Today, February 29, 2012, Bel Air High School Sophomores Patrick Matejka and Amber French will be celebrating their 4th birthdays. Are you thinking that perhaps Patrick and Amber are child prodigies? Well, while they are bright and gifted young adults, they are not high school toddlers. No, Amber and Patrick are Leap Day Babies. That’s right, on February 29, 1996 Patrick and Amber were both born in Baltimore, Maryland, but due the fact that February 29th only occurs once every 4 years this will only be the 4th time that they have celebrated their birthdays on the actual day of their birth.
The obvious question to ask is when do these Leap Day Babies celebrate their birthdays on non-leap years. Both students say that February 28th and March 1st are their most logical options. Patrick says that he usually celebrates his birthday on February 28th. Amber, too, shares in this tradition, but she adds, “as I have gotten older I like to call them both (Feb. 28 and March 1) my birthdays. It is better to celebrate for the two days.”
Amber adds that she also recognizes her birthday in quarterly increments. For example, three years ago she said that she had turn 3 ¼ years old. The next year she was 3 ½ and last year she turned 3 ¾ years old. While most people find it amusing when they hear that she is just turning 4 years old, her younger cousins absolutely love it. “My little 5 year old cousin thinks it is the funniest thing in the world that she is older than me. She likes to remind me about it all the time.”
For Patrick, he was not supposed to be a Leap Day Baby. His mother’s actual due date for him was actually in May, but apparently Patrick had other ideas! “I was born 2 months early, and I was really small when I was born. I weighed just a little over 3 lbs.” As he has grown over the years, Patrick says that his favorite part of being a Leap Day Baby is seeing how others react. “I like seeing how people give me a second look when I tell them that I am only 3 years. I can tell if they are paying attention to what I am saying based on their reaction.
And so how will Patrick and Amber be celebrating their 4th birthday? Patrick says he and his family aren’t really planning anything special. “I guess we will be treating just like any other birthday.” On the other hand, Amber says that her parents will be having a big “Sweet 16” party for her. She said the big party is more for the fact that she is 16 and less for the fact that it her leap birthday. Perhaps, though Amber should call her party a “Fabulous 4” party!
So, if you see these Leap Babies in the hall today, be sure to wish Amber and Pat a Happy Birthday, because you will never have the chance to do it again while you are in high school.