Under the current, court-ordered arrangement, Amber Portwood visits her son in California for half of their time together.
Andrew Glennon has custody of James following a lengthy (and multi-phase) custody war.
Many of us still remember him as a baby. But James is nearly five years old.
And, thanks to Andrew, Teen Mom fans have a major update on this precious kid. Yes, we mean a photo.
Andrew Glennon may have posted it privately, but that just means that only a specific circle of social media users can see this pic.
While it’s easy to get distracted by these truly excellent shirts, we cannot help but marvel at how James is growing up.
He will be five years old in May. This little sweetie is getting to grow up far from reality TV cameras, and we should all feel grateful for that.
In case you need a reminder, most of the planet has not really seen James since he was still a literal baby.
(Don’t get us wrong, he’s still a “baby” to most of us … but he is also old enough to not want anyone to call him one. Because he’s nearly five!)
It is strange to think that, in most of the photos where we last saw him, Andrew and Amber were still a happy couple. Or, at least, pretending to be happy together.
(But hey, Andrew’s taste in shirts has remained pretty fantastic the entire time)
Amber threw all of that apparent happiness away in early July of 2019.
Enraged over a bridge closing that interfered with Fourth of July plans, she began to strike her then-partner while he held their young son. When he fled into a room to protect himself and the baby, Amber hacked at the door with a machete.
Andrew was not the first partner whom Amber had violently attacked.
She once again avoided prison time following her act of domestic violence (yes, she has been to prison, but not directly for abusing a partner), but not without admitting to her crime.
Meanwhile, Andrew has ultimately gained primary physical custody. The court allowed him to move with James to Southern California.
Andrew made the case to the court that he cannot find jobs in his line of work in Indiana. He was only ever there for Amber.
However, he had multiple job offers on the table in SoCal. Additionally, he had a home and family support for James there, too.
The court was able to verify that Andrew and James were welcome to move in with Andrew’s mother — in her Malibu mansion. And she was not the only family around to play with and help care for little James, either.
Reportedly, Amber recently reached a new threshold — full visits with James, as their custodial decision outlined.
Right now, that means that she has him for five days a month.
Every other month, those five days are in California. On alternating months, those five days are in Indiana.
During all of this, Amber’s most outspoken advocate — Amber herself — has at times appeared to critics to depict herself as the victim of some sort of injustice.
But family court’s role is to determine the best outcome for the child. Not the greatest happiness for the worst parent.
We do not envy Amber’s traumatic life. But she has chosen, as an adult, to pay a lot of that forward.
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