Newborn Grayson Paul LoVerne continues a family trend: his father Paul was born Feb. 29, 1968, which makes him 9 in leap year birthdays.
By JON WILSON
Published March 3, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - The long shot came in. A rea-a-a-lllll long shot.
Grayson Paul LoVerne, 7 pounds, 8 ounces, beat the odds Sunday by being born on leap year day - Feb. 29.
The odds of a Feb. 29 birthday are about 1,461-to-1, according to a Web site published by the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies.
But - wait for it - Grayson Paul LoVerne isn't even half the story. His father, Paul LoVerne, was also born on leap year day in 1968.
A few years ago, a University of Oklahoma mathematics professor calculated the odds of a leap year day mother having a leap year day baby as 1 in 2-million. Presumably the odds also apply to leap year day fathers.
And, finally, guess when Grayson's mother, Christina LoVerne, 31, was born.
A leap year indeed - but merely in August, alas.
Grayson was due this Friday, Christina LoVerne said.
But it was apparent he was ready early Sunday morning, so it was off to Bayfront Medical Center.
"I couldn't believe it was his dad's birthday," Mom said. "Being I was close to due on leap day, we joked about it. But we really didn't think it would happen.
Of course, the usual leap year day jokes apply. Is Dad 36 - or is he 9?
Celebrating birthdays becomes problematic. In this case, family tradition may apply.
Said Christina: "My husband's mom was telling us she always had his birthdays on Feb. 28. On years with leap days, she would have it on Feb. 29.
By the way, famous leap year day babies include big band musician Jimmy Dorsey; Paul III, the last Renaissance pope; and Gretchen Christopher, founder of the Fleetwoods, which popularized Come Softly to Me and I'm Mr. Blue.
