Recap: "Courtship & Marriage"

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "Courtship & Marriage"...

• Gil and Kelly Bates understand that as their kids grow older, they are going to cut their own trails.
• "I think all of our children are going to make choices that maybe we didn't make," says Kelly. "But I think the core values, in spite of the little differences, are the same."
• For example, Zach and Whitney say they plan to let Bradley watch Pooh Bear, even though Zach's parents hardly allow their kids to watch any TV.
• Erin, who lives only a few miles away from her family, has Callie, Ellie, and Warden over for a sleepover. "It gets lonely," admits Erin. "I'm not used to being by myself, and I really don't like it."
• Chad returns home from work, and he and Erin share a hug and a kiss. Chad joins Erin and the kids in the kitchen as they finish making dinner. As part of the meal, Erin serves steamed broccoli, but her siblings aren't thrilled about trying it.
• Now that she is married, Erin has adopted a healthier lifestyle. "I have to be honest," she says. "My family tries to eat healthy." But with 19 kids, it isn't easy, especially since Kelly grew up on TV dinners.
• In Florida, Alyssa and John also live a quiet life as newlyweds. Alyssa misses her family but is able to chat with them often.
• "It is terribly hard having Alyssa in Florida because I always want to go see her," says Gil.
• Back at the Bates house, Michaella packs for a trip to see her boyfriend, Brandon, who is away at Bible college in Texas. Gil prays with his daughter before taking her to the airport.
• Michaella is chaperoned by her friend, Amber. She and Brandon share a few heartfelt hugs when Michaella arrives. Brandon is thrilled to see his girlfriend. He had no idea she was coming to visit.
• Gil and Kelly discuss courtship standards. "We as parents set general parameters," says Kelly. They instruct their children to keep Christ at the center of their relationships and to remain pure. They would like each of their kids to save their first kiss for their wedding because they know that kissing in private can lead to other temptations.
• Gil and Kelly admit that they did not save their first kiss for their wedding. Zach and Whitney intended to but ended up kissing beforehand. They say their parents were very understanding when they admitted what they had done. Zach and Whitney encourage their siblings not to follow in their footsteps.
• Michaella and Brandon plan to save their first kiss for their wedding, but they exchange frontal hugs when they greet each other and say goodbye.
• Zach accompanies Whitney to her last doctor appointment before Bradley's birth. The couple is able to see a clear picture of Bradley's face on the ultrasound.
• Erin and Chad visit a doctor to attempt to find out why they have not been able to sustain a pregnancy. He runs tests and instructs Erin to take an aspirin each day, as well as extra folic acid. Erin and Chad are thrilled to have a remedy to try, and they both give the doctor a hug before leaving.
• "...We are very hopeful for the future," says Chad.

Recap: "Meet the Bates"

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "Meet the Bates"...

• Gil and Kelly Bates, parents of 19 kids, got pregnant with Zach three months after their wedding. Like the Duggars, the couple has decided to leave the size of their family up to God.
• Even though they have a large family, the Bates insist that each of their kids has a unique personality, and they can tell you what makes each of them unique.
• Zach is the teacher/researcher. Michaella has a heart of gold. Erin is the organizer. Lawson is the family police officer. Nathan is everyone's best friend. Alyssa gets things done. Tori is a ball of energy and the family cook. Trace has a highly competitive nature.
• Carlin is high-energy and very expressive. Josie is quiet (when you first meet her) and caring. Katie is spunky. Jackson is always growing and thinking. Warden is always moving. Isaiah has a tender heart. 
• Addallee thinks of others before herself. Ellie is miss smiley. Callie thinks she is the boss of the family and is little miss sassy. Judson is a teddy bear and loves to cuddle. Jeb is full blast, 90 mph and can tackle his older brother Judson.
• How does Gil afford 19 children? He owns a tree-trimming service, a dangerous but well-paying job. Gil says his daughters keep telling him to get a safer job. 
• Gil’s older sons (Nathan, Lawson, and Trace) often help him with tree jobs.
• The Bates are planning a big family supper. Tori, the family cook, shares her view on meal preparations: "Here’s what I say: If you want to complain about it, get in here and cook it yourself. Otherwise, you shut your mouth and sit down and eat it."  
• Everyone but Alyssa Bates Webster and her husband, John, come over for the meal. Alyssa and John married in May and live in Florida. To make the distance easier, Kelly and the girls FaceTime with Alyssa frequently. Alyssa is the only one of the three married Bates children who lives far away.
• Life with 19 kids can be crazy, but Kelly, who is often referred to as the "chaos manager," loves her life. "If we wanted a clean house and no work and no effort, then we would have no children, but we would miss out on all the fun," says the mom of 19.
• Kelly sits down with Gil to discuss a budget for the baby shower they are throwing for Zach and Whitney and the baby boy they are expecting, whose name will be Bradley. The Bates' goal is to pull off a beautiful party while keeping the costs down.
• Erin shares the heartbreak she has gone through with her miscarriage. She and Chad found out they were expecting three months after their wedding, and their due date was a week and a half before Zach and Whitney's. They were devastated to find out at the first ultrasound appointment that Erin had miscarried.
• "The hardest thing was to see how much it hurt [Erin]," says Chad.
• Although Erin often gets emotional when her family members talk about Zach and Whitney's baby, she has decided to be involved in all the preparations.
• "It’s not about me," says Erin. "It’s really about friendship…making the other person feel special and important. And I want Whitney to feel special and important because I really am happy for her."
• Kelly and the older girls get together to address envelopes for Zach and Whitney’s baby shower. Whitney, who comes over to the Bates house often to help out Kelly, joins her in-laws. Erin and Carlin head to the store to pick up supplies for the shower.
• Zach and Whitney begin renovations on their baby’s room. Gil comes over to lend a hand. While they work, Gil shares parenting wisdom with his eldest son: "Bradley and Whitney are more important than anything else you are trying to do." 
• One of Gil's favorite mantras is that "people are more important than projects."
• While setting up for the baby shower, Kelly is informed via phone call that 17-year-old Trace has been in a car wreck. 
• "I know that the family has a tendency to minimize things when they tell it to me because I panic," says Kelly. 
• Trace is shaken up by the accident, but the rest of the family is thankful to find out that he has escaped uninjured. He had been driving too fast and had slid off the road.
• Everyone heads to the baby shower. Alyssa and John come up from Florida for the first time since their wedding. 
• The highlight of the shower is having all the married couples, each person with one hand tied behind his or her back, try to put a cloth diaper on a baby doll. Gil and Kelly are pros, but Zach and Whitney have a harder time figuring it out. 
• After the shower, Alyssa and John go back to the house with the rest of the family to make a big announcement. Alyssa is wearing a shirt that says "bun in the oven." Everyone is thrilled to find out that there is another Bates grandchild on the way! Alyssa is due in April. 
• "We’re the last of a dying breed…single guys," jokes Lawson, while sitting with Nathan and Trace.