They came and took him! What do I do now? *UPDATE PAGE 5!*

[Catty1]

Well, after a few more visits with Nathan, and with Adult Protective Services checking on them....you never know what the future may bring.

Hugs and prayers!

[chocolatepuppy]

I'm so glad you get to see Nathan!

[sumbirdy]

About four this morning I woke up to the most awful crying. It was heart wrenching. He sounded so scared and when I picked him up he cried harder until he heard my voice. Then he hushed a little and I walked him around the room talking to him and he snuggled against me. I guess at first he thought he was back at Stephanie's house and that it was Stephanie picking him up. I never heard him cry like that in his whole life. It makes me wonder what she has done to him. Every time I tried to put him back in his bed he would cry and finally at about six or six-thirty we both fell asleep with him on my chest.
When he lived here before he was fine with playing by himself in his room for a few minutes while we did something (like wash the dishes or laundry) but now if we get out of his eyesight he starts crying until we come back and pick him up.
Last night he when I gave him a bath he acted like he hadn't had a bath in forever (and smelled like it too) and mom said when they picked him up his clothes he was wearing were filthy. She asked Stephanie if he had just ate and she said "No, he's just a boy." which basically means "No, I just don't clean him up." I'm ok with letting kids get dirty but don't just let them sit in the filth! Mom took the shirt off that he was wearing and was going to take it to show DHS how filthy they keep him but Stephanie snatched it away from her.
The bumps he has all over him have gotten bigger and redder so we're going to take him to the doctor either today or tomorrow to find out just what they are.
We're pouring on the love with Nathan and he's beginning to smile a little more. We're going to show him the best we can what it's like to be loved unconditionally every minute of the day. Pretty soon he's going to start noticing the difference between us and his mother.

[Catty1]

I hope your mom brings him home next time and THEN takes the shirt to DHS.

I mean...any normal mom would have their kid clean and fresh cloths for a visit.

I am glad he is starting to smile. I still pray for positive things in the future.

I hope the bumps are easily treatable...does DHS get a copy of Nathan's medical reports?

HUGS!

[sumbirdy]

I hope your mom brings him home next time and THEN takes the shirt to DHS.

I mean...any normal mom would have their kid clean and fresh cloths for a visit.

I am glad he is starting to smile. I still pray for positive things in the future.

I hope the bumps are easily treatable...does DHS get a copy of Nathan's medical reports?

HUGS!

Mom said the shirt was just so gross that she had to take it off then. She couldn't stand to leave it on him any longer. All Stephanie sent with him was a few diapers and a sippy cup. We have everything for him but still...wouldn't you think a mother would like to send her son off with a favorite toy or something? Mom went and bought him a new shirt to wear home and another shirt "just because". He has a lot of clothes here but mom just thought it would be nice to buy him something new. She also bought him new toys to play with (although he has zillions here). We reunited him with his favorite stuffed monkey and frog and he was excited to see them again.
I don't know if DHS gets a copy of his medical reports. I guess we could have one faxed to them.

Anyway, Nathan is now taking his afternoon nap and I had to stay in the room with him until he went to sleep. He kept his eyes fixed on me until he couldn't hold them open any longer.
It's going to be so hard letting him go Monday but we are going to go get him again the Monday after and keep him another five days I think.

[joycenalex]

i am so glad he's with you.

[sumbirdy]

Thank you all for your support and prayers throughout all of these. These past 3 weeks I basically lived on this site.

[pitc9]

I'm so glad to hear (and see) that he's back with you.

[sumbirdy]

I woke up at four this morning to him having another nightmare. I rocked him back to sleep and just held him for a little while. He was comforted somewhat easier this time.
I think by the time we get him sure of himself again and over these nightmares it'll be Monday and he'll go back with her and we'll have to start all over again the next week. She's done something to him because in the whole time he was with us he only had a nightmare about twice and those were both on the nights were he had seen her. Coincedence? I don't think so. I don't know exactly what she is doing but she needs to stop. She is hurting him. Maybe it's emotional, or physical, or both. I know we're having some good affect on him because Charles and Stephanie both told us he woke up more than four times at night and so far both nights he was here he has only woken up once each night. And he's smiling a lot more.
I posted more pics. He was really interested in the keyboard but I wouldn't let him have it so he wasn't too happy.
I'll probably post at least one pic for every day he is here.

[Catty1]

Oh, Summer - that is so maddening...he has nightmares after he has seen his mom - even his dad talks about the number of times he wakes up at their home - I mean, it is GREAT that he will spend a lot of time with you, but like you say, it takes almost all that time to get him almost back to where he was...

I hope your dad tells Charles how many times Nathan wakes up while he is with you...even Charles will have to think.

OMG...why can DHS not investigate this woman?

Anyway - I hope his doctor appointment went well.

Prayers coming to you all.

[sumbirdy]

My mothers nurse came out and looked at him today (actually she just left) She said they were some kind of bites but she didn't know what...possibly those red ants. Charles and Stephanie sit him out in the grass a lot without bug protection so it's no wonder he has bites all over him. The last time Nathan has seen this nurse was the day before they took him. When he first saw her then he smiled at her. Today he's reluctant to smile at anyone. I guess he lost that trust in humankind. He used to be the type of baby who smiled at absolutely everyone. Now he just stares at them and if they talk to him he buries his head in my (or mom or dad's) shoulder.

Stephanie is bugging dad about handing over Nathan's social security card and birth certificate (for some reason they think this is going to get them a bigger apartment) When Nathan was born she marked on his birth certificate that she didn't want the hospital to get Nathan a social security number. And you know who ended up getting it? Dad. I can't tell you how many times I seen dad on the phone with those people, filling out stuff and sending stuff in to get Nathan a social security number. Because Charles and Stephanie wouldn't do it. Now she wants him to just hand it over to her and dad won't do it. I don't blame him. If they want it so bad they can go through all the stuff dad had to go through to get it.

DHS will not help us. We've told them, other people have told them. They won't listen. They said they went out there and everything was fine. But that was just Stephanie playing her "I'm a perfect Mommy" card. She does it well, I've seen her do it. And as soon as they were gone she sat Nathan in a chair and walked off and left him.

When Nathan was 2 or 3 months my parents decided to leave everything alone for a day and see how good a mother Stephanie was. She left him sitting in a chair all day and the only attention he got from her was when she shoved a bottle in his mouth.

She had the nerve to call dad yesterday and ask all this stuff about Nathan and say she was just a worried mother! Where was she when he had an ear infection and was cranky all night? Where was she when he had the sniffles? Where was she when he cut his first tooth? When his tummy was upset? When he learned to crawl? When he first ate solids? His first in-the-tub bath? When he started cruising? She wasn't here. We never kept her away from him yet she never called, never asked about this stuff, and only visited on holidays. And then she never acted like she wanted to take care of him! She would complain about it! And now she has the nerve to pretend she was the perfect mother all along and just wanted her baby back because she missed him?!

Mom has 2 years to press charges on Stephanie with Adult Protective Services. By then Nathan will be 3 and maybe, just maybe DHS will listen to a child when he confirms all that we have said. (When he's older I'm going to teach him to dial 911 if it's an emergency, I think living with her he needs to know how.)

I really got lost in this rant.

[Catty1]

I still like the idea of a small tape recorder - or digital recorder - the next time your parents go there.

I wonder if the nurse noticed the change in him?

Prayers coming all the time.

[sumbirdy]

The nurse did notice a difference in him. And she also told us another bit of info. She told us that she used to work with abused children. We have noticed Nathan slapping himself in the face. When she seen it she said she used to see that with abused children whose parents hit them.
Charles is changing his story so much. At first he told us that Stephanie didn't act like she wanted to take care of Nathan and when he cried she would either ignore him or scream at him to shut up (I believe this story)
And he also said he was going to tell Child Welfare about it.
NOW he's saying that she doesn't do any of this stuff and that she's a great mom. (I don't believe this story)

Nathan's sleeping peacefully now and I'm hoping my little angel has a night with no problems, no bad dreams.

[sumbirdy]

More pics! I got a couple of him smiling this time. He's sitting in his exersaucer behind me eating some Graduates Lil' Crunchies and drinking his juice. I'm about to go clip his nails. That should be fun since he's so wiggly.

Last night he woke up at 10:00 and wouldn't go back to sleep so at 1:00 in the morning we had to drive him around. It might have been because it was so hot in our house last night.

[Catty1]

I hope the nurse can report this to DHS or SOMEONE! Maybe she has some advice that will help your parents.

Maybe, with a but of information here, a bit there, your mom will be able to lay charges sooner rather than later.