Bellamy was only three months old as of October 20. The couple had met in 2014 and began dating soon after that. The mother of Bellamy and her husband had also both been huge nerds and loved to dress up for events such as anime cons and comic cons as often as they could. The couple had also celebrated their Halloween with their friends and had wanted their children to be able to take part in all of those fun events. This was the first year that Bellamy was going to be a part of the family for the celebration of Halloween. “AnnaMarie wanted something different, special, and fun. She and her husband had been to Disney World and Universal Studios at the age of twenty-one.
At Universal Studios, she had been to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and she and her husband had even purchased the robes that she was wearing in the picture. They had just passed the anniversary of the first year of marriage. A family Harry Potter costume was the perfect celebration. Harry Potter had been a favorite story of AnnaMarie since the age of seven or eight.”
She also wanted the costume that Bellamy would wear for the first time to be special. That was not difficult, and after she was done with it, she sent a picture to her best friend, and she was very happy. There was another picture of Bellamy in his costume posted on Facebook by AnnaMarie, and that got some responses, though that was still small compared to the family picture.
It was the annual Halloween party, and Bellamy was already nearing bedtime. Bellamy started acting up like the spoiled Mandrake he is, which naturally only Mandrakes exhibit. They took a few photos and put the youngster to bed shortly after. That night, AnnaMarie put the family picture on the Internet. The next day, it had about 100 shares. By Sunday morning, it had close to 10,000 shares, and it just went on and on. The picture went viral in no time.
AnnaMarie and her husband were surprised at how quickly it went viral. They were just checking their posts to see how many shares and comments they were accumulating. It was amazing and exhilarating at the same time. AnnaMarie just laughed that maybe they would never reach this level again when it comes to their children. Though AnnaMarie and her husband were not looking forward to it going viral, it was still an exhilarating moment for the couple. AnnaMarie believes it was a good memory to record in Bellamy’s baby book.
Parenting had not always been this effortless. AnnaMarie confessed that struggling with postpartum depression had been her experience following the arrival of Bellamy. This is one of the moments that served as a constant reminder of the importance of her smiling, being happy, and living in the present. This was just that, and that was all that mattered. The Mandrake costume represented enjoyment, family, and imagination. Bellamy’s parents also aimed to provide memories that the child would always look back on with nostalgia. Even with all the difficulties that come with parenting, these little memories that brought people happiness were worth it. “It’s just a Halloween night, after all,” he told himself as he waited anxiously for Halloween.
Bellamy AnnaMarie and her husband had been participants in the whole kid-at-heart thing. Halloween bashings and cosplay bashes were more than just masquerading. They were avenues of bringing people together with the sole aim of having fun and enjoying life. Adding the dimension of having Bellamy along with them in those adventures was special. With AnnaMarie, the viral experience is more than the limelight. It is about appreciating the moments with family, celebrating creativity, and finding happiness amidst the madness of parenthood.
