At only 6 months old, Eli Thompson is already a popular little guy. His Facebook page, Eli's Story, has more than 167,000 followers who anxiously wait for his mother to post any kind of update. From all over the world, they gush and rave over photos of Eli, with his wide-set blue eyes that are so much like his mama's, and his big grin.

After he was first featured in AL.com on March 30, Eli soon became famous for what he doesn't have - a nose. What he does have is a mother who loves him completely and unconditionally, just as she loves his big brother, Brysen, who recently started kindergarten and celebrated his fifth birthday on Thursday.

On March 4, after what she says was a normal pregnancy - except for the excessive morning sickness that never stopped - Brandi McGlathery gave birth to her second son, Timothy Eli, at South Baldwin Hospital in Foley. Along with everyone in the delivery room, Brandi said she was shocked to learn that the otherwise perfectly healthy baby didn't have a nose.

He was immediately taken to USA Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile, where, at 5 days old, he received a tracheotomy. He was released after a 31/2-week stay. His condition is known as complete congenital arhinia, believed to occur in only one in 197 million births.

A lot has happened around Eli during his first six months, including his parents' recent breakup and a move from Summerdale to Mobile, where Brandi has bought a house in a family-friendly neighborhood with a big playground in the middle of it. She earns a living as a bartender at a country-western club downtown, but she hopes to eventually work as a nurse in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), possibly at Children's and Women's.

Among Eli's milestones shared with supporters on the Eli's Story timeline: He ate solid food - applesauce - for the first time on May 25. "Because of palate issues, we didn't know if he would be able to do this as easily as most babies," Brandi wrote. "When he took to it so well, we were thrilled. & We cared about his followers enough to want to share it with you all, because you have all become a giant family to us."

On July 22, Brandi shared a photo of her baby holding his own bottle. He's also been seen wearing a hooded towel after his bath and sneezing - which seems impossible for someone without a nose, but he does it.

But there have also been a few scary moments along the way. On June 2, Brandi wrote: "We had quite a scary trip to the emergency room tonight for a high fever & vomiting, our sweet Eli has the stomach flu."

When he was born, doctors were uncertain as to whether Eli had sinus cavities. On June 29, Brandi shared this news on Facebook: "Our sweet Eli no longer has microcephaly (abnormally small head/brain), his body is producing testosterone on its own finally (no hormone therapy for us!), AND (drum roll, please) HE HAS MAXILLARY SINUS CAVITIES! Those are located in his cheekbones. We are still uncertain if he has ethmoid cavities (the ones behind his nose), but we are so thankful for all of this wonderful news! We are so blessed!"

A couple of months later, on Aug. 3, Eli was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at the hospital because he'd stopped breathing twice and was bleeding from his trach site. While it was a scary time, all of his tests and lab work came back normal.

In a couple of recent email exchanges, Brandi gave AL.com the following update on Eli.

How is Eli doing?

"Well, in all honesty, his health has been depleting lately. We had an incident where he turned blue because of a serious respiratory problem, & he's projectile vomiting almost daily, & still is having problems gaining weight. He's only 10 lbs now. ...There's a lot of stress & he is absolutely picking up on it. It stresses him out & when he stresses he has a hard time breathing. He's still a very happy most of the time, but you can tell he knows something is different. I think he misses his dad. He bonded with him & got used to seeing him every day. & since the breakup, Eli has had health issues."

Who are the doctors treating him, and what's their area of specialty?

"Dr. Silver, an otolaryngologist (trach doctor); Dr. Sindel, pulmonologist (lungs); Dr. Maertens, neurologist; Dr. Martinez, geneticist; Dr. Reed, primary care; Dr. Terry, eyes; and Dr. Bhownick, endocrinology & hormone therapy."

That's a lot of doctor's appointments. How do you keep up with them?

"At least one a week. & Once a month he has a full week of appointments. I'm not really sure how I keep up with it. I just kinda...do. It's my job. This is my life now."

Are you still planning to visit the craniofacial specialist in Galveston, Texas, for evaluation?

"No, they have decided not to take his case. They don't feel 'equipped to handle it, nor educated enough on his condition.'"

You once called the Eli's Story followers "a giant family." Has it continued to be a good source of support for you?

I have taken a break from his page. As supportive as they are, I am having a hard time dealing with (being separated from Eli's father), so I try my hardest to just stay to myself and keep my focus on the boys."

What's Eli eating these days? What does he like to do?

"He's eating anything he can get, haha. He loves sweet potatoes. He loves playing with different fabrics & textures & seeing what noises they make and how they feel. He's loving discovering new things."

Does Eli still love it when you sing to him? What else makes him happy?

"Yes, and he LOVES kisses! He will smile & bat eyelashes every time."