Adorable Throwback Photos Of Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz As Parents

When it comes to TV royalty, it would be hard to argue against Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz being the king and queen of sitcoms. "I Love Lucy" is one of the most beloved shows of all time, and for good reason; Ball and Arnaz used their real-life chemistry to craft a series that was filled with true heart and very big laughs, especially when Lucy had some explaining to do. Ball and Arnaz married in 1940, and, in 1951, they brought the world into their three-walled living room to see their fictional lives on "I Love Lucy." Earlier that same year, Ball gave birth to the first of the couple's two children, Lucie Arnaz. The second, Desi Arnaz Jr., would follow about two years later.

Nine years after Lucie was born, Ball and Arnaz would divorce,  but their love would become a standard of TV for decades, with "I Love Lucy" reruns keeping the show, and their legacies, alive. Before the marriage ended, when Ball and Arnaz were on top of the world with their hit show and two children, the joy the family felt when together was all to easy too see.

Lucille Ball suffered a number of tragic miscarriages before she and Desi Arnaz were able to welcome their daughter, Lucie Arnaz, to the world. Lucie was born in July 1951, but wasn't revealed to the world until October, shortly before the premiere of "I Love Lucy."

While mom and dad were all smiles for the photoshoot, it looks like Lucie was feeling a little grumpy. Perhaps she didn't like her trailer, or that morning's breakfast wasn't up to her standards. Whatever the case, Lucie would become camera-ready later in her life, starring alongside her mom on "Here's Lucy."

One of the best things about birthdays is cake. When Lucie Arnaz celebrated her first birthday, she had left her grumpy ways behind her and shared her cake with her dad Desi Arnaz, as proud mom Lucille Ball looked on. Whether or not the moment turned into a classic sitcom trope and someone ended up with a face covered in cake remains a mystery.

What little Lucie wasn't aware of was that her mom was pregnant with her little brother when this picture was taken in July 1952. Desi Arnaz Jr. would be born just six months later.

Grandmas exist to spoil children, and, hopefully, that's exactly what grandma Dolores Lolita and grandma Desiree did to Lucie Arnaz. The grandmothers came together to spend a little time with their grandchild, along with their own offspring, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.

The fivesome posed for the camera on a pleasant day, believed to be in 1952, with the grandmas taking a seat while Ball holds up Lucie, who is wearing a jaunty cap. Her father has his own fun skipper's cap. From the looks of things, a lovely time was had by all.

Desi Arnaz Jr. made his public debut on the cover of the first-ever issue of TV Guide. And while the world got a peek at the baby, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball had the best view of their newborn son Between his smile and the mug he's holding, there's no doubt that Arnaz was a "Proud Papa."

Desi Jr. would become part of a longheld but incorrect belief that he played his parents' fictional son on "I Love Lucy." His birthday coincidentally lined up with the day the episode "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" aired, but Little Ricky was actually played by child actor Keith Thibodeux.

While it may be a step down from his professional photoshoot for TV Guide, little Desi Arnaz Jr. was still happy to pose for some photos with his mom. Lucille Ball helped Jr. sit up while papa Desi Arnaz snapped a pic of the two.

Where Lucie Arnaz is during this photoshoot is unclear. Perhaps she is taking the picture of her dad taking the picture of her mom and new brother, but that seems unlikely, being that Lucie wasn't even two years old when this moment was preserved on film in January 1953.

Not long after Desi Arnaz Jr. was born, the family got together to get some photos. In true superstar fashion, it seems that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had more than one photographer on hand, as Arnaz and Lucie Arnaz looked in one direction while Ball looked in another. Little Desi Jr. didn't appear to be interested in the cameras at all.

Ball and Arnaz were all smiles, the proud parents of a healthy girl and a newborn boy. The couple were just two years into "I Love Lucy," which would continue to be a hit series until it ended in 1957. For the Ball-Arnaz family, there was plenty to be smiling about.

The beginning of 1956 saw Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz — and their children — leave their home for a 17-day tour to promote both the comedy couple's movie, "Forever, Darling," and the Heart Fund. The famous family traveled by train, going to New York and back.

At the end of the journey, Ball and Arnaz returned to California and were greeted by the press. Desi Arnaz Jr. managed to steal a moment by putting on a cowboy hat that is clearly too big for him, but that only makes it all the more adorable. Ball and Arnaz seemed overjoyed at their son's adorable antics.

Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. were born and raised in Los Angeles, where the only snow is movie magic. In about 1957, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz took their kids to a more traditional winter climate, along with a dog who appeared to be more willing to pose for pictures.

While the press was grabbing shots for the papers and magazines, Ball and Arnaz also had cameras of their own to seemingly capture more intimate moments. The whole family looked great in their snow gear. Desi Arnaz's sweater and hat combo is especially inspiring.

Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and the kids inspected the S.S. Liberté to make sure that the bellhops were shipshape before leaving port in New York. One bellhop has the famous redhead's fur coat in hand as Ball sets another of the young staff in the sights of her umbrella.

Meanwhile, Desi Arnaz Jr. looks dapper in his suit, while Lucie Arnaz wears a very cute dress with a white apron and matching hat. The family is ready to set sail for adventure.

Family travel can be difficult, especially with young children, but Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz are all smiles and big waves as they disembark from a plane with Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. walking in front of them. And while the Ball-Arnaz family gives the cameras something to photograph, keen eyes will catch "Sunset Boulevard" star William Holden coming down the steps behind them.

Sadly, this photo from 1959 may be one of the last happy moments the family shared. Lucille Ball filed for divorce in March 1960. While Ball and Arnaz would stay close until the day Desi passed in 1986, the family dynamic would never be the same again.