Diederick with 2-week-old cousin Claire.

Tonight when I asked Diederick what he wanted to pray for he told me that he’d like to pray that, “Baby Koen have a good birthday coming soon.”

Auntie Lyd just had her 16th birthday. Deeder loves birthdays and is always eager to know who has the next birthday. The first time (a couple days ago) I told him that it was Koen who would have the next birthday and to that he laughed and told me that I was really silly.

Even though he knows birthdays as a celebration for a person who is already here, I am Mommy and in his world what I say is truth. Thus after thinking about the whole idea of someone not yet here having a birthday he’s believing it’ll happen, no doubt with the same fashion everyone else’s birthday has happened–cake and icecream with the merry song that has been sung a million times over…and why not? We can do that.

Diederick attended his sister’s delivery in Brattleboro, VT when he was just 22 months old. We have it written into Koen’s birth plan that Diederick, the 39 month old brother, will be at this October delivery. I’m not sure how many 3 year olds get to be at that very first birthday but for this Mommy it’s so important.

Those 16 months ago when Carly was born Diederick was better than any labor coach I could ever have wished for–for him I had to smile and stay calm.

Deeder’s praying, and I am too. My labor day, and Koen’s birthday will be here soon…just a matter of weeks now.

                                                                                                                May 29, 2008