Leap Year babies born at BMH

Published 6:00 am Sunday, March 6, 2016

If you’re born on Feb. 29, that means you only have a “real” birthday every four years.

This year, Baptist Memorial Hospital–North Mississippi in Oxford had three Leap Year babies born Feb. 29.

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The labor and delivery team gave each baby a welcome gift donated by the hospital. 

Batesville resident Leslie Hall, 22, gave birth to a baby girl named Baylor Layne Hall. She was born at 11:54 p.m. to parents Leslie and Dylan Hall, weighing 6 lbs., 14 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.

“We are trying to figure out what day we are going to tell her ‘happy birthday’ for the next three to four years,” Hall said. “I would like to keep it in February.”

Oxford residents Josh and Angel Edwards, 27 and 25, respectively, welcomed a baby boy named Mason Thomas Edwards born at 5:40 p.m. He weighed 9 lbs., 4 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.

Baylor Layne Hall was born at 11:54 p.m. to parents Dylan and Leslie Hall of Batesville.

Baylor Layne Hall was born at 11:54 p.m. to parents Dylan and Leslie Hall of Batesville.

Greyce Elizabeth Harris was born at 10:50 p.m. to parents Sarah Harris and Cody Howard of Oxford.

Greyce Elizabeth Harris was born at 10:50 p.m. to parents Sarah Harris and Cody Howard of Oxford.

“I wasn’t supposed to have him on that date,” said Angel Edwards. “I was a week past my due date. I went in to the doctor for a normal doctor’s visit, and he said I was ready for labor, and I needed to go ahead and head over to the hospital to have my Leap Year baby. I was having mild contractions, but I didn’t feel them.”

Edwards said they also haven’t decided on a replacement date to celebrate their son’s birthday.

“We hope he’s OK with it,” Angel Edward said. “We are going to do it the day before or day after.”

Edwards said no one else in her family has been born on a holiday, but she had a close call with a July 3 birthday.

The Oxford hospital’s third Leap Year baby was daughter Greyce Elizabeth Harris born at 10:50 p.m. to parents Sarah Harris and Cody Howard of Oxford.  She weighed 6 lbs., 14 oz. and was 20 inches long.

About LaReeca Rucker

LaReeca Rucker is a writer, reporter and adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Mississippi's Meek School of Journalism and New Media.

A veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience, she spent a decade at the Gannett-owned Clarion-Ledger - Mississippi's largest daily newspaper - covering stories about crime, city government, civil rights, social justice, religion, art, culture and entertainment for the paper's print and web editions. She was also a USA Today contributor.

This year, she received a first place award from the Mississippi Press Association for “Best In-Depth Investigative Reporting.” The story written in 2014 for The Oxford Eagle chronicles the life of a young mother with two sons who have epilepsy, and details how she is patiently hoping legalized cannabis oil experimentation will lead to a cure for their disorder.

Her website is www.lareecarucker.com.

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