Kade - 1 Month Old

Kade has made it to 1 Month Old! 

Kade weighs 8 lbs. He wakes up about 2 times per night - one time between 12:00-1:00 and than again around 4:00 am. He is usually really good at going back to sleep after I feed him. The longest stretch he has slept at night has been 6 hours which was the night of my birthday. Kade wakes up for the day around 6:30 and stays pretty close to a three hour schedule throughout the day till around 5:00 where he is a little more fussy and tends to cluster feed. He is sleeping in the Evan's family bassinet in our room for naps and bedtime right now and is still in newborn clothes and diapers. He enjoys being swaddled when he sleeps.

Kade still has a lot of dark hair and his eyes are getting bluer and bluer every day. Around four weeks he developed some baby acne on his face that has stuck around. He is the king of making noises. He is always groaning and grunting. And he spits up all the time as well - mostly after he eats. He also gets the hiccups pretty much every time after he eats as well.

Kade likes being held and talked to. He loves when someone is near him singing, talking, or reading to him. He loves being in the Ergo carrier for walks and takes good naps in it as well. He likes having his hair washed in the sink since we still haven't given him a bath in his blue bathtub. He loves when we tickle him around his face and he seems to like his feet being played with as well. He loves to watch and smile at Beat Bo when it is dancing and singing with its flashing lights as well.

Kade isn't a fan of the sponge washing part of his bath. He doesn't like being transitioned when he is sleeping (from bassinet or rock n' play to carseat). He usually doesn't like being left alone for very long. And he only likes tummy time for about 5 minute bouts. And he doesn't like when we have to wipe his face over and over after he spits up over and over again.

During his first month of life, Kade has learned to eat :) He is getting progressively better and better at holding his head up when being held. He has learned to smile and track with those who are talking to him. And he just learned how to coo which both kids absolutely love. Reece says the same thing that Ember said about Reece when he was a baby - "Kade's talking." 

There were many first throughout this month for sweet Kade. He had his first Dr. appointment at 4 days old and he was already back to his birth weight. He went on his first stroller ride in the BOB while on his first walk to Ponderosa Trails park. He had his first sponge/sink bath at home. He went to his first soccer game (Ember's) and baby shower (Allison Riggs). He went to three birthday parties in his first month of life (Evelyn, Reece, and Evi). Kade attended church, MOPS, The Gathering Women's Bible Study, and Lifegroup for the first time this month as well. Wow! So busy and life doesn't stop when you are born into a family with two other kids already :) 

We have LOVED our first month with our sweet baby boy and were just talking about the perfect addition he is to our family. I cannot wait for the months to come with Kade Easton Evans! 

Here are a few more pictures from Kade's first month of life:

Meet and Greet for Kade

My dear friends, Aleecia and Emily, offered to throw a Meet and Greet for our sweet baby once he/she arrived! We planned it for August 19 and were starting to get worried that little baby wouldn't show up before that date! Thankfully, Kade came with 10 days to spare and we had the cutest Meet and Greet and were very blessed by gifts of diapers, wipes, and clothes. It was also so fun to celebrate our new arrival with many of our family and friends! 

The ADORABLE set up! 

Guests could sign the book "Guess How Much I Love You."

And Aleecia had this fun idea to have a Boba Tea Bar. 

The main attraction :) 

Kade and Jaxon - who will inevitably be very close friends!

This Meet and Greet reminded me just how blessed our family is by so many thoughtful, supportive and generous people. Thanking God for so much love and support during this big transition in our life! 

Kade DIY Newborn Pics

Here are a few pictures I took of the kids and Kade within his first week home. Love these three sweeties! 

Kade - 0 Months

Here is the 0 Month picture of Kade to start off his monthly pictures for the year! 

Donuts and Dump Trucks 3rd Birthday Party!

For Reece's 3rd birthday party we had a Donuts and Dump Trucks theme. He loves all things having to do with trucks so it was absolutely PERFECT! We did the party on a Friday morning so the older siblings of his friends were at school which made it easy to plan activities geared just for 2-3 year olds and they all seemed to LOVE it! 

The set up before the party guests arrived! 

As the guests arrived they could decorate a construction hat with their name and construction themed stickers

We sang Happy Birthday to Reece and then dug into the food

Then we moved on to the stations that the kids could come and go to as they wanted:

1) Dirt playdough and little construction trucks

2) Hammering golf tees into foam

Rice and black bean sensory bins with little construction toys

Wrecking ball and cardboard boxes

After his friends all left we opened presents. He got many fun activities and toys! 

The kids all really seemed to enjoy the party and most importantly Reece LOVED everything about it! It was so fun to plan and see how excited Reece was about it all! We love our big three year old! 

Reece - 3 Years Old

Wow oh wow! Reece is 3 years old! And it is funny because I have seen him mature in so many ways in the last few weeks. I am sure a part of it is him falling into his Big Brother role with Kade here but I have definitely noticed him growing up! 

Reece is about 36 inches tall and weighs 28 lbs. He takes a 2 hour nap around 1:00-1:30 every day. He goes to bed around 7:30 and wakes up between 6:30 - 7:30 each morning almost always with a smile and in a good mood. He is still in his crib but will be moving to a toddler bed in the near future.

Reece still loves to eat - breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and of course treats. You wouldn't know it despite his small stature but he eats a lot. Here are some of his favorite foods: waffles, cereal with milk, tortilla with almond butter, honey, and banana, cheese popcorn, Cutie's cashews, yogurt, pretzels, sausage, french fries, pizza, and macaroni and cheese. He still isn't a fan of milk (cows, coconut, or almond) but loves his water. He also loves to take sips of our sparkling water whenever we have a can open.

Now that his vocabulary has picked up it is hard to get him to stop talking (hmm... I wonder where he learned that from). Along with talking, he loves singing and making sound effect noises. It is common to hear him singing "Twinkle Twinkle" or saying "Beep beep beep" in his bed before we get him up just as happy as can be. His personality shines through in him saying some of the funniest things. Some of his favorites are "Yoo Hoo, Doreen" (an Evans side of the family inside joke) and "Yum yum yum in my tum tum tum." He is constantly telling Ember about things and asking her to do things or asking me where "sissy" is. And he likes to try and tell her what to do since she spends many hours of her day trying to do the same to him.

Reece has always had an affectionate side and he seems to really love physical touch. Him and Ember are side by side in the car now and he is always wanting to hold hands with her. He still loves to sit in Mommy or Daddy's lap after nap time if we are able to sit with him. He will randomly run over and give hugs and kisses to us very often - sometimes 3-5 quick kisses all in row. And he will give friends big hugs and kisses on their arms or legs when they come over for dinner or for Lifegroup. His favorite person right now to shower with affection is Kade. If Kade is awake, Reece likes to be a few inches from his face talking to him and petting his head. If Kade starts to cry, Reece says "It's ok" and never fails to give him a kiss goodnight and tell him to "sleep good." It is the sweetest! And Reece loves being helpful. He will get Ember her snack or water, he will hold the door open for us and bring us our shoes, and take things to the trash for us all the time. 

As much of a sweetie as Reece is, he definitely can still be a stinker. He knows how to push his sister's buttons when he wants to and does it well. He is at the age where he loves to do things himself but can't quite always do them and he gets very frustrated by this. There are also a few random things that he doesn't like such as going on the freeway, Kade being in the Ergo carrier, and any members of the family leaving to go somewhere if he doesn't get to go as well. 

Reece still has a silly side to him as well. He loves to imitate Daddy's silly voices and impersonations. He loves to stick the stuffed animals in his crib between the crib rail and wall so they are just hanging in a row by their heads. He will put his hand or foot under something and say "Where did my hand/foot go?" Him and his sister love to eat holes for their eyes, nose, and mouth in a whole tortilla to make a mask. And he has the cheesiest of smiles in most pictures taken of him and loves to put his hands over his mouth when laughing at things.

Reece has learned to do many things by himself this year. He is able to put on and take off his shoes and socks. He can also usually put his own pants/shorts on. Reece can balance and ride on his Strider bike really well. He is able to open and shut the fridge on his own and get his own snack. He can count to 20 fairly well and knows most of his colors. He is really good at hopping on one foot and can do a somersault as well. We are hoping he will show some interest in using the potty in the near future as well.

Reece has so many things that he enjoys doing. He absolutely loves being outside. He can play by himself for hours with his dump truck, some water and dirt, and a few cups and bowls. He also enjoys playing at parks, going on bike rides, going on walks and collecting things, and he could swing and swing. He loves spotting airplanes, helicopters, fire trucks, police cars, garbage and cement trucks, cranes, and any other construction vehicles. He still really loves balls as well - trying to dribble them, playing catch with them, and shooting them into his new basketball hoop (he even has the "goose-neck" follow through down).

Reece is also growing in his love for books. He loves having a book read to him before nap and bedtime and will often sit and let Ember read to him at other points in the day as well. His current favorite books are "Read to Tiger," " Goodnight Construction Site," "Truck Stop," and "My 1st Word Book." He is also enjoying TV shows and movies more as well. He likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Stinky and Dirty, Dino Dan, Special Agent Oso, and Daniel Tiger. A few other favorites of his are going swimming, playing hide and seek or "tickle bridge," watching the garbage man, shutting the garage door, turning off the TV with the remote and helping Daddy with the yard work.And he still loves trying to do anything that Ember is doing.

This sweet boy brightens our family and our lives. I can't imagine a more perfect fit to our family! Happy 3rd  Birthday, Reece! 

And here is Reece's 3 year interview! 

What do you and Mommy do together? Play and build a house

What do you and Daddy do together? Go outside and play - I play with my dump truck and daddy rakes

What makes you happy? My dump truck, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Tigger

What is something scary? Cookie Monster and Tigger

What are you really good at? Playing with my dump truck and the rake

Who is your best friend? Daddy and Sissy

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to try and touch way up there

What do you think about before you fall asleep? I get my jammies on and read the Bible