Erin and Chad's Maternity Shoot

Have you heard the big news?

As we announced this morning, Erin (Bates) Paine, 24, and Chad Paine, 28, are expecting their second child! (Click here to watch a video message from the ecstatic couple.) The baby will join big brother, Charles Stephen Paine IV “Carson,” this summer.

Erin and Chad said: “Valentine’s Day was the perfect occasion to tell our family and celebrate the news of the new little blessing God is adding to our family. It was the biggest surprise of our year, but now we can hardly wait to meet our sweet baby this summer. We cannot begin to describe the pure joy and excitement we're feeling. We were so blessed by the outpouring of support during our first baby Carson’s pregnancy; please continue to pray for us.”

Grandparents Gil and Kelly Jo Bates added: “Erin and Chad surprised us on Valentine's Day with news of a new grandbaby on the way. Our family is growing, and we couldn't be any happier! There is something so exciting and special about children that adds joy to a home! We feel very blessed!"

Gil and Kelly Jo currently have three grandchildren but will soon have two more, as Zach and Whitney Bates also recently announced that they are expecting their second child this summer.

Erin and Chad's news is especially exciting, as Erin experienced challenging and potentially life-threatening issues during her last pregnancy due to a blood clotting condition.  The couple welcomed son Carson, now nine months old, on May 14, 2015. He was born healthy and happy.  

Taryn Yager, a photographer friend who has done numerous photo shoots for the Bates family, snapped these pictures of Erin, Chad, and Carson. (Learn more about Taryn and her photography business on her website and Facebook page.)

 Erin, Chad, and Carson Paine

Here are the links to previous posts that include photos by Taryn Yager:

Zach and Whitney Announce Baby #2
Photos of the Little Bates Family
 

Photos courtesy of Taryn Yager Photography/UP

Celebrating the Bates Matriarch

Gil and Kelly Jo Bates have been married for nearly 28 years and have 19 children and three grandchildren, as well as four miscarried babies waiting for them in heaven.

Wishing Kelly Jo a blessed 49th birthday! She is a godly inspiration to many people throughout the world.

Photos courtesy of the Bates family. Left: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates on a beach vacation in 2006; right: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates in 2014

Tonight..."Bates Gone Wild"

A new episode of Bringing Up Bates airs tonight!

Thursday, January 15, 9:00pm ET
Bringing Up Bates “Bates Gone Wild” (30 min) 

Nothing like driving lessons and a camping trip to bring out family dynamics. As the Bates family gears up to rough it outdoors – how do they pack for so many and move the troops all at once? – Tori and Carlin’s nerves are rattled by older brothers Zach and Lawson as they practice one last time for their driving test. Later, settling in at the campsite proves challenging, as not everyone is thrilled to be in the wild. Then as Gil, Kelly Jo, and the older kids take a canoe trip, 16-year-old Carlin babysits 8 younger siblings. As daunting as it seems, she fares better than the adults do on the canoe trip.

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Photo: Courtesy of UP

"Bringing Up Bates" Episode Summaries

The all-new UP original series Bringing Up Bates premieres in two days! Let's see what's in store for the Bates family in the first three episodes...

Thursday, January 1, 9:00pm ET
Bringing Up Bates “Meet the Bates” (60 min) 
Meet the super-sized Bates family: Parents Gil and Kelly Jo Bates have 19 kids, 3 kids-in-law, and their first grandbaby on the way! The house is buzzing as the family gathers for dinner, including married couples Zach & Whitney -- who are expecting baby Bradley in one month – and Erin & Chad. As Kelly Jo and the girls plan a baby shower for Whitney, Gil and the older boys are off to a tree cutting job. Later, Erin shares that she had another miscarriage and is struggling to get pregnant. On the day of the shower, chaos ensues when Trace gets into a car accident and sibling Alyssa and her husband, John, arrive from Florida with news of their own.

Thursday, January 8, 9:00pm ET
Bringing Up Bates “Courtship and Marriage” (30 min)
Newlywed Erin Bates is adjusting to married life, going from a house with 18 siblings to a house with just her husband, Chad. To help ease the transition to a quiet house and help the heartache of another miscarriage, she hosts her younger siblings for a sleepover. Meanwhile, eldest  daughter Michael is in a courtship with a young man named Brandon, who is away at seminary school in Texas. She wants to surprise him with a visit, but how will that go over with the Bates family’s strict courtship and intimacy rules? Then, at Zach and Whitney’s final ultrasound before the birth, the couple gets honest about having a baby – and if they’ll follow in Zach’s parents’ footsteps in every sense. Later, at an OBGYN check-up, Erin and Chad get news that impacts their desire to start a family.

Thursday, January 15, 9:00pm ET
Bringing Up Bates “Bates Gone Wild” (30 min) 
Nothing like driving lessons and a camping trip to bring out family dynamics. As the Bates family gears up to rough it outdoors – how do they pack for so many and move the troops all at once? – Tori and Carlin’s nerves are rattled by older brothers Zach and Lawson as they practice one last time for their driving test. Later, settling in at the campsite proves challenging, as not everyone is thrilled to be in the wild. Then as Gil, Kelly Jo, and the older kids take a canoe trip, 16-year-old Carlin babysits 8 younger siblings. As daunting as it seems, she fares better than the adults do on the canoe trip.

Photo: Courtesy of UP