Feel Better Campaign Recipient Needs Prayers ~ Delivering Baby Boy With Heart Defect Tomorrow

We are so happy to welcome the Marpepp family into our Feel Better Campaign. We learned about this family through a Facebook page we follow called, Enjoying the Small Things - Kelle Hampton. The mother, Jessica Marpepp, wrote the following message on Kelle's Facebook wall:

"Dear Kelle,

I hope you don't mind but I'm going to pour my heart out to you a little bit. From the first day I read your blog, I felt a kind of hope, and peace, and strength. I think, on some level, God brought me to you to prepare myself. I have a typical (and wonderful) little boy who is 2.5 and I am due on February 25th with another little boy who has been diagnosed with two heart defects. From the first weeks of pregnancy, I felt that something was wrong. I bled, he had a scarily thickenened nuchal translucency, it was one thing after another. The doctors kept telling me to prepare for a miscarriage but the universe had other plans, and my little boy and I held on to each other. When they started doing all the tests, I was nervous, but because your blog had introduced so much love and acceptance for all children, I just wanted my child to survive. After the heart tests, the doctors brought me into a conference room - let me tell you - you never want to be invited into a conference room. Once there, they pulled out a diagram of his heart and pointed to the chamber that just couldn't make it work right. Phrases like "long road" were thrown around. I nodded and took notes and held my breath. Then I got home and wept and grieved in the ways I needed to grieve. And then I read your blog and felt hope and love again. I realized that I was ready to walk that long road and that, in fact, I was filled with joy that this child was coming into my life."

Jessica is going to give birth to her second son tomorrow via c-section and her baby boy will have some significant heart defects that will eventually require surgery. It is a very exciting time for them as they will be adding a new little one to the family, yet, it is also very scary because they will not know what to expect until he is born. We would LOVE your help in surrounding her family with love, good thoughts, and prayer.We are hoping this new little baby boy will be able to overcome any obstacles and enjoy a sweet life with his big brother and family.

Mother, Jessica, and Big Brother:-)

So, once again, we are asking for you help in spreading her story by hitting "LIKE" on our Facebook post and by sharing this post to get this to go viral and get a huge number of people behind this family!! We need you to start firing up the prayers tonight to hopefully bring a stable little baby into the world tomorrow. You have done it before so LET'S DO IT AGAIN!!! Please also leave messages of support underneath the Facebook post.  

Jessica picked out the "Isabel" designer hospital gown to wear as she welcomes her little boy into the world and we love why she chose this gown. 

The card we send with all our "Isabel" gowns says, "We Wish You the Grace and Strength of Our Grandmother". Jessica wrote to us saying, 

"My Grandmother was an amazing woman and I felt like maybe this gown would lend me a bit of YOUR grandmother's grace and strength on top of my Grandmother's memory.How could I go wrong with that?" 

We completely agree, Jessica. You have already shown great strength throughout this pregnancy and we know our grandmother and your grandmother will provide even more strength as you embark on this new journey. Hugs!!

Rachel Welcomes 3rd Baby in Our Elizabeth Hospital Gown

If you've had the opportunity to gift an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown, you know how good it feels to know someone you love felt dignified, pretty, and special during an often vulnerable time in the hospital. We often hear from customers that giving Annie & Isabel is much more rewarding than flowers, balloons, or magazines because of the positive impact something as simple as a hospital gown makes. Always guaranteed to bring smiles to all!  

When my high school girlfriend Rachel announced she was going to have her third baby boy, we felt so honored to be a part of her special day even though we live hundreds of miles away. Here is what she had to say about her experience wearing Annie & Isabel for TWO births, 

"I just gave birth to my third and final baby boy! He is sure a gift from Heaven! I found out I was pregnant with my third baby on Mother's Day and it couldn't have been more perfect. My husband and I had a bit of a hard time conceiving with our first child in and after a year of trying we took a break and wouldn't you know it...we were pregnant! When we decided to have another baby, we experienced the same issues. We went to a fertility specialist who immediately told us upon meeting us that we would probably not conceive naturally and that we should consider her services. She went on to tell us that our first son was probably a fluke....thanks, lady!! Leaving that place frustrated and sad, we decided to give it the good ol' college try and wait four months before we went back to the specialist. On that fourth month, in April of 2009, we found out that we were expecting another baby! When we found out it was another boy we knew we wanted to name him Lucas. To this day we have a running family joke and have nicknamed him "Flukas"! Apparently we were not as infertile as she thought. At that time, I was lucky to know two AMAZING ladies who started making beautiful hospital gowns...wink! I was able to wear one of their very first gowns, a sample Isabel gown, that didn't even have the signature lovebug on the sleeve yet. This time around, I couldn't wait to call Selena, not to tell her I was pregnant with baby #3, but to tell her exactly which gown I had my heart set on. I didn't care that I was only one day pregnant! I knew I was going to wear another gown.. and once again that specialist was wrong...AGAIN! Fast forward to December and I couldn't wait for the mail to arrive...my Elizabeth gown was here...even prettier in person. I first saw it on owner Anna when she went in for surgery for her cancer and I fell in love. I loved walking into the room and telling the nurse that I have my own gown. I felt so pretty and comfortable and clean...nobody had worn this gown except for me. I was so excited to find out that my nurse was 5 months pregnant and already she said she was going to get one for her birth. Good thing Selena put some business cards in the pocket of my gown...such a good touch! Then my doctor came in and remembered my last gown, so I gave her the other 3 business cards. She said she loves the gowns and knows some people who might love them too...who wouldn't??!! I am so proud of these two ladies, Selena and Anna, that I have know for almost 22 years! I will continue to buy these gowns for any future preggie friends. I am so lucky to have three amazing and healthy boys and hope that anyone reading this never gives up when it doesn't happen for you right away. I hope you feel as pretty in your gown as I did! It's an unforgettable day and in an Annie & Isabel gown you will definitely not be forgotten."

The Gift Of An Annie & Isabel Designer Hospital Gown

We received this very nice testimonial from Breigh. She loves Annie & Isabel hospital gowns so much that she bought two for herself and purchased them for several of her pregnant friends.....and they are always a big hit! Thanks for keeping all your friends stylish, comfortable and dignified Breigh!!

"My name is Breigh. I have 4 children ages 5 months, 2 years, 3 1/2 years, and 6 years; 2 girls and 2 boys. During my hospital stay with my first three children, I felt so utterly exposed and self-conscious every time I would have to go to the restroom or get something from a bag, etc etc. I would drape another gown backwards in hopes of covering myself. It was only a matter of weeks before delivering my third child that I found Annie and Isabel designer gowns, and I knew I had to have one. Unfortunately I was unable to attain one before delivering.  

When I conceived my fourth child, I told my husband I was definitely getting a gown for the birth. In March I ordered 4 gowns; 2 for a friend and 2 for me. 

Breigh in her "Annie" gown

In June I gave birth to my second son and as soon as I was over the worst of the "messiness" I put on my first gown. Immediately the compliments started!!! I always feel as though I look horrible, what with the weight gain, water retention, fatigue etc, but wearing my gown, and being told how beautiful I looked in my wonderful gown....my self esteem soared! I had nurses come in and upon seeing my gown would flag down more nurses just to show them.

Breigh with her husband in her "Isabel" gown

I raved about the amazing ladies at Annie and Isabel and gave out the web address more than a dozen times because many of the older nurses had daughters about to have babies and wanted to look into the gowns once seeing them. 

I had many visitors and did not have to worry about my body showing or revealing any parts. I also nurse, therefore having the snaps on the shoulders gave such easy access, and allowed for easy 'skin-to-skin' time. My gowns were so much more comfortable than the stiff, scratchy, hospital issued gowns and really added to my entire experience. 

Baby brother meets his siblings

I also continued to wear my gowns once home. It was nice having a gown that made certain feminine routines so much easier as well as easy nursing in the middle of the night. 

      
I have ordered a total of 6 gowns since March; the most recent being in November 2012. I gave another expectant mother a beautiful gown to make her look as beautiful as ever on her exciting, life-changing, and most important day she will have to experience. The look on her face at receiving the gown was priceless, and every woman at the shower oohed and awed over such a great gift. I will continue buying, supporting, and recommending these gowns from now on! Thank you ladies for boosting new mothers confidence and making us look beautiful during an exhausting, overwhelming, and magical moment." 

Men…We've Got You Covered….Soon!

We are excited to finally announce that our "Man Gown" is close to becoming a reality!! We have been working hard on our design and are currently in the process of working with our manufacturer to make, what we hope to be, our final samples. We, as nurses, know that men need to be covered just as much as women so we just can't wait to make that happen.

We were recently able to share one of our samples with a friend whose fiance recently had to undergo a heart procedure so we thought we would tease you all with some pics of one of two designs we will be making for the man gown.

So….our first testimonial for our man gown from my good friend and co-worker, Robin:

"My love, my warrior, Scott Hyatt, is our area bomb squad commander. As soon as we learned that he needed a heart procedure, I thought of Annie & Isabel, a designer hospital gown company owned by my friend and coworker, Anna Ryan and her sister. I called to inquire about the new men's gowns they were designing, and she was able to produce this amazing camouflage gown. How perfect for my man who goes to work in his ACU fatigues, right?!  

At first, Scott was a skeptic, but the gown fit like a dream, the fabric was quality, the construction sturdy, it wraps around so that his goods aren't flashed, and there was a pocket - which he loved!!

The hospital gown they put him in post procedure didn't have a telemetry pocket, and his wires and cords kept pulling it down and over. As you can see, the Annie and Isabel men's gown has the telemetry pocket with a slit under....so he's all tucked in!! Sometimes I think men can be more prone to a sense of vulnerability in the hospital setting, especially when they are the ones that are used to saving the world. I really felt his demeanor change when I slipped this gown on him. 

We love you Anna, and are so grateful for Annie and Isabel for making my EOD Commander's hospital stay so much more comfortable."

Men.....We've Got You Covered!!