The Powerful Evolution Of Teen Mom's Catelynn
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Catelynn Lowell first captured viewers' minds and hearts when she appeared on MTV's 16 and Pregnant back in 2009. Together with her middle school sweetheart-turned-serious boyfriend Tyler Baltierra, she made the difficult and heart-wrenching decision to put their unborn daughter up for adoption in an effort to give her a better start to life. A truly selfless act for a little girl that they obviously loved very much.
Fast forward to today, however, and Catelynn is merely a shell of the young teenager we first met way back when. She went on to star in MTV's popular spin-off Teen Mom series. And during her time in the public eye, we've witnessed her graduate high school, marry Tyler, become a mother for both the second and the third time, and even co-write a memoir.
Keep reading after the jump to learn the fascinating and powerful evolution of 16 and Pregnant's Catelynn.
Catelynn Lowell had a rough childhood
Catelynn Lowell came from an extremely challenging home life. She even went as far as to describe her mother as "unpredictable" and "moody" during the premiere episode of MTV's reality show 16 and Pregnant. Yikes.
Later, in Conquering Chaos, the memoir she co-wrote with her husband Tyler Baltierra, Catelynn further elaborated on her rough childhood. Catelynn described the trailer park she grew up in as "shady" and claimed avoiding drama was nearly impossible especially with her mother who suffered from addiction. And school wasn't exactly a cake walk for her either as she struggled. "I was pretty bad in school," Catelynn confessed. "I didn't get called to the principal's office all the time like some people, but I wasn't getting any passing grades, either."
Things only went from bad to worse when her mother April took up with Tyler's father Butch, who also happened to struggle with addiction and spent time in and out of jail. Butch and April wed in 2009 making, Catelynn and Tyler technically step-siblings, per Champion Daily. Double yikes!
Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra are middle-school sweethearts
In the words of Rihanna, Catelynn Lowell was able to "find love in a hopeless place." Middle school, that is. In the memoir Conquering Chaos, Catelynn revealed that she and Tyler met through a mutual friend. Catelynn already had a boyfriend at the time, but that didn't seem to matter. Soon after meeting, the two were inseparable.
According to Catelynn, although their relationship has been unconventional, she is sure their love is true. "My world would probably fall apart without him in my life because he means so much to me," she confessed during a 2011 episode of Teen Mom OG. And she knows it sounds pretty nuts! "It's crazy that we're so young and some people look at us like we're nuts."
Luckily, Catelynn and Tyler didn't pay any mind to the outside world and instead focused on their devotion and love for one another. Good for them!
Catelynn Lowell was 'disappointed' in her unplanned pregnancy
What do they call those who use the pull-out method? Parents... or in this case, Catelynn Lowell and Tyler Baltierra.
During a 2012 episode of The Rosie Show, Catelynn spoke candidly about her unplanned teenage pregnancy and the shame it brought on. Catelynn recalled that at first she thought she had the flu when she started feeling ill, but after a trip to the doctor, she quickly learned that the situation was much more serious — she and Tyler were expecting! Catelynn admitted to feelings of "disappointment" once she learned of her pregnancy. She also deeply regretted disappointing her family members.
Later in the memoir that she and Tyler Baltierra co-wrote, the pair admitted that they engaged in unprotected sex and instead relied on the faulty pull-out method. They chalked that up to never being fully educated about the importance of birth control. And even worse, both Catelynn and Tyler were apparently using drugs when they conceived as well.
Catelynn Lowell made a family for herself
Although Catelynn Lowell made the heartbreaking decision to give up her firstborn to adoption as a pregnant mother, it doesn't mean she never intended to have children or a family ever. In 2015, she and Tyler Baltierra welcomed a daughter Novalee Reign, as reported by MTV News. On social media, Catelynn described being mother to Novalee as "the best thing in the world... you make my days brighter."
Tyler echoed those same sentiments on Instagram with a post that read (via MTV News), "I seriously can't get enough of her," Tyler gushed. "Being a father is the best thing that has ever happened to me, every time I look at that face I fall in love more & more #NovaleeReign #MyGirl"
And later that year the couple tied the knot in a sweet ceremony at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Mich., per People. During an episode of the reality show Couples Therapy with Dr. Jenn, Catelynn credited their strong relationship for surviving all of the hardships they faced together, "the choices we had to make really brought us a lot closer."
And in 2019, the couple welcomed yet another baby girl into their growing family, per Us Weekly. Congrats, Catelynn and Tyler! May all your dreams come true.