Well, we survived.

And you know what? It wasn't that bad. Don't get me wrong: it wasn't pleasant. At all. But it wasn't as bad as last time.

So you know how I was just joking about the doctor & nurse remembering my crazy antics at the last appointment? Well, they totally did. When Matt, Camden, and I were taken into the treatment room, the doctor handed us our cool, neon blue sunglasses that we have to wear to protect our eyes from the lasers. When I reached out to take mine, the nurse looked over at me and asked, "You're not staying in the room, are you?"

"Oh," I said, a little embarrassed, "I guess that means you remember me from last time. I'm the crazy mom, aren't I?"

Thankfully, she was kind. And maybe a bit of a liar. "No, honey, not at all. I don't like to stay in the room either."

But, I toughed it out & chose to stay. Camden sat in Matt's lap while I watched from the sidelines. I heard the first few zaps from the laser & was amazed when silence followed. No screams, no wails, no tears. From either of us.

Unfortunately, the next zap brought the tears and lots of them. The second the treatment was over (the longest 30 seconds of my life!), I ran over and grabbed a red-faced, screaming Camden off of Matt's lap. He quieted instantly. No comfort nursing needed like last time. He slept contently the whole way home and was in good spirits this evening. Overall? It was a way less traumatic experience than last time, for all of us.

Here's his precious little hand. The red circles are actually bruises from the lasers, not his birthmark. Those bruises will fade in a couple of weeks:

And here's my happy little guy. You'd never know he was getting zapped just a few hours earlier. (By the way, these pictures are a little blurry because this kid is serious about his jumping in the Jumperoo. He'll jump for 30 minutes straight without stopping. Matt and I just stare in amazement at his energy level. I think we're in trouble when he starts walking!)