#LoveForLawson :: We Need Your Help {Our latest Feel Better Campaign Recipient}

Annie & Isabel is so much more than a designer hospital gown company. Our hospital gowns are often purchased as special gifts for people fighting tough diagnoses or dealing with unfortunate circumstances and, because of this, we have inevitably met some very special and brave people along the way. We feel truly honored that people take the time to read our posts and think of our company when they are trying to figure out what to do for someone in need. If you are reading this post, chances are you have been here before and we thank you. This is a place where we often share stories of warriors who have worn or are wearing our gowns and call for an outpouring of thoughts and prayers. Time and time again, you have all truly shown us the good in this world with your support for a stranger in need. The thoughtfulness is beyond measure and that, our dear friends, is why Annie & Isabel has been such a special thing that we hold close to our hearts. We are here once again, in a time of need, to ask for your help. 

This is Meghan. She is a mother, a wife to Ryan, a photographer, and now an Annie & Isabel warrior.  Meghan is actually you. She is the one who loyally reads our posts and answers our calls for help. She shares our posts on Facebook and sends healing thoughts to warriors who have come before her. Meghan is a kind and caring woman and we are so excited to say she is about to welcome her fourth son, Lawson!  This unborn child, however, needs a swarm of good thoughts and prayers for the fight he will have when he is born and that is where we hope you will all come in.

Meghan is the mother of 3 beautiful sons, Colton 16, Dylan 8, and Gavin 7. When we saw on Instagram that she was expecting her fouth boy, we were so so so excited for her. As we both know so well, brothers are magical and a fourth boy is pretty special. We recently noticed Meghan posting about "#LoveforLawson" and were saddened to learn that baby Lawson is up against quite a battle as soon as he is born. Meghan shared with us that baby Lawson has a congenital heart defect called Hydroplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), which means Lawson has half a heart. Lawson will have his first open heart surgery within days of his birth and Meghan and her husband Ryan were told that he has a 60% chance of surviving this first sugery. He will then have another surgery around 6 months, a surgery as a toddler, and ultimately will need a heart transplant. 

Meghan, Scott, Colton, Dylan, and Gavin, are anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Lawson as we write this. We have chosen Meghan as our latest Feel Better Campaign recipient and hope Meghan will feel comfortable, loved, and beautiful when she delivers baby Lawson. Here is a picture of Meghan just minutes ago in her Isabel designer hospital gown! Isn't she gorgeous?!

We need your help and we know you all will help because you have done it before! We would please ask you to do the following so that we can surround this family in love and prayers for Lawson to have a safe delivery and surgery in his first week of life:

• LIKE our Facebook post to help Meghan, Ryan and her boys feel our love.
• SHARE our Facebook post and as part of your comment put #LoveForLawson so others can help surround them in love and spread their story.
• POST A COMMENT on our Facebook post to give Meghan and her family words of encouragement and strength as they prepare for an exciting time of welcoming a new son to their family, yet also a very scary and unpredictable time as to the fate of their son's health.

Here is the link to our Facebook post so LIKE, SHARE, and POST AWAY!!! -FB LINK 

Meghan, her husband Ryan, who is a police sargent, and 3 sons live in Temecula, California. She is a stay at home mother and has her own photography business, Memories by Meghan Photography.    

Tatsiana Welcomes Baby Girl in Her Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown

We received this beautiful testimonial from Tatsiana, who just welcomed a beautiful baby girl! How adorable is her sweet face? She is wearing our "Annie" Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown enjoying those first newborn snuggles.

I want to thank you for making my hospital stay brighter with one of your beautiful gowns! I was so lucky and excited to receive it as a gift and wear it after delivering my precious baby girl. Everyone who came to visit commented on how fresh and pretty I looked in the gown, as if I didn't just go through labor to deliver an almost 10 pound baby. Not to mention it was a huge hit with the nurses and other hospital staff! Your gown made me feel not only beautiful, but most importantly very comfortable, whether I was breastfeeding or walking the halls. It also made for some beautiful first pictures with my baby! 

I thank you and wish you all the best in your business! 

Sincerely, 

Tatsiana

In This Season of Giving, Read About How This New Mom Gave the Gift of Life to Another Family

We always say that it is our customer's testimonials that give us the motivation and energy to continue our mission of helping women (and soon to be men) feel comforted and dignified during their hospital stays. This new testimonial did just that and brought tears to our eyes. We think it is the perfect story to share during this holiday season.    

This new mother made a huge sacrifice to bless another family with the gift of life and we LOVE that our Annie & Isabel hospital gowns were a part of this special journey. We are sending warm wishes to the amazing Elizabeth and her family. She truly is a real life ANGEL! 

"My surrogate journey started with the movie "Baby Mama", which is nothing like the actual process, at all. My husband and I have a 2 year old little girl named Lillian and we can't imagine our lives without her. My pregnancy was a breeze and labor with her was easy, 3 hours, no epidural, and no tearing (sorry if that's TMI) As the doctor was cleaning my daughter off I looked to my husband and told him I want to give the gift of a child to another family. I felt in my heart that it was my calling to give a family their own precious little face to look at and love on. I was required to wait until I was medically cleared by my OB before I could apply for the surrogate program ConcieveAbiltities in Denver CO. 

In December of 2011, sitting in a hotel room in Denver, while my 3 months old daughter slept. I filled out my application to be a surrogate. Three weeks later I got the email saying I was invited into the program. I could not have been more excited. From that moment on it was a slow and steady process. We had our match meeting, went over the legal aspects, and signed the contracts. 

Nine months after submitting my application it was transfer day! October 15, 2012 two (yes two) perfect embryos were transferred into what we hoped would be there oven for the next 9 months, me. I was on doctor ordered bed rest for 48 hours and as soon as the bed rest was lifted I knew I was pregnant! I was short of breath and craved orange juice which were the only two symptoms I had when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. So, nine days post transfer I took a home pregnancy test and got a big fat positive. After a blood test, the doctor confirmed it, I was pregnant! Then at 8 weeks we saw 2 sacs and 2...count em.....2 heartbeats!

Through the process the intended parents were very standoffish and were excited but didn't show it. They attended none of the appointments except the hospital tour when I was 20 weeks pregnant. The disconnect between my family and the intended parents is what brought me to Annie and Isabel. 

While the other surrogates were having baby showers thrown by/for their intended parents I was home with my loving husband and daughter. Their baby showers inspired me to treat myself to a few luxury items for my delivery. I entered "designer hospital gowns" into the google search bar. There were 4 companies listed before Annie and Isabel, but their back stories and customer testimonials are what hooked me. Those and the fact they had an Elizabeth gown!

I had no hesitation in ordering my gowns (yes I got two). The sizing was easy to understand, the designs are adorable, and the gowns cover everything. Being that I'm 6 ft tall, some gowns tend to be a little short. What really sold me was the fact that the gowns had pockets. I even had a pocket sewn into my wedding dress. I have to have my phone and chap-stick at all times. 

I checked my shipment status every few hours to make sure they were on their way. I opened the box and tears filled my eyes. They were gorgeous and I knew they would help in my recovery. I gushed over them for a few days before packing them in my hospital bag to await the faithful day when I would give mom and dad their precious cargo back.

The big day came and everything went so fast. The twins were born on May 25, 2013 via c-section happy and healthy. I was wheeled into recovery where my husband was waiting for me. I remembered him kissing me on the forehead and holding my Annie gown up. "When you are able to walk I will give you your gown my princess." That was all the motivation I needed, I was in my gown just after dark.

As my husband and I walked through the hospital (sometimes 4-5 times a day) there was always a comment made or a question asked about my gown. I answered every question with joy and a smile. I wanted everybody to know what an impact a beautiful gown can have on their recovery. But the gowns were not packed away after the twins. I keep them handy for any and every hospital trip, which included my several ER visits for kidney infections caused by my catheter.

Thank you Annie and Isabel for the wonderful, beautiful, and modest gowns." 

Yours Truly,
Elizabeth  
Proud Surrogate

Popular Blogger Jill Krause of Baby Rabies Wears our Isabel Gown to Welcome Lowell

This is a long overdue testimonial but well worth the wait!!  We have been following the blog, Baby Rabies, for quite some time so we were so excited when the writer of this blog, Jill Krause, wanted to wear one of our designer hospital gowns for the birth of her third child. 

Jill is a very talented writer with a great sense of humor. Her sense of humor about being a mother and highlighting the good, the bad, and the ugly of everyday life has definitely struck a chord with many as she has gained a huge following on her blog and has over 20,000 followers on her Facebook page. If you don't already follow her blog, head on over and check it out. It will be worth your time!!

Jill chose to wear the "Isabel" designer hospital gown for the birth of her third child. She delivered a beautiful baby boy, Lowell Scott Krause, on July 30th, 2013. 

Jill wore her "Isabel" hospital gown to recover in after her delivery and here is what she had to say about wearing her own hospital gown:

"My Annie & Isabel gown was such a nice treat. I loved slipping it on after I got cleaned up post-delivery, before heading to recovery. It was great to have a beautiful, comfortable gown on when family came to visit that not only functioned well for me, but also looked great in pictures. I especially loved that I didn't have to worry about anything peeking out the backside, and that the shoulders unsnapped for breastfeeding and skin to skin time."

If you are up for a good birth story that will make you smile, laugh and cry, read all about the birth of Lowell here from Jill's blog, BabyRabies:  "Lowell's Birth Story"

Congrats Krause family!! You are all truly blessed. 

Photo Credit: A Sacred Project

Shanna Celebrates Her Birth in The "Annie" Designer Hospital Gown!

We wanted to share a beautiful testimonial from Shanna about her experience wearing Annie & Isabel after the birth of her son. Congratulations Shanna! You look gorgeous in the "Annie" designer hospital gown!

"Thank you so much for my amazing Annie gown! After delivering my son, all of my visitors commented on how good I looked considering I'd just given birth. I felt so beautiful in the pink gown, and I love looking back on pictures of me in the hospital. I am so appreciative of the work you are doing to make women feel better about themselves while in the hospital! Thank you again!" ~Shanna

We LOVE testimonials! Submit yours by emailing us at wecare@annieandisabel.com.

Amber's Birth Story - Welcome Baby Braxton

With every Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown that we send out, we always think about each individual who will be wearing the gown. It may sound corny, but we almost feel a reverence for our gowns as we press and fold them for mailing. While we package each hospital gown, we are thinking...this gown will be a part of a very important day in someone's life. Will it witness a baby's first cry? Will it aid in a strong recovery? Could it comfort someone and their loved ones during the last days of a life? We truly send our love along with each order and hope our gowns add to the joy, peace, and comfort of these important life events. Long after an Annie & Isabel hospital gown has been sent out, we continue to think about each customer which is why we especially cherish the feedback we receive from so many of our "warriors".  We find inspiration through the strength and beauty of all the women who grace Annie & Isabel hospital gowns and share their stories. Each story motivates us to keep on doing what we are doing and by sharing these stories it helps spread the word about our company so other women can choose dignity and style in the hospital. We have really become a village!  

When someone posts a picture to our Facebook page or on Twitter we are SOO appreciative and overjoyed. That is how we "met" Amber. She posted this fantastic photo of herself laboring the halls hand in hand with her supportive husband. Amber then shared with us a slideshow of her birth experience. It was amazing. We felt the highs and lows of Amber's labor with her in her Anita designer hospital gown. The Anita gown was the perfect backdrop to such a memorable day for her. Amber really loved her gown and she was nice enough to share her birth story and experience in an Annie & Isabel hospital gown with all of us. It is so beautifully written and made us both a little misty eyed! Thank you Amber!! 

"I first saw an Annie & Isabel gown on a blog that I read well before I even thought we might have a third baby. I loved the idea of having your gown that made you feel pretty. Then we found out we were expecting our 3rd blessing in October of 2010. The first thing I told my mom was that I wanted a custom gown. I knew there was more than one company making them so I started my search for one in a fabric/pattern I liked that came in a plus size. I decided on the Annie & Isabel Anita gown. I absolutely fell in love with the purple edging. 

Due to some family circumstances my mom was delayed in ordering my gown before my baby shower.  Luckily the  wonderful ladies at Annie & Isabel helped my mom and expedited the package. It arrived just in time for my baby shower Mother's Day weekend with a hand written note of congratulations. No one at my shower had seen a custom hospital gown so it was fun to show it off.

When I packed my hospital bag my Annie & Isabel gown was right on top so that I could change into it at the hospital. That day came June 14th 2011. I drove myself from my midwifes office to the hospital.  My water broke at noon while I was waiting for my husband, my mom and two older kids to arrive. I got to my room and changed into my gown and immediately got compliments from the nurse checking me in.

As my labor continued we walked the halls of the hospital. While others were wearing the normal green & white hospital gowns with the open back, I walked confidently knowing that my backside was covered! Many patients and nurses complimented that the gown was so pretty and asked where I purchased it. I should have put a stack of business cards in my pocket. I hope that some of them went home and looked up the gowns. I think the pocket was one of my favorite features. I had my iphone in my pocket the whole time to stay updated with my friends and to track my labor.

I wish that my story ended with my baby being born as I wore my Annie & Isabel gown. Instead I had to be taken for an emergency c-section almost 11 hours after my water broke.  My loving L&D nurse changed me out of my gown right before we went to the OR so that nothing would happen to it. At 11:18pm I heard my baby cry and my midwife announced "It's a boy" (the gender had been a surprise). We named him Braxton.

I had not packed for an extended stay in the hospital, so I ended up changing back into my Annie & Isabel gown when I was finally allowed out of bed. It was nice to feel pretty again and cuddle with my little guy. Over the next 2 days each new nurse raved about my fabulous gown. It didn't interfere with the I.V.'s or blood pressure cuff and I was able to easily nurse my new baby. It was bittersweet to take it off as I changed to go home. 

Thank you for being such a great memory in our unforgettable birth story."

~Amber 

Shannon Welcomes Her Third Daughter In The Elizabeth & Annie Designer Hospital Gowns

We have been so excited to post this beautiful testimonial from Shannon which chronicles the arrival of her third daughter. You may recognize the gorgeous work from Bisharat Photography and we feel honored that our Annie & Isabel designer hospital gowns were the backdrop to such a special day! Brenda Bisharat is available to photograph your birth if you live in the Sacramento area, something that we both did with our youngest sons - unfortunately before Annie & Isabel came about! She took these photographs of Shannon before, during, and the day after her daughter arrived. Thank you to Brenda and to Shannon for sharing them with us!

Here is what Shannon wrote about her experience wearing her Annie & Isabel designer hospital gowns:

"During my pregnancy, I learned that one of my daughter's classmates mom was one of the designers of Annie & Isabel.  I knew then that I had to don one of these adorable gowns during my hospital stay for baby # 3.

So, it was such a treat when during my maternity photo session, our wonderful photographer, Brenda Bisharat, surprised me with two beautiful Annie & Isabel gowns.  We were expecting our third daughter - so the Annie and Elizabeth were perfect.  The gowns were washed, ironed and packed weeks before my due date - just in case!  There was no way I would wear any old gown."

"While at the hospital in labor, I wore the Elizabeth.  I walked and walked that short hallway in my adorable gown and heads turned every time! Nurses and other patients couldn't help but comment and ask where I got it - or if it was provided by the hospital.  I proudly replied, "No, it is Annie & Isabel - it was a gift."  Big belly and all, I received tons of compliments."

"Even as the team of doctors and nurses came in when the baby was born, they couldn't believe how adorable the gown was, and that I was actually wearing it during labor!  The yellow and fun polka dot pattern made me feel so happy and comfy."

"Once I was moved up to my private room, I changed into the Annie gown.  It was so nice to feel "pretty" just after delivery!  And to be so comfortable, I felt like a princess!"

"Thanks to Brenda Bisharat and Annie & Isabel for helping us moms feel extra special! I only wish I had them for my first two deliveries:-)."

~Shannon, Sacramento, CA

Do you know about our partnership with Brenda Bisharat Photography for local moms-2-be?  

With the purchase of an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown, Brenda Bisharat will come to the hospital the day after your delivery for a complimentary photo session of you and your new baby! In addition to the session, Brenda includes a free 5x7 and will put up a nice slideshow that you can share with family and friends.  Click the link below for more information. 

Brenda Bisharat Photography Partnership

Another Proud Mama in Her Annie and Isabel Designer Hospital Gown

Another new proud mama in her Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown.  This is Mary and she is wearing the "Isabel" hospital gown. She is a first time mommy and loving life with her sweet little girl.  Here is what she had to say about her Annie & Isabel hospital gown:

"Just wanted to say how much I loved my Annie and Isabel gown.  It was great to have something new and clean (that I knew was clean) to put on after she was born.  I really appreciated the full coverage and snap up sleeves as I was on IV medication for the first day and had to get up frequently.  I got so many compliments from the nurses and family.  Thanks."

~Mary

We have some great news about our Isabel designer hospital gowns!  A while back we announced that the Isabel fabric had been discontinued....at least that is what we were told by our fabric distributor.  We just ordered more fabric to make more hospital gowns and guess what?... The Isabel fabric is still being produced! We are so happy about this, because The Isabel gown is one of our best sellers.. and our personal favorites too!

Kirsten Enjoyed Her Anita Hospital Gown After a Quick Delivery!

A wonderful testimonial from Kirsten. She shared with us such sweet pictures of her daughter looking so proud to be a big sister! We love to hear from women who have worn our gowns. Thanks Kirsten!

"Our little boy was born on March 11th. He came into the world in a hurry and I didn't have my gown on for the actual birth. But, I can honestly say that putting on my gown a couple hours after he was born was wonderful! It made me feel refreshed and beautiful. It was just so nice to wear something that was clean and hadn't been worn by complete strangers. I received many compliments on it from all my nurses and also from family members who came to visit me. I loved that it covered everything that needed covering and the pocket was perfect for keeping my chapstick handy! My gown will always be a part of my memories of the wonderful day our son was born. Thank you so much!"

~Kirsten, California

Speaking of quick deliveries... We have a GREAT guest post this Thursday {in honor of Father's Day} from Charlie, from HowtoBeaDad.com. Birth stories are pretty funny coming from a Dad's point of view. You won't want to miss it... Here is an intro from Charlie about their site. We have really enjoyed following How to be a Dad and hope you will too! You can find them on Facebook and Twitter too.

A Sweet Mother's Day Gift

We wanted to wish all mothers and moms-to-be a very happy Mother's Day today!! We, as mothers, know how blessed we are to have the beautiful families that we have and to also have the privilege of mothering our children with the hopes that they remain healthy, well-rounded children. Mother's Day is a nice time to reflect on our families and the blessings we have.

Some mothers are getting an extra special present this Mother's Day....the gift of a new baby. The new mother below, Hilary, is one such mom!!

Hilary celebrated the birth of her third child just three days ago. What is even more exciting to us is that this is the second birth in which she has worn her Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown. Hilary was one of the first mothers to ever wear an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown and now she is one of the first to wear it for a 2nd birth!!! She first wore her Annie & Isabel gown when she gave birth to Raven which you can read about HERE. Scroll near the bottom to see her testimonial:-)

Proud New Mama!!

She delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl. How sweet is she?

This is what Hilary said about wearing her Annie & Isabel hospital gown for the second time which we thought was so neat:

"I was so excited to be able to wear my gown again....it held such good memories from Raven's birth and now it will hold memories from Azri's birth!"

Congratulations Hilary and a special Happy Mother's Day to you!!!

Don't forget that we are still offering free shipping on orders through today with code "Mothers". Last chance to order your gown with an $8 savings on shipping.

Introducing The Susan Designer Hospital Gown

Most of you have seen our newest designer hospital gown, The Susan. We FINALLY want to officially introduce the gown to you and give you the story behind the naming of this gown. This is such a hard post to write, because we have so much we want to say!

The Susan gown is a very special gown and named after our beloved mother, Susan. We have honored our loved ones of the past with our 5 other gowns, but the newest addition to our collection is in honor of our best friend and mother, Susan.

Anyone who knows our mother knows what a special person she really is. She always has her family as the center of her being. She loves geneology and researching our roots. She has single handedly kept so many of the memories of our ancestors, who have left this life, ALIVE with her research and stories....stories that we treasure and will share with our children and grandchildren. Maybe that is why we ourselves have incorporated so much of who we are into the naming of these designer hospital gowns and into our business.

We will forever cherish the home videos that our mother took of our Great Grandma Annie telling her stories from the farm... or the love letters she compiled between our Grandmother Elizabeth and Grandpa Jack while he was fighting the war (those could be a best selling book.. so romantic!) It is very important to our mother to document everything about our loved ones so that their legacy will always live on through each generation. How lucky are we that we know the roots from where we came?! We have even had the fortune to visit the homelands of these relatives in the Azores, Portugal and Ireland which was such a blessing because it made us realize how special these people were and the hardships they endured to give us the freedoms we enjoy today in America.

Our Mother Susan

Family is so important to our mother that she also chose to name each of her children after people in our family. We loved this so much that we, too, have kept the tradition going and have named each of our boys after someone in our family. What is so special about this is that our children will always know about the people they were named after which, in turn, keeps their stories and names ALIVE!! We can't wait to tell Jack more about how dapper his Great-Grandpa Jack was and how people called him Gentleman Jack... or tell George that his Great-Grandfather George bravely lived through the Armenian Genocide when many men in his family did not... he was a little boy who was dressed as a girl, as the women and girls were initially spared from execution. Without their bravery we would not be where we are today or who we are today. All of this is important to us because of our amazing mother.

If you have purchased one of our Annie & Isabel gowns, you know that you receive a card with the gown that shares the story of the gowns namesake. We would like to share The Susan Card with you...

Our mother, Susan, has always taught us to be caring women and see the good in everyone. This really helps us in our work as nurses in the hospital. We are frequently challenged with difficult patients and sometimes it is hard not to judge them. We have been taught by our mother to always think about what these patients have gone through that has made them the way they are today. Instead of passing judgement, we often times feel sympathy for them. As nurses it is not our place to judge. We always aim to care for the patient in the best way possible. Many days at work we channel our mother to give us strength to carry on.... and many days we need this strength in a big way!

If you have read our previous posts, you know how hard it was to obtain The Susan Gown material. When we had it reprinted exclusively for Annie & Isabel, we knew it was a special gown for a special person. Mom has a deep love for the past, but also has a fashion sense for the present. Black and white are her favorite colors for clothing and animal prints often find their way into her wardrobe. This gown is definitely THE SUSAN!

My Birth Story in Pictures

Remember what it was like to anticipate the birth of your child? Maybe some of you are doing that right now. Maybe some of you are waiting for your first baby and you are a little scared? For me, I can think of nothing better than those last days before my children were born. They were days that were filled with such excitement and uncertainty. My mind always swirled with so many unanswered questions. When will I go into labor...morning, noon or night? Will my water break in public? Will my baby be o.k.? I wonder how much he weighs..I think a lot!! How long will my labor be? Will I have my little one tomorrow? Oh please, I am so ready!!!

Childbirth is the one thing in life that leaves such a vivid indelible memory in most women's life experiences. I have had four boys and I remember each birth so clearly. You can ask any woman who has given birth to a child or has adopted a child and they can tell you every little detail of their delivery experience or their experience meeting their new child for the first time.

When I had my fourth son I knew that this baby would more than likely be our last child. I had always wanted to have pregnancy pictures done and for some reason I never did it. I think, ultimately, I felt too embarrassed to have someone take pictures of my naked belly. With my last pregnancy, however, I knew it was something I would do. I didn't want to regret never having done it and I wanted to remember what I looked like with a pregnant belly. Luckily I had met a wonderful photographer, Brenda Bisharat, before I became pregnant with my fourth boy. Sometime in my last trimester I had the pregnancy pictures taken and I truly cherish them today. If you have ever thought of having pictures done while you are pregnant I would strongly encourage you to do it. The pictures are not only wonderful to have for yourself but your children will love looking at them when they are older.

After doing pregnancy pictures, I made the decision to also have my birth professionally photographed by the same photographer. This was a big decision because giving birth to a child is a very private experience and one in which I knew I would be completely exposed. What I discovered was, that by having Daniel's birth photographed professionally, I received such a precious irreplaceable and amazing gift! So, while many people like to share their birth story in words, I thought it would be fun to share mine in pictures and maybe you might decide that this treasure is one that you also have to have when you give birth to your child some day. I personally will never regret it!!! Thank you Brenda Bisharat for capturing my birth story so incredibly well and for putting together the wonderful video of my pictures below!!!





P.S. Just think how much cuter those hospital pictures would have been if I was in an Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown. Unfortunately this was before the idea to make our gowns became a reality :-(