1. This is Jamie Indiveri and her fiancé Keith Batchelder. She’s a licensed massaged therapist and he’s a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, living in Navarre, Florida.
Facebook / Via facebook.com
2. The couple is expecting their first child together and wanted to do something awesome to find out the baby’s gender.
Facebook / Via facebook.com
3. Indiveri told BuzzFeed that the couple wanted to do something for the reveal that was genuine to who they were.
4. After a bit of research, they settled upon the perfect idea: Using a labeled box filled with tannerite and colored chalk powder to reveal their baby’s sex.
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
5. Batchelder was faced with the task of bursting the box open by shooting it with a rifle. Once opened, it would reveal the bundle of joy the couple would be welcoming later this year.
They looked for the perfect spot, finding a beautiful wooded area in their hometown.
6. When it came time for the big moment, Indiveri says her fiancé was fully prepared: He’d been training just the previous week for the Best Ranger Competition, and when it came time to hit the explosive in the box, he nailed it on the first try.
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
“His friends and teammates in Special Forces, who are all highly trained in advanced marksmanship, would never had let him live it down if he missed!” she said.
7. The couple was overcome with joy when the box was opened and the chalk in the air was blue, indicating they would be having a boy.
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
8. To keep the baby’s identity a secret, Traci Ball, one of Jamie’s friends, came to the hospital to get an envelope which contained the child’s gender.
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
Ball, along with the photographer, were the only two people who knew what baby’s gender would be, according to Indiveri.
9. Photos of the couple’s unique gender reveal have gone viral on Facebook, with thousands of shares — and a lot of people are praising them for their idea.
Twitter / Via Twitter: @sassymhk
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Facebook
12. But there are some who have seen the photos and are a bit upset about the couple using a rifle.
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Twitter
15. “It’s unfortunate that people can take such a joyous event in a stranger’s life and turn it into something negative but I guess that’s social media these days,” Indiveri said of the negative reactions.
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
16. The couple said they are “truly blessed and over the moon excited to meet [their] little man!”
Anna Elizabeth Photography / Via Facebook: annaephotography
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