Family pictures are one of my favorite things. My husband, not so much. My kids are definitely not fans, but they occasionally smile for the camera. But I got an idea to do this photo shoot and I couldn’t NOT take them. So after our ultrasound showed us a healthy (wiggly!) baby, we had our technician write the gender and put it in an envelope.
After picking out outfits that seemed gender neutral and a few fun accessories for my little people, I found the biggest box I could locate (check with your local appliance store! an oven box would be perfect!) and took it to the local party store and handed them the envelope. They stuffed the box full of balloons . I asked them to use a few different shades of pink or blue to add some interest to the pictures. Then I hid on the other side of the store. They filled the box, and taped it shut. And then I wrapped it. (Ha! but only on the side that was showing and the top. This used a LOT of wrapping paper!
Our little people were SO excited!
No, really, they were excited!
And then we let them open the box. It was SO SO much fun to see their faces. Getting ready for pictures is always a bit stressful, but in this case it was completely worth it. The timing on this shot was super important. If you are using a remote, you’ll want to set your camera to burst. We got several pictures where a balloon was blocking someone’s face and it all happened REALLY quick!
And we are so excited for this little girl. But we are really struggling with names. Suggestions? Anyone?
I should put together my best ‘how to get ready for pictures without causing a family meltdown’ post. This time wasn’t perfect, but I was really happy with how it went. I think my best tip would be plan, plan, plan! And then make the most of the moments. My little guy got a bit sad when his balloon flew away. But we got a few really amazing shots. And I got the BEST cuddles. Worth it. Roll with the challenges and you may get a few favorite shots!
And now we are speeding towards my due date and I haven’t started the nursery! I guess I better start getting things together because ready or not, here she comes!
Thanks for letting me share this moment with you! If you are looking for other really fun ways to announce your new little one, I love these posts:
Cut the Cake Party (this is what we did the first two times! SO FUN!)
Or a pull string pinata?! My kids would be thrilled (until they found out there wasn’t candy inside ;))
Shoes are ADORABLE if you aren’t into taking pictures of yourself 32 weeks pregnant. (But you should! You’ll wish you had pictures someday. At least, that’s what I told myself)
I guess I better go start gathering up tiny little adorable things and making a place for this sweet, little lady!
Thanks for reading along! And thank you to Tiffany at Follow Your Art Photography for humoring a crazy pregnant lady and taking these amazing shots!
How about Laura 😉
my son was to be Beatrice…still love that name.
what a sweet, fun way to reveal…we waited until birth both times!!
Thanks for sharing with us! You’re such a beautiful family and I just love that you take wonderful photos to remember these years. I know there are a bazillion great names, but a personal favorite of mine is Madeleine, spelled in the French spelling as immortalized by all the wonderful books about the little girl of that name.
I’m not sure what your children’s names are now but I think Olivia or Amelia are pretty names. BTW Congratulations!!
That is the cutest thing ever. I wish I had done this:)
i love that you wrote a blog post about how you did this!! I fell in love with the very first picture you posted on IG and even showed it to my SIL who was having a gender reveal party. Especially love the different variations in pink balloons. I can tell you have an eye for color! Haha!
Girl names are so much fun. I named my daughter Lainey, but I also love Penelope (Penny), Violet, Eloise, Elodie, Cora, Cecily, Juniper. There are so many beautiful names. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect name for your little one!
your blog entry is so moving……
little girls names Alexandra Kate ….. Amelia Rose…… Charlee Anne……. Mia Jayne ….thanks so much for sharing your family moments
What a fun idea! You will treasure these photos!! You definitely got some beautiful pictures with amazing light. Have fun getting the nursery ready!!!
Congrats!!! Great photo shoot- very special capture of a family moment. My bestie had a girl this week and named her Delia Helena. Some of the other names she was considering were Aria, Willa, Willow, Calista…and some others I liked were Mabel, Maude, Vashti, Augusta (I lean toward old fashioned names).
Really sweet idea! Beautiful photos to cherish : )
So exciting…happy times! I have two sons so no chance to name a girl, but I love the names Rebecca and Emily. I have a niece who will be naming her daughter (due in April) Aubrey–pretty name. I think Aubrey Rose sounds good together, but not sure what middle name she is choosing. It is a big decision though! Best wishes to your family!!
Congratulations. Beautiful photos.
We have a Lucy and a Charlotte, but I really wanted to name my 2nd baby Cora.
We had three girls the youngest of them is now 17. We really spent lots of time on names and all three say why didn’t you name me ___? I hope they grow to love their names. At least one sister liked another one’s middle name as she has used it for her daughter’s middle name too. Great photos!
Aw, congratulations!!!
Georgia, Eve, Ivy…
Congrats Amanda! I imagine you’ll be missing market, but I look forward to seeing you soon.