Every four years, baby

By Lilly O’Gorman
PAKENHAM mum Sophie Hammond-Cox already knew that despite her daughter being due on 2 March, she would in fact be born a leap year baby.
“It is strange, I knew she’d come on 29 February because I didn’t want her to,” Ms Hammond-Cox said.
“Because I didn’t want to be forever thinking about when we should we do it (celebrate her birthday).”
And it is a question that has already cropped up many times since Annabelle Marie Cox’s birth at West Gippsland Hospital, Warragul, just a week ago.
“One of the first things people ask is, ‘When will you celebrate her birthday?’ But we’ve decided we’re going to stick to February 28 seeing as that’s the same month.
“But when she’s older like me she’ll say her birthday goes for a month. She’ll need to milk it because she only gets one every four years.”
But little Annabelle need not worry about missing out.
“Every four years it’ll be a big party,” Ms Hammond-Cox said.
Annabelle was born at West Gippsland Hospital at 10.07am; the first leap year baby for the hospital. She is the second child for Sophie and Chris and sister to 18-month-old Liam.