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We had a really odd (but good) experience tonight.

As you've seen mentioned on the message board before, there is another Sydney in Sydney's daycare class. Yes, in a class of 6 kids, there are two Sydney's. Our Sydney is Sydney M. and the other one is Sydney H. Sydney H. was born on October 21, three days before Sydney M. Sydney H's dad does most of the drop-offs and pick-ups at daycare; I have never met her mom.

Today Mike's coworkers were going out for drinks after work. Since most of them have not met Sydney, she and I took the train downtown and met up with them. Sydney seemed to enjoy the train ride, and was very cute at the bar. When she started to get fussy, we left.

We were walking to the train station, and we stopped on a street corner to wait to cross. A woman walked up to us and said, "What a cute baby! What's her name?"

"Sydney," I said.

"Really?!" she said, "my daughter's name is Sydney! How old is your Sydney?"

"Eight months," I said.

"Really?! So is mine! She was born October 21."

"Ours was born October 24," I said.

"Wait a minute...." she said, "you're Sydney M from Early Days!"

"And you're Sydney H's mom!" I said.

What are the odds that we would run into her, having never met before, on a random street corner in downtown Chicago? As it turns out, they live near us, she takes Mike's train, and her office is less than a block from his office. Small world!

So we're walking to the train with one of my coworkers (and running kind of late) when this all happens and he has no idea who this woman is. He also can't really hear their conversation. I think he wondered who the crazy person was who had latched on to our group.

Speaking of crazy people, doing anything with a baby reaps lots of attention. Meghan and Heather (Sydney H's Mom) chatted it up on the train the whole way home with my co-worker sitting next to me and not saying too much. Behind Meghan was another random woman who kept interjecting tid bits about her kids, showing us pictures, and playing peek a boo with Sydney over the seat. The conductor seemed to get a kick of out Sydney as well and commented that she almost had more hair than he did (think gray/balding). Sydney was a real celebrity last night.

In the end though, it was too much for the little girl. She completely passed out while Meghan was feeding her around 7:30 last night. ...as in crashed out to the point where Meghan just picked her up, walked her to her room, and put her in the crib without a fuss. We looked in on her last night before we went to bed and she was on her side at the edge of the crib with her face buried in her blanket. She didn't make a peep until this morning. ...and interestingly only lasted about 2hrs before having to go back to bed for a nap. Based on her facial expressions, I think she's still exhausted.

Another random note about the evening was that we had been feeding Sydney appetizers off our plates at the bar (Monks). She tried chicken and part of a slider. At one point Meghan gave her a drink of her water (out of a glass). Eventually Sydney got fussy and we left the bar, encountered the mother of Sydney H, made our way to the train, and started riding when Sydney starts making these faces and opening her mouth. Yeah... it was full of chicken.

It's also probably worth noting that this was Sydney's: First (and second) train ride, first trip downtown, first outing with my co-workers, first time meeting most of my coworkers, and her first trip to Monks.

That is truly a coincidence. To think that you just happened upon Sydney H.'s mom in Chicago no less, must be impossible odds. It certainly sounds like you are enjoying Sydney more and more (as well as anybody who comes into contact with her). She's at a real fun age and will be from here on. You are going to have so much fun with Sydney that you will want to have several children . Okay, just seeing if I could get an eye roll out of you. Enjoy this time. It only comes around once.

Love,
Mom

Mom&DadMulhern wrote:It certainly sounds like you are enjoying Sydney more and more.

Hmmm.... "Enjoying" You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.