Langston Family Blog

We head off today for Birmingham - we decided to leave a day early and be gone for a whole week!! We are going to stay with James and Lauren for 2 nights and then Saturday we are off to Chattanooga for 3 nights and then Memphis for 2 nights.

It just so happens that our good friend, Reeves, is temporarily staying in Memphis for PT school and our friend Kevin lives in Memphis as well. We are visiting them both. Kevin has never met Gavin II so we are excited to see him.

I promise lots of pics when we return...until then....

this set of pics, Juju attempted to show Gavin II how to roll down the levee.

Gavin was really enjoying himself - it's not that obvious in the picture, though :)

The after party was a lot of fun - beer and "Bag O Donuts". That is all those hard-working peds nurses that you saw in the previous posts enjoying some good company and a few "adult beverages". The lady with the black hair is our unit director, Pat (she lost her drinks for the picture). We had a great time!! It was a little cold, though. The pic of the fingers is Adrienne showing that her nails were blue from being so cold.

Saturday was so much fun. We all had a blast. Juju and Pappy made it out and walked the 1-mile. The third picture was Gavin II eating an orange preparing for the big race (that he rode in the wagon until 1/2 way)!! He was so proud of the blue "finisher" ribbon that he got - he thought he won the race - and we let him believe that :)

Sorry the picture has a big flash in the middle! Gavin and I bought these at Hallmark today. Since Gavin cannot handle eggs due to...well, allergies....we bought these wooden eggs that he can paint from Hallmark. This way, we can keep the eggs that he makes and display them each year. He is really excited!

While shopping today, Gavin was very curious as to who lived in this house....I told him that the Easter Bunny was sleeping in the house until he was ready to come out to take pictures with the children...

We spent the afternoon doing a lot of fun things today. We went to the library and read a lot of books - Clifford, Dora, Hairy McClairy and Zachary Quack, etc. Gavin and I had a blast - we even did a Cat in the Hat art project. Gavin did not quite grasp the concept that people are quiet in a library and kept yelling to me "Hey Mommy" across the room.

After lunch and the library, we went to a cute little park on Jefferson Highway. He loved it, of course!

Gavin and I were very excited to see this sign when we shopped at the Esplanade today. Everyone is awaiting Macy's re-opening. You don't realize how much you miss something until it's not there anymore! Gavin and I love Macy's! The Express and Old Navy are still dark and bare...hopefully they won't be too far behind in the re-opening process!

After waking up 5:30 am (usual wake-up time) and having some bacon, Gavin II decided to enrich himself by taking part in the arts - well, drawing on his easel :)

Yesterday we started doing a few things for the new house. We went to Lowe's to look at cabinets and bath tubs. Then, we shot over to Barnes and Nobles to buy some reference books. Gavin II, of course, found the Thomas table in the kids section! He had to share, though, with two other children - that was an experience for mommy and Gavin II. Tears were shed several times in the process of his learning how to share the trains - and they weren't even his trains!!

Gavin and I did go out St. Patrick's Day. We ate at Serrano's and then Dave and Megan met us and we headed over to the Bengal for the Bucktown Allstars. The place was not all that crowded. The music was pretty entertaining. The Bengal is where my dad used to broadcast his oldies show from a few years back. I had never been there. It was an interesting mix of younger and older people. I had a dirty old man grab my shirt and pull me to him as I passed on my way back from the bathroom. He breathed foul breath on me as he got in my face and asked me if I wanted to dance. He got a resounding "no". Overall, it was a fun but early night - we all left at 11:45 and were in bed by 12:30am. Fun night!!

Some more pics of our busy night. Dr. Oxner (surgery resident) joined us in the fun Friday morning.

Friday morning at 3:30am, the nurses had a slight delirium breakdown!! We grabbed the camera...the pics where people seem to be working hard are actually staged. The girls on the phone - pretending - they were not really talking to anyone. Adrienne posed Andy with Mickey Mouse. We really do have busy nights but this night was not one of them!!

We leave for vacation on March 31 - the countdown is on!! We cannot wait! We visit Thomas for "Day Out with Thomas" on March 31st and then off to Chattanooga for 3 days and then Memphis for 2 days. 15 days until we leave!!

I apologize for not posting lately...I worked Wednesday night and I am working tonight (right now, actually - 3am). So, I slept Thursday and I will be sleeping tomorrow. Night shift is not a pretty creature! I promise that I will post some new stuff soon...

Gavin and I have a date on Friday night for St. Patrick's Day - we plan to go eat some mexican at Serrano's and then go listen to the Bucktown Allstars...we are very excited about our night out!!

Cici, Morgan and Kirk invited us to the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Metairie Road - they have a party at Kirk's business and watch the parade being that his business is on Metairie Road! I worked last night and slept today so, unfortunately, I could not go but Gavin and Gavin II had a blast. Gavin II came home with this clover halo that Cici's sister, Mallory, made for him! Thanks Cici, Kirk and Morgan!! Thanks to Mallory for the cute hat!!

Last night we picked up our first copy of the house plans. We are so excited - it is exactly what we wanted. Albert did a fantastic job!! He estimates that the house can be built in 6 months. With the panelization project, it is possible. Our new hopeful deadline for completion is Christmas!! I hope so - I would love to be in the house for the holidays!!! This set of plans was drawn to be 3040 square feet - don't know if it will actually be that big at this point - we'll see - building materials right now are sky high! Anyway, we cannot wait to start the process!

For all of you who know my "little" brother Shaun....he turns 22 today!!! Can you belive that? Most of you probably remember him as a quiet little pre-teen boy. Well, he's still quiet but also about to graduate from USM in May!!

Happy Birthday, Shaun - hide that cookie cake - try putting it under your sheets when you're out of bed - your frat brothers won't find it there!!

When we got home last night, Gavin was already asleep. I put him on his changing table to put him in his jammies and after I changed his diaper, he turned on his side and fell asleep. If that is not a picture of sheer exhaustion, I don't know what is!! :)

Gavin and Dave and Gavin II enjoying the newness of the Tahoe!

The sign is finally in the ground at Mama's house! Gavin has shown it to 2 people so far. No bites yet. If it doesn't sell in a while, we will list it with an agent (Ahhhh!!)

Today was Nana's birthday!! Yay - Happy Birthday NANA!!

Gavin bought the truck today! It's a 2003 Tahoe Z71. He went to Gonzales last night to negotiate and they delivered it to him today. It is gorgeous - and so many cool gadgets - both boys are thrilled with all the buttons to play with! Gavin is outside right now programming the memory seats. He is so happy and I am so happy for him! It's kinda like the grown-up version of his old Tahoe. Leather seats, spacious, XM radio and that cool little display that shows the name of the song on the radio and the artist - I love that!!

Dave got a new truck this week as well - you should see the two of them together - smiling and talking trucks!! Thanks to Dave for actually finding the truck online!! We owe you some beer!!

Juju and Gavin spent some quality time digging in the newly laid sand. Gavin told me several times that he couldn't talk to me because he was "busy doing important work". Also, if you're wondering, Juju was singing "Little Rabbit Fru Fru" in the picture! :)

Jamie and Jeremy had their baby on Thursday, March 2. It was a little girl (as most people thought!) - Taylor Elizabeth Jernigan! She is beautiful! She weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces. The whole fam is doing well! Congratulations Jamie and Jeremy!!

**Jamie is holding Jack Walker in the picture above - not Taylor :)

It was a gorgeous day for a birthday party! Gavin's cousin (far removed), Alexis, had her 3rd birthday party today in Marrero. There were a TON of kids there. There were little amusement rides (like the little horses kids ride in front of the grocery store), a huge trampoline and a space walk. At first, we could not get Gavin out of the little house you see pictured above! He was also cooking imaginary food and serving it to the other kids! He finally warmed up to the trampoline and had a BLAST! The tears were flowing when it was time to go! Happy 3rd Birthday Alexis!! :)

Today we got good news, too. Our friend, Jeanine Hopkins (Jeanine Douglass for all you St. Angela people), called to tell me that she is pregnant again. It comes as quite a surprise being that Luke made one year on December 16th. She readily informed me that Luke and baby #2 will be a whopping 21-months apart. Good luck and congratulations Jeanine and Robert!!

Gavin II started sneezing and coughing on Tuesday. This morning, he started running fever of 101. This is only the second time in his life that he has had fever - we have been very blessed! The virus does not seem to have not taken its toll on him!! Besides his eyes being a bit glassy, I think he'll be fine by tomorrow or the next day! Must have been all the parades and Mardi Gras excitement....