‘Leaplings’: Utah family has 3 children all born on Leap Days

PAYSON, Utah (KTVX) – One in a billion. That’s the odds used to describe the Estes family. 

The Estes siblings come across as your typical Utah family, making jokes and reminiscing over family pictures, but they have something you might call special. 

Xavier, Remington, and Jade Estes all share a birthday. Not just any birthday, but one that only comes around every four years. 

Louise Estes gave birth on Leap Day not once … not twice … but three separate times.

(Photos courtesy of the Estes family)

“The first one was unintentional, the second one just happened, and the third one is the one we actually tried on purpose,” she said. 

If you’re measuring by Leap Years, Xavier is 5, Remington is 4, and Jade is 3. On years without a Leap Day, they celebrate their birthdays on Feb. 28. 

“We celebrate it every year, but we do like a big celebration every four years,” Remington said. 

They throw a big party with pinatas and three cakes for each of them. 

The Estes family has five children — the three who share a birthday refer to one another as “Leaplings.” As for the other two siblings, if you’re worried about them feeling left out, they look at the positives.

“Every four years, I get to eat three times the amount of cake in one year,” Alexander Estes said. 

“It does seem to be special to be part of it, but I don’t want to take away from them,” Seeley Estes added. 

They say having a child on a Leap Day is rare, but the Estes family recognizes having three is even more incredible. 

To Louise, no matter how rare their birthday is, she says her kids are special.

“I always try and let them know that, ‘I love you because you’re mine,’” she said. “That’s the kind of thing that could never change no matter how far they go, no matter what happens. That’ll never stop.”