Larry Birkhead may have a penchant for keeping his daughter Dannielynn out of the spotlight, but he still has sweet memories of their past public appearances.
In contrast to Dannielynn's mom Anna Nicole Smith's colossal levels of fame, the photographer has instead raised their daughter largely out of the public eye, and the two instead live in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
However, he does make some sweet exceptions, including for their annual attendance at the Kentucky Derby, and he recently reminisced over another epic appearance.
Over the weekend, Larry took a trip down memory lane and shared a throwback photo from an appearance he and Dannielynn made in 2007 on Larry King Live.
In the photo, Dannielynn, who was born in September 2006, is only a few months old, and her dad is raising her up as the late veteran talk show host fondly looks at her.
The appearance, which aired in June 2007, came some months after Anna Nicole's tragic passing the prior February aged 39, and was the first prime time interview Larry did since winning custody of Dannielynn.
© InstagramDannielynn, who will celebrate her milestone 18th birthday this year, was born out of a brief romance between her parents, however at the time of her birth, Anna Nicole was in a relationship with Howard K. Stern, who was listed on the birth certificate, therefore a paternity and custody battle ensued following her death.
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Speaking of the contentious and highly-publicized legal battle during his Larry King appearance, Larry shared: "It was more than worth it. I mean, unfortunately, you know, things happened that you wish wouldn't have happened, and the loss of people that you loved and cared about. But the, you know, the fight for my daughter, it just felt instinct. It was worth it."
© GettyAsked whether he "always" knew Dannielynn was his, he emphasized: "Always. I always knew it. And, you know, I always maintained that. And, you know, I wasn't about to make a fool of myself, you know, in court and television. [...] I just felt like, honestly, that it was just doing what you're supposed to do as a father. And my instinct was just to take off and do whatever I had to do to get her back or get her."
© InstagramPlus, reflecting on his first few months as a first-time father, he shared at the time: "It's [one of] the greatest feelings. It's, you know, it's like magic. You wake up every morning and you rush in and you can't wait until she wakes up. And sometimes I would kind of cheat and take a couple of peeks. And when I hear her cry and those first sounds, I just take off running and can't wait to spend every minute I can with her."
MORE: Anna Nicole Smith's ex Larry Birkhead pays touching tribute to late star on birthday
© GettyEighteen years later, it's a big year for the father-daughter duo, as not only will Dannielynn soon celebrate her 18th birthday, but she is also currently exploring her options for her forthcoming college career. In a conversation with People last year about the big milestone, Larry reflected: "It's one of those things that all parents go through. They don't want their kids to go off, but they know they have to."
He confessed: "It's one of those things where she's just now dipping her toe into getting stuff, and people are mailing her things. And every time I get something in the mail for college, I don't know if I really want to give her this because she might take them up on this offer and go somewhere to college."
