Candiace Dillard Bassett Welcomes First Baby, Son Jett Maxwell Lee: 'I Already Want More' tram

Candiace Dillard Bassett is singing a new genre of music these days: lullabies.

The R&B songstress and Real Housewives of Potomac alum, 37, has a newborn baby boy at home, after welcoming her first child with husband Chris Bassett, 46 — son Jett Maxwell Lee Bassett — on Thursday, Oct. 3.

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the news of the Bassetts' new addition, as well as debut photos of the the happy trio, snapped on Friday, Nov. 8.

"He is just the cutest little thing," Candiace tells PEOPLE in an interview for this week's issue. "Chris and I couldn't be happier. It's so cliché to say, but he's brought such joy to our lives in ways I never would have been able to describe before. It's pure love!"

"I just look at him and envision all the adventures we’re going to have,” she continues. "Throughout my pregnancy, when I would talk to him in my stomach, I would say, 'I can't wait to see who you're going to be.' And that's been the joy in my heart that's continued after his birth. It's exciting to think about. I'm so ready for a lifetime of being on the sidelines, cheering him on."

Jett's already set up for success thanks to his first name, which translates from Hebrew to excellence and abundance.

"The meaning of his name was really important to me. I mean, there were a lot of names I liked that had meanings I did not like, so that just automatically tossed them out," Candiace remembers. "But as soon as I read the meaning of his name, I was like, 'This is it. This is his name.' "

The tiny tot has two middle names because, in her words, "I'm extra." One of them, Lee, comes from Candiace's father's middle name.

"Naming him took longer than I thought," she explains. "I had been throwing names out to Chris the entire pregnancy and most of the ones I liked he was like, "Those sound like nepo baby names.' And I was like, 'Why are you just trying to kill my vibe?' But Chris agreed with Jett. He was like, 'Jett's a cool name, he's going to be a cool kid. They can call him J.B.' "

Jett joins Owen, 22, Mateo, 14, and Naia, 10 — Chris' three kids from two previous relationships.

Though Candiace has been a "bonus mom" to Chris' children over the nine years she's been with the restaurateur, having a baby of her own was a decision she labored over, even after she and Chris tied the knot in August 2018.

Her reservations were well-documented during her time on RHOP, the former Miss United States admitting, among other things, that she was nervous about living up to the responsibilities of parenthood. But eventually Candiace softened her fears and warmed to the idea, letting the cameras follow her as she went through a lenghty in vitro fertilization (IVF) process in season 7.

Days after season 8 wrapped in April 2024 and PEOPLE broke the news Candiace was stepping away from the Bravo show, she dropped the news that she was pregnant.

Now that Jett's arrived, and she's had a month of motherhood under her belt, the "Drive Back" singer finds herself looking at things in a totally different light — something that even surprises her.

"Oh, I wish I started sooner, because I already want more," Candiace shares to PEOPLE. "And that's a shocking feeling to admit because I hesitated and was afraid and doubted myself for so long. All of those circumstances around becoming a mom, like being pregnant, raising a child, etc.? It really scared me. But it’s been everything and more. I love it."

"I wish I hadn't waited so long," she reflects. "But I also don't regret that this is where I am now and that things worked out the way they did. And in a way, that's comforting to recognize I don't regret it, you know? Like, I've really welcomed every part of this journey with open arms, as it's happened."

The journey's been going a little too fast for Candiace, though. "What's that saying? 'The days are long but the years are short?' Yeah, I'm feeling that because I feel like he's so big already!" she says.

"When he was born, he was 5 lbs. 11 ozs. — just this teeny little thing I was afraid to break because he was so tiny," she recalls. "And as of [Thursday, Nov. 7], he was already up to 8 lbs.! So he's thriving and growing. I mean, he's starting to just be this big loaf of bread! He's getting all these rolls! Rolls under his neck, rolls on his legs, rolls on his tummy... I can't believe how big he is!"

Another thing Candiace can't believe? Just how much Jett looks like her. "They say the baby comes out looking like the dad because it helps with the bonding process since the dad didn't carry the baby, but he looks like me!" she says. "I was not expecting that!

"He has this cute little grin. And the hair on his head is thriving! I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it because it's like, three It's like, three different textures — it's curly when it's dry, wavy when it's wet... it's all over the place," Candiace adds. "Right now, it's just sitting on his head. Chris is always like, 'Oh, look at his goose hairs. He has goose hairs!' "

Jett may look like Candiace, but so far, he acts more like Chris.

"I will say that his disposition is very calm, so he definitely takes after his dad in that regard," Candiace says. "He sleeps well at night and when he's awake, he's super cool. He just chills. He hangs out. And he's super smiley and loves to laugh, except when he gets all fussy and then I'm like, 'Now why are you turning up right now? Are you hungry or want this pacifier?' Like, sir, you need to tell me!"

"As you can see, he's very spoiled," she notes. "And look, so far, he's really just all about eating and sleeping and pooping, so the personality is still forming. He just loves to be held and rocked to sleep."

Just then, Candiace stops and directs her attention to Jett, who is in her arms as she speaks. "You are drooling on my Gucci," she tells him, in a lovingly hilarious quip. "You need to please get yourself together!"

"Yeah... we're gonna have fun together, can't you tell?" she laughs.