Mom shocked after breaking 50-year-old family history of girl babies

COLUMBUS, Ga. – A mother-to-be in Georgia decided to keep the sex of her baby a surprise, but she had no idea just how shocked she'd be.

For Dara Crouch, a 50-year family history of all girls made her certain that she, too, would be giving birth to a girl.



"I just knew I was having a girl," Crouch, 29, told TODAY. But when the day arrived, and out came a baby boy after four hours in labor, her mouth dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief.



A family friend recalled Crouch saying, "Oh my gosh! It's a boy; I can't believe it's a boy!" when she got to hold her son Liam for the first time.

Photographer Neely Ker-Fox captured the moment in a series of touching images. Ker-Fox told TODAY she noticed a "sweet motherly apprehension" in the minutes leading up to the birth as the couple started wondering if maybe, this time, a baby boy would break the 50-year family trend.