Rat Tragedy

Well, as many of you know, Malachi has a rat. The rat's name is Margo and spends a majority of her life on her boy's shoulder. She gets scraps from meals and has tunnels and mazes and forts built in her honor. She is kind and funny and sweet. Margo also has had tumors growing out of her foot, a condition called Bumblefoot. For the last couple of weeks I've noticed the foot getting worse. Hubbs and I would shoot each other uncomfortable glances as Malachi consoled and petted her. Friday night my conscience won and I decided that it was time to put Margo down. It's amazing what you can Google nowadays and my search for "humane way to put down rat" rewarded me with a gentle method. After Malachi fell asleep I brought Margo's cage outside and thanked her for being such a wonderful pet to my boy. I gave her her favorite snack and placed the cage behind the tailpipe of the van. I was relieved that it was so quick and gentle. She yawned, stretched and went to sleep. I bleached the cage and returned it to it's spot beside Malachi's bed. The next morning after all the boys were up except Kai (he's like me, the last one to get dragged out of bed) I went in and layed on his bed with him. He woke and I told him that his pet passed away peacefully in the night. He sobbed. My poor little guy. I told him that, when he was ready, he could come to me and we could talk about a new furry friend for him. 20 minutes later he "felt ready" :)
He chose the ugliest Guinea Pig in the store, even though we went in to buy a hamster. The heart wants what the heart wants, right? We brought her home and Kai named her Mocha. He's really enjoying her. So long, Margo. Thanks for the memories!
In other news, it's starting to looklike Spring around here! Nana, Auntie Julie and cousin Bree met us at the park today for a picnic and it was lovely! Dad also put the hammok up and you can catch any number of boys inside it at any given time. Daddy and Zephan are known to take their naps out there, it's too cute! Rosie's doing awesome. She sleeps 4-5 hours at a stretch at night now and it's fantastic! At a month, she's in the 90th percentile and weighs over 11 pounds. All the 0-3 month clothes I was so thankful to borrow from friends are too short. I did some shopping and bought all 6-9 months and up. Micah looked at the little tennis shoes I bought that won't fit her until at least mid-summer and said, "Hopefull thinking, huh?". I guess so. I figure, even if she leaves before then, I'll have some things to send home with her. She came with so little. But, I must admit, I want to see her in those cute pink shoes! Only God knows how long we'll enjoy her, but I know that He put her here. He heard my prayer, "God? Next time I really need a mellow one!"
Oh, and, this is interesting: I took her to a well baby appointment. She's been with the doc since birth. Doc was asking questions about her situation and asked where Dad was. I told her that he's incarcerated. She said, "Well, that must be very recent because he and her Mom were both here at her last appointment, just a couple of days after her birth." Hmmmmm. That's interesting. So, between 2 and 19 days he completely slipped out of the picture? And his family isn't being persued? There's deffinetely something fishy going on.