Mickey: Thanks so much to you and to Maura for opening your hearts and your home to so many kids. Listen to Bobert and SINSULL and be as much of an advocate for Axel as you can possibly be. And, yeah, don't make a habit out of that whiskey bottle; not only will you need your wits about you but you'll need to be ready to present yourself as the best alternative at a moment's notice (and if you have booze on your breath, it won't help – and, by the way, breath mints won't work if you belch!).
Try to be strong for those waifs who will come to your doorstep in the future, too; they'll need you as much as Axel and the others did. I believe that Axel will carry with him the sense of security you gave him in his earliest months of life, as WYSIWYG says, and that it'll form the core of his personality.
And who knows – maybe Axel will work his charms on his father (maybe he has already, since the guy decided to be more responsible)!
Best of luck to you all; I'll keep you in my thoughts.