Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra shared a heartfelt TikTok tribute for their daughter Carly's 17th birthday
NEED TO KNOW
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The couple placed Carly for adoption in 2009, but have maintained an open adoption relationship with ups and downs
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They have faced challenges with Carly's parents, including blocked communication and missed visits in recent years
Catelynn LowellandTyler Baltierraare celebrating their daughter on her special day.
TheTeen Momcouple shared a touching tribute onTikTok, which was later posted on theirjoint Facebook account, praising their teenage daughter Carly on her 17th birthday. The video, set to The Fray's "Look After You," included several throwback snaps of their family, dating back to 2009 when the couple first welcomed their daughter. In the caption, the proud parents shared a heartfelt message to their newly minted 17-year-old, noting that their "life changed forever" the day she was born.
"17 years ago at 10:39am you took your first breath. I can’t believe you are 17 years old today. The day you were born my life changed forever," the caption read. "I knew from the moment I held you that you would always be one of the greatest blessings in my life."
"As you turn 17, I hope you know how loved you are and how proud I am of you. Never stop believing in yourself and chasing your dreams. The world is so much better because you are in it," the couple continued. "Happy 17th birthday. I love you more than words could ever explain."
Lowell, 34, married her middle school sweetheart, Baltierra, also 34, in August 2015, six years after the two welcomed their first child together, Carly, on May 18, 2009. Carly's birth was featured onMTV's16 and Pregnant, but soon after, the couple placed their daughter for adoption. Lowell and Baltierra went on to welcome three more children together: Novalee, 11, Vaeda, 7, and Rya, 4.
The couple has had ups and downs with their open adoption with Carly over the years as they've continued to remain in her life. In January 2016, Carly wasable to meet then-1-year-old Novalee. Seven years later, in August 2023, the couple opened up to PEOPLE aboutbonding with Carly about "life stuff"now that she was a teenager. At the end of the day, however, it's the girls' relationship that makes Lowell most proud.
"Seeing them all together is the best. Watching them interact is amazing," she told PEOPLE. "Those are the moments where we feel like, you could just melt into this forever. It's so amazing to see them all together."
In recent years, Baltierra and Lowell have been candid aboutmissed visits, beingblocked by Carly’s parentsandexperiencing “adoption PTSD.”As of April 2025, the couple said that theyhave not had a visit with Carly in two years.
The couple candidly discussed their struggles with Carly's parents, Brandon and Teresa, on their podcast. During an episode ofPodcastOne'sCate & Ty: Break It Down, they opened up about the reason they haven't had a visit with their daughter, then 15, in years.
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"I posted a picture on my Instagram. It was like all of us walking and it was the back of us, and then Tyler posted one, where it was him, Carly and Nova, and it was the back of them," she explained, noting the last visit they had was two years ago at the time.
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After the visit, they had a conversation with Carly's parents, who told them the reason they were upset with the photos.
"We had the conversation, I said, 'You’ve always told me if it’s the back of her head it’s fine,' ” she continued. “It was actually Brandon who said, 'Well, I guess we’re just kind of upset about it because now MTV can’t pay us.'"
Baltierra quickly added, “because it’s not an exclusive picture [and] because we did it first.”
The couple has discussed Carly's parents pulling away and cutting off access to her on episodes ofTeen Mom: The Next Chapter. They said that sending occasional gifts to their daughter was deemed "out of control and inappropriate."
Lowell explained to producers that they would send updates every few weeks on what's going on with their girls. However, her husband noted that many of the messages appear to have never been delivered.
The couple then realized that Carly's parents blocked Lowell. Baltierra suggested they talk to their longtime adoption counselor, Dawn, about how to navigate this. Frustrated, he lamented, "You're closing the open adoption with no explanation as to why."
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