'It's a Boy & Maybe One More?' Recap

Bringing Up Bates"It's a Boy & Maybe One More?"
Season 8 Mid-Season Finale

• Tori is in labor. Her goal was to go all natural, but she ends up accepting the epidural so she can sleep and enjoy the birth. She describes the epidural as “heaven on earth.”
• “It’s a rough feeling when you know that your wife may possibly be having your baby, but there’s no way for you to give her any kind of assurance that, “Hey, today’s the day,’” says Bobby. “So it’s just trying to figure out ways to be there for her without really being able to understand how she’s feeling.”
• “Gil’s role at every [grandchild] birth has kind of been, he’s the prayer warrior,” explains Kelly. “He’s never in the room during delivery. He’s usually close by. He’s in the hallway or in the lobby.”
• “Me and Everly were really in close communication with God because she was sleeping and I was praying,” says Gil.
• The nurse comes in to check Tori and determines that she is dilated to 10 centimeters, which means it’s time to start pushing. “What if they go to hand him to me and I drop him?” Tori asks Bobby as the nurses prepare for delivery.
• “I was so excited and absolutely terrified out of my mind,” Tori recalls. “It felt like I was pushing for an eternity, but all of a sudden…that kid shot out of me. It literally felt like I had a big hot air balloon and then somebody just hit it with a hundred knives.”
• The doctor lays him on Tori’s chest, and Tori is so relieved. It’s a sweet moment for both her and Bobby. “Suddenly you feel like everything you do between now and the rest of your life has such huge significance because of this life that is going to be looking up to you,” says Bobby. “And his perspective of what life is and what it means and purpose and everything is going to come from what he sees from these two people right here, and it’s remarkable.”
• Kelly, Erin, and Carlin all enjoy the moment, too. “I just reached my hand out there, and he took his hand, and he just wrapped it around my hand,” says Erin. “I thought I was going to melt. I’m going to remind him of that when he’s like 18, like a beast, I’m going to be like, ‘You loved me first.’”
• After Tori is transferred to the room where she will spend the remainder of her time, Gil and Everly come in to visit. “I hope I never lose the wonder of a new little grandbaby,” says Gil. “Who knows what impact that little person’s going to make on the world. It’s just, it’s incredible.”
• Six weeks later, the Bates are gearing up for their family Christmas party in Rocky Top. Tori and Bobby arrive, and they introduce Kade to the rest of the family. “It was just the funnest time, passing him off, showing him off,” says Tori. “Everybody loved him. He stole the show.”
• Gil and Kelly have a big surprise for the kids. Gil brings out a box and puts it on the floor. The littles open it, and they find a dog bowl. “Oh no! It got away!” exclaims Gil. He goes out onto the porch and comes back in with an adorable lab puppy.
• Johnny, the Bates’ dog of about 17 years, recently passed away, so six-week-old JJ (Johnny Junior) is his replacement. “It’s just the best thing in the world,” says Carlin. “It’s like a new little sibling…”
• Michael and Brandon decorate gingerbread houses with the grandkids. “Coming home for the holidays just becomes more and more of an adventure every year,” says Michael. “I hop right back in my element here.”
• Josie and Kelton arrive later that day. “It’s a crazy time of year for us, and we are both super busy at work,” says Josie. They give Gil and Kelly a gift. It’s a onesie that says “Baby Balka Est 2019.” They are having the 10^th Bates grandbaby in July!
• Josie and Kelton admit they are shocked. “We just got married,” says Kelton. “What does this mean?”
• “We were not planning on this happening so quick,” says Josie. “I’ve never felt anything like it in my life. I’m terrified. I’m super excited.”
• “Josie?” exclaims Nathan. “She’s having a kid? It makes you think, ‘What am I doing with my life?’”
• “I can’t think of a word to describe how wonderful it is,” says Gil about all the excitement. “I would not change one thing.”  

UPtv has not yet announced the season 8 return date, but we will let you know as soon as they do. In the meantime, keep coming back to the blog for Bates updates.