Noah and his mommies are extremely happy to be home. And indeed, home we are! Home from our trip, and home in our house again!

We had a wonderful time in Milwaukee. In the span of 3 days, Noah had his first plane ride, his first visit to Grandma & Grandpa’s, and his first Shabbat dinner. Noah handled it like a champ.

Probably the high point was our first evening in Milwaukee, at Shabbat dinner at Jerry & Cindy’s house. They’re the parents of the groom, and two of our favorite people. They wrote a letter in support of Jill’s adoption petition, and another incredibly moving letter to Noah which Jerry read at the blessing at dinner.

It read as follows:

Dear Noah:

This week may be the most important week of your life. You went from being a lucky little boy with two parents who love you but only one recognized by the state to a boy with two parents who love you and now both are recognized by the state.

You have been born at an amazing time. The entire country is debating who can be married to whom. May you be blessed to look back at this time and think the notion that the state interfering with two people who love each other and want to establish a family together is as stupid an idea as segregation, or not allowing women to vote, or heaven forbid, not allowing folks to drink wine.

May you be blessed to never see your family as anything out of the ordinary, may you be blessed to always feel special, but not because you have two moms. And may you grow up to bring blessings to your Oma and Opa, your Aunt and Uncle, and your parents as they will bring many blessings to you.

May you be blessed to tell stories and play ball and dance like your mom Jill and with the creativity, judgement, and strength to stand up and fight for a better world like your mom Liza.

We bless you with long life, a creative life, a life of learning, and with the ability to receive and give limitless love.

While we listened to Jerry reading this letter, I held Noah up on my shoulders, with Jill supporting his back, and Noah grasping my hair. That way, he could see Jerry and all of the guests (maybe 50?) could see him.

Noah watched Jerry closely, listening and reacting like he understood what was being said. Like he knew how much he was loved, and everything that was being prayed for on his behalf. I couldn’t see his face, but I could see dozens of the other guests, and their faces were astonished, moved, and happy for our family to be included in the beginning of Ariel and Dana’s wedding celebration weekend.

The rest of the weekend was wonderful too, full of family and friends, inadequately documented in pictures, but here are a few of the moments we did manage to capture.


From the top/left - Uncle Jason & Noah, laughing; Mommy & Noah, Madelaine & Andy (13 months), Lori & Joshua (8.5 months) with Madelaine’s son Freddy (3 years) peering over Lori’s shoulder; the mommies and Noah getting ready for a walk; and Uncle Jason, Great Uncle Tom, Aunt Anna, and cousins Kirsten and Liz.

Remarkably, we have no pictures at all of Noah with his grandparents! Or Aunt Anna!