Baby boy born over 14 pounds returns home to family

"He's our ... ray of sunshine. He’s beautiful," Sonny's dad told "GMA."

October 30, 2023, 10:29 AM

A Canadian couple that welcomed a baby weighing over 14 pounds at birth say their youngest child's large size was "absolutely" a surprise to them.

Britteney Ayres gave birth to a baby boy named Sonny via cesarean section at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge, Ontario, on Oct. 23. It's the fifth child for her and her husband, Chance Ayres.

"Never in our wildest dreams did we think he'd be that big," Chance Ayres told "Good Morning America."

PHOTO: Sonny Ayres was born Oct. 23 and weighed 14 pounds and 8 ounces.
Sonny Ayres was born Oct. 23 and weighed 14 pounds and 8 ounces.
Courtesy of the Ayres family

Sonny weighed in at 14 pounds and 8 ounces and was 55 centimeters long.

Like his siblings, Sonny was larger than the size of an average baby boy at birth, which tends to be around 9 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PHOTO: Sonny is the youngest of Britteney and Chance Ayres' five children.
Sonny is the youngest of Britteney and Chance Ayres' five children.
Courtesy of the Ayres family
PHOTO: A hospital warmer machine screen shows baby Sonny's weight at 14 pounds and 8 ounces.
A hospital warmer machine screen shows baby Sonny's weight at 14 pounds and 8 ounces.
Courtesy of the Ayres family

According to mom Britteney Ayres, two of his older siblings were also born via C-section and both weighed over 13 pounds.

"[Marigold] was born 13 pounds, 14 ounces. And Lucky, he was born 13 pounds, 11 ounces," Britteney Ayres said.

Sonny is now back home with his parents and family in Cambridge, which include his four older siblings -- Chance, 6, Everett, 5, Lucky, 3, and Marigold, 1.

PHOTO: Britteney and Chance Ayres with their five children -- Chance, Everett, Lucky, Marigold and Sonny.
Britteney and Chance Ayres with their five children -- Chance, Everett, Lucky, Marigold and Sonny.
Courtesy Ayres Family

Britteney Ayres said her pregnancy was free of any complications and Sonny's arrival, a week earlier than his original due date of Oct. 31, has been a "blessing."

"I'm taking it day by day but I'm just really happy to be home and have a good support system," the mom of five said. "Nana and Papa are here helping out with the other littles and we're just really excited to be home. It's a blessing."

"The doctor asked us if we joked around, he says, 'Well, we just make big babies,'" Britteney Ayres recalled. "Chance is very tall. He's 6 [feet], 2 [inches]. My dad's tall so it runs in the family."

Dr. Asa Ahimbisibwe, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, told "GMA" via email that Sonny was the biggest baby he has delivered so far in his career and the biggest baby born at the hospital since 2010.

The Ayres say Sonny will be their last child and he has already been lighting up their lives.

"He's our last one ... a ray of sunshine. He's beautiful," Chance Ayres said. "Anyone that sees them has an enormous smile, even if they don't recognize [him] from the news. They still see him and say, 'Wow, what a baby that is.'"