ThompSons and a Daughter!

We met Ellie Kay 6 months ago today.

Six months ago today we saw her little, sweet, precious face for the first time. We got to hold her tiny little form and finally got to examine her hands and eyes and feet and mouth and toes over those first couple of days. It's so hard to believe it's been that long because it's gone by so fast. She has blossomed and grown in so many ways during this time she's been a Thompson. Five families received their babies within minutes of each other in the same room. She was the smallest and youngest of our group (made up of 5 girls), but what she lacked in size she made up for in feistiness. She was the hardest to calm down at times - especially the first day when things were expected of her (like not to cry for her passport picture), but she wasn't comfortable with us yet. Now that I know her and all of her expressions so well, it makes me sad to see her pictures of those first couple of days. She was terrified of us and grieving so badly about her loss of everything she had ever known.

She is such a normal part of our family that it's hard to imagine her not here. She just loves us, our patterns, routines, etc. When everyone is seated at meal time, she holds out her little hands on either side, because we hold hands to pray as a family before meals and she knows someone on either side of her will hold her hands. It's the most precious thing!

To update you, I'll tell you what we've learned about her:

She warms up a little slowly to people. (For example, she has never allowed anyone in church nursery to ever give her a bottle and still won't really let them hold her). However, once she decides she accepts you, she loves you with abandon - a pure, loyal, beautiful love.
She LOVES to play and be silly. The first time she ever stopped crying was to stop and laugh at Matt who made a silly face at her. Since then, that's the way to comfort her is to do something silly. It is fortunate for her that she has 3 silly big brothers who love to make her laugh.
She likes Smarties (a rare treat for her, but a favorite).
She is an expert at finding pencils and pens, which she's not allowed to have (so she won't poke out her eye). Somehow though, she has a talent of finding them in hidden places and is not at all willing to give them up without force. I spend a good portion of my day wrestling her for them.
She's attached to "Little Blankie" and needs it to sleep.
She's an outdoorsy girl and will bring me her coat and shoes as hints that she wants to go outside. If it was up to her, she'd spend all of her time outdoors.
She enjoys a great game of chase and tries to ask without being able to use words for her Daddy or brothers to chase her by looking at them, laughing, and then taking off as fast as her little legs will carry her. It is super adorable!
She is a daredevil! The faster, higher, more crazy the better! She is so much braver than little Tru physically. I think I'll have to work hard to raise a little lady with her nature and 3 big brothers. We'll of course foster her talents and bents - the way God made her, but I'm thinking we're setting her up to be a tomboy with all of her present company. :) She tries hard to rip bows out of her hair as well, but I guess that's pretty normal for that age. If any girl Moms can give me tips on keeping them out, I'll take them.
Quite opposite of that though, she does look pretty proud when she puts on a cute dress. She sways side to side and seems to especially light up if Matt gushes about how pretty she is. It starts very early I guess with daughters wanting Daddy to think they're pretty.
She can make Matt almost give her anything when she walks up to him with her sweet eyes and does the sign language for "please". She's wrapping him quite effectively.....
She gives big slobbery kisses to us and her brothers very freely and upon her own volition.
I mentioned her love of her brothers, but she really loves Tru! They share a room, and the first thing she wants to do in the mornings is to be placed in his bed, so that she can kiss him, lay on him, and drool on him. Tru is already a neat freak and is completely grossed out by her slobbery kisses and drool, but does enjoy her snuggles.
She is a Jiangxi province "spicy girl" and has a higher tolerance for spicy foods than Tru does.
Her favorite foods are rice and noodles and she came to us an expert noodle sucker.
She loves baths and to be without clothes in general.
She likes to dance to music and will dance if even with no music if you ask her to.
She drools like crazy and usually won't keep a bib on, so her shirt has to be changed at least twice a day.
She loves swords, guns, and cars (All 16 month old girls do, right?!)