She Won't Call Me Mama

Even though it's only been three and a half months, I'm getting a feeling that there is something beyond her low-verbal state that is making dd not call me mama. My 19 year old sister-in-law is her birth mother and we only have A she was taken into foster care. What I mean is that we were not pursuing adoption. However, we are so utterly delighted and so in love with our little girl.

Anyway, A hasn't seen her BM in the entire time we've had her, and she only saw her three times while she was in foster care (2 months). And yet, I know, just know, that A's thinking about this person who neglected her to the point of life-endangerment. It started with the the fact that A (who uses some sign language) uses the sign for mama to refer to my husband. And, though she will/can say mama as a sort of babble, she refuses to point at me when asked "where's mama?"

This is all so complicated because her calling me mommy has been an emotional issue for my husband's family (dd's blood family). They want to maintain the idea that A's BM is still her mama.

A loves me. She expresses that often. I just want her to love me as her mama. I'm really sad.

Sorry for the rant.