first game. David is an avid runner and already has his eye on a running stroller! We enjoy cooking together whether we are trying a new recipe or making our favorite Thai dish. We’re excited to see what our little chef likes to create in the kitchen! Adam was a French major, and David is in a Spanish book club. We look forward to reading to our little one in three languages. We’re also members of the Chattanooga Zoo, a place we will visit with our child regularly.
Our Home and Community
Chattanooga is the perfect community to raise our children. The rivers, mountains, and waterfalls provide a natural playground for the whole family. The Tennessee Aquarium and Children’s Creative Discovery Museum offer opportunities for indoor fun and learning, too. We feel at home in this vibrant little corner of the world and love sharing it with our children.
We live in a kid-friendly neighborhood with a private lake, pool, playground, and nature trail, and there are excellent schools and parks nearby. It is home to lots of families with kids, including other adoptive families. We can’t wait for our next child to join Caius riding bicycles, sledding down the hill, and trick-or-treating. We moved here because we believe it is an ideal environment for raising children. We can already picture our children splashing together in the neighborhood pool, feeding turtles from the dock, and swinging at the playground!
Thank you!
We are grateful that you’ve taken a few moments to learn about us. The life that we’ve built together has been centered around becoming parents, and we are excited to continue that journey. We will provide a life of laughter, learning, and love for our children. We want to give them every opportunity to explore their own interests and talents so they can succeed. We look forward to welcoming you into our lives in a way that is comfortable for you. We hope you will consider yourself part of our children’s circle of family and friends. Open adoption will allow us all to celebrate them together and will also give our children confidence and security in their identity. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and look forward to hearing from you.