I don't know about you, but watching 16 & Pregnant was one of my guilty pleasures. I would get together with my best friend every week and we'd stuff our face with junk food while we watched these girls struggle through motherhood and the drama that came with it.
Sure, it's not the greatest form of entertainment, but it did the trick. As the moms got older and transitioned onto Teen Mom, the drama got to be a little bit too much. It was clear that a lot of it was scripted and that there was no point in watching anymore.
Just recently, though, I saw a picture of Maci Bookout-McKinney's son Bentley and barely even recognized him! It made me realize that these kids are almost 10 years old now, and that I haven't really kept up with them.
So here's what the original Teen Mom babies look like now, plus the ones from Teen Mom 2.
Sophia Abraham
Farrah Abraham was the main source of drama while on Teen Mom, and even off-screen she got herself into some hot water. The cheerleader turned reality star turned adult entertainer was constantly fighting with her parents, and is now facing a custody battle with her parents.
But as for Sophia, she seems to be doing well! She's definitely benefiting from her mom's fame, attending the MTV Movie Awards and meeting Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.
Farrah also has an open relationship with her daughter, even going so far as to say they have "naked pictures of each other" on their phones.
"My daughter and I, we run around the house naked and we just live life free," Farrah said. "I mean, we have naked pictures on our phones of each other because we're like a mom and daughter crew."
Novalee Baltierra and Carly
Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra were the only couple featured on Teen Mom that gave up their baby for adoption. They knew they were too young and their lives were too unstable to raise a child.
They had an open adoption with Brandon and Teresa, the couple who adopted their daughter Carly, but as Tyler and Cateylnn grew more famous, Carly's parents kept a further distance to protect their child.
During a recent episode of Teen Mom, Catelynn and Tyler reunited with Carly and her family, but cameras weren't allowed to film the entire reunion.
The Baltierras welcomed another daughter in 2015, named Novalee, who they chose to raise themselves.
Now three and a half years old, Novalee is certainly growing up to be a beautiful girl!
It hasn't been an easy road for Catelynn and Tyler, as miscarriages and mental health issues have plagues their relationship. They are committed to each other, though, and are constantly working to keep their marriage strong.
Leah Shirley
Amber Portwood and her then-boyfriend Gary Shirley welcomed a little girl named Leah to the world in 2008. Gary and Amber were constantly fighting, and eventually Amber was arrested. She went to prison in 2012 for drug-related charges, and was released after serving 17 months of her five[-]year sentence.
Amber has since cleaned up her act, and she now shares 50/50 custody of Leah with Gary. Leah is now an older sister to Gary's new daughter, Emilee, and Amber's new son, James.
Bentley Edwards
Maci Bookout and Ryan Edwards were always troubled, but they tried to make their engagement work for the sake of their son Bentley. Eventually, Maci called the relationship off and decided to raise Bentley as a single mom. Ryan's struggles with substance abuse and apparent disinterest in his son was well documented on Teen Mom.
But despite having to go it alone (for the most part), Maci raised Bentley to be a polite and caring kid. She ended up marrying Taylor McKinney, who acts as an amazing step-father to Bentley. The nine-year-old boy is now a big brother to Maci and Taylor's kids, Jayde and Maverick.
Aubree Lind-DeBoer
Chelsea Houska had her daughter Aubree with ex-boyfriend Adam Lind, and things were messy from the get-go. Adam texted Chelsea, asking where he had to sign to give up all his rights to "that mistake," referring to Aubree, just days after she was born.
Chelsea raised Aubree on her own and did a stellar job. She met Cole DeBoer around 2014, and the two have been inseparable ever since. Cole immediately stepped up as a father-figure to Aubree, loving her like she was his own. After Chelsea and Cole got married, Aubree asked to change her last name to Cole's. She now goes by Aubree Lind-DeBoer.
Chelsea and Cole have another son together, named Watson, and are expecting a baby girl later this year!
Isaac Rivera
Kailyn Lowry tried to hide her pregnancy from her family for eight months using baggy clothing, but at some point everyone was bound to find out. She and her boyfriend, Jo Rivera, welcomed baby Isaac in 2010 and tried to make their relationship work, but it wasn't happening.
Kailyn and Jo broke up, and it took a while for Jo to step up as a father. Now, however, he has his life together and is seeking joint custody of Isaac. He and Kailyn's relationship is strictly abou co-parenting, and the two seem to be doing fine.
Isaac is also a big brother to Kailyn's two other children: Lincoln Marroquin, who she shares with ex-husband Javi Marroquin, and Lux Lowry, who she shares with ex-boyfriend Chris Lopez.
Aliannah and Aleeah Simms
Leah Messer was hit with a double whammy at 17 years old. Not only was she pregnant, she was having twins. Aliannah and Aleeah Simms were born to Leah and her then-boyfriend, Corey Simms.
Aliannah was born with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, and Leah struggled with being a new mom and having a child with disabilties. She made it work, though, although the same can't be said for her marriage to Corey, which only last a year.
The girls are now nine years old, and both are doing pretty well! Aliannah still has countless health issues, but Leah is making sure she's experiencing life to the fullest.
As of 2015, Corey held primary custody of the twins, after Leah frequently dropped the kids off late to school and missed "numerous" important doctors appointments for Aliannah.
Leah also had a daughter named Adalynn with her ex-husband Jeremy Calvert.
Jace Evans
Oh, Jenelle. Where do we even begin? She gave birth to Jace when she was just 18 years old, and was never able to give up her party girl image to take care of him.
Jenelle constantly relied on her mom Barbara to take care of Jace, and even found herself in and out of jail. Jace's father, Andrew Lewis, was never in the picture, so it was down to Barbara to take care of the little boy.
Barbara gained full custody of Jace after Jenelle signed it over, and it's been that way ever since.
Since giving up custody of Jace, Evans has given birth to two more children. She shares son Kaiser with ex-fiancee Nathan Griffith, and daughter Ensley with husband David Eason. Barbara still holds primary custody of Jace, but the family tries to make it work.
"I make sure that I get Jace every weekend and have Kaiser every other weekend," Evans explained. "During that time, [Jace] is constantly around all the kids and family until he goes back to my mom's on Sunday nights. I have also been trying to take family photos lately of everyone together. I don't want anyone to feel excluded from our family."
Even if Jenelle thinks they're one big happy family, Jace has other opinions.
Barbara and Jace were discussing a recent visit at his mom's house during an episode of Teen Mom 2, and Barbara asked Jace about Kaiser.
"They put Kaiser in day care?" Barbara asked. "He couldn't come on the boat? That breaks my heart."
Jace replied, "They're pieces of sh*t. Mommy and David are pieces of sh*t!"
Jace then spat on the ground to emphasize his point.
Obviously, that didn't go over well with Jenelle. Either way, she's committed to making her relationship with her son work, and that's all that matters at this point.
