New addition! Bringing Up Bates alum Katie Bates and her husband, Travis Clark, recently welcomed their first child.
“Meet Hailey James Clark,” the couple wrote via Instagram on Sunday, February 19, alongside several photos of themselves posing with their newborn daughter. The twosome added that their little one arrived on Friday, February 17, and added the hashtags, “#babygirl #helloworld.”
The UpTV personality, 22, and her husband, 21, tied the knot in December 2021, eight months after getting engaged during a trip to Key West, Florida.
“This day has been worth all of the waiting, all of the dreaming and even worth all of the work of wedding planning, with its occasional stresses and anxieties,” the happy couple exclusively told Us Weekly after their nuptials. “It’s been worth every moment, and we really can’t believe we are actually married! We know we still have a lot to learn about marriage and relationships, but we are excited to spend our lives learning and growing together. It’s an exciting day when you get to marry your very best friend in life and an even more special day when you can share it with family and friends.”
The reality stars announced they were expecting their first child in August 2022. “Baby Clark coming 2023!!” the duo wrote via Instagram at the time. “We can’t wait to meet you!”
Katie is the 11th child of Gil Bates and wife Kelly Bates, whose large family was the center of UpTV’s series Bringing Up Bates. The reality show aired from January 2015 to June 2021 before the network officially canceled it in January 2022.
Gil, 58, and Kelly, 56, share 18 children in addition to Katie: Zachary, 34, Michael, 33, Erin, 31, William, 30, Kenneth, 29, Alyssa, 28, Tori, 27, Trace, 25, Carlin, 24, Josie, 23, Jackson, 20, Warden, 19, Isaiah, 18, Addallee, 17, Ellie, 15, Callie-Anna, 13, Judson, 12, and Jeb, 11.
After Katie welcomed her daughter, she took to her Instagram Story to thank big sister Carlin Bates for showing her the ropes in the days leading up to delivery. “Sister appreciation post,” Katie wrote alongside a photo of the siblings in the hospital cradling baby Hailey. “I can’t thank Carlin enough for being here for this huge moment! It meant so much to me! You’ve been such a big help and I’m so thankful for you! I’m gonna cherish these memories for the rest of my life!”
Carlin shares daughter Layla, 2, and son Zade, 10 months, with husband Evan Stewart, whom she wed in 2019.
“Sis, you’ve got that new mama glow ✨ and little Hailey is 6lbs of pure cuteness!” Carlin wrote via Instagram, sharing her own photo of herself with Katie and her newborn. “I’m definitely getting the 👶🏼 fever again!”
