Emily Maynard’s eldest daughter, Ricki, turned 18 years old on Thursday, June 29. The former Bachelorette took to Instagram to celebrate her daughter’s milestone birthday, sharing throwback photos of Ricki as a child and a more recent photo of the two of them at a tattoo parlor.

“My girl is turning 18 today, anyone have a horse tranquilizer for me?” Maynard joked in the caption.

Maynard gave birth to Ricki in June 2005, less than one year after her fiancé and Ricki’s father, Ricky Hendrick, died in an airplane accident. After years of raising Ricki on her own, Maynard signed up for The Bachelor season 15 and ultimately won Brad Womack’s second season. While their televised engagement was short-lived, the North Carolina native was cast as the Bachelorette lead in 2012. After a brief engagement to Jef Holm, Maynard found love with now-husband Tyler Johnson.

“He proposed to me at home and gave both Ricki and me rings,” Maynard told Us Weekly in January 2014. “It was so sweet! Ricki loves him more than she likes me!”

The I Said Yes author and Johnson, 36, went on to tie the knot in November 2014 before welcoming five children together: Jennings, 7, Gibson, 6, Gatlin, 5, Nola, 2, and Jones, 10 months. The couple’s youngest son, Jones, arrived in August 2022 after they kept Maynard’s pregnancy under wraps.

“SURPRISE! On August 31st, Tyler and I welcomed our sweet son, Jones West Johnson, into the world,” she wrote via Instagram the following November. “During my surgery, we learned that he was born with Down Syndrome, and while it was certainly a surprise, we have so much peace in God’s perfect plan and know Jones is going to be a blessing to our family.”

After his birth, Jones spent more than one month in the NICU. “[He] is thankfully now home in all the chaos and we couldn’t love him more,” Maynard added at the time. “Thank you to everyone at @levinechildrens for all that you did for our family. I’m so happy to finally share the news and can share all the pictures with you guys! He’s absolutely the cherry on top! 🍒.”

Maynard’s post about Ricki’s 18th birthday was met with warm wishes from her fans and followers. “Happy birthday Ricki! What a beautiful young lady,” one person commented. “She looks so much like you!” Another added, “Congratulations, Ricki! Wishing you all the best on your special day.”

Maynard also shared a sweet message for her daughter on her Instagram Story. “Happy 18th birthday to my best friend,” she wrote. “I love you more than words can say.”