Octomom Nadya Suleman and Daughter Amerah
Courtesy Nadya Suleman/Instagram

It’s not easy turning 18 during a global pandemic, but Nadya Suleman, a.k.a. “Octomom,” is helping her oldest daughter, Amerah, celebrate in the best way possible. The mom of 14 took to Instagram to share a special tribute for her second child on Tuesday, June 30. In the sweet post, she reminded the teen that, no matter how old she gets, she’ll always be her mom’s “baby.”

“I loved you long before you were born, my first baby girl,” Nadya, 44, wrote. “I can’t believe 18 years have passed, as you will forever be the little angel I prayed for my entire life. Thank you for your strength when I felt like falling apart; thank you for your patience in this challenging chapter of our lives; thank you for your faith in our family; and thank you for your faith in me, knowing my perseverant pursuit for the life you, we all, deserve is imminent.”

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I loved you long before you were born, my first baby girl. I can’t believe 18 years have passed, as you will forever be the little angel I prayed for my entire life. Thank you for your strength when I felt like falling apart; thank you for your patience in this challenging chapter of our lives; thank you for your faith in our family; and thank you for your faith in me, knowing my perseverant pursuit for the life you, we all, deserve is imminent. Forgive me for fighting to hold on to you; I am not ready to let go, despite you being an “adult,” you will forever be my baby girl. I will always love you. Happy 18th birthday my beautiful girl!!!! #BirthdayQueen 👸🏾 #Blessed #MyBabyIsAnAdult 😭

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The mom asked Amerah to “forgive” her for “fighting to hold on” as she grows up. “I am not ready to let go,” she admitted. “Despite you being an ‘adult,’ you will forever be my baby girl. I will always love you. Happy 18th birthday, my beautiful girl!!!”

The Suleman kids have matured before our eyes, including the octuplets Nadya famously welcomed in 2009. They celebrated their 11th birthday in January, and they’ll soon be starting sixth grade. In August 2019, the mom snapped a photo to commemorate their first day of fifth grade, calling herself a “proud momma.” In the caption, she gushed that her eight youngest have become “some of the most kind, selfless, caring human beings” she’s ever known.

They’re getting pretty handy around the house, too. Two of the family’s 14 kids have even stepped up to the plate in the kitchen as they help their mom whip up delicious-looking “ethical vegan” meals. In June, Nadya revealed daughters Nariyah and Maliyah are “slowly taking over as head chefs” for the rest of the family as they explore their love for cooking. It seems like the “Octomom” is raising some pretty great kids — and they’re all growing up so fast.

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