Sammisano Otuhiva had a birth weight of 16 pounds and 1.8 ounces, possibly making him the largest baby ever born in California. (CBS) Sammisano Otuhiva had a birth weight of 16 pounds and 1.8 ounces, possibly making him the largest baby ever born in California. (CBS)

DALY CITY (KPIX 5) – After news reports of a record-setting baby in Southern California, a Bay Area couple wants to set the record straight. They say their baby is the biggest newborn in California history.

Calling Sammisano Otuhiva isn’t an insult, it’s a fact. His mother, Sosefina Tagalu, is Samoan and his father, Pava Otuhiva, is Tongan.

“You put that together, yeah, we make big babies…but we didn’t know it was going to be this big,” Tagalu said.

In fact, when he was born in August, Sammisano became the biggest newborn baby on record in California, weighing in at a whopping 16 pounds, 1.7 ounces.

“I kind of turned my head to the scale…I was shocked,” said the baby’s mother.

Now 5 months old, Sammi’s Daly City home is full of formula boxes and diapers designed for kids 3 times his age. He began eating cereals at 3 months old, and his two brothers call him a superhero.

“24 inches and a half…that’s 2 feet of baby already,” Sosefina said.

But despite the challenges, Mom calls Sammisano’s size a blessing and a gift from God.

Dad just says, “Bigger is better.”

Othuhiva says they never publicized Sammi’s birth weight, but it always bothered him when the news reported other record babies.

“14 pounds from Modesto… 15 from L.A., they said was a record,” he says, referencing previous reports of record births. “We’re just setting the record straight (about) who carries the title… Sammisano!”

