A mum is sharing the growth of her eight-month-old, who has outgrown toddler clothes and wears outfits for five-year-olds.
When Jessica High gave birth to her fourth child, weighing 7lbs 4oz, she was overjoyed.
But over the next few weeks, her tiny newborn began growing rapidly to the point where he wasn’t so little anymore.
READ MORE: ‘We quit Britain to travel the world with our two kids – a year later, we’ve saved £15,000’
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At six weeks old, he had almost doubled in size to 13lbs 6oz and at six months, he weighed in at 33lbs 7oz.
Now, at eight months old, he’s wearing clothes suitable for a five-year-old – and this is starting to prove a bit snug.
Jessica, 34, says it’s a ‘two-person job’ looking after him due to his size and that although the family aren’t broke, his speedy weight gain is proving rather costly.
To the tune of $5,000 (USD).
“People ask me how I carry him – and I say with hope and prayer,” the business owner told Whats The Jam.
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“I have reduced myself to only buying him five pieces of clothing: shirts, onesies and pairs of shorts or pants.
“I was buying whole wardrobes and he was outgrowing the clothes before I could even get the tags off.
“He was so big that his bedside bassinet would not rock properly.
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“If he were not positioned in the middle, it would tilt and get stuck.
“We eventually had to get a handmade bassinet that’s essentially the size of a mini crib.
“Axyl can’t fit in an umbrella stroller and he’s within weeks of not fitting in his jogging stroller, either.
“At restaurants, he doesn’t fit highchairs.
“And, at this point, we’re not sure what we can do car seat-wise.
“His grandpa can’t walk him, nor can his aunt.
“It takes two people to get him strapped in and out of everything.
“We are by no means broke, but in a mere eight months, we’ve had to buy everything for a newborn all the way up to a toddler.
“It’s insane, because everything we’ve just bought is already useless for him.”
Jessica, from North Carolina, US, says Axyl is “heavier than an SUV tire without the rim”.
The mum-of-four shares Seth, 17, Pyper, 12, Phoenix, five and Axyl, eight months, with husband, Jade, 43.
Their three other children never grew to this extent; and so each day is a lesson.
Even while in the womb, she would need to use a wheelchair as he would kick her “so hard” she couldn’t walk.
Axyl, despite not walking or crawling, is already in for a challenge when it comes to buying shoes, as his feet are currently too wide for any baby ones.
Jessica says that although Axyl attracts a crowd wherever he goes, the reaction is mixed.
She said: “We can never go out and be in a hurry anymore because we’re stopped so often.
“The people at the mall kept asking me: ‘You’re back again?’ as I was there every two weeks.
“There have been speculations from my own family that he was ‘too big’ or that he’s ‘not hungry, just gassy.’
“On the internet, people say he’s got a metabolic issue, or that I’m forcing food down his throat.
“Some people think I’m purposefully making him obese, even though he is perfectly healthy.
“I don’t owe anybody an explanation.
“As I’m around him every day, the size isn’t drastically noticeable.
“But when I look at pictures on my phone, it seems like six months have gone past – when it’s really only been three weeks.”
Axyl’s diet consists of 37oz of formula a day, along with two jars of baby food.
He’s monitored every eight weeks by a well-accredited paediatrician who has zero concerns.
While it’s unclear how big he might get, Jessica doesn’t care – she’s only bothered about having a healthy baby.
She added: “I prayed for healthy babies and I’ve been blessed with four.
“My biggest hope for Axyl is that he grows up to be kind and confident.
“We’ve been given a rare opportunity to share our family and Axyl’s extraordinary growth journey with people all over the world.
“He has supporters from India, the UK, Australia, and across the United States, and we’re incredibly grateful for the kindness we’ve received.
“To us, he’s not ‘the giant baby of the internet’ – he’s simply our son.
“My hope is that this platform can be used to spread positivity, bring awareness to children who grow outside the norm, and maybe remind people that different doesn’t mean bad.”
