Cuddle from gran at last for wee Tay
Lockdown baby finally gets to meet relatives
A Perthshire mum has spoken of her joy after her lockdown baby was able to share cuddles with his grandmother for the very first time.
Little Tay Lowie Steelant featured in the PA after he was born in Ninewells Hospital only a few hours before PM Boris Johnson announced the nation was going into lockdown on March 23.
Since then Tay, named after the Perthshire river, spent his first few months at home in Methven with mum Naomi and dad Alex but was unable to meet his extended family due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But since lockdown measures have continued to ease Naomi has been overjoyed to embrace the outside world with her son.
She said: “What can we say, March 2020 will be forever not only in our memory, but everyone’s forever more. What a time to have a baby.
“At six weeks old little Tay was starting to see, but seeing was only confined to the corners of our walls.
“If he was lucky, and I had the energy, we would go for a walk around the local park when the government advised we could go out once a day for our daily exercise.
“Arriving home from our walks we would eagerly wait for the six o’clock news to see what Nicola Sturgeon had to say about lifting restrictions, wondering when would little Tay be able to see his family?
“In typical quarantine fashion Tay was only allowed to see his family behind the walls of his own home from behind the glass windows [or with] Skype or Zoom.
“As time passed, and the restrictions eased finally grandparents, aunties and uncles from Scotland were allowed to come in limited groups to come and see little Tay.
“We visited my dad on his 60th birthday on May 20, keeping a safe two-metre distance, to show him his grandson for the very first time, so far the only time he has seen Tay.”
After First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced phased lockdown easing in Scotland, Tay finally got the chance to be held be his grandmother Pauline.
Naomi said: “My mum Pauline came to the rescue and helped us with the advice that the internet could not offer and to finally hold and admire her beautiful grandson.
“Tay is also excited for future playdates with his grandad.
“Looking at Tay now, it’s mad to see how much life has grown during lockdown. He was tiny the day we brought him home alone.
“In the four months that have passed he has certainly grown into his little character. He is one happy little baby.”
At four months old Tay is yet to meet any of his family from Belgium, who are on dad Alex’s side, but that looks set to change.
“Lockdown has been hard, but Alex being at home with us was for the best,” Naomi added.
“Tay’s grandma, aunties and cousins had all booked trips to come over which were all cancelled.
“Alex’s friends were dying to see mini Steelant, but their trips were also cancelled.
“This only means one thing, there will only be tears of joy when we finally get over to Belgium.
“One thing I can say for Tay and all the lockdown babies is we have missed meeting new mums, missed going to baby classes and missed taken our babies swimming for the first time.
“I guess these things will need to wait, but this is something I look forward too.”
Little Tay was starting to see, but seeing was confined to the corners of our walls