First of all no part of a rose bush should be eaten unless you are positive it has not been feed or sprayed with chemicals! This is unlikely if this mini rose came from a store because they are sprayed with all sorts of chemicals before they are shipped from the growers. Blossoms and hips that are used for comsumption are strickly from plants that are grown organically. Your plant would need to be purged over a period of time before it would be considered safe enough to eat.

As for your other question about keeping it from going dormat; Roses need a "down time" and a yearly prunning to do their best and I'm assuming you are growing this one in the house. All roses are outside plants and need lots of sun to be happy and healthy. Without alot of elaborate lighting, constant monitoring for heat/moisture and spraying for spider mites your rose will not survive in the house. I recommend if you want to keep this rose to plant it outside in a large pot or in the ground as soon as your weather permits. Blooms can last a matter of days or even weeks depending on the rose itself and should be cut off as soon as they become shabby looking. This will encourage the plant to produce more blooms. Good luck with your new baby :o)