Brayden's 1st day of school

*Warning this post is filled with lots of photos!

I cannot believe today finally arrived. After all of the emotions, planning, paperwork, meetings, etc. Brayden started school today. He is in Special Ed Preschool at a local elementary school. He attends Mon, Tues, Thurs from 7:50 a.m.-11:50 a.m.

I did not sleep much in anticipation of today. I checked through all of his gear several times, his personalized backpack.

Jeremy stayed home this morning and fixed a big breakfast. Then we headed outside (in the dark since the bus comes at 6:58 a.m.) for pictures.

The bus came to the bottom of the driveway and we loaded him in. I gulped down the sobs welling up inside of me just long enough to talk to the bus driver. Brayden is the only child on this bus in the morning. As we watched the bus drive away, Jeremy and I let the sobs flow. It was really hard to see him drive away (he has only ridden with one other person, once). Here it was, our reality, the special bus going to special ed with our special little guy. Jeremy and I held each other, sobbed some more and then got Carter ready for his first day of 1st grade.

Luke (who starts preschool next week) and I headed to Brayden's school. I needed to show them how to use his G-J tube and feeding pump. When I arrived they told me that he screamed the entire bus ride and for a while after arriving at school, they called the nurse who came and ended up hooking up his feeding pump (from my printed instructions that I put step by step with photo for each step of how to use...obsessive I know). He calmed down. I did not stay too long because it seemed as though when he heard my voice he started fussing again.

I headed home and waited for him to come home.

When the bus arrived, he was sound asleep and on the bus with his friend Justice. I think his first day of school wiped him out. He had the best nap he has had in a long while today.