Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra recently had an emotional meet-up with their eldest daughter, Carly, whom they placed for adoption 14 years ago.
“Had an amazing visit with our girl ❤️ she’s funny, kind, SMART, goofy and STUNNING 😍,” Lowell, 31, gushed via social media on Sunday, June 25, alongside a black-and-white snapshot of her, Baltierra and their daughters walking from behind. “Adoption is hard and saying goodbye time and time again is soooo hard!!!! But seeing all of our girls together, getting to know Carly deeper and deeper each time and being with all four of our daughters is truly such a blessing!!!! #adoption #loveyou #mygirls.”
Teen Mom OG viewers will recall Lowell and Baltierra’s heart-wrenching episode of 16 and Pregnant in 2010, in which they welcomed Carly and immediately handed the newborn to her adoptive parents, Brandon and Teresa Davis. The Michigan natives — both 16 years old at the time — made the difficult decision to place Carly for adoption due to their unstable home lives and lack of financial security.
In addition to welcoming Carly in 2009, Lowell and Baltierra — who tied the knot in 2015 — share daughters Novalee, 8, Vaeda, 4, and Rya Rose, 22 months.
Sunday’s sweet family photo is the first new picture that the Conquering Chaos authors have shared of Carly in years, due to the Davises’ desire to keep her out of the spotlight (and not show her face). Over the years, Baltierra has expressed his frustration with not being able to share pictures of Carly via social media, though he had nothing but kind words to say about her parents after their most recent visit.
“Omg the feeling I have when I’m with all of my beautiful girls is truly indescribable,” he gushed in the comments of his wife’s post. “The amount of pure organic love is overwhelming, almost to the point of being unbearable at times.”
Baltierra further raved about Carly and her bond with her younger sisters. “She’s so smart. She’s so kind. She’s so goofy & her laughing face is imprinting & infectious. Her parents have done such an amazing job raising her! It’s pure magic watching her play with her sisters because all you hear are echoing laughs & all you see are tons of hugs! They have an unmistakable connection that’s bonded between forces that are far greater than just shared dna … it’s literally pure transcendental magic. I didn’t ever want it to end.”
The father of four ended his sweet tribute by praising Lowell, whom he called “the strongest woman I’ll ever come to know” and “the BEST MOTHER I have ever seen.”
“This family is only a family because of YOU!” he added. “You are the most courageous, loving, wise & intuitive spirit & this family of ours is beyond blessed to have you as it’s beautiful matriarch 😍❤️.”
Lowell, for her part, shared another update on Carly, telling a fan in the comments that “she is taller than me 😳😳.”
The reality stars have long been open about how bittersweet and difficult Carly’s adoption has been on them over the years — as well as how it’s affected their children.
In a November 2022 episode of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, the twosome explained their decision to place Carly for adoption to Nova, who came home “sobbing” after school because she was missing her older sister so much.
“She’s like, ‘I really miss Carly.’ She’s like, ‘I don’t — why did you have to separate us?’” Lowell recounted to Baltierra at the time.
Nova, meanwhile, explained her perspective to her parents. “It feels like that’s my sister and I can’t see her that much,” she said. “Imagine getting split up from your sister or your brother.”
After Lowell clarified that she was just 16 when she gave birth to Carly, a wide-eyed Nova recognized “that is not a grown-up.” The little one said: “You should be, like, 40 or something!”
Lowell further revealed why she and her husband made the choice they did. “When Mommy found out she was pregnant, me and Daddy talked and we said we can’t raise a baby right now,” she told her second-grader. “We didn’t have cars. We were still in school, no jobs.”
In addition to their visits with Carly, Lowell, Baltierra and their daughters celebrate their first-born’s birthday every year. In May, Lowell shared a tribute to her eldest daughter with throwback photos.
“14 years ago this amazing little girl was born!” Lowell penned via Instagram. “Gosh if she only knew how many people she has touched and changed ❤️. Happy Birthday Carly 🎂🎈 we love you so much!!!”
