The Linkous Family: May 2011

It was 5 years ago today that Brent and I were blessed with the most beautiful baby boy, whom we named Job. When we got pregnant with Job, we were so excited. He wasn't planned by us, but by God. At 5 months, I went in for my normal routine ultrasound to find out I had no amniotic fluid. At that point the doctor sent me to a high risk doctor where they confirmed there was no amniotic fluid and that our baby had what is known as Potters Syndrome. Basically our little baby had no kidney or bladder. This being one of my saddest days in my life, I couldn't believe Brent and I were walking down this road at such a young age. With a lot of prayer and support from our close friends and family, we decided to keep with the pregnancy and the let the Lord lead us to whatever he had planned for our family. The next 3 1/2 months were at times difficult but I tried to my fullest to enjoy the life that was kicking up a storm inside me, knowing that this was probably the only life of our baby that I would know. A sidenote to this story is that we had a horrible doctor, Lisa Diaz. She wasn't happy with our decision to stay with the pregnancy, so at 33 1/2 weeks pregnant I went into premature labor, where the hospital put me on complete bed rest. At my next doctors appointment, my doctor took me off of bed rest and said she would just take "it" whenever it came. At that time I came crying out of the doctors office with my mom and told her I didn't even want this doctor touching my baby, she had no compassion for our circumstance. It was that night I went into labor and a fast one to the point where we had to call 911 and be taken by ambulance to Kaiser in Anaheim rather than my hospital, Hoag in Newport Beach. This was God intervening which I wouldn't really understand until after all was said and done. I had the worst paramedic ever, needing to push big time, he kept telling me I had hours to go since I had no fluid coming out yet, no matter how many times I told him there was NO fluid, he insisted there was. 10 min later I arrived at the hospital, the doctor checked me and said there is no time, she needs to push now. That paramedics jaw dropped and he couldn't believe. They didn't even have time to IV me, or break the bed down. In 2 pushes, my baby boy came out and let out one cry where immediately they rushed him to NICU. This is where God intervened, our doctor was a christian and kept saying just pray lets just pray. My midwife, nurse, pediatrician and those nurses were also Christian. Another sidenote to the story, Hoag knew our wishes that Job was not to be put on a ventilator, but Kaiser not knowing anything about me, knew nothing of our wishes, so he was put on a ventilator, which again was God intervening. Brent had to gather Jordan and Kayleigh to go to the hospital, so if wouldn't have been for the ventilator, Brent would have never seen Job alive. About an hour after Job was born, my mom asked me why he was on a ventilator, I then said I didnt know he was. When the nurse came in to see if I wanted him off, I requested one last xray to make sure he didn't have a bladder or kidney. Immediately they did an xray and confirmed that he did not. It was at that point they took Brent, myself and my mom to NICU where they took him off the ventilator. It was at that moment he opened his eyes and stared at me. I am hoping it wasnt in pain. They then handed him to me where about 5 mins later he died peacefully in my arms. This was by far the worst day of my life. I never for one moment regret keeping with the pregnacy. If I hadn't I would have never got to kiss him, hold him, smell him, touch him and get pictures and foot prints and hair from him. I examined him so thoroughly, I didn't want to forget what he looked like. I held him for about 4 hours later until he started to turn cold where Brent stayed with him until the morgue came and picked him up. A week later, Brent and I had to pick his ashes up from the Rose Hills. That ranked pretty bad too. When Brent handed me the box that was as big as my baby boy, I lost it! Instead of holding my baby boy I was holding a box that held his ashes. To this day he remains in my closet. There is never a day that goes by that I don't think of Job and who he might be today. Every year I walk the OC Walk to Remember so that I can keep his memory alive. I still have silent cries, but they aren't as often as they were. You would think that in 5 years, I would be fine to remember him, but it just isn't so. We lost a child, and I don't think that pain will ever go away, not until the one day we are reunited again. So happy birthday to our little angel, Job. You have forever changed our lives and you are forever in our hearts.

Yesterday was Kayleigh and Trinity's birthday party and of course the theme was Rapunzel from Tangled. I must say this was by far the best birthday party I have ever thrown! It was a long time of planning and about 8 to 10 hours a day for a week putting things together, but after it was all said and done, it was all worth it! First we started off with crafts which were decorated cookies with frosting and sprinkles and make pascal blowers. I also had Rapunzel tattoos and face painting. After crafts, everyone ate the yummy feast prepared. Then I had all the kids paint Rapunzels tower and boy did they just love it. After that the kids enjoyed the silly string provided by our friend, Ted. Not only did the little ones get into it, but the teenagers and the adults too. Ted also provided the kids with airhorns:) The adults sure did love that one! Next was pin the frying pan on Flynn Rider. And then the pinatta, which I had to make from a princess pinatta. I just glued on some Rapunzel pictures and then glued construction paper on it mosaic style. The kids loved the pinatta. After that we had cake and gifts. Along with all this fun I also had chalk for the kids to dry on the sidewalk with and a toddler area, filled with a ball pit, a play castle, blocks, musical instruments, and a coloring table. If this wasn't enough for the kids to do, they also got to play on the playground. Every kid got to take home a cake pop, a coloring book and Rapunzel paints. It was a fun day and I must say I was exhausted afterwards, but it was by far worth it and the girls had a blast!

These were the favors the kids took home. A handmade coloring book, filled with Rapunzel pictures to color and their very own Rapunzel paints. They each also got to take home a cake pop.

Of course the girls couldn't share a cake so I had to make two. Kayleigh's was the Rapunzel tower with Rapunzel coming down for the very first time, touching the grass. You can't see from the picture but it had a river flowing in the background. I also made cupcakes with flowers on them for the kids. The cake was white cake with chocolate chip cookie dough and the other half chocolate mousse (the chocolate chip was a huge success).

This was Trinity's cake. The boat scene with Pascal cupcakes. The girls decorated the cupcakes and did a pretty decent job. The two floated in the boat with floating lanterns surrounding them.
The cake was filled with strawberry cheescake.

These were my very first cake pops. They came out pretty good, as far as look wise. Taste, I am not fond of cake pops. They are way too sweet! But the kids loved them, especially Jordan.

The favors

This was the cake cake table

Craft table. The centerpeices were frying pans with tea hats.

One of the crafts were the kids got to decorate cookies, tiaras and suns. They had colored sprinkles with red hots and gold sugar sprinkles along with the yellow frosting. We also had Rapunzel tattoos and face painting.

The other craft were Pascal blowers (the tongue was the blower). These were really cute.

One of the kids dinner tables.

The toddler area. This was the cleanest but it didn't stay that way very long:) They had a ball pit, musical instruments, blocks, a play castle and a table they could color on or Rapunzel coloring sheets. This area was well used by all and was a disaster half way through the party:) That is a good thing.

This was the Rapunzel tower with Rapunzels hair coming out. Yes it looked like the box threw up, but who cares the kids loved it. Later the kids got to paint it.

The whole scene from afar. It took Jordan and I 3 and 1/2 hours to decorate. We had lanterns hanging throughout the trees.

The cupcake pop the girls and I made. These were really cute.

the food table. I made a lot of good food. I had made peanut butter sandwiches, strawberry cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches and chicken salad tortill wrap, an orange braided bread with jelly, quiche, deviled eggs (gone pretty fast), fruit, lemon cupcakes with strawberry marshmallows and sherbert and sprite punch. I got many requests for the chicken salad recipe after the party.

The other side of the food table

Trinity coloring at the table in the toddler area

Travis and Trinity starting to clear out the balls:)

Journey enjoying her cookies

All the family, the older generation:) Love having them a part of our celebration

Travis with his Pascal blower

Cayden with his Pascal blower

the kids enjoying the coloring

Trinity's cake.

Kayleighs cake

We had chalk for the kids to play with. Kayleigh immediately drew a picture of Rapunzel.

My little Journey painting the tower. She came back for thirds on the paint.

We were so blessed to have my friends boyfriend bring some silly string for the kids to play with, even the adults got in on the fun.

And the older kids got in on the silly string fun

Some of the kids painting. They had a blast at this one! You give a kid a paint brush and let them go for it, they can't but help but enjoy it:)

Everyone having fun, lots of the kids playing with the silly string

Look at at that smile:) She was having a blast!

Oh man, they had fun! In the background you can see a bunch of them grabbing more cans! We also had airhorns too (that was a favorite of Trinity's).

Our friend Ted, he was the one who donated the silly string:)

Jordan and Brent having some fun of their own with the silly string.

We also played pinned the frying pan on Flynn Rider. I didn't think the kids would be into this, but they all came up wanting to play, some even wanting to do it twice.