life with my little one...

SO!

it's been a little while since I updated. As you all know, I moved in to my new house the FRIDAY before Miss Molly Grace graced us with her presence, so we still do not have cable or internet yet, we are trying to see how our bills are going to be. Therefore, I have not been able to update! I could do it on my iphone but it would take forever I'm sure, and I only have two to three hour intervals before my little princess gets hungry again!

I thought I would take this oppurtunity to share a little bit of what July 6, 2009 was like for me, ENJOY! pictures at the end from the big day!

So...Mom and I began the day at 3:45 a.m., we both got up and got dressed and got everything into the car. I thought I would have time to dry my hair, but after I showered with the required body scrub for the surgery (c-section), I was running out of time.

I remember being so calm and anxious and ready as we drove on the Loop in Athens to Athens Regional. I will always remember the full moon that was hanging in the sky as we drove.

We arrived at the hosiptal at 5:02 a.m., (ONLY TWO MINTUES LATE, what a miracle for me :)) and we got straight down to business. I had convinced myself that I would take everything in steps.

First step: Get the I.V....totally not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Shortly after all the preliminary questions and the I.V. my wonderful family started pouring in....Amy,Anna, Sarah, Mom, Dad, my Grandmother, Megan, Dusty...keep in mind it was like 6 am! I took pictures with everyone and met with the anesthesiologist, and Dr. Sepesi came in to make sure Little Miss was still breech, I started to freak out, I got really sick and pretty sure I freaked everyone else out.

Once I walked out of the room with the nurse to the c-section room, I began to calm down and prepare for step 2.

Step 2: The Spinal, which also was not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Everyone (all the nurses, doctors, etc.) was sooo nice to me and I felt very at ease.

Those were the only steps I had told myself I had to overcome and I did it and I then I was ready!

My mom came in shortly after and spare all the gross surgery details...Molly Grace was here at 7:58 and I think the surgery started at like 7:30!

It truly was the most amazing feeling seeing her for the first time....I confirmed that she was indeed a girl and exclaimed that she has hair! (Not enough for a bow yet :( but we'll get there) It was amazing.

Recovery on Monday was hard. The anesthesia made me really nauseus and itchy and I was sooo blessed to have so many visitors, but it was a long day and I don't remember much.

so that is a VERY BRIEF look on that day.

I stayed in the hospital until Thursday. I was very blessed with my friends and family who did and continue to do soooo much for me while I was in the hosiptal and now, being at home with the most perfect little girl.

Jump to Now: We are doing well! It's been two weeks TODAY! ahhh..i can't believe it.
She is nursing well and sleeping a lot, during the day mostly, but it is truly amazing what you can do on two hour intervals of sleep...I never knew it was possible. I am having so much fun being a mom and getting to know her. She already is showing me a little of her personality.

She is healthy and growing and that is an answered prayer. She is sooo popular.

We are loving the new house! We are having a housewarming party on August 1st! I plan on making a trip to Rome sometime soon. We go to the pediatrician this Thursday and it will be interesting to see how much weight she has gained since her appt. last Monday, when she weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces, down from 8 pds. 11 ozs. at birth! She was a big baby but looking at her you really can't tell, she is PERFECT.

And to all the expecting moms out there: INVEST IN MYLICON BEFORE BABY ARRIVES. It is a gas relief medicine and has worked wonders for Molly Grace. There are only few things that make her cry: diaper changes, putting on/taking off clothes, and when her tummy is upset. She doesn't cry when she is hungry, she just gets fussy and her hands go immediately to her mouth.

Her favorite position to be in so far is on my chest, with her head near my heart, butt up and knees to her chest...which coincidentally is the exact same breech position she was in utero. My doctor said that he hadn't seen a breech like that in many years and that there was no way he could have turned her.

This post is soo random...probably because I can't remember the last time I slept for more than 3 hours, haha.

IT IS WORTH IT.

She is truly the best thing that ever happened to me. I love her more than I could have ever imagined.

There really is soo much more I could write about but I'm getting tired and I feel like I might be boring you! Enjoy the pics!

LOVE,

Mary Beth and Molly Grace















those are only a few and if anna would put the pics she took online you would be able to see even more!

http://picasaweb.google.com/marybeth.toles/MollyGraceIsHere#
go to this link to view all the pics!

life will never be the same....

Molly Grace Toles
July 6, 2009 7:58am
8 pounds, 11 ounces
20 inches long

this is what i would like to call heaven. she is amazing. I am SO incredibly blessed beyond measure.

thank you everyone that came to visit. or have left comments on facebook, etc. If you haven't met her yet, you definitely should, I know she is my own, but she is simply perfect.

i'll give a run down of what the whole thing was like later.


LOVE,

always,

Mary Beth and Molly Grace

signing my life away..

between the pre-op yesterday and signing my lease today on the house, i feel like I have signed my name away to a bazillion different things.

SO FIVE MORE DAYS.

i've almost completely packed the majority of my apt. in Athens (i don't have to move any big furniture from there).

Anna and Sarah will be here Saturday! YAY!

Molly Grace will be here Monday! YAY!

i am definitely 9 months preggers because I am exhausted, huge, and weepy. I don't cry, but I feel like at any moment I could cry.

so yeah, this post is really pointless.

i'm sure i'll update again before the birth! but if I don't...the next update I'll have pictures of my little one!

LOVE!

always,
Mary Beth

I HAVE A HOME!!

we got approved for the house in Auburn today!!! YAY!!! such an answered prayer. and I absolutely love the house! God really works in mysterious ways, but I am so thankful and blessed.

The doctor's appointment went well. No big changes. Just learned about the c-section. I have pre-op tomorrow afternoon. So....i'm almost done. 7 days. holy cow.

more later!

we sign the lease on wednesday. then move on Friday. oh and by the way, the doctor told me to take it easy.

we'll see how that goes.

love,
Mary Beth and Molly Grace

so this is what it is like to be pregnant...

I'd thought I'd come up with a little blog about what being pregnant means to me...

First, I'll start with the most recent "symptom". SWELLING. I'm officially done with this pregnancy and how I know so is that I'm swollen. My feet are huge, my fingers are like sausages, I can't put any of my jewelry on. My ring, which I have worn pretty much everyday for 7+ years, yeah, it doesn't fit. Oh, and apparently, my lips are swollen. GRRREEEEAT. BUT, there is a positive. I'm almost done. 11 more days.
So in conclusion, the first exhibit I would like to enter into what it means to be pregnant to me, is that you SWELL. :) Not only with fluid, but with love for this little baby girl who has already made me a better person, which means I can handle being swollen, she is worth it.

Second, I'd like to enter another exhibit: the endless and annoying opinions of everyone in the world. You get this when you are pregnant. Everyone has something to say about EVERY LITTLE THING. I like advice, but for the most part the only I advice I like is what I get from people I seek it from. I don't really care what joe-schmo has to say about me having to commute thirty minutes to work, or how I shouldn't be induced (which isn't happening now), or how I shouldn't have a c-section, I should just ask my doctor to turn her around. The thought of someone trying to turn a 5-7 pound baby in my stomach does not sound appealing to me. People also like to comment on how big you are, how they don't think you'll make it to your date, etc. People should just say congratulations. But! It's ok. These people are only trying to help and I can't help that I have raging pregnant woman hormones. So, secondly what being pregnant means to me is that you learn to take things that are said with a grain of salt. It helps put life into perspective. People's advice and opinions are only proof that we are all different and a reminder to me to remember that everyone is different, and it's not a bad thing. You can always learn from everyone's difference and being able to see that it is ok to be different, I think, is beautiful.

Third, being pregnant has taught me that life is hard. Life is about doing things you don't want to do everyday. But you do them. You get up and go to work everyday, and be thankful that you have a job, especially in this economy. You go back to work after your doctor's appointment when all you want to do is go home and cry after your plans have changed, and you make it through the day. I have learned that I can keep going. I can do it. I think this has prepared me for motherhood. So many times throughout this pregnany I have heard "it's going to be hard, you're going to be so tired when the baby wants to eat, you are going to wake up and not want to be a mom that day", etc. I know there will be these days, BUT, I have them now, and I do what I have to do and I survive. I've learned to look at the bright side of things, I'll have someone to share those moments with and so much to look forward to with little Miss Molly Grace that I know those moments of desperation will be only slim to the moments of joy she will bring to my life. So, being pregnant means to me that YOU CAN MAKE IT. YOU SURVIVE, and THRIVE.

Fourth, Being pregnant means accepting change. Change happens. ALL THE TIME. plans change. Your body changes. Once you accept that things WILL AND DO change, the better off you will be. I learned last night that the house we were moving into supposedly, oh ya know, next week, well, we aren't moving into it anymore. The owner decided he could not have it ready for move into until September. This was not what Kim or I wanted to hear, but we have found a new house that can be ready by July 1 and are applying for it today. Please pray that the owner accepts our application. I love the house and I am ready for peace about my living situation. I know that God has his hand over the situation and he will provide. So, be praying that we can get moved in at least somewhat before this baby comes.

Lastly, being pregnant means you learn a new type of love. A love that is not initiated by physical sight or appearance of a person, or of their personality. You LOVE with all you have for someone you haven't met yet and that is beautiful. You love despite how sick they may have made you the first three months (I realize this is totally not her fault at all, so MG if you read this later, I don't blame you for the sickness, just making a point), you love despite the swelling, the tiredness, mood swings. YOU LOVE. Which I believe is what the world is all about.

So there. I'm 37 weeks today and these are few of the things pregnancy has taught me.

Pregnancy means to me something so special and such a gift, no matter what circumstance. I am so blessed.

I love you Molly Grace. And I love being pregnant with you.

LOVE,
always,
Mary Beth

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This is what I will hold onto. I hate when plans change. It really bothers me, but obviously, these plans I had were mine, and not God's.

I went to the doctor this morning and I usually love these visits. Not today. Molly Grace is breech (head not down, she would come out feet first if I tried to deliver right now) and they have scheduled a cesearan section for July 6 at 7 a.m.

Now there are lots of things that could happen, she could turn. They did say she was head down a few weeks ago. The positives are that she will have a prettier shaped head, and won't have to go through the trauma of birth and it will take 1-2 hours as opposed to what would normally take many, many more hours.

The negatives: I'm a single mom. This baby only has me a parent. I won't be able to lift her for a while or drive. The recovery is longer. It's surgery. I've never had surgery.

But! Everything will be ok and I am going to be a mommy one day sooner than I had originally planned.

I love this baby girl and I hope that everything is ok. And that she would flip over.

My next appointment is June 29th. They will check to see if she has turned. But I can feel her pretty little head way up top. Then I have pre-op on June 30th. Then a baby on July 6, 2009.

I will update soon.

LOVE,

always,

Mary Beth

May Showers

Praise God for answered prayers! My back has been hurting sooooo bad lately and today, well, the pain is pretty much non-existent. Which is really nice because I have been pretty dang miserable the past few days.

Today the GA Theatre in Athens caught on fire. Sad story. I went to many a show there. Luke Bryan, Zac Brown, just to name a few. The outside of the building is still pretty much in tact, so hopefully they will be able to rebuild.

The agency baby shower was really nice yesterday. I got LOTS of diapers, which I will definitely be needing and a few handmade blankets, which is really nice. I'm excited to give these things to her so she can know just how much she is loved before she even arrives!

Here are a few pics from the shower...her cake was pretty cute I must say. I still have the baby part and I don't know how I'm going to cut her!












Those are just a few snapshots of what I look like 8 months preggers! I look so tired to me!

Hope everyone is doing well. Keep me and MG in your prayers, especially for quick and healthy labor, delivery, birth, after-birth, life. lol.

I have sooo much to do tomorrow, and I hope I can fit it all in. I have to go to Addison's birthday party and then hopefully (cross my fingers) I can make it to Rome for Jessica's shower!

Then Daddy's Day with my daddy and my sisters!

LOVE!

always,
Mary Beth and Molly Grace