Leap Day Baby born at Hoag Hospital

Abigail Hoopes won first place by mere minutes over Faith Novak amid stiff competition to be the first baby born on Leap Day at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian on Friday.

The first Leap Day Baby Award, which is the consolation prize for the far more sought-after Race to Get Your Baby Born before Leap Day Award, was decided by a technicality. To be considered officially born, the baby’s entire body must exit its mother’s birth canal.

Katie Novak, Faith’s mother, was told mid-delivery that the baby’s head, which was already exposed after the first contraction, wasn’t enough to declare her born, much to Katie’s chagrin.

“Who came up with that rule, the DMV?” Katie Novak hollered in a moment of frustration during labor.

Jeremy and Mary Ellen Hoopes foresaw their possible participation in the race for a long time, since Abigail’s due date was set for Feb. 27. It became a frantic matter, though, the night of Feb. 28.

“When her water broke at 5:30 p.m. we said we’ve got to get this done,” Jeremy Hoopes said, earning him raised eyebrows from his exhausted wife.

One floor down at Hoag, the Novaks were being given status reports on their competition.

“The nurse told me that another mother was also dilating, but that I was ahead of her,” Katie said.

But Katie Novak couldn’t get the baby out in one contraction, and the rest is history.

The Novak family is no stranger to losing birth-time contests, though.

Benedict Novak III still remembers how his son, Benedict IV, had disappointed him almost 32 years ago, when he was born on July 6, 1976, missing the bicentennial Fourth of July by just two days.

“Benedict the Fourth being born on July Fourth,” he nostalgically recalls, “that would have been a big celebration.”

For Katie Novak, getting second place is not nearly as terrifying as the thought of the nicknames her father-in-law might give Faith.

“When I realized that I would have the kid on Feb. 29 I thought, ‘Oh great, now he’s going to start calling her leapling,’” Katie Novak said.

Although Katie Novak said her initial reaction to having a leap year baby was apprehensive, she has warmed to the idea in much the same way as the Hoopeses have.

“When [our daughter] has to stand up and say something about herself, she’ll always have something cool to say,” said Jeremy Hoopes, Abigail’s father.

“And who really celebrates their birthday on their actual birthday,” added Mary Ellen.

The Hoopeses plan on celebrating Abigail’s birthday on Feb. 28 and “throwing her a big birthday bash” every leap year.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at [email protected].