‘Leap Day’ baby makes debut

 

To most, Leap Years are no more than an amusement, offering an extra day’s pay in their February paychecks and the once-every-four-years chance to write “Feb. 29” — a date that doesn’t exist on calendars except during Leap Years.

For others, however, this is an anomaly and a disservice to “leaplings,” the term for those born on Feb. 29.

The Honor Society of Leap Day Babies, run by Peter Brouwer and Raenell Dawn of Oregon, advocates for everything “leap day” related — including correcting the misused phrase, “Leap Year,” when referring to leaplings.

Brouwer and Dawn say they are only related by “leapification,” which is one of several Leap-related terms they define on “The Leaptionary,” their online dictionary.

“Anyone can be born in a Leap Year. We [leaplings] were born on Leap Day,” Brouwer and Dawn explain on their Web site, leapyearday.com. The two also operate a ‘zine — an Internet-based independent magazine — called LEAPzine, specifically for leaplings, and run an online store called LEAP THIS (cafepress.com/leapthis) where leaplings can purchase Leap Day/Year paraphernalia. 

There’s even a children’s book written for Leap Day babies: “The Peacock’s Promise” was written and illustrated by Nancy Lucas, who penned the book for her granddaughter, Caroline. She was born on Feb. 29, 2000.  

Though having a Leap Day birth date is unusual and makes for a great conversation starter, especially for parents of newborn leaplings, adults born on Leap Day say that applying for a job, obtaining a driver’s license or registering on a Web site can be truly problematic.

In some instances, motor vehicle registries have forced leaplings to choose between Feb. 28 and March 1 as the birth date listed on their driver’s license. Feb. 29 isn’t an option, even though that’s the date of birth listed on most leapling’s birth certificates. Years ago, some hospitals actually urged new parents to choose Feb. 28 or March 1 as their newborn’s official birth date instead of Feb. 29.

And many Web sites don’t offer Feb. 29 as an option when choosing a birth date from a drop-down menu.

“We hate when the Internet says ‘no’ to Leap Day,” say Brouwer and Raenell. “A while back we reported that both YouTube and Borders Books said no to Leapers (by rejecting applications from people born on Leap Day). To their credit, they have both fixed this bug … three cheers for Leaper calendar activism.”

As another act of activism, Brouwer and Raenell are pushing for “Leap Year Day” to be printed on all published calendars.

“If Ground Hog Day is on the calendar, why not Leap Year Day?” they said. “Leap Year Day is the world’s extra day. It deserves a lot more attention than it gets. We want the words ‘Leap Year Day’ on the calendar, as in ‘Feb. 29 — Leap Year Day.’”

They urge all leaplings, and others, to petition state and federal legislators to have “Leap Year Day” declared a holiday. They also urge activists to contact major calendar publishers and lobby for Feb. 29 to be included with a “Leap Year Day” imprint.

For now, the new leapling and her parents are resting and getting to know one another, especially after Michelle’s long labor and delivery.

“My husband was a phenomenal coach,” Michelle said of Ryan. “Keeping me focused was a huge part of it. The contractions were tough and then the epidural kicked in and gave me some relief. Then there was the pushing. But everything went smoothly, and Dr. O’Connor, our OB-GYN from Women’s Health Care in Melrose, was wonderful.”

Michelle and Ryan both said their experience at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital went well.

“The hospital was absolutely perfect,” Michelle said. “The nurses here — and I had three different nurses [the day she delivered] — were phenomenal. They were by my side, 24/7, making sure that everything was okay. And the rooms are excellent.”

Both Michelle and Ryan worked out of state as professional performers — dancing, singing and acting — for several years before returning to Massachusetts to settle down. The couple, who will celebrate 10 years of marriage in June, met while they were both students at Oklahoma City University, where Ryan studied musical theatre and Michelle studied dance.

“We did cruise ship work — musical theatre work — touring, singing, acting and dancing,” Michelle said. “We traveled all over the world; we hit almost every continent. We did that work for a very long time; we’ve been back in Massachusetts now for a couple of years.”

Today, Michelle teaches jazz, tap, ballet and musical theatre at Dean College and the Boston Conservatory, while Ryan, who is originally from Oklahoma, works for EF Education in Cambridge.

Does Michelle think little Sydney will follow in her footsteps and become a dancer?

“Well, she danced in my stomach all the time I was dancing, and I danced up to Tuesday when the contractions began,” Michelle said, laughing. “I think she’ll be well-traveled and a dancer. We decided to name her Sydney because it’s one of our favorite cities that we’ve been to, and travel was a big part of our lives.”

Meanwhile, the new family has headed home with Sydney, their little leapling.

“My due date was March 4. So it’s kind of cool that she gets to say she was born in a Leap Year,” said Michelle.

Sydney’s paternal grandparents are Becca Ball and the late Robert Ball of Oklahoma; maternal grandparents are Maria Castro and the late Alfred Castro of Melrose.