When babies are the topic of discussion, two colors come to mind: pink and blue.

Will the baby grow up to play with fire trucks and building blocks, or Barbie dolls and Polly Pockets? All of this is determined by the gender of the baby; pink or blue.

A new common trend is circling in the mothers-to-be world that uses those two special colors to reveal the gender of the baby to friends and family. Gender reveal parties are gaining in popularity nationwide and more importantly here in Selma.

Woody and Kristen Jones had a gender reveal party Sunday in which they, along with their guests, found out the sex of their second child.

“I wanted to do something different and we came up with the idea of a memory game,” Kristen Jones said. “I just thought it would be a fun way for us to be with friends and family and let everybody know the gender at the same time.”

She said the other common ways for gender to be revealed are through traditions like balloons and cake. Usually the ultrasound technician will give the mother-to-be a sealed envelope with the gender of the baby inside without telling her the gender of the baby. The mom will then take the envelope to the bakery and order a cake with either pink or blue frosting on the inside. At the party, the guests and the parents discover the gender together by cutting into the cake.

Jones said when she searched online for ideas she saw a common tradition that used balloons.

“You put helium in the balloons that are either pink or blue and then you put them into a box. On the night of the reveal you cut the box open and release the balloons,” Jones said.

But Jones said those common traditions did not appeal to her. She wanted to do something different.

“I was with a friend and we came up with a memory game that she had heard of,” Jones said.

Guests at the party were invited to participate in a card matching game at the time of the reveal. Each card match was of gender related object like a pink bow or a blue car. The last card left on the table had its match inside of a sealed envelope from the ultra sound technician. The Jones family flipped the last remaining card over to reveal that they were having a boy.

“Playing the game really gave [the gender reveal moment] more anticipation,” Jones said. So I think that helped make it more exciting at the end and I think everybody had a really good time.”

She said that while other mothers-to-be might like to know the gender of the baby before their friends and family, she really liked the element of surprise.

Its just such an exciting time and its just so fun to be surprised.” Jones said. “I thought it would be more fun to do the gender reveal in a party setting and a big get together as opposed to laying in the ultra sound room and just hearing them say ‘it’s a girl or it’s a boy.’”