Larry Birkhead Says Anna Nicole Smith 'Would Be So Proud' of Daughter Dannielynn in 17th Birthday Tribute

Larry Birkhead is celebrating his and Anna Nicole Smith's daughter on a special birthday

Larry Birkhead's little girl is grown up!

On Thursday, the devoted dad, 50, paid tribute to daughter Dannielynn Birkhead as she turns 17, sharing an Instagram Reel filled with photos of the teen throughout her life.

"Happy 17th Birthday Dannielynn! I am so proud of you in each and every way. Wishing you the best day ever!" he began.

"You are funny, crazy smart, pretty and just about everything I could ever imagine. Your Mom would be so proud of you, I sure am," he continued, referring to Dannielynn's late mom, Anna Nicole Smith.

"Happy Birthday! Love Dad ❤️ By the way, when you asked me if you could live in my basement forever. I said yes, but I didn’t have the heart to tell you there aren’t any basements in Florida 😂 ❤️ #HappyBirthday 🎂."

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Related: Larry Birkhead Says He's 'So Proud' of Daughter Dannielynn, 16, as She Makes High School Honor Roll

Speaking with PEOPLE in May, Birkhead opened up about his hesitance as Dannielynn starts looking into colleges around the country.

"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," he told PEOPLE.

"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."

The proud dad also sees the similarities between his daughter and her late mom as she continues to grow and come into her own, noting that the teen is "generous like her mom."

"And at the same time, she's a picky eater like her mom. Oh, my gosh!" he laughed. "She eats no meat at all. One time in her life, she's eaten meat. She does not eat meat at all, but she's not a gigantic vegetable fan, either."

"It's been a struggle ever since she was little. She's a big pasta eater, loves pizza, and things, and we add vitamins and different things to get her well-rounded. She gets a lot of sauce on her pizza. Her mom was a sauce, a condiment freak. She would just extra, extra, extra, extra everything and load it down. And that's how Dannielynn is."

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