Excited + much less worried
I know this is a long post - I just figured I should update on that situation and also wanted to share some exciting good personal news.
It looks like the problem regarding the kid (my niece's son) is probably taken care of temporarily. She has said she was not going to allow her new hubby to be with her kid alone any more. I don't know if it will last - she let him for like 3 days a couple of weeks ago and went right back and he started getting hurt a lot again - mostly head injuries. He has been to the hospital quite a few times in just the last couple of months. He had four bruises just on his forehead this morning and a large bruise from a human bite on his side.
The man claims that the baby is clumsy and always falling but he has never been hurt when my parents take care of him. The bite is likely from his stepbrother but I am not sure, the two kids got along fine every time I have been around them.
I think my niece is going to keep her word this time because it has been arranged for her to come and live at my current house.
I also have an excellent education opportunity just open up - it will give me research experience doing something really interesting that I really want to do.
If you want to know more, I posted more about it in my blog