Newly born Chase Luca Taylor has already mastered the art of making an entrance.
Chase arrived in the world at 1:23 a.m. on Jan. 1, becoming the first baby of 2018 for Nanaimo and Vancouver Island.
“We didn’t expect it, but once it got later in the year, we definitely started looking at the clock,” said dad Bryce Taylor, while holding the sleeping newborn in the crook of his arm.
Taylor and his partner, Paige Playford, both 19 years old, expected to meet their baby boy on Dec. 31, their due date. Playford went into labour at 7 a.m., but wasn’t checked into Nanaimo Regional General Hospital until 7:30 p.m. She later gave birth to the nine-pound, 11-ounce New Year’s baby.
The couple knew in advance they were having a boy. Holding him in her arms for the first time was amazing, Playford said.
“We were waiting so long. I was just so like happy, just so proud.”
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He’s the second child for the couple. Their 21-month-old daughter, Mazy, wasn’t impressed at first, because her little brother was born early in the morning and she was tired, said Playford, who adds Mazy is now happy and excited, wanting to help, touch and play.
“She loves him. She wants to be right up in his face all the time,” she said.
Chase, wearing a navy blue sleeper, was curled in his father’s arms, eyes squeezed shut and his little face scrunched into a frown, at the couple’s Nanaimo home Tuesday afternoon.
“Definitely has some frowns going on but he’s very quiet, that’s for sure,” said Taylor.
And he likes to eat, adds his mom.
Island Health tweeted out Tuesday that Chase Luca Taylor is Vancouver Island’s first baby of 2018.
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“It was not something we expected at all but pretty cool for him to say the least,” said Taylor. “He’s going to have some pretty wild birthdays, I’m sure.”
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