#just long enough for them to ween off milk and be adopted

[floral-hex]

BABY WATCH 2024!

First 24 hours with the new kitten. Thought it was a she, but did a closer inspection earlier and I’m leaning towards a he.

Anyway, the good stuff: he is the sweetest, most well behaved kitten I have ever seen. He’s an angel. He spent most of last night sleeping on my chest. I haven’t had such an actively affectionate cat in ages. The two I have now are sweet, but they don’t really cuddle. This little dude does. This little dude is awesome. He follows me around, doesn’t get into things he’s not supposed to, and instantly knew how to use a litter box. If he wasn’t so young, I’d think he was an abandoned indoor cat. But he’s baby. My baby. Still needs a name, though.

The not so good stuff: I DO NOT need another cat! I live in a small apartment with two other adult cats and a small dog. New cats are also expensive! He’s gonna need shots and to get fixed and, to be painfully honest, I really don’t know if I can afford that now. Shit, I’m basically out of (human) food until I can get some cash on friday. It’s rough. I’m really anxious. I love this little guy. I didn’t just pick a random kitten. I’d seen him outside a couple of times and I just… I hated the idea of this way too trusting little guy trying to survive out in the world. He just kept crying out at me and following me. There are other stray cats around, but this one is so small and so sweet and he followed me home and he loves me so much I literally started crying while holding him bc I didn’t want him to ever have to fight just to survive out there. I hate it. I mean, I love him, but it does make me feel kind of sick inside bc I know it’s not exactly a smart decision to take in a stray right now. Life sucks. He’s curled up next to me in bed now and if he wasn’t so tiny and sweet and wonderful, I might be okay not keeping him & letting him stay outside with his friends. I’m glad he’s not a human baby or I’d really be freaking out right now.

Anyway, I’d die for him now so it’s a done deal. My baby now.

[dented-nado]

I'm cramping like a binch so may I request some superwonderbat softness pls tysm ily?

I’m also cramping like a binch tonight! So writing this in solidarity!!!

---

-This is an AU where all the batkids are around the same age, still kids, and adopted at the same time. Damian is a baby, and Bruce is a tired dad but loves all his kids and his husband and wife-

----

Even if it meant Batman was on the back burner with limited outings… moments like this were more than worth it to Bruce.

He was sitting in the living room, watching the snow fall outside. Damian had fallen asleep in his arms holding onto his finger after a long bout of crying in his nursery from not knowing where his papa had went.

Bruce had bolted upstairs so fast he, in all his coordination still nearly managed to trip on the manor stairs twice.

Damian was a very needy.... clingy baby Bruce had found. It made sense… he was separated from his mother when he hadn’t even been weened yet. So Bruce and Alfred found themselves running to attend to him quite often.

Bruce had been feeling a little guilty lately however… this baby had been… unexpected. He hadn’t planned on also having a baby when he’d just adopted several children a few short years ago that he couldn’t bare to separate when he went to adopt one child at the orphanage. They were so young but all seemed like a family already. And the Orphanage… well, frankly he was in the process of trying to get it shut down for poor conditions and get a better one funded and built.

He’d planned to give Dick, Jason, Tim, Duke, Cassandra and Stephanie all the attention he possibly could. His train of thought was… well… the manor is big enough… Alfred will be around and maybe….

Diana and Clark.

Well, when he told them he was planning to adopt, start a family by taking in kids that should get the childhood that he himself had taken from him… they were overjoyed.

Clark was especially excited, Bruce had often caught him smiling fondly at families with their kids when they passed them by on the street, or chuckling and watching a baby smile back at him from a stroller. Clark was a man practically born to be a good father.

Diana was also thrilled at the idea, and both of them helped Bruce set up what was going to be the one child’s room. Then had both rushed to help even after having just been on a Justice League mission when Bruce sheepishly told them he had somehow managed to adopt six children. Then when Damian had showed up a few years later… a baby formed from Bruce’s DNA that Bruce himself hadn’t known about (Clark certainly knew how that felt)… they helped him set up the nursery, and Diana and Clark tagged teamed with Alfred to help poor Bruce figure out how to provide all the basics a baby would need.

It made Bruce laugh a little bit thinking about it. Clark had panickily started scrolling through youtube videos by typing “How baby HELP” into the search bar when Damian had started crying.

Speaking of Clark and Diana… Bruce stood carefully as to not wake Damian as he heard the door open in the other room, the sound of the winter wind hinting at the snowfall outside leaking in the entrance as Clark held the door open for six kids, managing to walk in formation from youngest to oldest, all holding what seemed like little hot chocolates carefully in their mitten covered hands. They were followed by Diana who shook her head slightly to try and shake some of the snowflakes from her long, thick hair. She also held two cups in her hand and tried to close the door behind her with her leg until Clark took the initiative and closed it for her with a chuckle.

“No one spill okay? Don’t tip your cup so much Tim.” Clark said trying to help keep the kids in order.

The young six-year-old looked down at his hands with wide eyes and straightened his cup realizing he had nearly lost precious hot chocolate to the floor.  “Oh! Okay!”

Diana crossed into the living room with the two cups, walking a little slower and quieter when she entered and realized Bruce was still slightly bouncing a somewhat stirring but still napping Damian.

“I got you a peppermint hot chocolate since you said your throat was feeling a little irritated.” She whispered holding out the cup to him.

“Oh you’re a lifesaver.” Bruce replied taking the warm cup and immediately taking a long sip of the hot – but just cooled down enough – drink, immediately feeling some relief.

“Were they good?” He asked, referring to the kids ranging from 6 to 12.

“Jason and Dick were arguing over if Cereal is a soup or not, but they stayed civil.” She explained with a small chuckled. “They were all very well behaved and stayed together.”

Bruce smiled, bouncing Damian a little more as a small hello as the baby opened his eyes and began cooing and babbling to his father in a baby language that made no sense to Bruce, but Bruce was sure made perfect sense to Damian.

“Thank you again for taking them out for a while.” Bruce said, leaning forward as Diana did as they shared a peck on the lips. “Damian finally slept for a while once I sat down and held him.”

Diana chuckled and looked at Damian and stroked his small head. “You love your papa don’t you? Never want him out of your sight...”

Damian babbled in response.

Clark joined them as he took off his winter coat that he didn’t really need physically, but wore every day of the winter season since Bruce gifted it to him. The kids had all run off to the kitchen when Alfred had called them, begging them to “Please not have their beverages anywhere near the carpet”.

“Hey B-B.” Clark greeted with a grin, putting his arm around his bat and kissing him on the cheek.

“Hello to you too smallish bean.” Clark followed up grinning at Damian who reached up towards the curl that stuck out from Clark’s hair curiously as he always did.

“Thank you… both of you…” Bruce began, looking down at Damian fondly. “I… I know when we… well… you didn’t sign up to be helping me take care of a bunch of kids.” He mumbled guiltily.

Clark and Diana shared a glance and Clark squeezed his shoulder. “B, we vowed to stick with you through everything.”

Diana squeezed Bruce’s hand that shared the same ring that the three of them all wore. “And we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Bruce found himself genuinely beaming at them both with a soft smile, heart fluttering. How did he get so lucky as to have these two in his life?

It was then that Dick came running into the living room. “Daaaaaaaaaaaaad! You have to help me out here, Cereal isn’t a soup, right??”

Jason marched in after him. “It is too! It’s just milk soup with chunks in it.”

“But it’s cold!” Dick insisted.

“There’s soup that you eat cold!” Jason looked up at Bruce. “Right? Tell Dick he’s stupid and wrong.”

“Tell Jason he’s a buttmunch.” Dick replied sticking his tongue out.

“I’m not saying either of those things.” Bruce replied very matter of factly, deciding not to even touch the cereal may or may not equal soup debate.  

The two boys went back to arguing as Tim ran in, closely followed by Stephanie and Cass who began chasing him around the living room.

“Hey, Hey, you three, if you’re going to play tag go outside.” Bruce chided.

Stephanie paused. “It isn’t tag.” She argued with wide eyes.

Cassandra nodded. “It’s cowboys and aliens.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow and Clark and Diana managed to both tilt their heads in amusement at the same time.

“Tim is the cowboy and we’re the aliens.” Stephanie said very knowingly.

“Ah…. I see.” Bruce responded. “Cowboys and Aliens…” He mumbled before looking at Clark. “What does it mean since you’re both?”

“I’m unstoppable.” Clark responded instantly.

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Well we all knew that.”

He ignored Clark who started cackling and turned back to the kids. “Well still, don’t run in the house… or at least not in this part of the house go in the ballroom that never gets used or something.”

“Why have a ballroom with no balls?” Clark mumbled teasingly, earning a half-hearted glare from Bruce.

Stephanie gasped. “Can we have a ball?? Like in the movies????”

Bruce sighed and took a long sip of his hot cocoa. “I’ll think about it, now go, your cowboy is getting away.”

Stephanie and Cass whipped their heads around to see Tim running out into the hall with a laugh and immediately bolted after him.

“Hey wait! I want to catch a cowboy too!” Jason shouted after them, completely distracted from his argument with Dick and running after them.

Dick followed close behind, before pausing, turning to Bruce and putting his hands on his hips. “Don’t worry, I’ll be responsible and make sure they stay out of trouble.” He declared with a proud grin that brought a wide smile to Bruce’s face.

“I know you will chum.”

It was then the eldest child ran off to join the game.

“They really are wonderful kids.” Diana noted with a soft smile, wrapping her arms around Bruce and kissing his cheek several times, leaving red lipstick stains behind.

Bruce nodded. “They are… I’m very lucky.”

Clark pressed a long kiss to Bruce’s forehead. “So are we.”

Bruce sighed gratefully, Clark and Diana by his side, the manor echoing with the sound of kids playing, and Damian babbling away in his arms….

He looked up to the portrait of his parents that hung above the fireplace and smiled fondly at them.

What had been lost… had been found once more.

[lisasmediaarchivingproject-blog]

Foster parents’ interview

My interview with Mike and Sally, the foster parents of Mariah, an 8-month-old baby of a single mom addicted to heroin, from the private foster agency Berkshire farms in Albany.

 On the process and logistics of fostering to adopt and their experience with it:

 Mike explained that the fostering agency is private but outsourced from the county, meaning that the county is still technically in the custody of the children in the system. There was a 10-week certification process that consisted of weekly parenting classes, which included getting CPR certified, and general information sessions on what foster care entails and what to expect. Each county has different rules about the best treatment of foster children, and in Albany, they go by the rules of “normative parenting”. This is the idea that the foster child should be treated just like ones’ own.

 The first call Mike and Sally received was for a baby born to a mother using cocaine. They took her home and were very excited to welcome her into their family, however in two days she was taken back, because the mother had gotten an apartment and proved that she had the means necessary to care for the child. Here, Sally stressed that the primary goal of foster care is reunification with the biological parents, even to the disappointment of hopeful foster parents like themselves. There is a 15 month period in which the biological parents of the foster children are given to prove that they are capable of caring for their child before the children are officially put up for adoption and the parental rights of the biological parents are terminated.

 On addiction’s effects on newborns and foster care

 Mike described that a lot of the cases in foster care especially in Albany, are related to addiction and substance use disorders. Most of the calls they got were cases in which children couldn’t be cared for because the parents were suffering from addiction, and these types of cases are on the rise with the worsening of the opioid crisis.

 Mariah’s mother Megan, who is a heroin user, had switched to methadone as a substitute while pregnant. When Mike and Sally first received Mariah, she was eleven days old and subsisting on her mother’s methadone infused milk. She had to naturally ween off methadone, and most likely suffered from withdrawal, though Mike notes that by the time they got her these symptoms were not present. When Mariah was born, she was very small at five pounds, ten ounces, and actually decreased in size to four pounds after birth, before growing again. She currently sees a developmental pediatrician in addition to a regular doctor, to test for different types of developmental and cognitive function, such as hearing and head size, which may have been affected by the in-utero exposure to heroin and methadone. She is doing well currently, and the only thing to look out for will be deficits in impulse control and rational thinking which may become apparent when she reaches the age of two.

 When it comes to exposure to substances in utero, heroin has one of the less severe effects in terms of the long term. Although there is a chance that children like Mariah will be more likely to develop an addiction themselves due to genetic and social risk factors, with foster parents the social aspect of this is much lower.

 Because addiction to opioids targets the dopamine receptors in the brain, there is a physiological shift in brain chemistry and function that occurs, which makes it incredibly difficult to overcome the addiction, even when this entails adverse consequences like the need to give up a child. The brain fails to see long-term and think rationally because the craving for the next immediate dopamine rush is so powerful. Therefore, although there is a stereotype that drug addicts are lazy and simply do not care about anything except their next high, this is rarely an intrinsic character trait, and purely something brought on by the addiction.

 For Megan, Mariah is her fifth child being given up to the system, and her oldest three children have already been permanently given away to either their birth fathers or to foster families. She had turned to prostitution to pay for the heroin, and it is unknown who Mariah’s father is. She had also apparently been kicked out of all the nearby rehabilitation facilities and there has been no immediate family that has tried to help her or claimed any of her children. Sally described how Megan has a pattern of either being deceitful or simply delusional— Child Protective Services have been called because she lies that she has her children back, and after Mariah was born, she went around to several churches and told them she was taking her baby home to receive their charity gifts for women in need.

 Although Mike and Sally are hoping to be able to keep Mariah, they nevertheless expressed their sympathy for Megan and sadness at the whole situation wherein there are so many addiction-related cases in foster care and a general failure in rehabilitation attempts. They have been fostering Mariah now for eight months and need to wait until September to know whether they can keep her, but as Megan has only shown up to 1 hour weekly supervised visits with Mariah and was visibly high, it seems likely that Mike and Sally will be able to keep Mariah as their foster daughter.

 On the emotional ride of fostering to adopt

 Mike described that he had always wanted to be a father, but had never imagined that it would happen like this. He described that every week that Megan doesn't show up to the weekly supervised visits makes Mike and Sally’s lives a little brighter because they look forward to a time when they can call Mariah their own, and don’t have to feel conflicted about getting too attached to her. Keeping in mind that she may be taken away at any point is difficult. At one point there was a big possibility of Mariah being claimed by the potential biological father’s parents, but a paternity test proved that he was not the father. Reflecting on this experience, Mike said, “We know in our bones that we are the better place for her, but the county’s philosophy is that the parents have priority and the 15 months to try to get her back”. It is difficult to reconcile with this philosophy when considering the trauma of both the child and the foster parents when they need to be separated after having bonded and spent so much time together, and of the difficulty of the biological parents to create a new bond and be the best parents they can.

Thinking to the future, Mike also talked about how Mariah will likely have questions when she is older about her mother and possibly ask, “was I not important enough?” when thinking about how her mother couldn’t recover from addiction to take care of her. Although Mike and Sally have these concerns and many more, they believe they are very fortunate to be in their position and hopeful and excited about being parents to Mariah and giving her the best shot in life that they can.