The obligatory "before" pictures

I have to be at the hospital in about 6 and a half hours, and I am way too keyed up with nervous energy to try and go to sleep (plus, I'll basically be sleeping for the next 24-48 hours anyway, so I may just keep it going and catch up on Gossip Girl before even attempting to fall asleep!). Luckily my mom and I had a busy day in ATL today, which distracted me a little from thinking about tomorrow. We made it back last night and first on the agenda was decorating my Christmas tree. It just brightens my small apartment up so much, and I know it will make me happy to have the lights twinkling next to me when I'm on my couch for the rest of the week. Mom took a couple of pictures of me in front of it this morning so we could have the "before" shots...

Included on today's to-do list were an orthodontist appointment where they put on my "surgical hooks"--not extremely flattering but not nearly as noticeable or uncomfortable as I expected (theybasically are just little hooks attached to my brackets so that the surgeon can use rubber bands tomorrow and so that I can attach rubber bands if necessary afterwards). Then we made a grocery store run to stock up on soup, yogurt, juices, ice cream, frozen fruit for smoothies, etc. As my items started going down the conveyor belt, I challenged my cashier to see if she could figure out the theme...I had to help her out, but she was very sympathetic!

I also picked up all of my various prescriptions for when I come home--pills for the pain, pills to try to not make me nauseous from the pills for the pain, antibiotics to *hopefully* reduce the swelling, an antiseptic mouth rinse to prevent infection, and a nausea patch that I'm getting ready to put on before bed. I've had bad reactions to pain medication in the past that have made me sick, and I do NOT want to be throwing up with new screws in my jaw, so we're taking all possible precautions!

I ended my night by going to my favorite step aerobics class one more time in 2009 (no high- impact exercise for a month) and having one last regular dinner of a turkey sandwich with hummus, potato chips, and pretzels...and I'm having my last treat before my midnight cut-off as I type this--an amazingly delicious Potbelly sugar cookie that Linds shipped me all the way from Chicago (xoxoxo!).

I won't be posting anything from the hospital tomorrow (I don't think it would be coherent even if I tried), but I'll try to put together at least a short update when I get home on Wednesday. Thank you all so much for all of your encouraging e-mails and phone calls, I have been feeling very loved these past couple of days! :)