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ARLINGTON, Texas (WKRC/WFAA/CNN Newsource) – A newborn is turning heads for his Texas-sized arrival, weighing nearly 13 pounds at birth and surprising even his mother and delivery team.
Markie Smith gave birth to her son, Canyon, just days before Christmas at a hospital in Arlington. Delivered by cesarean section, the baby’s size stunned those in the room, Smith said.
“Everybody, the whole room just was like, ‘Oh my God,’” she said.
Nicknamed “Grand Canyon,” the infant is already wearing three-month-old clothing at just 3 weeks old. Smith said she knew to expect a larger baby because she had gestational diabetes, but the final weight far exceeded her expectations.
“I was expecting maybe a 10-pound baby, but definitely not a 12-pound baby,” she said.
The average full-term newborn weighs about 7 pounds, according to medical guidelines.
Smith said Canyon’s birth came during a difficult period in her life, including the recent loss of her mother and the end of a relationship. She said her son’s arrival has brought renewed hope.