Lily Bear-Made by Molly Bears

Molly Bears is a non-profit organization that creates weighted teddy bears to be given free of charge to families who have lost a baby. The bears are made to weigh the exact weight of the baby that passed away. It is a way to fill the empty arms of a family in need. Each bear is unique and special for the individual family. Molly Bears was named after a sweet little girl named Molly Christine, who was born sleeping on May 30, 2010 (just a couple months after Lily). Her mama, Bridget, first made a weighted bear to fill her own arms and then realized how healing it was for her and that she wanted to do it for others. By the way, Bridget was born on March 16th, so she shares a birthday with my Lily girl! :)

I first heard about Molly Bears in 2010 when it started, but for some reason I didn't place my bear request until January of this year. I wish I had gotten it much sooner, to ease my aching arms. I was #2209 on the list and expected to be waiting for quite a while. There are 5,000 people on the list, waiting to have their arms filled with one of these amazing bears! (Sadly, that many people need them.) But, then several weeks ago, my friend Morgan let me know that a couple of her friends had been involved in a bear drive (collecting bears to donate to Molly Bears so more families can receive them) and they were able to choose a couple people to have their bears made early! They chose me!! :) Morgan said she didn't know if she should tell me about it or let me be surprised, but figured she would tell me so I could get super excited! And boy did I! I have been patiently eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Lily Bear. I kept checking the website until finally it said it was "In Production." Then, I got an email last Sunday saying that my bear was on her way home! After checking the mail each day the entire week, my beautiful bear arrived home on Thursday, November 8th.

Leaving the hospital without Lily, I remember feeling the overwhelming feeling of having empty arms. My heart and my body knew that I should be holding a new baby to take home with me...but what I left with were a few momentos to remember her by and the precious memories of the time spent with her. I have those memories, but as time marches on, they are fading. And, oh I never want to forget. I am so thankful for Molly Bears because they are helping me remember...the way it felt to hold my girl in my arms. The weight of her, all 7lb9oz of her precious and perfect little body. It just feels so amazing to hold that weight again and remember what it felt like. It is a healing gift. After over two and a half years of not holding that weight, it is so precious and so emotional to feel it again...

Here is my beautiful Lily Bear! :)

When you request your bear, you can ask for specific things to be included that remind you of your baby, but they don't promise to be able to do what you ask. They use whatever supplies they have. From what I wrote when I requested mine, I had a general idea what my bear might look like. But, really I didn't know what to expect. When she came, she wasn't what I pictured, but I love her! I asked for a white or light colored bear, so I am very happy I got that! I also asked for roses to be on the ears and got that too.

I said I wanted it to look really girly, which I think she does look really girly in her coloring and in the face. I wish I had asked for a skirt, but didn't realize at the time what I'd want. Well, it turns out I had this little pink skirt for photography and decided to use it for my Lily Bear! It's really the perfect color for it. :)

I didn't know how I liked the red at first. Red is definitely not my favorite of colors and I don't know how much it will match other colors. But, as my mom and friend Morgan said, the red and pink is like Valentine's Day, which reminds me of Lily and my Valentine's Day themed baby shower. So, the red and pink together is growing on me. I love it now! :)

I decided to take the ladybug ribbon off, though I am saving it just in case I want to use it again. It's kind of neat that Lily Bear doesn't have much on her, so I can "decorate" her exactly the way I'd like! I am thinking about embroidering a butterfly and lily on the front (that way it would include roses, lilies, and butterflies which all remind me the most of Lily.) I also am getting an embroidered shirt with Lily's footprints on it to put on Lily Bear! I think it will be fun to "decorate" Lily Bear for the different holidays. I am so thankful she is home before Christmas!

Here are a couple other outfits for Lily Bear :)

This is an angel necklace with Lily's March birthstone in it.

This is my very favorite outfit! 

This dress was what I got for Lily to wear on my 21st birthday, when she would have been 4 1/2 months old. Instead, her bear wears it.

Molly Bears operates completely off of donations, so if you have the resources to donate some bears and/or other supplies or money to make the bears, please do so and help the many waiting families have their empty arms filled with something tangible and so very beautiful. You can also purchase a T-Shirt from the Molly Bears Shop, with all proceeds from the sale of the merchandise funding bear making.

Here I am with my Lily Bear! And I am wearing one of the Molly Bears T-Shirts. It says 

"An angel baby's cuddle sent to a family in need."

Here is my little kitty cuddling with Lily Bear. You can't see it, but she's resting in her arm. So sweet. :)

Here is a video about Molly Bears featured on Detroit 4 News:

If you would like to request a Molly Bear for yourself (this isn't for everyone, so you cannot request it for someone else, only for yourself) the request page opens on the 30th of each month for a 24-hour period. You can click here to see the information that they ask for. They offer bears for babies lost from conception all the way up to 22 pounds! They have micro bears up to extra-large bears. Look around on their website for lots more information.

Click here to become a fan of Molly Bears on facebook to keep up with their latest news.

Thank you so much to Holly and Kendra for choosing me to receive my bear early! Thank you Esther Grace's mommy, Tamberly, for making my bear! Thank you to everyone who so freely gives of their time and resources so others can have these bears. And thank you to Molly Bears for this absolutely incredible way you are serving the babyloss community!

*To see my Luke Bear, click here.*

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