In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena emerged from the head of her father, Zeus. She was fully grown and clad in armor. We’re surprised that one Florida family didn’t consider Athena as a name for their new baby daughter.
“It looked like they pulled a toddler out of my belly,” proud mom Chrissy Corbitt told ABC News after the birth. “She’s so big.”
Chrissy and her husband, Larry Corbitt, live in Keystone Heights, Florida, with their four kids. As of May 15, 2017, make that five kids—and what a kid this latest turned out to be!
Baby Carleigh (not Athena, alas) was born at Orange Park Medical Center, and at first, Chrissy couldn’t understand why all the doctors and nurses were so excited.
“When the doctor was pulling her out of me I just started hearing them all laughing and excited in the operating room,” Chrissy said. “They were throwing out numbers and when they showed her to me and said ‘13.5,’ I couldn’t believe it.”
That number—13.5—refers to the infant’s incredible weight.
The average weight for an infant with Carleigh’s background is just 7.7 pounds. Only 5 percent of newborns end up outside of the “normal” range, which is between 5.5 and 11 pounds.
A 13.5 pound baby is nearly unheard of. Still, the Corbitts are truly enjoying their big bundle of joy. They’re not alone.
Once Chrissy had recovered from her C-section, the family brought baby Carleigh to Sweet Smiles Photography Studio. There, photographer Debbye Benson immortalized the infant with adorable pictures that quickly blazed a path through social media.
“I’m so happy I was able to meet and hold this mini celebrity,” read one social media post from Sweet Smiles. “She was such a perfect model during our session—so gorgeous and squishy!”
Despite their newfound fame, the Corbitts know that it’s not going to be easy to raise this little goddess.
She isn’t easy on the back. Also, as the Corbitts discovered on day one, finding baby clothes has been a challenge.
“She’s like a 6-month-old baby,” Larry told ABC News. “We even contacted Pampers and Huggies to help us out because everything we got to prepare is just out the door. None of it fits. She’s in size 3 diapers. The clothes she had on yesterday was a 9-month outfit.”
Then the proud father said something simple and profound that sums up the miracle of this newborn. “She’s huge,” he said.
Meanwhile, we can all enjoy the pictures of this cuddly cutie.
“She’s just filled with rolls,” Chrissy said. “She’s just a big squishy baby. She’s so adorable.” The family is getting used to baby Carleigh’s fame, although they’re a bit surprised by it.
“I had no idea she was going to be so popular,” the beaming mom said. “It’s been a great experience and I can’t wait to look back on this and share it with her to show her she became a celebrity overnight.” That’s just one more thing that Carleigh has in common with the mythical Athena.