I wrote about Keaton’s 3rd party, but since I don’t do monthly blogs past 1 year, I really want to keep in the habit of talking about them at their birthday. 
Having a child changes you. Having a second child changes you even more.  I can’t comment beyond that capacity, but I do think the more kids you have, there is probably a smaller impact of change on the parent. When I look back at the posts I’ve written about Keaton when he was a baby, I just see how central he was to everything we did at the stage of life. And I wonder how that affects first children. Obviously not all first children are the same, but there are lots of first child qualities that resonate across the board. These pictures perfectly sum up Keaton
sweet

                                                                      and a little cautious

                                                                           yet brave

                                                              He’s a curious, lover of nature

                                                        passionate, emotional and obstinate

                                                            fun-loving, silly little man

Sometimes at 3, I just love this little person to pieces. He’s hilarious and quirky. He says the funniest things, has the best imagination. He is so stinking good at conniving and negotiating. He is so passionate about everything he does, he quickly makes you love, everything he loves.

But on the other end of this stick, he is SOOOO bossy. Like the bossiest 3 year old ever. He is easily angered and so fiercely protective of his brother, I get scared when people cross Beckham and Keaton is around to see it. One minute he’s sensitive to discipline and the next he is as stubborn as a mule.

He runs around calling me Stacia and his Daddy, Jacob. He is SOOO curious. He loves nature and animals so much, he barely talks about anything else. He LOVES to cook, like let me boss you around and tell you how to cook, even though I’m only 3, I must stir every pot or be involved in every food making process. Speaking of food, the kids loves food. I once read the term koodie (kid foodie) and that is him. He says, “oh yum, wow, this is delicious. This is my favorite ever, I love this”… at almost every dinner we make. HE LOVES DESSERT even more, (if that’s possible) and I’ve never met a 3 year old who likes dark chocolate as much as him.

He loves to learn, and run circles around house, and to be a human buffalo. He wakes up every morning revving to go saying, “oh, it’s a beautiful day today” even when it’s cloudy. Keaton was a fairly even tempered little baby, but he was definitely passionate about the things he loved and did, and that’s only magnified in his preschool years.

Even though this strong willed, determined little boy makes me want to lose my mind sometimes, if he never stops loving Jesus, I know he will turn out as such a strong leader (for his family, and future wife and the kingdom of God) and that makes all the work of raising him just fine!