Time flies because 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman is now celebrating her octuplets' 13th birthday.
Suleman, 46, shared a throwback photo of her eight children in a new post on Instagram on Friday, Jan. 28, in honor of them officially becoming teenagers.
In a tribute to Nariyah, Isaiah, Maliyah, Jeremiah, Noah, Josiah, Jonah and Makai, she wrote, "You are all growing into some of the most kind, humble, grateful and loving human beings I have ever known. Each of you possess rare and unique characteristics, and are unlike any other child of your age, particularly in our society today."
The TV personality went on to call her children "selfless, altruistic, nonmaterialistic, and loving, fearing, followers of God."
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Suleman emphasized how much she admires their generosity in particular. "I have never seen children who love and want to serve others, (particularly those less fortunate), so boldly and confidently like each and every one of you do," she said, adding, "I do not know what I could possibly have done to deserve being blessed so bountifully."
Back in 2009, Suleman -- already a mom to six through IVF -- gripped the nation with news of her octuplets, all from the same sperm donor. She was implanted with 12 embryos by a specialist in a Beverly Hills, Calif., and eventually had a C-section at 31 weeks with 46 doctors on hand. The babies weighed between 1 pound 8 ounces and 3 pounds 4 ounces when they were born.
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Suleman, who has previously spoken out against critics calling her "irresponsible," told The New York Times in 2018 about how she navigated the sudden fame, which ultimately led to her shooting a porn film in 2012.
"I was pretending to be a fake, a caricature, which is something I'm not, and I was doing it out of desperation and scarcity so I could provide for my family," Suleman recalled. "I've been hiding from the real world all my life."
Though she admitted she was sometimes "selfish and immature," she shared, "I never wanted the attention."
In fact, she said, "I have PTSD from all the reporters coming in over the years. I would take whatever I could back in the days, and I would let them in. I was spiraling down a dark hole. There were no healthy opportunities for 'Octomom.' I was doing what I was told to do and saying what I was told to say. When you're pretending to be something you're not, at least for me, you end up falling on your face."
These days, she enjoys cooking with her kids in the kitchen. For Christmas, two of her octuplets -- Noah and Nariyah -- earned the title of head chefs and served up "the most delicious Christmas dinner," mom raved. On the menu was vegan meatloaf and meatballs; mac and cheese; mashed potatoes and gravy; several veggie dishes; vegan croissant balls and more treats.
At the time, Suleman wrote that she was "#BeyondGrateful" for the holiday celebration.
