Did you know our fertility journey started on my birthday? That was the first time I found out I was pregnant. I found out I was a MOM. It felt like the best gift ever.
I don’t know why, but it was this secret dream I had – to become a mom on my birthday. I’d been praying for that gift for awhile, and receiving it felt like a special answer to prayer.
What a blissful couple of weeks. It was over too fast. I missed my baby.
The first thing they do at an OB appointment is calculate your due date. The first time it was so exciting! The second time it was simply informational. The 3rd through 13th time it felt like a cruel joke. They’d say, “You’re due _____.” And I’d think, “Great, another day to grieve.”
But every time the due date was somewhere around September 20th (my birthday), I’d get a little bit hopeful… I’d wonder if maybe God would give me the gift of another baby to have on earth.
I kept praying someday I’d have a living baby for my birthday, and I promised myself if I ever actually received that wonderful gift, we’d close the chapter of having biological children.
When I got pregnant with Caleb, I told them I didn’t even want to know the due date until we survived the 7 or 8 week ultrasound. When they finally told me, it was October 6th. Close enough! I just kept praying we’d make it that far.
Between the gestational diabetes and a host of other issues, my doctor surprised me by saying he thought we should induce earlier than planned – on September 17th. I was THRILLED! Labor went longer than expected, so sweet baby Caleb was born on my best friend’s birthday, and on my birthday, we brought him home.
It really felt like this full circle moment. We started and ended this crazy journey of bringing babies into the world on my birthday.
Some people might call that a coincidence. But I personally believe it‘s God at work in the details, proving He really did have every single thing under control the whole time.
Now it’s September again, and I’m not sure how my baby is about to turn one. This year flew by too fast!
I love having Caleb’s birthday so close to mine. It’s a sweet reminder that God always knew – better yet, always planned – to bring about good, in His time and way. As James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”
So this September, more than cake, more than candles, more than wrapped-up presents, I’m celebrating a faithful God who brings beauty out of brokenness, joy out of grief, and life out of loss.
People wanted to know what I’d like for gifts this year, but to be honest, I’ve already been given the best gifts – two sweet boys to hold, and joy in knowing the Giver Himself.
©️ Grace Baeten 2025
The Misplaced Mom 
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