On spontaneously attending a graduation dinner in a $15 dress

At about 6pm tonight, Matt called me - he was done with work for the day, would I like to order a pizza for dinner? Um, duh! Moments later he called back - he had forgotten that graduation was tonight - the 3rd-year residents would receive their diplomas and essentially become full-fledged EM physicians. We had expensive tickets to the banquet dinner.

I did the fastest cleanup a young mom could muster. I quickly showered while a thoroughly confused Leo watched me from his bouncy seat on the bathroom floor, rolled my hair, slathered on some makeup and threw on a $15 red dress from Forever 21 that I picked up on a whim last week. [I completely rampaged my closet to try to find a dress that fit me from my pre-baby-boobs life...negative.] I looked pretty damn good for last-minute...but you can fool anyone with an impressive shoes-dress-lipstick combo.

I didn't know what a residency graduation would involve...and even though we had to cut out early (Matt's on 30-hour call tomorrow - his last of intern year!), I was so moved by the evening. I'm corny in that way.

The program directors announced each graduate and talked about them a little bit - their pre-residency achievements, their personal lives, etc., before calling them up to receive their diplomas (to great applause, of which post-bedtime Leo was NOT a fan). I was floored by these people. Harvard med school grad, 4.0 gpa in undergrad at UCLA. More than one resident described in several letters of recommendation as "the single best medical student I have ever encountered." A father of three who balanced residency with family life. A resident whose board score was among the top 5 in the country.

It really hit me how very incredibly hard my husband has worked to earn his place at this program. I was so proud to be there with him.

And so happy to be drinking a glass of wine while he fed the baby.

Congratulations to the class of 2011, who are surely out celebrating as I type (and should be sleeping). Only two more years...we can do it.