The new arrivals included three boys and a girl, said Avera Marshall communications partner Stacy Neubeck said. Kaitlyn Willander and Avery Van Overbeke of Marshall welcomed their son, Asher John. Nicole and Robert Lewis, also of Marshall, welcomed their son Bennett Walter. Jennifer and Tyler Knutson of Granite Falls welcomed their daughter Amelia, and Autumn and Walker Christians of Tracy welcomed their son Waylon Mitchell.

Feb. 29 is an unusual birthdate to begin with, but it was special to have a total of four babies all born on Leap Day. In comparison, Neubeck said there were no babies born at Avera Marshall on the last Leap Day, in 2020.

Each of the four families had their own stories leading up to the birth of their new babies, Neubeck said. The Knutsons said baby Amelia was due on March 4, but instead she arrived a few days early, on Leap Day. Amelia will be welcomed home by a big sister who is almost two, the Knutsons said.

The Lewis family had also originally expected their baby to arrive in March. They said there were a couple of dates that month that could also have made for a fun birthday. Robert thought it would be fun if baby Bennett arrived on “Mario Day” – Mar. 10 – while Nicole was thinking of Pi Day, which is March 14. (The number pi is about 3.14.) In the end, however, Bennett arrived on a different special day.

Photos courtesy of Avera Marshall Nicole and Robert Lewis of Marshall welcomed their son Bennett, who was born on Leap Day.

Kaitlyn Willander said she initially didn’t want baby Asher to arrive on Leap Day. But now, she’s excited that her sone has an unusual birthday.

When the Christians’ doctor said they should schedule an induction for their son Waylon, they said they wanted to choose a date that wasn’t the same as their oldest son’s birthday, on March 6. It turned out their doctor was on call on Feb. 29 – and Waylon became a Leap Day baby. The Christians said Waylon’s older brother, who will turn four this month, was almost born on Leap Day, they said.

Photos courtesy of Avera Marshall Autumn and Walker Christians of Tracy welcomed their son Waylon, who was born on Leap day.

Photos courtesy of Avera Marshall Jennifer and Tyler Knutson of Granite Falls welcomed their daughter Amelia, who was born on Leap Day.