Boy or girl? Pregnant Josie Bates and Kelton Balka used confetti cannons to reveal the sex of their upcoming arrival on Thursday, February 18.
“It’s a GIRL!!!” Bates, 21, announced via Instagram. “Our hearts are overflowing with joy as we are anxiously waiting to meet our little Hazel Sloane! Willow has been running around the house saying ‘Sister, sister, sister’ for the past few weeks , and I can’t stop thinking about how much fun it’s going to be to see the friendship they’re going to create over the years. Growing up with sisters has been one of the sweetest things in life for me and I’m so so excited for Willow and Hazel to experience the special bond that sisters have.”
She added, “June can’t come soon enough #21weekspregnant.”
The Bringing Up Bates stars hinted at their sex reveal in a Wednesday, February 18, Instagram post. “I cannot wait to share with y’all!” Bates captioned a black-and-white shot of her husband, 25, kissing her cheek. “What’s your guess?”
When an Instagram user accused the pregnant star of giving away the secret with the word written on her cannon, Bates replied, “It says ‘Girl or Boy.’ Some of the words are just hidden.”
The reality stars’ news came one month after Us Weekly exclusively confirmed that baby No. 2 is on the way. “We are so filled with gratitude and we couldn’t feel more blessed and more in love with the thought of being parents again!” the couple, who are already the parents of daughter Willow, 19 months, gushed in January. “We are overjoyed start this new year with such happy news and are beyond thrilled to become a family of four in early summer!”
The UPtv personalities suffered a miscarriage last year, which left them with “fears, concerns and uncertainties,” they went on to tell Us. “We are taking extra precautions and praying diligently for the safety of our new little one. So far, we are all healthy and baby is developing perfectly.”
Bates previously shared her pregnancy loss with her Instagram followers after a September 2020 ultrasound appointment. “Sadly, when I went for a recent ultrasound, we were heartbroken to hear our precious baby had gone to be with Jesus,” she wrote at the time. “Our hearts have been completely broken. I’ve never experienced the type of pain and loss that I’ve had these past weeks. There is an empty spot in our hearts and in our home. Even though we never got to see our baby face to face or hold its tiny hand, we know God has a purpose for its short life. In spite of our grieving, we have peace in knowing that our little baby is in heaven with Kelton’s sweet mom.”
The pair started dating in January 2018, and Us broke the news nine months later that they had tied the knot in Tennessee. Willow arrived in July 2019.
Listen to Us Weekly’s Hot Hollywood as each week the editors of Us break down the hottest entertainment news stories!
