Things got a little nutty when Tom and Kristin Cressotti, alongside daughter, Ella, hosted a backyard gender reveal.
In a video posted to Facebook, the Western Massachusetts couple wielded pre-loaded smoke bombs to announce the gender of their new baby. The Cressottis said they chose smoke bombs because they are supposed to go 30 feet in the air to create a unique visual.
“When my wife handed it to me, I asked her if it was the right way,” Tom Cressotti told TODAY Parents. “She assured me it was and even told me to hold it a little lower like the packaging shows.”
As friends and family counted down, the duo released the blue smoke — signaling a baby boy — only to realize the powder cannons had been held upside down, releasing the “bomb” directly into Tom’s genitals.
“First of all, my utter shock was from the fact that it backfired,” Kristin Cressotti shared. “I knew it was wrong when the blue was on the ground and not in the air. Then I realized my daughter was covered in blue powder, then I saw my husband on the ground yelling at me, because it was apparently my fault he did it wrong.”
Covered in blue smoke, Tom struggled to celebrate the news as he laid on the ground clutching below the waist while a friend pointed out — “no need for a vasectomy!” — amongst a chorus of cheers and applause.
“I initially just panicked when it first went off, because I was afraid it had hit my daughter,” Tom Cressotti said. “Later, I was able to laugh at the situation, because no one got hurt.”
Cressotti has suffered a hit in the genitals before, but this time the experience of “blue balls” was all too appropriate.
“My daughter hits me there once a week probably,” he shared with a laugh. “But it was my first, and last, explosive device to hit my testicles, that’s for sure.”
Both parents agree that more direct labeling on the smoke bomb’s packaging may have prevented this celebration snafu.
“Honestly, it’s not very clear on the box,” Tom said. “They need a red arrow with ‘this end up.’ Something more specific.”
The video, which has been shared more than 900 times with 144,000 views at the time of interview, has garnered comments from around the world. One watcher shared, “This is a perfect way to get ready for her boy,” while others tagged friends thanking them for reading the directions ahead of time during their own gender reveal celebrations.
It’s safe to say this New England dad is going to have a funny story for his son one day.
