THANK YOU ~ The Magic of Facebook

We just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU....to our Facebook fans, Twitter followers, friends and customers.  You truly are the BEST fans and you motivate us to keep doing what we do every day. 

This last week we posted the story of Jen Roper, a young wife and mom of five beautiful children, who was undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumor.  We asked you to help us by sending her good thoughts and prayers and "liking" and "sharing" our Facebook post to rally even more thoughts, prayers, and loving comments from all over the country via Facebook.   When we post things like this we always keep our fingers crossed because we know in order for a post to have a chance of going "viral" our core Facebook fans must "like" and "share" it and  BOY DID YOU EVER!!!!  Here is the current status of this post:

The "likes" and comments keep coming in!!!!  Go to our FACEBOOK page now and you will see that there will be even more "likes" and comments.  In addition...this facebook post was shared by 129 people which also continues to grow.  The blog post we did about Jen has had thousands of views by people in over 10 countries!

This makes us so happy because anyone who has gone through a difficult time knows that having a tremendous amount of support, even from strangers, makes a big difference.  Jen has already expressed thanks for your support and as she recovers from this surgery and gears up for chemotherapy and radiation, to get rid of the small amount of her brain tumor that is left, we would love if you keep the thoughts and prayers coming her way.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  You have helped make a family feel loved and supported.....and that means a lot:-)  You can follow Jen's journey via her blog - The Roper's.

 

Country Music Star, Trace Adkins, Bares It All in the Standard Undignified Hospital Gown. Have No Fear Men...Annie & Isabel Will Have You Covered Soon!!

photo from monstersandcritics.com

This past week, multi-platnum country music artist and The Apprentice Season 7 runner up, Trace Adkins tweeted out the picture below before he was treated for kidney stones.

We had to laugh because this is the exact reason we started Annie & Isabel designer hospital gowns! We have great news for all you men and especially you Trace...Our men's line of Annie & Isabel hospital gowns will be available very very soon! We have the samples in our hands and they look amazing! There really is no reason anyone should have to be exposed in any hospital gown ever EVER again.

Here is a sneak peek at one of our newest man gowns that will be available soon.  We got you covered guys!!!

"Cancer Is Not a Gift, But It Brings Many Gifts With It"

So I am getting closer to my surgery to remove the second half of my thyroid and I am so looking forward to having that date behind me. It’s funny….I keep wishing for the days leading up to surgery to go by quickly, yet as each day passes, I also get more nervous. I am not the kind of person that likes to wait for things to happen. I would like to get it done and know what the future holds for me. I want to have a plan, conquer it and move forward. The waiting, however, has given me some precious time to think . I have learned a lot in these last few weeks of having cancer.

I’ve been told so many times that I am lucky to have Thyroid Cancer. It is one of the most curable cancers you can have. Don’t get me wrong, because I do feel grateful that my cancer is the “lucky” cancer but, then I think to myself, there is NO lucky cancer! Cancer just plain sucks. It is an unwelcome disruption in my life. It has made me cry a lot. It has caused a lot of stress. I’ve dealt with some insomnia that I was lucky enough to never have experienced before my cancer diagnosis. Cancer has made my children worry about me when really the only thing they should be worrying about is doing their homework, having fun and being kids. Although my husband doesn’t say it, I know it has been hard on him too. It’s been hard on my entire family. It is going to cause me to have more surgery, pain, exhaustion and an isolation period, away from my family when I will be “glowing” from radioactivity. The lucky cancer is going to cause me to have countless blood draws, scans and doctor appointments for the rest of my life with always the possibility that I will have a reccurrence and more surgeries….. and the list goes on. I could dwell on all of these negative things but then I think about all the positive things that have come out of this diagnosis and there ARE many.

Through Annie & Isabel, I had the pleasure of meeting a woman who has been battling cancer for over 20 years. In fact, I wrote a blog post about her because she was so inspiring to me and now, her strength is something that is helping me on a personal level. Her name is Molly and she has fought her cancer with grace, humor and strength. She is definitely someone to look up to when you need a boost. So I wrote to her after my diagnosis, and she told me something that really struck me and I’ve found to be so true. She said, “Cancer is not a gift, but it brings many gifts with it.” You may wonder….how can cancer bring any gifts? When I was first diagnosed, I would never have understood how cancer could bring ANY gifts. There is nothing good about the word cancer, yet it has indeed brought so many gifts.

The greatest gift I have received from this diagnosis is a huge appreciation for my life, my children, my husband, my family, and my friends. I’ve always known I have an amazing family but, with this cancer diagnosis, I am reminded of what a gift they are.

Prior to cancer, I took so much for granted but now I try to listen to my children more, listen to them talk, laugh, scream, cry, and even fight. I appreciate my husband so much more. I feel blessed that I chose to marry him over 16 years ago….the best decision of my life.

My parents, whom I know felt so sad to hear I had cancer, have been with me every step of the way for doctors appointments, taking me out to fatten me up, watching the kids and just loving me.

I can’t even begin to tell you how lucky I am to have my sister, Selena. She has had her own heart wrenching problems recently and, yet, she is ready to take on cancer with me and do whatever it takes to make sure things are done right. She is the best sister, advocate, and friend and her love is unconditional. She is such a wonderful gift to me and I appreciate her more than ever.

A recent doctor visit - bye bye thyroid!

I’m still not perfect and I know I will continue to take some things for granted, but I feel so much more love for my family since my cancer diagnosis because I now know, first hand, how fragile our lives can be.

I have learned that the best medicine is laughing. Doesn’t laughing always make you feel better?? My kids do a good job of helping in that department. If you have a good joke, send it my way. I’ll take all the laughing I can get now. I’ve also learned that turning the music up in the car and singing with the kids does a body good! I mean...it doesn't get any better than singing Rock 'N' Roll Lifestyle from the band "Cake" right??  (Sorry if you get a little dizzy watching this....that's what happens when you let a kid do the video recording!!)



I have been given the gift of such a huge community that has truly surrounded me in love. I cannot thank everyone enough for all the well wishes, cards, thoughts, prayers, hugs, encouragement, family dinners etc., etc ., etc.!! I feel so blessed to have such an amazing amount of support because it has made this whole cancer diagnosis so much easier for me. You know the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child??” I have come to realize that it also takes a village to kick cancer’s butt! I am one of the lucky ones because I have a huge village of supporters.

As I gear up for surgery on the 29th I’m thinking good, positive thoughts. With my own strength and the strength of those around me I will get through this challenge and I WILL WIN!! I’m not going to say that I won’t be a little scared throughout this process, because I am, but I think CANCER might want to give a second thought to who it is messing with here!! I am ready for the fight and I have a whole army of people who are standing behind me for this battle.

Last weekend, my parents watched our boys and my husband and I were able to get away to our favorite beach destination, Santa Cruz. There is an older roller coaster there that I have grown up riding. Joe and I got on that roller coaster, for once with no kids in tow. We screamed and laughed as we rode over the old rails of the roller coaster. We felt so good and alive!

So here I am on my daily life roller coaster now and I want to remember to scream and laugh and enjoy the blessings of the ride that my life has dealt me.

Esther's Testimonial and An Appearance on the TV Show "The Doctors"!

One of the greatest rewards of having our company, Annie & Isabel, is the opportunity to come into contact with , learn from and often be inspired by the amazing women that wear our designer hospital gowns.  The women that share their stories with us always remain in our hearts and often in our prayers as they battle a disease or deal with unusual diagnoses or circumstances.  The testimonial we are sharing today is no different.   This testimonial comes from, Esther, who is a young mother of two beautiful children. We were contacted by Esther because she was interested in wearing one of our designer hospital gowns to recover from a rare surgery to correct a condition called Pectus Excavatum.  The surgery Esther endured to correct this condition was very invasive and required a lengthy recovery.  We were so happy that Esther was able to enjoy wearing one of our hospital gowns to provide some comfort, dignity and a little style during her hospital stay!!

We have been anxious to share Esther's testimonial with you because her story may be featured on the television show, "The Doctors"!

A part of her surgery was filmed for the show in order to share her story in hopes that it can help anyone else dealing with this condition. While our hospital gown was not filmed during the pre-operation and surgery it still feels pretty cool to know that we played a small part in Esther's successful surgery and recovery.

Esther is a 33 year old woman who is married and the mother of two beautiful children. She was born with Pectus Excavatum which is a congenital condition in which a person's sternum and several ribs grow abnormally, causing a large indent in a person's chest. People can live symptom free of this condition but in more severe cases it can cause problems. Esther had never had problems until she had her second child. It was at that time that she began experiencing shortness of breath, a racing heart and an inability to physically exert herself to a normal activity level.  She also had severe pain in the middle of her chest that she described as the feeling of "a knife being plunged in one end and out the other." She realized that she needed to undergo a pretty radical surgery in which a metal bar is placed in her chest to hold up the chest wall and allow her muscles and tendons to grow and strenghthen and learn their "new" position, at which time the metal bar will be removed.

Esther has undergone a very painful and long recovery but we are happy to report that she is beginning to get back to her normal daily activities with a much higher quality of life. This surgery has been a life savor for both Esther and her family!

Esther recovered in style with her "Susan" Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown. While you can tell she had just undergone a major surgery, she looked pretty good in her hospital gown!

Here is what she had to say about wearing her Annie & Isabel hospital gown:

"I absolutely LOVED the "Susan" hospital gown. It made me feel like a human being at a time when my entire world had turned upside down. I felt like a woman wearing the gown and not a specimen or science experiment. It was very pretty and beyond pretty. It was fun and had personality. I also got many compliments about the gown, and that felt really good and made me feel a whole lot more comfortable given that I had just had a metal bar literally shoved into my chest, and wasn't feeling so hot in general. I also liked the thickness and quality of the material and how when it covered my body, it was not revealing in the slightest. I appreciated the modesty it afforded me, both laying in the bed, and walking around the hospital wing. All in all, I was so happy to have such a pretty gown to recover in."

Thank you for such a nice testimonial Esther.  We know you will be enjoying a much better quality of life and can now fully enjoy playing with those beautiful children of yours!

Survival ~ A Cancer Warrior's Lessons Through Poetry

Survival

The meaning of survival

may be different than you've heard.

It doesn't mean you're cancer free.

It doesn't mean you're cured.

It doesn't mean you're through with treatment,

or that your hair is growing back.

It doesn't mean your scars have healed.

No, it doesn't mean any of that.

Survival means that you've decided

to live each moment of your life,

and to never let the sun go down

on anger, hate or strife.

Survival means you seize each day

and live your joy out loud,

and you look for silver linings

behind each and every cloud.

Survival is not a timeline

and it's not just a prognosis.

It's the way you decide to live your life

after diagnosis.

You can count days on a calendar

but there's a better way.

Survival is not measured in tomorrows

but in the value of today.

© Molly Shoemaker Schaechtele

Have you ever met someone briefly, by chance, that left an unforgettable imprint on your life??  That is how I feel about Molly Schaechtele, the woman who wrote the above poem.  Molly has been fighting cancer for twenty two years.  She was diagnosed in 1989 with colon cancer and again in 1990.  She enjoyed being cancer free until she was diagnosed in 2006 with breast cancer and, with further testing, due to this second diagnosis, also discovered she had stage IV colon cancer that is considered incurable.  While most people would throw in the towel, and feel a lot of self pity and possibly give up the good fight, Molly has not. She has a heart of gold and truly does see the "silver lining behind each and every cloud." She lives life to the fullest and appreciates and savors each and every day she has.  She has a lot of life lessons to teach and I wanted to share her story because I think we can all learn from her.

I was introduced to Molly when she contacted us recently after we were featured in a local magazine "Inside East Sacramento".  She had just been discharged from the hospital (the third hospital stay in only a couple of months) and she thought an Annie & Isabel hospital gown might be just the thing she needed to cheer herself up in the event that she had to return to the hospital.

Molly purchased the Anita and Evelyn hospital gowns.....so perfect for her bright and cheery personality, don't you think?!

She, however, gave me a bigger gift.....two books of poems that she has written and published about her journey with cancer and the life lessons it has taught her.  Each book is small and includes poems that will make you smile, a couple that might make you cry, and most that will make you realize that even if you are fighting a beast like cancer, there is so much more life to live and treasure!!

If you want to be inspired or help inspire someone going through difficult times then this book might be just the perfect gift! 

I leave you with one last poem from Molly that demonstrates so well her undefeatable spirit!!!

It's A Matter of Scheduling

You tell me that I'm going to die,

that I should put my affairs in order.

'Tis easier said than done, my friend-

Quite frankly,I'm a hoarder.

You tell me that I'm going to die

and soon will be departed.

but there are projects I must finish

that are only half-way started.

You tell me that I'm going to die

but how can that be true?

I must update my will and trust,

and my life insurance too.

You tell me that I'm going to die

but I still have rooms to paint

and curtains to hang and trim to fix

before my house is truly quaint.

You tell me that I'm going to die

and the thought just makes me dizzy.

so if you don't mind, I just won't die...

Quite frankly, I'm too busy!


© Molly Shoemaker Schaechtele

Thank you Molly for reaching out to us.  You are a true inspiration and I feel blessed to have been touched by your outlook and love of life. 

Molly's Schaechtele's books can be purchased through ebay here:

Tickle Me Pink

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!

14 Year Old Undergoes Open Heart Surgery.....Part Two

So if you didn't read yesterdays post, you will want to read that first here: Katie's Testimonial Part 1. This is part II of the story of Katie, a 14 year old girl who underwent open heart surgery due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition. Our last post left off saying that we were about to get a surprising update on Katie!!

We knew the day that Katie was going in for her open heart surgery thanks to her aunt, Jenny, who purchased an Annie & Isabel hospital gown for her. We thought about Katie that morning and went about our day working on Annie & Isabel matters. We were checking our email when we received an email that absolutely made our day and our week!! It was an email that made us realize that every minute of hard work that we put into our company is soooo worth it. The email was from Katie's aunt, Jenny. True to her word, Jenny wrote to update us on Katie's progress. She emailed us the following picture which just blew us away:

This is Katie in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit, just HOURS after having open heart surgery. She has the biggest grin on her face and is looking as bright and cheery as the Evelyn designer gown that she is wearing. Can you imagine sitting up in a chair within the first day of having open heart surgery?? We are nurses and we were surprised and excited to see her doing so well! The surprises weren't to end there, either.

Shortly after receiving that wonderful email from Katie's aunt, Jenny, we received another message. Amazingly, Katie's nurse that day happened to be a friend of ours, Claudette (pictured above with Katie). We hadn't talked to her in quite some time but when she saw this beautiful gown on her patient, she knew right away that it must be an Annie & Isabel hospital gown. She was also amazed at how it helped in the recovery of her patient. Claudette was so impressed that, with the permission of Katie and her family, she contacted us to tell us how excited she was that Katie had this gown and what a difference it had made in Katie's recovery. Here is what she wrote to us:

"I am currently an RN at Children's Hospital Oakland. I have been a Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Nurse for over 8 years now. There are so many reasons I love my job, but one of the great joys is being able to bring to the families and our patients, the most brave kids you will ever meet, some normalcy during their stay in the ICU.

With this brings my story of Katie. Katie had a whirlwind first hand experience as a pediatric heart patient. She was diagnosed and underwent her surgery in such a short time frame. I had the pleasure of helping care for Katie her first day post-op. It was then we encouraged Katie to take a bath, braid her hair and get out of that stale hospital gown from surgery and get into her new and improved gown from Annie and Isabel! After the bath, hair braided and gown in place, I was taken aback on how Katie was actually glowing! She was able to get up and out of the bed and into the chair! We were all so excited to see her with so much strength and in such a great mood so soon after this intense surgery. Katie looked at me and said how much getting up and out of bed, and wearing something that she loved made her feel just that little bit better (this girl was smiling ear to ear). It truly made my heart smile.

Thank you Annie and Isabel for bringing a little bit of sunshine to maybe just another day in the ICU."

~Claudette Arguello, RN, BSN

Even her cardiologist, Dr. Rosenfeld (pictured above with Katie) was impressed with Katie's hospital gown!

Katie's aunt, Jenny, was so happy with the difference the Evelyn designer hospital gown had made in Katie's first day of recovery that she ordered a second gown, The Susan, which we promptly altered to include the telemetry pocket and shipped out that same day. Thankfully it got there in one day because Katie's miraculous recovery from her surgery got her out of the hospital and home within 76 hours. Katie was back to school within two weeks!!! She is an amazing young lady!

Here is what Katie had to say about our hospital gowns:

"This gown made my day so much brighter! My aunt gave me a second gown because I felt so good wearing the first one! I had so much fun showing it off to all the nurses. I felt "dressed" in the gown, which made me feel less like a patient and more like a person. I love my hospital gowns!"

Katie, we are so glad you recovered so well from this big surgery and wish you a lot of healthy years of swimming, snow skiing, water skiing and sporting activities and loving life!!

A New Mother Delivers in the Annie Designer Hospital Gown

Here is Allison wearing her Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown as she gets ready to deliver her first child. She is wearing the "Annie" gown and we love that her cute flip flops look perfect with her hospital gown. We are sure she was the most fashionable mom on the labor and delivery floor! Thanks Allison for your testimonial!


"All ready to welcome miss Lauren Whitney...a big THANK YOU to Joyce and Annie & Isabel Hospital Gowns for making me feel stylish during my labor & delivery...I received many compliments while walking the floor."

-Alison Minneapolis MN

The Comfort of The Isabel Designer Hospital Gown After Knee Replacement Surgery

We received a lovely testimonial from Sharon of Virginia. She purchased an Annie & Isabel hospital gown for herself for a knee replacement surgery she was scheduled to have that would require a couple nights stay in the hospital. She heard about our company from a friend of hers and knew right away it was a necessity for her upcoming surgery.

Sharon purchased the Isabel hospital gown and here is what she had to say about her experience in her gown:

"I am so happy that my friend told me about Annie & Isabel Hospital Gowns and that I ordered one before having knee replacement surgery recently. As soon as I looked online, I knew I'd love your gowns - and I did! I was especially pleased to learn that they were developed by nurses who knew what patients need to feel comfortable and adequately covered. While at the hospital, I was delighted that I could walk down the hall to rehab, and not worry about rear-end "exposure". I also loved the feel of the fabric, and that my gown had pockets. Therapy is tough, and you never know when you'll need a tissue to wipe a stray tear. The lovely pattern of my gown (I chose the Isabel) was perfect for a mature woman, and the compliments I received from guests and hospital staff certainly made me feel special. The only down-side of the gown was that is was so cute that it almost made me excited about going to the hospital - almost, but not quite. Best wishes for continued success."

Edie Lambert Welcomes New Baby Girl in the "Annie" Hospital Gown

If you are from the Sacramento area, then you are most likely familiar with the name, Edie Lambert. Edie is a well respected newscaster for KCRA Channel 3 and has been reporting for them since 1995. It was such a joy to get to know Edie when we corresponded with her about the Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown that she would wear for the birth of her daughter. She is as genuine and friendly in person as she appears on television!

We loved hearing why Edie chose the Annie designer hospital gown. She told us she would be using the name, Annie, as a part of her daughters middle name in honor of her great grandmothers. This struck a cord with us, as you know how important and meaningful it has been for us to name our gowns after our ancestors. So it really touched us that Edie was choosing to remember her great-grandmothers by giving the middle name of Annie to her little Alise. We have always felt that by naming our own children, and now, our company and gowns, after our loved ones that we help insure that their name AND their legacies will be kept alive.

Edie, already so beautiful, looks radiant in her Annie hospital gown.

Edie and husband, Lloyd enjoying their first moments as a family of three

Baby Alise
In addition to the "Annie" hospital gown, Edie was also gifted the "Evelyn" hospital gown by her good friend. We received this very nice note from Edie about her experience wearing her Annie & Isabel designer hospital gowns:

"I just had to write a quick note to let you know how much I enjoyed wearing your pretty line of gowns as I gave birth to my daughter. It was a joyful time, and that was reflected in the cheerful colors and patterns of the gowns. I also appreciated not having to worry about my backside hanging out every time I walked down the hall!! I loved my gowns so much, I bought two for my mother-in-law for an upcoming surgery. I also loaned mine to my friend, Erin, when she was hospitalized during her pregnancy and she liked them so much she ordered a few more. Between the two of us, I think we now own almost your entire line!"

"As I have been preparing to return to work, I've been looking at the photos Brenda Bisharat shot during those first days in the hospital. Those are precious memories and I am grateful that they're captured as I wore gowns that felt special, beautiful and comfortable."

"Thank you both for using your expertise and creativity to come up with such a great idea."

~Edie Lambert~

Congratulations Edie and Lloyd!
We also want to thank Brenda Bisharat for, once again, doing an amazing job of capturing those first newborn moments!!!

Inspirational Mom Delivers Her Third Child & Deals With A New Diagnosis Of Multiple Sclerosis

This testimonial is such an inspirational one. Megan wore

our Annie designer hospital gown for the recent birth of her third child.

We love to connect with people who wear our hospital gowns

because we find their stories to be so inspirational. In purchasing

a gown for her upcoming birth, we learned that Megan also lives

with Multiple Sclerosis. She shares her beautiful

family and life with MS on her blog

"It's Megan Not Megan ~ A Wife and Mom With A Weird Name."

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. It can be difficult to diagnose, especially because it presents itself around the age of 20-40 years of age in most people. Megan's journey with MS began in the fall of 2004 and wasn't diagnosed until the summer of 2009. To read more about Megan's story and battle to diagnosis click HERE.

Here is what Megan had to say about wearing her "Annie"

Annie & Isabel Hospital Gown,

"Getting pregnant with our 3rd child came on the heels of a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. When I heard of the Annie & Isabel gowns I knew I needed one. After a long hard delivery, it was so nice to recover in something clean, beautiful, and way cute! I received so many compliments on my Annie gown. After the year I had with my diagnosis, I felt everything came full circle the day our second daughter was born. It's nice to look back on that day and see myself in the cutest gown EVER! Thanks girls for making my memories extra cute and extra special".

Annie & Isabel Designer Hospital Gown Giveaway with MckMama

MCKMAMA AND HER NEWEST BLESSING, BABY LACHLAN

I have always loved reading blogs, long before my sister and I started our business selling designer hospital gowns. We have found some inspirational people and amazing stories from people who have allowed us to "read in" on their lives through their blogs. One day I came across a blog written by a mother, Jennifer McKinney, known by readers as MckMama. Her unborn baby and fourth child, Stellan, had a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT. SVT was causing Stellan's heart to beat at an accelerated and dangerous rate. This interested us because of our medical background and because we are mothers ourselves. We prayed as we followed along through the ups and downs of his fight for life. You can read more about Stellan's amazing story here.

MckMama is well known for blogging about her daily life raising her "Many Small Children", as she calls them. She is a talented photographer, and her blog is full of her creative and colorful work documenting her children's lives. As our company was making its' debut, MckMama's sister, Hilary, was getting ready to welcome her first child. We asked Hilary if she wanted to try out our first sample designer hospital gown and so she became the very first person to wear one of our gowns. She was so gracious and had nothing but wonderful things to say about her experience in our "Annie Gown" which you can read about on MckMama's blog here and find those compliments on our testimonial page. We were so excited to hear this feedback from Hilary......for the first time, our dream was beginning to be a reality.

HILARY IN OUR ANNIE GOWN ABOUT TO WELCOME HER FIRST DAUGHTER

Fast forward a few months and MckMama had exciting news of her own....she was expecting her fifth child! In the short time between Hilary's delivery and MckMama approaching due date, Annie & Isabel was in full swing. Nearing the end of MckMama's recent pregnancy she required several hospitalizations and was able to use both our "Anita" and "Evelyn" hospital gowns. We are glad that our hospital gowns were able to provide her with some comfort and dignity during these stays.

BABY LACHLAN SNUGGLED IN HIS MAMA'S BELLY JUST MOMENTS BEFORE HIS ARRIVAL!

With much anticipation, on August 2, 2010, MckMama donned her "Evelyn" Annie & Isabel designer hospital gown as she prepared to go in for her c-section. She and her family welcomed a new little miracle to the family, baby Lachlan.

This is what MckMama had to say about her experience wearing her Annie & Isabel designer hospital gowns:

"I was hospitalized a few times before actually giving birth to our fifth baby. Each time, I asked my husband to bring me one of my Annie & Isabel gowns to wear. I got compliments from my nurses constantly. Thank you, Annie & Isabel, for allowing me to feel pretty... even in the hospital! My favorite gown is the Evelyn, and I wore that one when I gave birth to our sweet son, Lachlan. Besides how gorgeous the high quality gowns are, I loved the ribbon ties and the fact that the back wraps around to the side, tying on the hip. I was wheeled and walked up to the Special Care Nursery to nurse our new baby many, many times those first days. When wearing my Annie & Isabel gown, I felt lovely and completely covered up! The nurses constantly said they wished that all the gowns on the Labor and Delivery floor were so great. Thank you for beautifying my birthing experience with your gowns!!"

MCKMAMA'S "MANY SMALL CHILDREN" ENJOYING THEIR SWEET BABY BROTHER

As we congratulate the MckMama family, Jennifer was gracious enough to host a giveaway for us to help spread the word about our company Annie & Isabel. Watch her Facebook and Twitter pages for more details about the giveaway tomorrow, Wednesday, August 25th. You can "like" MckMama on Facebook here and follow her on Twitter here. Good luck!

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!

Proud Mama Teeny Meets Her Beautiful Son!

We are LOVING all the wonderful testimonials we are getting in! This one is from a wonderful person Christine, AKA "Teeny", who ordered The Isabel Gown for her recent birth. We are so happy Teeny loved her Isabel gown and here is what she had to say about her experience. Thank you SO much Teeny... We are really happy you had a wonderful experience and a beautiful healthy boy! We just love this picture of Jameson... and you even got our logo in there! If you have worn one of our Annie & Isabel gowns, we would love to hear your story.

Teeny's Testimonial

So Precious!

Glowing Mom and Glowing Testimonial

We just received these amazing photographs and testimonial from Gina, who recently gave birth to her second child... a baby girl! What a beautiful family!

"Can I please announce to the world how much I loved my Annie & Isabel gown! I never thought a gown could make such a difference in a hospital stay until I wore the Anita gown during my second child's delivery. Being 5'2'' I had a difficult time being comfortable during my first labor and delivery. Having a gown that was not a one size fits all was a gift! I did not have any extra material to get tangled in and I was covered in all the appropriate places. The design was joyful and I received so many compliments while wearing it. This was extremely helpful during my 25 hours of labor. The Anita pattern and colors worked like a charm when I was in need of a focus point. Looking back, I wish I had two for my hospital stay. I had my mother take it home, wash it, and return it to me as fast as she could. Even after a few washed, the gown was as good as new. Nursing was comfortable and easy with the shoulder snaps. I did not have to worry about my gown while visitors came to meet our newest member of the family. I loved it so much; I will be gifting one to all my mom-to-be friends!"

Thanks Gina! We are so happy that you were able to have a more comfortable and enjoyable experience in your Anita gown! Congratulations on your precious new addition!