Leap year baby times two for Unity couple
What’s the likelihood of twins being born on leap day?
How about 1 in 50,000 — slightly better odds than the 1 in 7 million for winning the Pennsylvania Lottery’s Cash for Life jackpot.
Amanda and Brian Newcomer of Unity got a “prize” more valuable than any jackpot Saturday: the birth of their twins, Wyatt James and Emery Rose. The two bundles of joy were born at the Family Additions Maternity Center in Excela Health Westmoreland in Greensburg — Wyatt at 8:52 p.m. and Emery at 8:54.
Mother and babies were doing fine Sunday afternoon — some 19 hours after giving birth to the fraternal twins at 37 weeks, said Amanda, 32.
Wyatt weighed in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces and stretching out all of 18 inches. Emery came into the world slightly smaller — 5 pounds, 5 ounces, but a tad taller at 18¾ inches.
They are the first children for the couple, who learned early in her pregnancy she was carrying twins.
“We were real nervous at first, then excited, especially ’cause it’s our first two,” the mother said.
That she was expecting twins was not too shocking for Amanda, she said.
Her grandmother is a twin, and she has a cousin from Mt. Pleasant who is a twin.
Her due date was around the beginning of March, her doctor said.
But “they had other plans,” Amanda said. “They made my water break Saturday. They decided it was time for them to come into the world.”
There were 10 babies born Saturday at Allegheny Health Network hospitals in the region, and seven at UPMC hospitals in the area.
As for the question of when to celebrate their birthdays in the three years that there is no leap year, Amanda said they may do it on Feb. 28.
“We might do it both days,” chimed in Brian, 33.
Amanda, who works in retail sales at the Westmoreland Mall, said she is taking some time off before returning to work. Brian is a mechanic at Star Nissan in Hempfield.
“We have a large extended family to help,” Amanda said, but acknowledged it will be difficult when she has to leave them for her job.
The maternal grandparents are Terry and Diane Stephenson of Unity, and the paternal grandparents are James and Janice Newcomer of Unity.
Brian took a philosophical approach to having to care for two babies at once.
“If you change one, you can change the other. You’re already doing that,” Brian said of the sometimes unpleasant task of changing diapers.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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