I haven't posted in a long time, mostly because I haven't really had anything to vent about. In part because I took the advice I got here, and found a way to connect with my step-daughter. It also helps that she's a great kid and DH is an amazing husband. He always made sure to include me in every decision. He always made time for me. It took a while for me to warm up to the whole being a step-parent thing. And it took a while for SD to warm up to me. (Also in part because we just cut out BM's parents entirely. Best decision of our life, I think. As harsh as it may have been.