Yesterday I dropped a piece of paper in my kitchen and it flew under the oven. Later that day, Jeff helped me lift the oven and I retrieved the paper. However, my paper now had a corner missing. The jagged markings were unmistakably made by a mouse. We recently suspected mice (without hard evidence, but were afraid to put down poison because Ginny’s hamsters love to escape and we hated the thought of them meeting and early demise. This time, however, the timing was great because we had plans to go out of town. Before we left, we threw poison under the stove and locked the hamsters in the bathroom so if they escaped, at least, they’d be confined and not in danger of eating the pink pellets of death.
While we were gone, I wondered if we’d come home to the stench of dead animal. Our team mates had this problem. Mice had completely taken over their house while on vacation, leaving their droppings everywhere and then dying in hard to find (but easy to smell) places. I did not want that.
Sunday when we entered our house again, I was grateful that there was no smell. But Monday morning as I was making breakfast with Julia on my hip, I smelled something foul. As the kids woke up and trickled into the kitchen one by one, I asked, “Do you smell that?” One thought it smelled of rotten eggs. One speculated that the toilet was backing up. And one even proposed that it was Micah’s feet. I, however, was certain that the smell could only be that of a mouse.
Now we had some detective work to do in order to find exactly where the body was decaying. The kids followed me as we sniffed by the kitchen door – strong smell. We sniffed by the refrigerator – strong smell. We sniffed in the kid’s room – strong smell. We sniffed in the living room – strong smell. The strong smell was everywhere.
During this time, Julia (still on my hip) became increasingly fussy. I paid little attention because I was on a mission to find the source of the smell. It was only when Ginny came close to me that she found the source (she was actually at sniffer-level with the source). “Mom,” she said. “Julia has a nasty diaper.” I immediately took her to the changing table. When I was done, I no longer smelled the “mouse”.
Here’s our “stinker” (Julia at almost 13 months)
6 teeth
16lbs
Loves being outside
Loves music
Clap and “dances” to music
Perks up when she hears a cell phone (or any other alarm) and puts her hand to her ear and says something like “o” (hello)
Nursing 2 times a day
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