Jamie Lynn Spears is taking a walk down memory lane as she oldest daughter, Maddie, reaches a milestone anniversary. In a photographic tribute on Instagram, the Dancing with the stars alum shared an old photo of her daughter alongside the children of your sister, Britney Spears.
“16 years ago I fell in love for the first time, and loving that sweet little girl saved my life in so many ways,” Jamie Lynn he wrote in her heartfelt caption on Wednesday. “It wasn’t always easy, and certainly far from perfect, but I was always very proud to be her mother. She is everything I prayed for, I thank God for every birthday we have to celebrate her, and I won’t take a second one for sure. HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY MADDIE🎈🎂”
The carousel begins with an image of Maddie playing softball and is followed by a collection of images taken throughout Maddie’s life. In one scene, young Maddie sits on a bed with cousins Sean Preston Federline and Jayden James Federline. both of Britney’s children and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. Also pictured alongside Maddie is cousin Sophia “Lexie” Spears, who is the daughter of Britney and Jamie Lynn’s older brother, Brian Spears.
Maddie shared her mother’s post to her own Instagram Story, highlighting an image of the mother-daughter duo attending the 2014 City of Hope celebrity softball game together.
Jamie Lynn’s post comes a month later a source told ET that Britney hoped to reconnect with her family.
“Britney wants to prioritize taking care of herself and reestablishing her relationship with her family, including her children,” the source said in May. “This is a priority of hers and she would love to heal things and get to a place where things can be healthy and consistent.”
As for Britney’s dynamic with her younger sister following their public feud in 2022, the source said that “it is also a work in progress and goes through changes and different waves of emotions.” During his appearance in I’m a celebrity… Get me out of hereJamie Lynn said she spoke to Britney before going to the show. “We love each other,” she said.
Meanwhile, Britney and her sons, Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17, have been physically distant since she allowed her ex-husband Kevin to move to Hawaii with them last year. At the time, a source told ET that “Britney loves and has always supported her children and wants them to be happy.”
Jamie Lynn welcomed Maddie on June 19, 2008, when the actress was just 17 years old. At the time, she was engaged to Maddie’s father, Casey Aldridge.
Today the Zoey 102 the star also shares 6-year-old daughter Ivey with her husband of 10 years, Jamie Watson. Maddie now goes by her stepfather’s last name.
Maddie was eight years old when she was involved in a 2017 near-fatal ATV accident and made a miraculous recovery.
“We thought we had lost our daughter and in that moment I felt everything you can feel, like, ‘This is the worst thing ever.’” Jamie Lynn said in a 2020 interview about Maria Menounos‘ podcast, Better together.
“There’s nothing worse than looking at your child and thinking you failed her,” she said through tears. “I didn’t want her to think I couldn’t save her or that I didn’t try to save her.”
Last year, Jamie Lynn spoke to ET about your experience in Dancing with the stars serving as a beautiful opportunity to connect with your girls. Maddie and Ivey were in the audience to cheer her on during the season 32 premiere on ABC, along with his mother, Lynne Spears.
“It meant everything,” Jamie Lynn said of her support. “It was like, okay, at least have this, it’s been a day, I have my girls here and my family, and that was it. I don’t think it would have been as special without them.”
“They were so proud,” Jamie Lynn added of her daughters. “My youngest daughter napped for most of the show, but woke up for my performance. And then my oldest daughter said she cried at the end.”
She continued, “It made my heart feel like, I really don’t know. It was strange to see my 15-year-old daughter be proud of watching her mother dance on TV.”
Jamie Lynn joked that, like most parents of teenagers, “I haven’t done anything right in about three years,” but that adhering to Dancing with the stars It’s been a “bonding experience for us, so I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Earlier this year, Jamie Lynn celebrated another moment of maturity with her son while Maddie attended the dance. In a gorgeous photo from the day, Maddie looks like a statue, standing taller than her mother as she wears a sparkly dress. See the moment in the video below.
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