Ortho Update

Part of the reason that I have been so delinquent in updating the blog is because Shay has been on the trauma rotation for the past three months. That means that he works like a maniac (he leaves about 4:30 am and gets home around 7 pm on a good day...) and I am pretty much a single mom. However, we have had a great time lately with the other resident families.

In the world of residency, the summer is chock full of social events because the year starts over on July 1. So, the month of June is spent with events to send off the outgoing 5th years and welcome the new 1st years. The two most important events are the Roast and the Picnic.

The Roast is held at the Poinsett Club and celebrates the outgoing 5th years. The 4th years (which is Shay's current year) plan the Roast, which is way more elaborate than just standing up and giving a toast. They do in-depth videos, make up songs, and create slideshow presentations to poke fun at, but mostly celebrate, the 5th years. It is attended by the residents and their significant others, as well as the attendings (aka, their bosses). Shay, Grant, Mick and Dave did a great job with the roast this year! Here are some pics:

All of the residents and some attendings.

The new 5th Years!!! The Maughons, The Bennetts, The Kochs, and Dave Connor and Jamie

The new 5th year ladies, Melissa, Jamie, Me and Meg!

Dr. and Mrs. Koch :)

Meg and me with the outgoing 5th years wives, Liz and Leslie. Liz and her family are moving to Florida and Leslie and her family are moving to L.A. We will miss them so much!

The next big event is the picnic, which is thrown by and attended by residents only. The main point of this event is to get to know our new 1st year residents and celebrate another completed year of residency. As you'd expect from a mom borderline obsessed with her son, I pretty much only have pictures of Rivers, so I'll only post a couple:

So, believe it or not, as of Thursday, we will be 5th years! That's right - top of the heap, about to be finished, 5th years. Residency really has gone by fast (well, after 2nd year was over) and I have that same feeling you get your senior year of high school and college - you're so ready to move on in some ways, but are so sad to leave behind all the wonderful friends and memories you've made.

As a note for those not real familiar with the whole residency thing, Shay and I are beyond lucky that we have been able to go through residency in our home town. Every other resident and his or her family has moved here from across the country, leaving behind their families, their friends, their comfort zones, and even their hair stylists! None of them have the amount of help that we do, especially in the area of child care. We are acutely aware of how blessed we are to have grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and even great grandparents to help us raise our boy in these first few years. So on July 1, say a quick prayer for all the residents (especially the new ones). Oh, and stay out of the ER for at least a few weeks - those 1st years seriously don't know what they're doing ;)