Who He Will Be and Who He Is

Eliot received this big, blue ball for Easter from his Robinson grandparents.
There are few things that Eliot loves more than playing with a new ball--even if I can't catch his smiles on camera since he spent most of his time outside running away from me with the ball in his arms.

It's funny how babes take on personalities and preferences so early.  As I lay in bed with Eliot for his afternoon nap today, I asked Chris, "Who is this boy going to grow into?"  I wonder what he will be like as he grows up.  I wonder what he will love, what he will excel at, and what he will major in when he goes to college.  What kind of career he will choose...

Some interests, we seem to be born with.  My nephew, Matthew, loves trains.  No one pushed him into it; he just loves them.  Eliot has always loved basketball.  All of the fruits and vegetables at the grocery store are balls to him.  He wiggles out of my arms walking into Target so he can go after their decorative red ball--in fact, when we drive into the parking lot, he starts saying, "BALL!"  I think he was simply born being inclined to sports and playing ball.  I wonder what time will reveal as his other interests.

Even today, I caught him trying to dunk a ball into a lampshade.

I'm getting ahead of myself with all of this wondering.  I dream of him enjoying music, photography, writing, the outdoors, walks, swimming, and of course basketball.  I think I am projecting much of Christopher and myself on him.  I dream of the day when he will start a band in our garage and I get so giddy.  Any instrument, I'll buy it for him.  Whatever he wants.  I don't care if he is any good or not--just that he is happily expressing himself.  Again, these are things I did.  And my mom and sister would sit downstairs by the garage door and listen to Kimmy, Liz, and me fumbling over power chords, dropping drum sticks through pop punk drum beats, and trying to dig up the courage to sing into the microphone.  But we got better.  And I know my parents were proud of us either way.

Watching basketball with Dad at a month and half.  I know it sounds nuts, but I swear that he always loved to watch basketball.

Obviously, Eliot doesn't have to be "artistic" for him to make me proud.  These are just things I think of sometimes as I try to imagine who he will be.  One thing is for sure:  he has always liked sports for some reason and a new ball will make his eyes light up.  

No matter who Eliot grows into, he will need support to flourish.  I always had my parents' support along with the support of my in-laws when I later got married.  And I think that made all the difference.

Man, oh man, is that baby boy handsome.  And he is always so serious for the camera.  Such a model.  While many people say he looks like me (and he does look a lot like my baby pictures), I see so much of Chris in his expressions.  Also, I think he has Christopher's lips and eyebrows.  Everyone compliments Eliot's brown eyes, but the truth is that they are hazel.  :)

I'm honestly no sports fan.  I don't really care about any of it (but if I have to care, I'm rooting for OKC and Kevin Durant!).  But when I see Eliot do something characteristic of himself with a ball, whether he is climbing on the red ball outside of Target or kicking a soccer ball or dunking a basketball, my heart swells with pride.  Because that is who Eliot is, and he is doing things he loves to do.  And he doesn't care who is watching.