Happy Leap Year from a “Leap Mom”

By Paula Green

In June 1999, my husband Paul and I were elated to discover we were expecting our first child. We traveled a long, bumpy road to reach that point, but God answered our prayers. After my pregnancy test was positive, I visited my OB/GYN office to confirm the results. They pulled out the calendar and gave me my due date. I was told, “Your due date is March 7, 2000.” As I walked out the door, I mumbled, “Who are they kidding? I will have this baby on Leap Day.”

You know the saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” I wasn’t wishing for a Leap Day baby, but I strongly suspected it would happen, obviously, it did.

At 6:17 p.m., on February 29, 2000, my son Tyler David was born. He was born at AHN and was the fourth baby delivered on that day. Strangely, when I had him baptized, four babies were also baptized at our church. So, the boy with the four-year birthday fell into some coincidental quads.

There are some good things about being a “leaper” and a few downfalls. When Toys R’ Us was around, you could have Geoffrey the Giraffe call, and he’d sing Happy Birthday to your child. When it wasn’t a leap year, our phone never rang. I contacted them, and they relisted his birthdate to February 28 to ensure that we would get called.

It broke my heart when Tyler would come home at the end of February (during a regular 365-day year). I’d ask, “Did any of your friends remember to wish you a Happy Birthday?” He would sadly respond, “Nope, nobody remembered.”

On the flip side, when it is a Leap Year, everyone remembers him. Folks seem to come out of nowhere to wish him a happy birthday. Some stores and restaurants give out freebies to “leapers.”

One cool thing about Tyler’s birth date is that he was born in 2000, so obviously, it was the turn of a century. A leap year only occurs at the turn of the century every 400 years. This rare event won’t happen again until 2400.

One question I hear frequently is, “When do you celebrate his birthday?” I always leave it up to Tyler. He is clever; when it’s not a leap year, we celebrate two days in a row, February 28 and March 1.

A few famous folks were born on Leap Day. The lucky leapers are actress Dinah Shore, actor Dennis Farina, model Antonio Sabato Jr., motivational speaker Tony Robbins, and rapper Ja Rule. Did you know there is an honor society for leapers? It can be found at www.leapyearday.com/honor-society-of-leap-year-day-babies

The bottom line is we have to have a leap day every four years, or our calendar would be out of alignment. Enjoy that extra day this year. If you know anyone celebrating a “leap day” birthday, be sure to wish them a happy one! Happy 24th birthday Tyler!