So we're down for the count this weekend. I somehow caught some kind of cold around Friday of last week, and spent the weekend trying (and failing) to keep Cady and Mommy from catching the same. Mommy seems to be the only one left standing, though being responsible for 2 sick babies may weaken her resistances yet.

I'm over the worst myself, which afforded me time to sit and pick through some video not yet offered to the world.

I pieced this together just this morning for my sick little girl.

I just couldn't put my finger on it. But there was a reason that I was feeling a bit apprehensive lately.
If you look at our schedule of events below, look at the time frame from LID (Log in Date with China) for Cadence, and the Referral date.
Then look at the LID for Melody.....
As of this week, we've waited the same amount of time for Melody as we had waited for Cady, and by now we had her referral pictures and information.

Cadence
11/26/04 Decision to adopt (Thanksgiving Day '04)
12/03/04 Application filed with agency
01/12/05 Homestudy visits completed
02/26/05 CIS fingerprints
03/15/05 I171-H approval
04/14/05 DTC- Already translated
05/06/05 LID
01/26/06 Referral
03/20/06 Gotcha Day
03/21/06 Adoption Day

Melody
12/12/06 Decision to adopt again
12/18/06 Application filed with agency
12/28/06 Homestudy visit completed (we only needed one this time)
03/03/07 CIS fingerprints
03/05/07 I171-H approval - WOW! only 2 days
03/26/07 DTC- Already translated
04/15/07 LID

It's really strange how the mind works. It seemed so long a wait for Cady, mainly because we expected her so much sooner than we got her referral. We're very much prepared with Melody. But for some reason, lately, it's felt strange. I hadn't even realized this until I started analyzing the dates, but I was starting to feel as if something should have happened by now. Of course, we know time will come as it does, and life will happen as it does, and when we are ready for life to stand still for just a moment again, it will. We also know that somehow it's just not that time yet. Cady has been saying some strange things since September about Melody being born already. I find that a bit odd since we don't expect to receive a child older than two. But then, it's possible that she understands that Melody has been conceived already, which would make perfect sense since children her age do not really know the difference between life inside or outside the womb. If she was conceived in September, that would make her a June 08 baby, and then, with the longer times its now taking to get a referral (expected to be closer to 3 years than the 9 months we waited to get Cady's referral, Melody's referral would be around March-June 2010, making her about 18-24 months old upon referral, and making Cady's prediction on target that she's alive (if even in the womb), now, and waiting for us in China.
It's very odd but I do think that Cady has a very strong link up to her baby sister, even though she probably is not born yet.