The mother of 18 children has revealed she is expecting her nineteenth baby.
The bombshell came at the end of last night's ABC News' Nightline special, which took a candid look at the unconventional Bates family life in their Lake City, Tennessee home.
Kelly Bates, 44, is due on Valentine's day and is completely overjoyed at the prospect of yet another addition to the ever-swelling evangelical Christian family.
Nightline showed the couple at the pre-natal doctor's surgery, where an ultrasound confirmed their hopes. The whole family were thrilled with the news.
Kelly has been taking hormones to help her hold the baby since suffering three miscarriages.
The unusual mother has had no twins, no C-sections and 14 drug-free births and has spent more of her adult life pregnant than not.
But, even with the unimaginable logistics of raising a family that could field two sports teams, the prospect of another baby is an answer to the family's prayers.
Kelly told ABC News' Nightline: 'It feels more normal to me to be pregnant than not be pregnant. I'm happy holding a baby.'
The roll call so far stands at: Zach, 22, Michaella, 21, Erin, 20, Lawson, 19, Nathan, 18, Alyssa, 16, Tori, 15, Trace, 14, Carlin, 13, Josie, 12, Katie, 10, Jackson, nine, Warden, eight, Isaiah, six, Addallee, five, Ellie, four, Callie, two, and, last but not least, Judson, who is just 11-months-old.
The Bates are on track to hit to their good friends - reality TV show stars, the Duggers' - tally of 19 children.
After the Valentine's day birth, the families will hold joint title of America's largest families.
The two families see each other regularly - their combined total of 37 children making for busy holidays together.
It was never the Bates' intention to produce a family that, according to 2010 Census data, is over seven times larger than the average Tennessee household size, they say.
But Gil and Kelly are evangelical Christians who do not believe in using birth control, instead putting their lives - and their home size - into the hands of God.
According to the programme, Gil and Kelly are intent on eventually having an even 10 girls and 10 boys.
'We both came to the conclusion that we just want to trust God with how many children we have. We never really thought we'd have 18. We thought we'd have maybe one or two - maybe three,' says Gil, a 45-year-old tree surgeon.
The path to having such a large family has not been entirely without intervention, however.
Two miscarriages before the births of her last two children made Kelly opt for hormone therapy to strengthen her uterus wall and the mother suffered another miscarriage before this latest pregnancy.
The couple see no contradiction in wanting medical help to add to their already enormous family, but not to limit its size.
'We just want to trust God,' said Kelly. 'But at the same time, if there's already a life living, we don't want to deny medical help to a baby that's in trouble.'
Gil says the children wanted another young sibling so much that they have been praying. 'Some of them said, 'Can we fast if the Lord would give us more children?'
'They fasted and prayed.'
And, despite again being pregnant, the Bates do not have health insurance for their last ten children.
'When there's a medical emergency, we just go to the doctor and America's been the greatest health care in the world,' said Gil.
'When you walk in the emergency room, I don't care what your status of living, they give you the best care possible.'
A Christian clinic looks after pre-natal care, while 'negotiations' with insurance companies has helped in medical emergencies - such as birth complications with Addallee - in the past, said Gil.
And, in spite of health issues and potential medical bills, Kelly and the family continue to pray for more babies.
Eight of the girls, from 20-years-old to two-years-old, share a bedroom, their bunk beds and close quarters apparently not an obstacle to finding private time and the occasional moment of quiet solace.
But, with all of the children still living at home - even the four attending college - it is only a matter of time until romantic relationships change the careful balance.
Their old-fashioned way of life sees youngsters in the Christian community 'courting' before marriage.
No physical contact or affection is allowed until marriage, the courting process an open but strictly conducted affair.
'Courtship... for us, the whole idea is exciting,' explains Kelly.
'The idea of seeing your children finally grown up and put into practice what you've been trying to teach them and prepare them for their whole life. And the thought of grand babies and their future and their happiness - it's an excitement.'
The programme shows a very nervous 22-year-old Zach clutching a bunch of red roses and asking a family friend if she would like to start courting.
'My heart is drawn to yours,' he mumbles, red and flustered, in front of a host of siblings who then applaud.
The Bates family does everything on a grand scale. Their 4,000-square-feet home in Lake City, Tennessee, has five bedrooms.
The family's laundry has five washers and three driers and rails of clothes that stretch the length of the loft room, holding hundreds and hundreds of shirts, pants and T-shirts - not to mention an eye-wateringly large mountain of underwear and socks.
The family gets around in two vans - one 15 passenger and one seven seater, and the kitchen table seats the whole family.
Every meal's preparation is a finely honed exercise - although the home seems to function on a perennial level of organised chaos.
The Walmart food shop, responsibility of 18-year-old Lawson, is an every-second-day occurrence and each time totals more than $250.
The home is a strict no TV and no internet zone, the children instead whiling away time by practising their (many) musical instruments. Violins, pianos, guitars, singing - all of the children are talented. So talented, in fact, that they often travel to put on concerts at old peoples' homes, reports ABC News.
The larger the family, believes Kelly and Gill, the more they can reach out and help others.
'I talked to so many parents [whose] children are lonely. That's not a problem. It's very fulfilling,' says Kelly.
It certainly seems to mean more hands on the deck in terms of keeping the hectic home in order, and the amazingly stress-free looking parents maintain that they have all the time together they want.
'We now have more time together than we had when we had one or two,' says Gil. 'Our children will come home and say Dad, are you taking Mom out?'
The bombshell came at the end of last night's ABC News' Nightline special, which took a candid look at the unconventional Bates family life in their Lake City, Tennessee home.
Kelly Bates, 44, is due on Valentine's day and is completely overjoyed at the prospect of yet another addition to the ever-swelling evangelical Christian family.
Parental control: The couple revealed on Nightline that they are overjoyed with the news that they are expecting their NINETEENTH baby
Kelly has been taking hormones to help her hold the baby since suffering three miscarriages.
The unusual mother has had no twins, no C-sections and 14 drug-free births and has spent more of her adult life pregnant than not.
Kelly told ABC News' Nightline: 'It feels more normal to me to be pregnant than not be pregnant. I'm happy holding a baby.'
The roll call so far stands at: Zach, 22, Michaella, 21, Erin, 20, Lawson, 19, Nathan, 18, Alyssa, 16, Tori, 15, Trace, 14, Carlin, 13, Josie, 12, Katie, 10, Jackson, nine, Warden, eight, Isaiah, six, Addallee, five, Ellie, four, Callie, two, and, last but not least, Judson, who is just 11-months-old.
The Bates are on track to hit to their good friends - reality TV show stars, the Duggers' - tally of 19 children.
After the Valentine's day birth, the families will hold joint title of America's largest families.
The two families see each other regularly - their combined total of 37 children making for busy holidays together.
Family affair: All 20 of the Bates family live under one (large) roof in Lake city, Tennessee
According to the programme, Gil and Kelly are intent on eventually having an even 10 girls and 10 boys.
'We both came to the conclusion that we just want to trust God with how many children we have. We never really thought we'd have 18. We thought we'd have maybe one or two - maybe three,' says Gil, a 45-year-old tree surgeon.
The path to having such a large family has not been entirely without intervention, however.
Two miscarriages before the births of her last two children made Kelly opt for hormone therapy to strengthen her uterus wall and the mother suffered another miscarriage before this latest pregnancy.
The family that sings together: With no TV, no internet and no texting, the family relaxes by playing music together and often perfoms. Kelly and Gill stand together on the far left
Dormitory: Eight girls share one room, after not wanting to sleep separately
'We just want to trust God,' said Kelly. 'But at the same time, if there's already a life living, we don't want to deny medical help to a baby that's in trouble.'
Gil says the children wanted another young sibling so much that they have been praying. 'Some of them said, 'Can we fast if the Lord would give us more children?'
'They fasted and prayed.'
And, despite again being pregnant, the Bates do not have health insurance for their last ten children.
'When there's a medical emergency, we just go to the doctor and America's been the greatest health care in the world,' said Gil.
'When you walk in the emergency room, I don't care what your status of living, they give you the best care possible.'
A Christian clinic looks after pre-natal care, while 'negotiations' with insurance companies has helped in medical emergencies - such as birth complications with Addallee - in the past, said Gil.
And, in spite of health issues and potential medical bills, Kelly and the family continue to pray for more babies.
Another day, another meal: All of the children have different chores in a finely balanced system of 'organised chaos'
Meal break: After breakfast, the children attend home-schooling with their mother, the older children using computers for learning
Eight of the girls, from 20-years-old to two-years-old, share a bedroom, their bunk beds and close quarters apparently not an obstacle to finding private time and the occasional moment of quiet solace.
Their old-fashioned way of life sees youngsters in the Christian community 'courting' before marriage.
No physical contact or affection is allowed until marriage, the courting process an open but strictly conducted affair.
'Courtship... for us, the whole idea is exciting,' explains Kelly.
'The idea of seeing your children finally grown up and put into practice what you've been trying to teach them and prepare them for their whole life. And the thought of grand babies and their future and their happiness - it's an excitement.'
The programme shows a very nervous 22-year-old Zach clutching a bunch of red roses and asking a family friend if she would like to start courting.
'My heart is drawn to yours,' he mumbles, red and flustered, in front of a host of siblings who then applaud.
Wheels on the bus: The Family travel in two vans but look forward to having a bus that can accommodate the whole brood
The family's laundry has five washers and three driers and rails of clothes that stretch the length of the loft room, holding hundreds and hundreds of shirts, pants and T-shirts - not to mention an eye-wateringly large mountain of underwear and socks.
The family gets around in two vans - one 15 passenger and one seven seater, and the kitchen table seats the whole family.
Every meal's preparation is a finely honed exercise - although the home seems to function on a perennial level of organised chaos.
The home is a strict no TV and no internet zone, the children instead whiling away time by practising their (many) musical instruments. Violins, pianos, guitars, singing - all of the children are talented. So talented, in fact, that they often travel to put on concerts at old peoples' homes, reports ABC News.
Laundry: The daily washing consists of at least three loads at breakfast, lunch and dinner
Matching socks? The boys have a hard time locating their clothes in the ever-present piles of laundry
'I talked to so many parents [whose] children are lonely. That's not a problem. It's very fulfilling,' says Kelly.
It certainly seems to mean more hands on the deck in terms of keeping the hectic home in order, and the amazingly stress-free looking parents maintain that they have all the time together they want.
'We now have more time together than we had when we had one or two,' says Gil. 'Our children will come home and say Dad, are you taking Mom out?'
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