A “princess” leaps into the world on Leap Day!

Baby Sariah, which means “princess,” was the first Kings County baby to leap into the world on Leap Day, Feb. 29, at the Adventist Health Hanford Birth Center.

Her parents, Wendy and Edward Sr. of Hanford, were expecting Sariah on Feb. 25, but being the princess that she is, she waited to make a grand entrance on a magical day that only happens every four years.

Wendy and Edward Sr. were shopping for baby items on Friday night, when Wendy began feeling contractions. They arrived at the Birth Center around 10 p.m. and welcomed Sariah at 3:02 a.m. on Feb. 29, 2020. She’s 19 inches in length and weighs six lbs., three ounces.

“I had no idea there were 29 days this month,” says Edward Sr. “It’s a shock, but I’m pretty happy because it’s a special day that only comes every four years.”

Edward Sr.’s birthday is on the 29^th, but in May. He added that he’s happy to share that similarity with his daughter. The couple also has a one-year-old son together.

Adventist Health presented the proud parents with a gift basket filled with items from the Birth Center gift shop. The items include a receiving blanket, stuffed teddy bear and other items to help track key milestones.

Here are a few Leap Day factoids:

• People born on leap year day are often called: leaplings, leapers or leapsters.
• Most celebrate their birthdays in subsequent years on Feb. 28 or March 1.
• It’s estimated that about 200,000 in the U.S. and 5 million people worldwide have a Feb. 29 birthday.
• The odds of having a leap day birthday is 1 in 1,461.
• 684 out of 1 million people are born on leap year day.
• The Earth’s year is 365.24219 days long, which is how long it takes the Earth to make one cycle around the sun; the “extra” day was added every four years to make the “correction.”