(The following story by Mike Goodwin appeared on the Albany Times-Union website on March 1. John Lacona is a member of BLET Division 46 in Albany, N.Y.)
ALBANY, N.Y. — Joseph Anthony Lacona II arrived on a day that only arrives once every four years.
The 7-pound, 10-ounce son of John and Denise Lacona was born at 3:15 a.m. Sunday morning, one of six babies born at Bellevue Woman’s Hospital in Niskayuna on Feb. 29, 2004.
“He’s a leap-year baby. He’s famous already, destined for film,” excited relative Mike Novence told a relative who telephoned the Laconas’ hospital room while a newspaper photographer was taking pictures of the newborn and his parents late Sunday afternoon.
Joseph Anthony, named for his paternal grandfather, on Sunday joined a group of only 200,000 Americans who get to celebrate their actual birthday every four years. He shares a birthday with bandleader Jimmy Dorsey, French painter Balthus and former Buffalo Bills linebacker Bryce Paup. Even comic book hero Superman is a leap-day baby.
So during the three off-years, when do the parents plan to recognize their son’s birthday? Feb. 28 or March 1 sounded good to his father. “We’ll celebrate his birthday,” John Lacona said.
Denise Lacona, 32, had her mind on warmer temperatures and outdoor parties. “We should give him a July birthday,” she joked.
Either way, the Laconas, who live in Clifton Park, were just grateful for the new baby and their 5-year-old daughter, Julia.
“Definitely excited,” said John Lacona, a 33-year-old locomotive engineer for CSX, as he cradled the tiny baby in his arms.
Leap years come with perks. Joseph Anthony will be able to fudge his age for years. He’ll be able to say he’s only 4 /2 when he graduates high school. He could have a child by 7. At 15, he might be retired.
At Bellevue, leap-day babies were also born to Doreen and Thomas Gerig, who had twins. Christine and Brian Peppiatt had a baby boy, as did Margo and Ken Dickson. Octavia Van Ness had a little girl. Another couple asked that their identities not be released.
The chances of being born a leap-day baby are slim — only 1 in 1,461 Americans have that birthday. The Earth completes a revolution of the sun in 365 days and six hours. Astronomers add the extra day to the calender every four years to account for the extra time.