Rowena & Andre In Pennsylvania

Hello, I'm Andre. I was born and raised here in Philadelphia with my family. I have 14 aunts and 6 uncles with many more cousins. I'm very family oriented having grown up with such a large, supportive family. I currently work as a Firefighter here in the city. Prior to this, I spent about 17 years working in an ambulance as both an EMT and a Paramedic. I enjoy both listening to and playing music.

Hi, I'm Rowena. I am a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, and I was raised in Hawaii. I came here to Philadelphia for nursing school and found a group of friends that I call my family, so I stayed. I have two younger brothers who are married and also have small children. Both my parents are retired now and moved here shortly after we had Ethan to help us raise him.

Before I became a mom, I was into health and fitness. I went to the gym regularly and counted my macros religiously. Becoming a mom shifted my priorities a little bit, but I am slowly finding my way back to my old routine. As a healthcare provider, I do believe that prevention and good nutrition are the keys to wellness. I love doing research about health and longevity. I want to be involved in my son's childhood and do what I can to be a participant and not an observer.

Currently, I am passionate about introducing my son to a variety of sports and teaching him how to read and do math. I am very excited about being a mom and being engaged in whatever he is into at the moment.

We have a three-year-old son named Ethan. He is fun-loving with a somewhat mischievous sense of humor. He's really enjoying Montessori school and learning how to become more independent. He's one of the smaller kids in his class but has the biggest heart. Ethan gets along very well with all his cousins and friends. He likes being hands-on and enjoys helping us with things around the house.

What we love about the Montessori philosophy is that children are believed to be capable and have immense potential for learning and doing. Having said that, we do our best to incorporate this structure of learning and disciplining at home. At school, they talk about having younger siblings, how to help care for a baby, and talking about feelings they may have about a younger sibling. At home, we have begun talking to Ethan about becoming a big brother and what that would mean for our family.

We believe that having early conversations about how he was conceived through IVF, and that he is going to become a big brother to an adopted baby is going to help both he and our new baby as they both grow. We also believe that talking about the baby's adoption early and often with both children is going to foster love and acceptance between them.

We also have an old rescue named Tango! He's a labrador mix who has gotten and given so much love over this past decade. He is a bit older now, but he certainly doesn't act that way. If it weren't for a few greys poking through, you'd never be able to tell.

We currently live in a Philadelphia rowhome in the Fishtown section of the city. Our spacious home is a century old with a nice mix of vintage and modern touches. For the area, we have a large back yard that has been taken over by Ethan and made child-friendly with rubber tiles. Living in the city has its advantages. Philadelphia is a melting pot of culture and full of community. All of our neighbors get along well and are always willing to help out one another. We visit numerous parks in the area that offer playgrounds, splashpads, and open spaces for all of our many activities.

We love that we can sign Ethan up for a variety of extracurriculars only 15 to 20 minutes from our house. We make sure to find organizations that offer diverse activities and preferably have non-white coaches. Ethan is of mixed Puerto Rican and Filipino descent, so this is very important to us even if it means that we have go out of our way, or maybe drive the extra mile.

Family time is very important to us, so we make it a point to spend more than just the holidays together. Living in Philadelphia keeps us closer to Andre's side of the family, so we get to see them much more; from dinners to cookouts to the spontaneous get-together. Rowena's side of the family lives in Hawaii, so we take a trip there every year. Though it's usually only a couple weeks at a time, you'd never guess that we had spent any time apart.

Here at home with our son Ethan, we've prioritized family time over all else. Nobody knows what life will bring, so our time is precious, especially since we know Ethan will only be this little once. We're always looking for the next new experience for us to share together but never let go of the little things at home that bring us joy.

We have best friends and many others that we call friends. We have a good social network here in Pennsylvania. With the rising cost of living, we have considered possibly relocating elsewhere that would be more affordable. However, the one thing that always stops us are our friends. They are our second family that we not only rely on for social activities, but also for support. What's beautiful is that in our circle, we are all having children at the same time so we're doing this parenting journey together.

Activities that we do with friends and family include camping, climbing, and the men go fishing together. From where we live, we could be at the beach or at the mountains within an hour and a half driving, so with change in season comes a variety of outdoor activities. As far as hobbies, these days Andre still plays the piano and enjoys an occasional game online with family. Rowena loves crafting and currently keeps herself busy making educational flashcards for Ethan. We’re looking forward to many more trips in the future.

Rowena

I have so much love to give, and our family of three doesn't feel complete. Welcoming another child into our lives would be a true blessing, and I look forward to sharing our hearts, experiences and joy with another child.

Andre

I grew up in a large family and had such a wonderful, dynamic experience. I'd love to grow our family and do my best to give my children a childhood as good or better than I had growing up.