NATCHEZ — On a sunny Sunday afternoon, a group of ladies were tucked away celebrating the bringing of a boy into the world.

When The Dart landed on Duncan Avenue, Alison Prescott was the center of attention, blooming beautifully seven months into her pregnancy, which would bring the first boy into the family.

Her mother, Elizabeth Swalm, reared three girls, who then subsequently each had a baby girl.

Prescott, with 21-month-old daughter Rachel, said she was excited to be having a baby boy.

“We were ready for a boy,” Prescott said of her and husband, Rick.

She said the second go-around has been fine and she wasn’t nervous about bringing another child into the picture.

But, because of all the daughters and nieces in the family, Prescott has found herself in a world absent of blues.

Which is why hostess Ashley Linton said she wanted to throw Prescott a baby shower.

“We wanted to have a shower to have some boy stuff,” Linton said.

And Prescott said she got “ a lot of blue.”

Linton said another reason for the party is that her family has been friends with the Swalms ever since the Swalm daughters were young.

And with friends and family packed into the house laughing, snacking and drinking punch as little girls frocked in dresses with tiny bows in their hair raced around on wobbly legs, Prescott said she was surrounded by a tight knit group of people.

Swalm attested that her family is very close, spending holidays together as a family.

After the presents were unwrapped and guests slowly started to trickle out, Prescott still housed a smile on her face and a hand on her belly, counting down those last two months.