The Gender Reveal

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I decided to have a gender reveal party. Honestly, I didn’t want to have one. I have always been fine with keeping intimate moments to myself and my husband, and have never felt the need to share everything exciting immediately with everyone around me. The question kept coming up, “when are you having your gender reveal?!” Barrett also wanted to have one, so I said fine. If we are going to have one, we are going to do it my way. I wasn’t in the mood for hosting anything at our house, and I wasn’t into confetti cannons and smoke bombs. 

After researching and thinking, I decided to do the party at Painting with a Twist. It was PERFECT! It didn’t require me to clean my house, my friends basically got a date night  because a lot of them came with significant others, everyone was able to try something new, all while eating delicious Mellow Mushroom pizza and drinking the finest of cheap wine. Could you ask for a better night?! 

The week before, I gave the artist at the studio the gender and together, we were able to devise the perfect plan. I didn’t want to paint anything baby related because it would’ve been weird for people who don’t have children. We decided on painting the dress and suit because it was something that everyone could enjoy. Towards the end of class, we had all of our guests paint the bow on their dress or tie on their suit the color that they thought the baby would be. Most chose pink. Seriously, the vast majority of our friends thought that we were having a girl! Once everyone was finished, it was time for the big reveal. The balloon pop that you probably saw on my IG and Facebook was because Barrett really wanted a “wow” factor. So I got my simple painting reveal, and he got his balloon pop. It was a win for the both of us! Once everyone found out we were having a boy, the room was full of emotion and happy tears.

Although I didn’t want to have a gender reveal, I’m really happy that I did. Barrett and I don’t have any family here in Nashville. Mine are in Memphis and Atlanta, and Barrett’s is in deep Mississippi. I sent both of our families their own gender reveals to do at home since they weren’t able to make it. We are so blessed and grateful to have established a solid tribe here who are just as close to us as family. Sometimes it’s best to share those special moments with those closest to you because it makes for greater memories.

We also decided to reveal the baby’s name. We had a girl and boy name picked out, and I am so elated to be having a boy because his name is extra special to us.

Blake Loren Newsome

Barrett has always told me that if we were to have a boy, he wanted him to have his initials because he also has his father’s initials. Blake is my maiden name, so he’ll always have a piece of both of us. Is it March already? I sure can’t wait to meet him.