Competition's youngest tot makes debut
AT only 13-days-old, Harvey Whelan is the youngest entrant so far in The Sentinel's Baby and Toddler of the Year competition.
Weighing in at seven pound four ounces, he spent an enjoyable morning posing for photographers at the Roebuck Shopping Centre in Newcastle.
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NEW BORN: 15-year-old mum Sadie Whelan with son Harvey. Picture: Marc Scott
Mum Sadie Whelan, aged 15, said: "I think the fact that he's so young will help him in the competition because he's a gorgeous baby with blue eyes and quite a bit of hair.
"Although he's only a few days old he looks around and looks like he knows what's going on."
Like all babies his age, Harvey enjoys feeding and catching up on his sleep which proved to be a problem at the start of the photoshoot.
"Harvey wanted his bottle so he was moaning to begin with but he looked good when they were taking the pictures."
Sadie is now looking forward to seeing the photos and possibly purchasing some of the snaps to remember Harvey's early days.
Harvey's birth came as a surprise after hospital staff first thought one-week overdue Sadie was suffering from a water infection.
Pupil Sadie then gave birth to Harvey on Sunday, September 6, at the family home in Albemarle Road, Cross Heath, after returning from hospital.
Sadie's mum Patricia Chadwick, aged 47, delivered the baby, while her 24-year-old sister Natalie Newman, aunt Julie Steadma, plus niece Lexus and nephew Leyton, were all in the room offering their support.
An ambulance was then called and mum and baby were taken to hospital for a check.
Mrs Chadwick said: "Harvey is a good baby, he sleeps through most nights and he only cries when he's hungry.
"He's a beautiful baby but then I think all babies are."
Harvey is just one of the many entrants for this year's competition, which has a new category for toddlers aged three to five.
The free contest offering the chance to win £3,000 worth of prizes attracted more than 1,400 babies last year who received a total of 205,029 votes.
Photo sessions for the competition continue at the Roebuck Shopping Centre in Newcastle from Monday to Saturday, September 26,
4 Comments
by Laura, Weston Coyney
Monday, September 28 2009, 9:11PM
“Agree with Moral Mick. Not the girls fault but the Sentinel should not have featured this.
I think these features are an unfair advantage on other applicant's children who will be unnoticed when people vote.”
by LB, Weston Coyney
Monday, September 28 2009, 9:05PM
“I agree with Moral Mick.”
by stacey, hartshill
Monday, September 21 2009, 3:11PM
“i would just like to say that my son was only 8 days old when he had his photos taken in 2006. so i think he was probably the youngest baby to enter baby of the year. he was born 13/09/06 and his photos were taken on the 21st september 2006.”
by Moral Mick, Stoke
Monday, September 21 2009, 9:41AM
“Er...has nobody considered the fact that this girl is underage and the conception of this baby was by law a rape?
Surely the Sentinel should not be allowing a girl who could not consent to sex to put forward a baby into this competition as it glorifies underage sex because they may "win a prize for their baby"”