It's early in the morning as I lay on the changing table and mommy tapes up a fresh diapee around my waist.
"Are you excited for daycare, pumpkin?" She asks as she pats my diaper before picking me up, caring me over to my crib.
"U-uh huhs" I say as she pulls out a blue and white striped shirt, with Saturn on it, from my wardrobe.
"Are you feeling a little nervous, baby boy?" She asks, slipping the shirt over my head and arms.
"A-a widdle. I's meetin oder widdles fow da fiwst time" I say as she walks back over to the wardrobe and pulls out a pair of dark blue shortalls with a little red and white rocket on the pocket, staring to slide them up my legs.
"It'll be alright, baby. Auntie Jenny will be there today and if you get too nervous or if anything goes wrong she'll call mommy and I'll be right there to get you, okay?" she says, popping the buttons on the shortalls as I nod. "But everything should be alright and you'll make lots of new friends, baby."
"O-otay mommy" I say as she slips some matching blue and white striped socks on my feet, followed by some rocket themed Velcro sneakers with lights in the heels.
"That's my good boy" she says kissing my forehead and picking me up along with the diaper bag she prepared earlier while I was eating my breakfast, starting to make her way to the front door.
She makes her way out to her car, opening the back driver side door and sits me in my car seat, popping my favorite Stitch paci in my mouth and clipping it to my shortalls. She sets my bag in the seat next to me and hands me Gray after she's finished buckling me in, kissing my cheek before getting in the driver's seat and starting up the car.
The trip to the daycare took all of 30 minutes. It was a decently sized building with a sign that read, "Big Tot's Daycare" above the door.
Mommy came around to the door and picked me up out of my car seat with Gray still in my arms, carrying me and my bag inside the building where a lady was sitting behind a desk.
"Hello there, who will we be dropping off today?" She asked as she smiled at mommy.
"Hello. This is Jay" she says bouncing me a little and looking at me gently but expectantly.
"H-Hewwo" I say through my paci as I shyly wave at the lady.
"Awww, hello there cutie. It's so nice to meet you" she says with a smile. "Wait a minute, Jay? You must be Jen's nephew! She's been talking about you for days!"
"Aww, hear that Bubba? Auntie Jenny's been talking about you. She'll be super excited to see you today" Mommy says, bouncing me a little more, making me giggle as I'm excited to see Auntie Jenny too.
"Where Auntie Jenny, Mama?" I ask looking around.
"She's back in the main area taking care of the other kids, little guy" the nice lady says as Mommy signs me in on the clipboard on the desk.
"You ready to go meet the other kids, sweetie?" Mommy asks as she smiles at me.
"Uh huh!" I say while she starts to walk toward the door next to the sign-in desk.
As we walked through the door I saw at least 15 other littles running around or sitting down playing, some looking over as we walked in, and others seemed to not notice us at all, too caught up in playing.
"Liz! Jay!" I hear someone call out. I turn to look and see Auntie Jenny quickly approaching us, making me giggle and bounce in Mommy's arms.
"Auntie Jenny!!!" I squeal as she pulls Mommy into a hug with me between them.
"How's my favorite little man?" Jenny asks as she gives me a kiss on the forehead.
"I's good!" I giggle happily as she starts to tickle me lightly.
"Okay, baby, Mommy has to get to work" Mommy says as she starts to sit me down, making me whine.
"It's okay, baby. You'll have Auntie Jenny and you'll make lots of new friends. Mommy will only be gone for a few hours. Can you be a good boy for Auntie Jenny and the other workers?" She asks, leaning down to meet my eyes.
"O-otay Mommy. I miss chu" I say, hugging her.
"I'll miss you too, Jay. I'll be back before you know it" she says as she stands up, ruffling my hair as she turns to walk back out the door we came in.
"Hey now, don't look so down, kiddo. You're gonna have lots of fun here, okay?" Jenny says as she pats me lightly on the back. "How about you go play with some of the other kids and I'll put up your things?"
"Otay...keep Gway doe?" I ask as she giggles.
"Of course you can keep Gray, sweetie" she says, making me smile as I make my way towards some of the other littles. As I did the one with her hair up in pigtails turned and squealed.
"Ohmygosh! Hiiii! Are you new here? What's your name? I'm Vanessa, but chu can calls me Vanny, or Nessie, or VeeVee, or just V!" She said so quickly it nearly made my head spin.
"U-um, hi. I-I'm Jay" I say, hiding behind Gray a little.
"V, chu needs calm down a widdle, hims shy" the girl next to her with short hair said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh, sowwy" Vanny said in an almost whisper, making me giggle a little.
"Hais! I's Spencer" she says, making me tilt my head.
"Isn't Spencer a boy name? Is chu a boy?" I asked confused.
"I's gender fluid. You can calls me a boy, or a girl, or just dey. It nu matter" they say with a smile.
"Oooohhh, otays!" I say with a giggle.
"You wanna pway wif us? We pwayin wif Wegos" Spencer says, making me smile cause I love Legos.
"Yes!" I say excitedly as I sit next to them and we start to build, laughing and talking as we play.