Long time, no post. Brief update.

Well hi there. If the app on my phone is correct, it has now been exactly 107 days since surgery.  And to think, I never thought I'd survive the first 10...unbelievable.  I may no longer be suffering through the hardships associated with post-surgery turmoil, but that doesn't mean I go a single day without reflecting back on the miraculousness of the transformation, thanking God for granting me the privilege of going through it.  If enduring the rocky road of recovery was what I needed to build a framework of empathy for future patients as I pursue a career in this field, then it was by all means worth the struggle.

Not having to be self-conscious about people at my side seeing my profile when I smile? Miracle.
Biting cleanly through a slice of pizza or a sandwich? Miracle.
Speaking more confidently and with better enunciation than ever before? Miracle.

The only significantly negative aspect of it all is the fact that I honestly can't bear to look at pictures from before. I was dissatisfied with my appearance then, but somehow it's even worse now that I have a "better version" of me with which I can compare it.  I hate that I let it bother me so much, but I can't help myself.

Now for some webcam pictures with my precious little brother, Blaine, who has just started walking back home.  Miss you, buddy!!!!

And by the 20th take or so, he was done. haha

So what has happened in the life of Peyton since I last posted? Well, I have a job now. Pharmacy technician...not the most glamorous position by any means, but my certification guarantees more than minimum wage which was why I pursued it in the first place. It's not too shabby for an on-the-side desperate college student position.

I may or may not have also become a tad more obsessed with a certain British/Irish boy band from last year's X Factor UK. Ahem, ahem, NO they are not constantly on my mind. No I don't tweet about them incessantly to the point of driving my followers mad (I'm sure.) But by some miracle, they ARE coming to America in March and Nashville happens to be on the list. Nashville...where I saw 2 of my favorite bands for the first time, met Nick Jonas, and underwent the life-changing surgery that has been a major turning point in my life. And now where I'll see the 5 gentlemen from a foreign boy band who I never dreamed of being able to see live. Pretty pivotal city in my life, I must say.

I also saw Owl City and Days Difference in concert a week ago, and it was without a doubt one of the most brilliant concert and post-concert experiences I've had. I, along with the four friends I went with, made a pact to just remain enigmatic about sharing the details, but here. Have a nice picture of Adam from the show.

We were front row against the barrier!

He is precious and adorable and bubbling with enthusiasm for his music. I was very impressed by how much more enjoyable his songs are live than they are on the albums.

A conclusion I came to recently was how exactly to differentiate between my "all time favorite" songs and my "current song obsessions." The all-time favorites are those that I may not listen to every single day but when I do, I feel just as exhilarated and musically-stimulated (??? lol) as I was when I very first heard them. Coming up with a list of these would be really challenging, by maybe I will tackle that task in a future post.

For now, my top 10 current song obsessions! Because these are [obviously] much easier to pinpoint. (Some may be repeats from last time. And yes, I am from the USA, much to my dismay.)

1. "What Makes You Beautiful" - One Direction
2. "Say You Don't Want It" - One Night Only
3. "All Time Low" - The Wanted
4. "Kiss the Stars" - Pixie Lott
5. "End Up Here" - Cher Lloyd
6. "Gotta Be You" - One Direction
7. "Another World" - One Direction
8. "This Woman's Work" - Greg Laswell
9. "Some Days" - The Maine
10. "Fight for You" - Jason Derulo

One Direction's first album will also be released in 2 days in Ireland and next week in the UK. I preordered my copy from Amazon UK, but you know I'll be finding the tracks online before that arrives. I am so feverishly enlivened by the idea of having a selection of fresh new legitimate studio tracks from them, I can hardly stand it.

Guess that's all for now. I will attempt to update more consistently from now on.
Thanks for reading! And don't forget to send me messages or tweets if you have any questions or want some surgery advice/encouragement!
http://www.twitter.com/peyton_michelle
http://www.youtube.com/purplescheerchic


Peyton