No money grab: Beyoncé & Jay-Z classily release baby Blue Ivy's first photos to all

Beyoncé and Jay-Z didn't go for the money like so many celebrity couples. They didn't sell photos of their baby to the highest, glossy magazine bidder. They didn't even pretend they were doing it all for charity.

Instead, the proud parents of Blue Ivy Carter posted the photos on a Tumblr that was put on both Beyoncé and Jay-Z's websites on a Friday night. The photos are as adorable as you'd expect (we're talking about Beyonce's baby after all) and the Tumblr page included an image of a handwritten note from "The Carter Family."

 It's the perfect classy move from the mega star mom and dad. They didn't turn their daughter into a commodity. 

"We welcome you to share in our joy," it reads. "Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives."

All in all, it's the perfect classy move from the mega star mom and dad. They didn't turn their daughter into a commodity. They gave their fans a chance to see the pictures at the same time as everyone in the media. And they didn't come close to overkill.

Beyonce and Jay-Z put up just four photos — one direct shot of Blue Ivy, one shot of her bundled up and sleeping, one shot of a beaming mom and baby in the hospital bed and one shot of Jay-Z holding his daughter that might be the most touching of all. None of it appears staged. None of it comes across as forced.

And Blue Ivy already looks like a star with her full head of hair and chilled expressions.

This is how a celebrity power couple should handle the baby pictures.

Sure, Beyoncé and Jay-Z don't need the money. Their estimated net worth surpasses $700 million. But Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt carry a crazy net worth as well — and they still sold their baby photos for more than $11 million.

It's not a huge upset that Beyoncé and Jay-Z — one of the most fiercely private mega star couples out there — turned away from that route. But that doesn't make it any less refreshing.

Houston's own biggest superstar classed an often sordid game up again.