Meet Baby Willow by phil_howcroft

Meet Baby Willow

Let me introduce Baby Willow to you.. Willow Esme Woolass

Our first grandchild, born in the early hours of this morning, 12 days early, to our daughter Claire and husband Matt.

She is 6 hours old in this photo. We are in tier 2 Covid lockdown at the moment, so we are not allowed to mix in other peoples houses. Claire and Matt said they would drive past our house on the way home from hospital and pulled up in their car outside our house. Jane, myself , my other daughter Kirsty and her husband Matt (two son in laws called Matt !!!) were all in face masks for a 5 minute outside our house meet. I took a quick photo through the back door of the car of Willow. Composition was hard but I got a decent shot, albeit a slightly side one view.

Tomorrow we go into tier 3 Covid lockdown, which means this meet, outside our house would be breaking the law ! Tier 3 rules seem hard to understand as we could go to a restaurant, a pub serving food, swimming, visit a theatre, library, sports centre ...all with random strangers, but cannot socially distance from our family outside our house. We could walk half a mile down the road and meet in a public park / space though.

Anyway "Baby Willow" it was lovely to meet you. We've seen you on facetime, whatsapp, email and social media. I am sure we will have lots of opportunities to meet you (and photograph you) in the future.

As for the photo, I had to do it in Black and White, after all it is my favourite genre. Cool Hat Willow !
Fav! Congratulations to you and your family. Hope lots of photos will follow.
October 29th, 2020  
How sweet and adorable! Congrats to you and the family!
October 29th, 2020  
She's so precious! Congratulations...prepare for your heart to be swallowed up by this tiny human being! Love like you've never known! Prayers for her as she starts her journey on the outside. I look forward to watching her grow!
October 29th, 2020  
Congrats to all.. hard not being able to have cuddles..
October 29th, 2020  
Congratulations to you and your family! Hope you can cuddle her properly soon (and, in my view covid rules are impossible to understand wherever you are)
October 29th, 2020  
Such a bonny and adorable addition to your family - Congratulations to you all So precious and I am sure you will find lots of opportunities to photograph Willow ( I love the name !)
October 29th, 2020  
Many congratulations to you & Jane! New very first time grandparents & Harry & I have just become great grandparents yesterday. I haven’t put it up on anything yet because want to let the parents announce it first...a few friends follow my 365 post.
Lots if happy times for you in the future..... don’t talk to me about all these ridiculous rules....even I am confused now! I think we should all be sensible enough to police our selves!
Lovely name.....it’s sweet. Our NZ great grandchild is called Nina. It will be a very long time before we see her in person sadly! Congratulation to your daughter & her husband.
A quick stay in hospital...I suppose they are all safer at home anyway.
Nina was in intensive care for a bit but now moved to special care unit...she was a bit early but she will be fine.
October 29th, 2020  
Aww, congratulations Phil, to you and your family. She looks very sweet. I love the name Willow, but also Esme as it was my mum's name and is my eldest daughter's second name.
October 29th, 2020  
@happypat Congratulations to you to Pat. It's sad that you can't visit at the moment.
October 29th, 2020  
@nickspicsnz Thanks so much Nick. X
October 29th, 2020  
@nickspicsnz thanks nick, we like both names, we will have to see how things change over the next month re' visiting.

@happypat thank you Pat for your kind words and thoughts, congratulations on becoming great grandparents too :)

@beryl we will just have to look on the positive side, I am sure we will get lots of opportunities in the future to meet willow . thank you for your kind wishes

@monicac monica thank you for your kind thoughts

@julzmaioro julia thank you for your kind word

@jackies365 Precious indeed Jackie, thank you for the fabulous words

@marlboromaam thanks for your visit to willow's photo :) Much appreciated

@sdutoit Sylvia, i hope I can get lots of photos soon
October 30th, 2020  
Congratulations
October 30th, 2020  
Childcare
There are exceptions from legal gatherings limits for registered childcare, education or training, and supervised activities provided for children, including wraparound care, youth groups and activities, and children’s playgroups. This means you can continue to use early years and childcare settings, including childminders, after-school clubs and nannies. See guidance on working safely in other people’s homes.

The following people can provide childcare support in private homes and gardens:

registered childcare providers, including nannies
people in your support bubble
people in your childcare bubble
A childcare bubble is where someone in one household provides informal (unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household. For any given childcare bubble, this must always be between the same 2 households.

Friends or family who do not live with you and are not part of a support or childcare bubble must not visit your home to help with childcare. Childcare bubbles are to be used to provide childcare only, and not for the purposes of different households mixing where they are otherwise not allowed to do so.

The tiers of restriction for education and childcare, summarised in annex 3 of the contain framework and in guidance on higher education, are separate to the local COVID alert level framework. Decisions on any restrictions necessary in education or childcare settings are taken separately on a case-by-case basis in the light of local circumstances, including information about the incidence and transmission of COVID-19.

Phil are you aware of childcare exemption? So you can care for Willow if needs be in your home or her home. My sister has just has a baby 2 weeks ago and my parents have been providing childcare for other two kids and helping with new born under this exemption. This is from the governments covid website and childcare bubbles function under tier 3 and are not just about care for working parents.
October 30th, 2020  
This is in additional to any support bubble you may have formed. Hope it's of some help! Sure in the coming day and weeks Claire may appreciate a few hours respite and rest that in normal life you'd be able to give, this is a way you can legally support her and care for Willow.
October 30th, 2020  
ohhh and HUGE congratulations on becoming a Grandad.
October 30th, 2020  
@newbank newbank , thanks for the info and link, that is most useful 😀😁😷. Your info and time spent writing it is very much appreciated
October 30th, 2020  
Ooooooh! How sweet! You must be the proudest 'nannu' (that's Maltese for grandfather) at the moment. Congratulations to you all. Your first shot of your grandchild will be in your heart for ever and you got a great one I must say.
October 31st, 2020  
Wonderful. Most of the rules don’t make sense & inconsistent. Congrats. Be safe.
October 31st, 2020  
How sweet. Congratulations.
October 31st, 2020  
Congratulations! lovely photo.
November 1st, 2020  
Wow, congratulations!! I'm so glad you got to meet her on the way home from hospital. What a sweetie. Hang in there!
November 1st, 2020  
Lee
Congratulations Phil. We to have found it difficult this year, as have many others. We've cancelled some special occasions canceled this year.
November 2nd, 2020  
Congratulations ! Nice to meet you Willow !
November 3rd, 2020  
Congratulations,Phil! Willow is a lovely and unusual name.
November 3rd, 2020  
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