A hopeful "girl dad" learned he was expecting a daughter in a gender reveal celebration with a surprise ending.
Raquel and Darius Tolver of Tampa, Florida, captured the moment they learned the sex of their quadruplet babies — three boys and one girl — in a TikTok video with more than 33 million views. The party also marked the first time the Tolvers revealed to loved ones that they were expecting quadruplets instead of one baby.
There aren't many girls in Darius Tolver's extended family.
Not only do Raquel and Darius have a 3-year-old son named Dreyson, but Darius has a nephew, his brother-in-law is expecting a baby boy and he grew up in a mostly-male family with only three female cousins. "Family reunions and holidays were boy dominated," he tells TODAY.com.
Darius always wanted a daughter to welcome a new kind of energy into his home.
The couple kept their expectations low while trying to conceive their second child, as Raquel has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can cause irregular periods. They used a procedure called IUI (intrauterine insemination), when doctors insert sperm directly into the uterus.
Although doctors estimated low odds of conception, eventually there was a positive pregnancy test. At an early sonogram appointment, the couple got an exciting first look at what they thought was one baby.
When the doctor counted four tiny flashes on the screen, Darius lapsed into silence while Raquel burst into laughter, at the notion of quadruplets.
"I was losing my mind," Raquel tells TODAY.com.
The couple were warned their pregnancy was high-risk — according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, multiple pregnancies could result in preterm labor, miscarriage or other developmental disorders. Darius says it was difficult to develop many expectations about their future children, including their gender, so the Tolvers kept their news under wraps until the second trimester. In fact, with the exception of a few loved ones, including Raquel's best friend who organized the party, few knew about the quadruplets.
Although Darius was thrilled to have four more children, he held his breath for a daughter.
At the gender reveal party, Darius wore a blue button-down shirt, with a "Team Girl" tee underneath. After playing a game that disclosed to shocked guests that Raquel was carrying quadruplets, it was time for the gender reveal.
In the video, Darius' stress is palpable as Raquel uses a confetti popper to blast blue or pink sprinkles into the air. One by one, blue confetti filled the air.
"I told myself, 'If the last one is blue, I will lose my mind and potentially embarrass myself," recalls Darius, jokingly.
The video shows Raquel firing off the last popper and pink confetti raining down. Darius threw up his hands in excitement.
The quadruplets — sons Bryson, Royce, Denzel and baby girl Amaya — were born 7 months ago and Darius wears his girl dad title with pride, determined to raise his daughter with respect.
"Amaya might choose a partner one day based on her experience growing up with men," he says. "It's my mission to treat Amaya like the miracle she is, without making her feel as though she can do no wrong. And when she leaves home one day, I hope her partner treats her just as well, if not better."