Gender reveals come in many forms, from expectant parents cutting into a cake to find out their baby's gender to using balloons or maybe even a piñata.
For a recent gender reveal, one Aurora family didn't choose any of the above options, but rather decided to take a unique approach - and recruit a police officer to break the much awaited news.
As soon as the family asked Aurora Police Dept. Sgt. Scott Carter, who serves in the community oriented policing division, he was all in, according to a post on the department's Facebook page. As Carter approached the family's home, he explained the ground rules over the PA system - if the red lights flash, it's a girl. But if the blue lights flash, it's a boy.
Then, as everyone looked on - Carter switched on the blue lights. But that wasn't all - he popped some blue smoke in the air, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
"It was so exciting to see the anticipation building up as I drove down the street," Carter said. "Everyone was gathered in front of the house and had their phones out ready to record.”
While the request may have been a simple one, it had a lasting impact.
Local
"Building relationships and building trust in the community is our focus every day," stated Lt. Mike Corrigan, who serves in the department's community oriented policing division. "To have a community member reach out and include the police in something so personal, it speaks volumes.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.