"Bringing Up Bates" stars Alyssa Bates Webster and her husband, John, have announced they are expecting their second child, a baby girl due in January 2017.
"John and I are simply overwhelmed with happiness to be expecting another baby girl. We are highly anticipating our daughter's arrival. January can't come soon enough!," the expecting parents shared in a statement to The Gospel Herald.
The announcement was accompanied by a sweet photo of the happy couple holding their one-year-old daughter, Allie Jane - who wears a shirt reading "Big Sis" - and a sign revealing their baby's due date as Jan. 27, 2017.
The couple married in May of 2014 after meeting at the wedding of a mutual friend and currently reside in Florida, earning them the title the "Sunshine State Bates." According to the Bates Family Blog, John works Monday through Friday in the heating and air conditioning industry, and in the evenings, he and Alyssa run a cleaning service.
Since the series first premiered on New Year's Day in 2015, "Bringing Up Bates" has become the highest-rated series in UPtv's history. The reality series follows the simple rural lifestyle of Gil and Kelly Jo Bates and their 19 children, aged 2 to 26, and grandchildren, including babies Carson, Kaci and Brooklyn.
Alyssa and John's new baby will be the sixth grandchild for Gil and Kelly Jo. The Bates Family Blog recently shared an updated photo of the couple with their grand babies, who are all are under 2-years-old.
The large Bates family frequently discuss their faith and how it drives all they do. They summarize their beliefs and motive for appearing in a reality show on their blog: "Whether your family is big, or small, or none at all-every life is a life that can count for Christ... Knowing that our significance in life is not about family size, popularity, financial status, ability, or appearance, but rather, our significance is in Christ who loves us and died for us! May we each endeavor to serve Him with our whole heart."
"Bringing Up Bates" is currently in its fourth season, and in last night's episode, Jackson Bates celebrated his 14th birthday by taking on all sorts of new responsibilities, like joining the tree-cutting family business in a more grown-up capacity. The show airs at 9 p.m. ET every Thursday on UP.
For more information about the series, visit The Bates Family.
