Dear Residency

Dear Residency,
I am really glad that January is almost over. Really, really, glad. It has been a long month, i'm not gonna lie. Nights are not my friend. Are there 60 days in January. It seems like it. January started pretty good and then January 2nd came and EZ got the worst sickness of his life. He called about 30 minutes after he had fallen asleep, which is a treat only reserved for me when Brad is gone for the night. I went in and he was covered in throw up. Red throw up because we had crystal light for dinner. I picked him up and we ran down the hall to the bathroom. During the run... he was throwing up. All down the hall. So we had a rough night. I layed out towels all along the path incase it "happened again" but it never happens again right where you lay the towels. EZ thought it was day so he asked to sit in my bed and play ipad. I explained that it was still night but he didn't get it. So it was a long night and pretty much that set the standard for the month of nights. I remember a few other things that happened this month. Our tree in the front yard broke and went sailing to the sidewalk, almost knocking Chloe out, the dishwasher broke, there is a burned stamp of the hot coils from the stove on the kitchen floor, the garage keeps breaking, and I think the car needs new breaks and an oil change.
So, residency I have to blame someone and you are the one that gets the blame. Husbands are needed at home at night. And daddys are needed at home at night! For the next week or so all 3 kids were very sick and mamma got a little sick, too. Lola decided she'd get all 6 teeth at once. Residency, really, couldn't you help her out and give her teeth one at a time? And why did you have to cause the weather to be so freezing cold and never send snow so that we could play outside in the "winter weather". And by the way, it is kind of hard to contain the noise level of an energetic 3 year old and a "talking" almost 1 year old. And way to stick it Brad by giving him the worst cough of his life and some freak fluid that covered his knee after his one chance to exercise and feel good. Nice one, Residency. Nice one!
But, atleast you made it so that Brad worked with some great people for his month of nights. Atleast, he got to eat some late night pizza for free and get his carbonated beverages for free. Atleast he wasn't stuck with having to pay for his food. That's be a real slap in the face at 3 am. And atleast during nights he gets his weekends off which made it so the wife could go out and run her long saturday runs with some cheerful faces. And thankgoodness, Residency, you pay for a YMCA membership that i take full advantage of every single morning at approximately 8:37. You do have some good points, but I can't see them when I am up at night by myself with 1,2 or 3 kids who can just sense that "something isn't the same".
But Residency, I guess I have to tell you something. Last year, I pretty much had not relationship with your or concept of just what you were or had to offer. I was busy cooking a baby and that is where all my energy went. You were in the background and really got a lot of the blame back then as well. But, you have taught me a lot. I kind of thought this Residency training was just for Brad to learn all about becoming the best and smartest doctor (which you have done a good job at. Thanks.) But you have also shown me that I am really pretty strong. I can do a lot of things effeciently and effectively. You've taught me that I am pretty smart and I am way more capable than I sometimes think. I feel like I am being stretched but also strengthened. This experience is very much "one of a kind". It's pretty hard to explain to anyone and most of the times I don't even bother trying. You and I have a pretty good relationship most of the time, don't we?!
And then Residency, just when I think that i'm really done with all of this and can't take it a moment more,  I look at the calendar and see that, Residency, we are halfway done with you. It's been nice getting to know you this last 18 months but I'm really gonna start saying my slow goodbyes as each month we tick off is one more notch down the hill instead of up it.
Well, I was just checking in. It's been real!
Mel