A little spotted blanket with an elephant and a bird, Part II

I'm very lucky.

In the world of BFFs, I'm really lucky to actually have a best friend. I don't use that term lightly either. My best friend and I have been besties for going on 13 years. Of those years, we have lived in the same city for just three of them, but our friendship has withstood time and distance, and I'm not naive enough to think that is a common thing. Besides my family and Appa, Ali(ce) is the most constant person in my life...she was there when I first spoke to Appa after all. We've shared everything from high school firsts and lasts (she started dating her husband, my childhood friend and debate partner, the same weekend I started dating Appa) to college firsts and lasts, to weddings and babies, and girls-only trips. She was the one person I talked to right before I went to meet Little Bug and my life changed forever. She stood next to me at every major event in my life, from my graduation to my wedding to the baptism of my child. If she wasn't about to pop out a little infant, she would be there with me in Korea next year when I meet Little Bro. She knows where I come from and where I am going. She knows my family and my friends and my memories. It's rare to find someone who knows you that well.

All this is especially special since Ali(ce) and I live across the country from each other. Way across the country from each other.

One thing that seems to particularly amuse us and those who know us is what we long ago deemed our "freaky mind connection." It began with our uncanny similar tastes in music and clothing and books. We would often find ourselves buying the same clothing or shoes even though we lived in different states. We would send each other the same book or music recommendations and type the same things at the same time on chats. The instances are too numerous to recount or even remember, and it often leaves our husbands shaking their heads.

However, when Ali(ce) was preparing for the birth of her first daughter, our connection kicked it up another notch. I randomly found this little dress that I just KNEW I had to buy for her. As is common for us, I just randomly dropped it in the mail without alerting her first.

This is the e-mail I got a few days later:
"Okay, this is really starting to get creepy! I got your package yesterday (and my mom got your Christmas card, she thinks it is so nice of you to remember them) and I was too curious to wait so I opened the present for the baby because you had said it was just so cute. I could not believe my eyes - seriously. I was temporarily in shock! It is the exact outfit I had picked out about two months ago! Just before we found out for sure that the baby is a girl we were at Target looking for work pants for BDawg and I saw that exact dress. I loved it so I picked it up and carried it around with me for like 20 minutes telling BDawg how I wanted to buy it. He said, "But what if it's a boy?" I said I would just bring it back then. But he said no, I had to wait. So I put the dress back. Then when I did find out it was a girl I went back to get it and they were all out!!! I had been looking for it ever since! So I could not believe it when I opened the box! I absolutely love it!!! I can't wait to dress her up in it! So yeah, our ability to live clear across the country from each other and still always buy the exact same thing is kinda weird - very cool, but just a little weird."

Fast forward years of silly little "freaky mind connection" instances to today. Ali(ce) sent me a gchat talking about her recent shopping spree for her new daughter she is expecting next month and wrote

"I even bought this little blanket I found that I fell in love with. It has polka-dots and a little elephant."

My mouth dropped. Could it have been this?

The answer is yes, it was. And that made my day, possibly my week.

She's my "real-life Alice".

PS: she does not actually call her husband "BDawg."