Texas Mom Gives Birth to a Very Large Baby and Chooses a Fitting Name

Markie Smith named her son Canyon and he weighed 12 pounds, 10½ ounces at birth; after a week in the NICU he was discharged on Christmas Eve.

Markie Smith, a Texas mother, gave birth by cesarean at Arlington Memorial Hospital on Dec. 18 to a notably large baby she had named Canyon. Medical staff in the operating room reacted with surprise when he was lifted up. Smith has had gestational diabetes in all three pregnancies, a condition linked with larger newborns. Her first two children each weighed 8½ pounds. Known details: - The baby, named Canyon, weighed 12 pounds, 10½ ounces at birth. - The delivery was a cesarean section at Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 18. - Smith has had gestational diabetes in all three pregnancies, which can lead to larger babies. - Family members have given Canyon nicknames such as “the Grand Canyon” and “Super Cooper.” - After spending about a week in the NICU to learn to breathe on his own, Canyon was discharged on Christmas Eve. Summary: Canyon’s birth drew strong reactions from the delivery team because of his size, and his family has embraced playful nicknames that reference his name. Parents and relatives describe him as a content, easy baby, and he was discharged from the hospital after a week in the NICU. Undetermined at this time.