If you’re not on Facebook, you probably don’t know Rafael’s work. While his wife Cássia is pregnant, he creates beautiful and captivating drawings of little Amanda, who hasn’t even been born yet! The love and creativity in the photos and videos produced by this dad are immense! You can feel that, in this special moment, the drawings simply reflect what they’re feeling, the happiness of growing their family. Get to know a little more about Rafael, the artistic dad who, through the art from his heart, shows Brazil a bit of his talent and love as a father. And a bit about Cássia, Rafael’s wife, who serves as his canvas while little Amanda hasn’t arrived yet, but who, together with him, reinforces the love expressed in the drawings and animations. Welcome!

Cássia, Rafael and Amanda

Famivita: Tell us a little more about yourselves…Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): Hi, we are a young couple, I’m 22 years old, and Rafa is 26, and we’re starting to build our family with our princess Amanda, who is almost here! He’s a corporal at Canoas Air Base in RS, he’s been there for 8 years and plans to build a career by becoming a sergeant. I work as a sales assistant in a hardware store in a neighboring town.

Famivita: How did you meet?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): We met by chance at a dinner at a mutual friend’s house. I was almost forced to go by my friend, I didn’t want to go at all because I’d worked all day and was tired. But I went anyway so I wouldn’t seem rude lol. A little after I arrived, Rafael showed up with his ex-girlfriend—yep, lol! We talked all night! And you know when you feel something special? That was it! He broke up with his ex and soon enough, we were together. That day I met the man of my life, a wonderful husband and father!

Famivita: Did you plan the pregnancy? Was it difficult to conceive?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): We didn’t plan it, I was taking the pill, and my period came until the third month of pregnancy. When it was late, I got scared and told Rafa. At the first ultrasound I found out I was already 20 weeks pregnant, so it looks like I had no trouble getting pregnant—in fact, quite the opposite! It really WAS meant to be.

Famivita: How was it getting a positive test?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): I was pretty shocked, I just couldn’t imagine myself as a mom before that moment. Seeing those two lines on the test was a shock for me haha. For me (Rafa), it was calm, I wasn’t planning for it either, but in that moment, what I did was hug Cássia, reassure her, and show my maturity in that situation.

Famivita: How was it receiving the news about the pregnancy?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): We were at home, we’d stopped by the pharmacy and bought a test, Cássia already suspected it and wanted to be sure, we did it right away, and immediately two lines appeared lol. We read the instructions over and over to make sure we didn’t make any mistakes haha. At first, it didn’t hit me, I just thought about the responsibility and the fear of not being financially ready, because it would be three of us now. But soon it really sunk in and came the joy of having created the most beautiful thing in the world (I haven’t seen her yet but I know she’s beautiful).

(Cássia) When I saw it was all true, that I would be a mother, once the first shock passed, my heart filled with an indescribable love. And with each ultrasound, seeing that tiny little body fully formed, feeling her move, and seeing her react whenever her dad talked to her made that feeling grow more and more. Today I can’t imagine my life without her.

Famivita: Has the pregnancy been smooth so far? Were there any surprises? Rafael, was Cássia an easy-going pregnant woman or was she very demanding?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): It’s been very smooth! Even the doctor is surprised by how calm she’s been so far, for her everything’s always okay, no drama, she never made me go out in the middle of the night for weird cravings lol. I really admire her strength, because it can’t be easy to deal with all this change, and she’s facing it all with a lot of calm.

Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): I’ve always had some different ideas, a little extra creativity, so the ideas just came to me! Especially with Amanda as inspiration lol.

Famivita: Has Rafael always had this gift for drawing?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): Yes, he’s always had that talent, but because he’s such a perfectionist he never wanted to show it much to others. I was the one who was amazed by his first drawings on my belly and wanted to post them—not imagining it would be such a success.

Famivita: What was the reaction to the “palminhas” (clap hands) video for you?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): Wow, we’re still amazed, we never imagined that an idea I had during lunch at my mom’s house would get so much attention, but it’s really nice to see the affection people show us when they see a picture or video we post! It’s so rewarding.

Famivita: Can anyone have their baby drawn on their belly too? And what if they live really far away? Can the drawings be ordered and sent to moms?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): Only moms here in the south can have their bellies drawn, we have lots of baby showers and photo books scheduled, it’s a way to make some extra money. For those outside our state, here’s what we do: people contact us through our page and order a drawing however they want. Rafael does the drawing with the baby’s name and we send it after bank payment. Some moms print the image and put it in frames to decorate the baby’s room, and it looks beautiful.

Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): I hope she likes it, after all, everything I draw is for her, my biggest inspiration is imagining her in every pose I make, I see her little face in my mind and the drawing just flows naturally.

Famivita: What are your expectations for the baby’s arrival?Heart Art by Dad (Cássia and Rafael): We’re extremely anxious! There are nights I can’t sleep from so much anticipation, I admit these last weeks have felt the longest! But now it’s almost the end, soon she’ll be in our arms and we’ll keep posting nice pictures with our baby haha.

You can find Heart Art by Dad on Facebook and by phone: 51-96655457 – 51-97053377.

See also: Newborn Photos – Memories for a Lifetime

Photos: Personal collection