A delighted mother has celebrated her own leap year birthday by giving birth to her first born on February 29.
Ali Armstrong and husband Colin welcomed baby daughter Isla to the world at 5.22am on Saturday morning.
Incredibly, mum Ali was also born on February 29 - at 6.37am in 1988.
With Isla, who weighed in at 2.67kg, not due until March 12, her birth was a real surprise for the married couple - and a wonderful birthday present for Ali.
“It’s surreal. It’s so special to have the same birthday as my daughter. It’s been a memorable birthday and she’s the best gift I could have wished for," said Ms Armstrong.
“It was a big surprise, she’s two weeks early and chose a day that only happens every four years for her birthday.
“She’ll have to wait for years for her next true birthday but I’ve gotten used to it over the years.
“It’s good to be a little bit different and it makes your real birthdays all the more special.”
Colin, 33, and Ali, who turned 32 on Saturday, are childhood sweethearts from Scotland who even went to the same high school - where they began dating - college and university in their homeland.
The couple may have fallen in love in Scotland but Isla was born in Abu Dhabi at the NMC Royal Women's Hospital. Mum and dad moved to the UAE nearly five years ago. Colin works as a journalist for Time Out, while Ali is a teacher at the Cranleigh School in Abu Dhabi.
But now the incredible date of Isla's birth has left the happy family trying to work out the odds of such an occurrence happening. The odds of having a Leap Year birthday alone are one in 1,461.
Colin laughed: "I need the mathematicians. What are the odds of this happening.
"She was not due until March 12, so it was a surprise.
"Actually, in the 15 years I've been with Ali, (Saturday was) only the fourth actual birthday she has had."
Astonishingly, however, the new dad had a premonition a few months ago this would happen.
"We're absolutely delighted, it makes Isla so unique and such an amazing gift. I had said to Ali a few months ago I had a feeling that it would work out like this and it just so happened it did," said Mr Armstrong.
"Ali (normally) celebrates her birthday on March 1. We're not sure if Isla will want to do the same or February 28. We'll leave that up to her."
Colin himself shares a birthday with a memorable date too - Boxing Day.
"My birthday is on December 26 - also a little odd," he said.
"They wanted to induce my mum on Christmas Day but didn’t want to ruin Christmas for my older brother Ross. I’m the middle of three brothers.”
For the new dad, however, the date February 29 certainly feels like Christmas has come early.
"There's one crazy thing I was thinking about earlier. On Isla's 18th birthday, it will be Ali's 50th. A massive milestone for both."
The couple may have leapt into the future with the birth of Isla, but there's also a nod to the present in her middle name.
"Emily, her middle name, is from my grandmother Emily Armstrong who turns 91 this year," said Mr Armstrong.
