Monday, March 1, 2004

LEAP X 2: Son joins dad in Leap Day birth

'All the stars are aligned perfect for us,' dad says of oddity

ERIC SAGARA

Tucson Citizen

The 40-year-old shares the same birthday as his newborn son - Feb. 29, or Leap Year Day.

"All the stars are aligned perfect for us," Holstin said. "The whole time long, I said this is going to happen."

The odds of having two Leap Year Day birthdays in a family of three are 1 in 1.4 million, according to the Honor Society
of Leap Year Day Babies. Which makes the achievement of his wife, Emily, all the more remarkable.

"The doctor at the very beginning said, 'No way,' " Robert Holstin said. "Then, farther along, she said, 'We'll negotiate it.' "

His son, Robert Clifford Holstin II, is 21 inches long, weighs just under 9 pounds and was born at 12:36 p.m. yesterday.

"This is my birthday present for life," Robert Holstin said.

Technically, Robert Holstin was born 40 years ago on Feb. 29, 1964, an extra day that is added to the calendar every
four years to match the sun's progress through the sky.

"Since (his birthday is) only every four years, I figured, what the heck, I'll have a baby for him," Emily Holstin said.

Growing up, Robert Holstin would joke about his birthday and insist that there were 366 days in a year.

He would always choose a date in the weekend closest to Feb. 29 to celebrate his birthday.

Now his son will choose for him, he said.

Emily Holstin was due to give birth Feb. 20 but didn't go into labor until eight days later.

"At first we were afraid that the baby was going to come before midnight," she said. "Then the contractions slowed down.
We weren't totally sure until it happened."

"We were both ecstatic," Robert Holstin said. "We were crying. I cut the cord, and then I made sure the baby was never
out of my sight. I followed him everywhere."

Six other babies were born yesterday at University Medical Center as of 8 p.m., said Jean Spinelli, a hospital
spokeswoman. But none shared its birthday with a parent.

Only 14 families from around the world have parents and children who share a Feb. 29 birthday and have registered on
the Honor Society of Leap Year Babies Web site, www.leapzine.com.

"I've only met two other people in my whole life that's been born on the same day," Robert Holstin said.

His son is the third.