And today, she turns 10 years old.

Born Feb. 29, 1968, Jones-Kusyk is a "leap day baby," one of about 200,000 people in the United States born on the most elusive date on the calendar.

"I'll be turning 40, and I'm also turning 10," she said this week. "It's a big one all around."

One in every 1,461 people is born Feb. 29, with about 4 million leapsters living worldwide, at least according to the Honor Society of Leap Day Babies.

Jones-Kusyk is spending her first birthday in four years on a weekend trip to Oregon, where she'll attend a special birthday party for leap day babies and then go skiing.

"I'm excited to finally have a birthday," she said. "I get to have a party on my actual birthday."

While Jones-Kusyk had no real say in her birth date, some locals are opting to commemorate their special occasions with a Feb. 29 date stamp.

Three couples are scheduled to marry today at Cherished Vows Wedding Chapel in Torrance, said Julie Nixon, the owners' daughter.

"They want it for the quirkiness, because it's going to be a funny thing to remember," she said.

Among the couples are longtime South Bay residents Francheska Symonds and Greg Vitalich, who are set to wed this morning after about a year of dating.

The pair, who met online, have earned more than a few strange looks from friends and family after disclosing their wedding date, but that was the offbeat couple's intention.

"We're doing it just to be fun and silly and goofy - plus for the anniversary," Symonds said.

A Feb. 29 anniversary could be either the easiest date to remember, or with it arriving just once every four years, the easiest to forget, but Symonds isn't worried.

"Instead of skipping our anniversary or doing it once every four years, we get to pick whenever we want our anniversary to be," she said.

Post nuptials, the couple will head to San Pedro's Averill Park for pictures, and then host a luncheon at nearby 22nd Street Landing, where the newlyweds once shared a romantic meal.

San Pedro native Vitalich, 41, and Symonds, 32, who now live in Canoga Park, also considered scheduling their wedding on April Fool's Day, but leap day had a much better ring to it.

"Greg says we're taking a leap of faith on leap day," Symonds said. "Isn't that cute?"

At least a few South Bay mothers-to-be are hoping for some leaping bundles of joy today, but that might be better left to fate, said Dr. Alexandra Bujor.

In recent weeks, the Manhattan Beach obstetrician has has turned down a couple of expectant patients requesting that she induce their labors today.

In these women's cases, the 29th was still a bit too early for delivery, Bujor said.

Regardless, she discourages patients from intentionally giving their children Feb. 29 birthdays because little kids just might not get the joke.

"It's kind of a weird day," Bujor said. "I try to explain to them to think about their kids - they'll be off a little every year and might not understand."

Also, today is a Friday, an uncommon day in the medical community to induce labor because many doctors like to start their weekends early, Bujor said.

So, women desperate for a leap day baby might have better luck in 2012, when Feb. 29 falls next.

Leap year rolls around in years that are divisible by four - unless the year ends in 00. But in that case, if the year is divisible by 400, you get a leap year.

Originally, Julius Caesar added the date to keep the seasons aligned on the calendar. But when spring started coming two weeks late by the end of the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII tacked on the second rule about years being divisible by 400.

The result is some complicated math that gives people like Jones-Kusyk a birthday about every four years.

And while many women might fret over turning 40 years old, she isn't upset one bit.

"I'm just happy to be having a birthday, so 40 is not that big a deal," Jones-Kusyk said. "I've waited four years."

andrea.woodhouse@dailybreeze.com