IComLeavWe: February 2010

Welcome back to IComLeavWe. It stands for International Comment Leaving Week, but if you say it aloud, doesn’t it sounds like “I come; [but] leave [as a] we”? And that’s sort of the point. Blogging is a conversation and comments should be honoured and encouraged. I like to say that comments are the new hug–a way of saying hello, giving comfort, leaving congratulations.

Here is the vital information, pure and simple (a more detailed set of rules follows below the list):

• The list opens the 1st of every month. It remains open until the 21st. You can add yourself at any point. The list is open to everyone in the blogosphere–blog writers and/or blog readers.
• Add yourself to the list by filling out this form: the list is now closed.  The March list will open on 2/28.
  
• Click here to cut-and-paste this bit of code to add to your sidebar (if you have the old code from another month, remove it and replace it with this one). You need to add the icon or a link to the current list on your blog (see below) and will not be added until it’s up.
• Commenting kicks off every month on the 21st. Please mark it somewhere (calendar, post-it note taped to your computer…), though I will be sending out an email reminder on the 20th. Commenting week runs from the 21st to the 28th. Every day, leave 5 comments and return 1 comment for a total of 6 comments. You are highly encouraged to choose the blogs you comment on from the participants list below, but this is not required.
• I will send a second email on the 28th to remind you to remove the icon from your blog.
• Read below if you want to find out about Iron Commenters.
• The commenting ends on the 28th. We catch our breath and the whole thing starts again the next month on the 1st. Drop in and out according to what is happening in your life between the 21st and the 28th.

1. Stirrup Queens (twins, books, writing)
2. ErnieGirl is TTC (undiagnosed infertility condition)
3. The Bushey Life (ttc, life, infertility)
4. Baby On Mind (TTC#1, IVF, unexplained)
5. The Weekly Zeke (infertility, ttc, family)
6. Conceive This! (MFI, FET, pregnant)
7. Waiting for Sunflower (pregnancy, infertility, life)
8. The Infertile Mind (humor, comics, life)
9. Weebles Wobblog (open adoption, mindfulness, perfect moments)
10. Don’t Scare Easy (hysterectomy, cat, sci fi)
11. PandaBox33’s Blog (love, life, gratefulness)
12. Our Journey, but Not Our Plan… (IUI, IVF, FET)
13. Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey! (twins, life, ttc #3)
14. We got hitched. We bought the 4 bedroom house. Now what??? (IVF, pregnancy, recurrent loss)
15. The Impatient Optimist (infertility, pcos, impatience)
16. The Egg Drop Post (infertility, adoption, spirituality)
17. Paisley Blooms (someday) (infertility, ttc, yoga)
18. Hobbit-ish Thoughts & Ramblings (ttc after losses, books, cooking)
19. Infertili- T & A (IVF break, foster parenting, sass)
20. Fertility Foibles (infertility, humor, china)
21. Tenaciously TTC (FET, miscarriage, infertility)
22. AnxiousMummy (iui, ttc, loss)
23. In Due Time (life, infertility, pcos)
24. Musings of a Fat Chick (smc, infertility, life)
25. Dreaming of Quiet Places (emotional abuse recovery, ponderings, my cute dog)
26. Melissa’s Thoughts and Realizations (TTC, MFI, IVF)
27. A Woman My Age (adoption, infertility, parenting after 40)
28. Through The Eyes Of A Stranger (infertility, adoption, family)
29. Sippy Cups Are Not For Starbucks (parenting, sarcasm, ttc)
30. All Grown Up (domestic infant adoption, waiting, random)
31. Such A Good Egg (IUI#1, midwest, hopeful)
32. The Babbling Bitter (infertile) Bitch (infertility, loss, thoughts)
33. Your GreatLife (fertility coaching, women, self-belief)
34. The Truth Is Out There (borderline premature ovarian failure, IUI #2, optimism)
35. Junebugs Musings (TTC, life, fun)
36. Infertility And Me (male factor infertility)
37. Mindful Meandering (parenting after infertility, adoption)
38. Hopelessly TTC (MFI, azoospermia, guy’s perspective)
39. Are We There Yet (overseas IVF, fibroids, busy life)
40. Wistfulgirl’s World (PCOS, infertility, life)
41. Conception Deception (mfi, ivf, finances)
42. Holy Moly Toledo(s)! (twins after IF, life, random thoughts)
43. Three is a Magic Number (MFI, considering IVF/ICSI)
44. Wishing4One (IVF round 4, infertility, Egypt)
45. Hopes and Dreams for Us (childfree after infertility, encouragement, life)
46. The Royal Report (embryo adoption, faith, everyday life)
47. Write, Baby, Repeat (adoption, infertility, writing)
48. Inconceivable! (ttc, infertility, family)
49. Raising Miles & Making Wine (parenting after IF, baking, randomness)
50. Everyone Else But Me (ICSI, unknown, future)
52. Fertility Chick (infertility, PCOS, humour)
53. Busted Plumbing (loss, pcos, awesomeness)
54. The Road Less Traveled (infertility, IVF, books)
55. In the Name of the Father (male infertility, diui, male perspective)
56. Creating a Family (infertility, adoption, adoptive parenting)
57. Mommy In Waiting (azoospermia, infertility, ttc)
58. The Yerkes Life~Learning to Embrace God’s Plans (ivf, faith, family)
59. Destined to be an Old Woman With No Regrets (ppd, parenting after loss, life)
60. A Long And Winding Road (infertility, hobbies, faith)
61. The Subfertile Frugalista (TTC after loss, PCOS diet, frugal musings)
62. The Conceivable Future (RPL, infertility, IVF)
63. Parenthood for Me (adoption infertility coping)
64. The Pitter-Patter (infertility, MFI, marrakech)
65. Infertility Musings (TTC #1, acupuncture, RE)
66. Below Average Athlete (infertility, daily life, health)
67. Journey to the End of the Rainbow (infertility, ivf, acupuncture)
68. It Only Takes One Time…Not! (severe MFI, IVF-ICSI, pregnancy)
69. Misadventures with Andi (frenchie-stuff, food, travel)
70. Cherish This Baby (hope, faith, babies)
71. The Birds and The Bees (infertility, iui, ivf)
72. Dragondreamer’s Lair (parenting, secondary infertility, crafts)
73. Life Happens When You’re Making Other Plans (IVF, faith, family)
74. I Will Be A Mom … Someday (infertility, hope, waiting)
75. FortheLoveofShoesandaBaby, Too (ivf, fertility, fashion)
76. Salvageable (ttc, marriage, work)
77. All Aboard the Pity Boat (infertility, exercise, life)
78. The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow (I Hope) (recurrent loss, marriage, hope)
79. The Journey Through Life (TTC #1, infertility, life)
80. Mama Bear (adoptive parent, domestic adoption)
81. Adventures of a military family of 8 (family life, depression, reviews)
82. Delinquent Eggs (miscarriage, egg quality, limbo)
83. Infertility: a Type A’s Nightmare (infertility infertility infertility)
84. Barefoot And…. (parenting, infertility, food)
85. Venting Vagina (IVF, omglolwtf, acupuncture)
86. Nicole’s Diary (natural infertility, vitamins)
87. Confessions of a Fallopian Tube (infertility, life, Puerto Rico)
88. Creating HackSpawn (PCOS, TTC, life)
89. Glass Case of Emotion (IVF, infertility, m/c)
90. The (In)fertility Diaries (trying to conceive, pregnancy loss, new IF)
91. The Road to Happily Ever After (infertility, PCOS, IUI)
92. A Greater Yes (embryo adoption, pregnancy, faith)
93. That’s My Answer (question of the day, fun, life)
94. Outside My Head (parenting, photos, movies)
95. Daria’s Blog (fun, observations, 30 something life)
96. Find Joy Now (infertility, inspiring words, humor)
97. Journey Through Infertility and TTC (pregnancy, doctor’s appointments, milestones)
98. Letters to My Unborn Child (pregnancy, family, faith)
99. Trying Not to Scream (iui, infertility, life)
100. Trying to Get Knocked up by Another Man (DE-IVF, life, military)
101. Hoping for Another Little One (IUI?, ttc #2, family)
102. Sparkly Things Distract Me (old eggs, donor embryos, work)
103. On Tap for Today (life, humor, boston)
104. Inconceivable?! (life, DIUI, NOA)
105. Wanna Be Momma (infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, coping)
106. A Tale (of the Trials and Tribulations) ot Trying (pregnancy anxiety pregnancy-loss)
107. The Daily Doings of Mr Silly and Little Miss Trouble (twins, parenting after infertility, atheism)
108. In the Middle With You (infertility, loss, faith)
109. My Infertility Woes (infertility, spirituality, ttc)
110. Wheresmy2lines (repeated ivf, coping, male and female factors)
111. A Space of My Own (my son, ttc #2, life)
112. It’s Called a Varico-what? (IVF, male factor, life)
113. Communique (life, infertility, ivf)
114. Blogging MoRe (life, marriage, everything)
115. My Basic World (infertility, miscarriage, IUI)
116. My Life’s Journey (IVF, infertility, miscarriage)
117. Newly Pregnant in NYC (pregnancy after IF, PCOS, hope)
118. Circus Children (life, love, FET)
119. Exploring Chaos (baby after IF, life, change)
120. Romancing the Stone (IVF, pregnancy, career girl)
121. Endo-a-go-go (donor egg IVF)
122. Happy High Heels (infertility, ivf, twin pregnancy)
123. Wandering Wonderment (mama-dom, student-dom, dumb-dom)
124. Except For Mondays (IUI, project 365, awesomeness)
125. Donor Eggs Journey (donor eggs, pregnancy)
126. The Calm After the Storm (life, nutrition, pregnancy)
127. Anna’s Joy (foster care, humor, life)
128. Back Into the Fire (infertility, foster care, adoption)
129. An Unexpected Life (adoption, infertility, future)
130. Determined to Have Joy (encouragement, life, infertility)
131. Oven Seeking Bun (pcos, ttc#1, follistim)
132. Lily in the Valley (infertility, marriage, stepparenting)
133. Room For More 9private domestic adoption)
134. Just For You (parenting after infertility)
135. Our Someday Family (pregnancy, second trimester, random)
136. The Long Journey (fet, secondary infertility, pregnancy)
137. The Subfertile Frugalista (ttc after loss, pcos, shopaholic)
138. The Gal Who Wants to be Anywhere But Where She Is (life after ttc)
139. The Consequences of Marriage (rawness of marriage)
140. The Road Worth Traveling (pregnancy, life, fitness)
141. oh sanity, wherefore art thou? (life, parenting after IF& loss, randomness)
142. Our Surrogacy Adventure (surrogacy, donor eggs, pcos)
143. Body Diaries by Lucy (pregnancy, PCOS, IVF)
144. Marla’z Austin Journey (unexplained IF, life, Chiari Malformation)
145. Last American Girl Standing (IVF, TWW, hope)
146. No Suzy Homemaker (family, babyloss, myself)
147. Hope is Ours (azoospermia, IVF, PCOS)
148. A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Shop (news, books, music)
149. Twists of Fate (pregnancy after loss)
150. Baby Dreams (ttc #2, infertility, life)
151. Living With PCOS (pcos, ttc, secondary infertility)
152. IF In Big Sky Country (infertility, pregnancy, life)
153. No Oven For the Bun (first IVF, surrogacy, MRKH)
154. Life with Endometriosis and PCOS (pcos, endo, waiting)
155. You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing (PGD, IVF, life)
156. Baby Hungry (multiple miscarriage, clomid, if)
157. Lifeslurper (DE, over 40, IVF)
158. Teddy Lifeslurper, ttc (humour, IVF, ttc)
159. Tales of My Follies (waiting, random thoughts, Femara/Follitism)
160. The Barreness’s Blog (parenting after infertility)
161. A Dallas Girl’s Journey to Mommyhood (IVF, infertility, life)
162. IVF Rollercoaster (IVF, college, retinoblastoma)
163. the list is now closed.  The March list will open on 2/28.

Q: What if I miss a day?
A: Catch up the next day by doubling your comments–12 comments instead of 6.

Q: What is an Iron Commenter?
A: Not for the faint-of-heart. People who wish to be an Iron Commenter and be entered on the Iron Commenter honour roll need to leave a comment on every blog on the participants list (exceptions are blogs that require you to have a special log-in, such as some LiveJournal accounts or other similar situations). You can spread out this commenting any way you wish over the whole week, but the final comment needs to be left by midnight on the 28th (EST). Reaching Iron Commenter status is done on an honour system. Please email me if you earn Iron Commenter status so I can add you to the wall of honour.

Q: Why do I have to add that bit of code to my sidebar?
A: The code is the latest icon (the icon changes colour every month so you know that you’re on the right list). This month, the icon is purple, the next month it will be green, etc. The reason is two-fold: (1) it enables more people to find out about IComLeavWe and (2) it gives you easy access to the current list once the commenting week actually begins and better ensures that you’ll use it. Too many times, people sign up and forget to actually do IComLeavWe and this icon gives you a daily reminder (with the dates on it) every time you open your own blog. The icon is linked back to the current list. On the 28th, remove the icon from your blog. A new one will be created for the next month.

Q: It’s the 23rd and I just saw this for the first time on my friend’s blog! I want to join the list–why can’t I?
A: Because IComLeavWe happens every month, once the list is closed, it’s closed. If you’re finding out about this on the 23rd, you can’t join the current month. But leave yourself a note to check back in a week on the 1st and you can sign up for the next month.

Q: You said the list closes on the 21st. Well, it’s still the 21st where I am. Why aren’t you moving my information onto the list?
A: All dates and times are U.S. Eastern Standard Time (UTC/GMT -5 hours).

Q: What if no one comments on my blog and I have no comments to return?
A: Well, that really doesn’t happen for the most part, but in that case, simply choose another blog and add an additional comment. The goal is to hit 6 comments daily as a minimum. Going over that is fantastic and encouraged.

Q: Mel, my question wasn’t covered at all. What do I do?
A: Email me; I’m quite friendly. It helps to place “IComLeavWe” in the subject line. You could also check this post which contains the history of IComLeavWe and see if you can glean anything there.

Looking for the comment section? It has been closed on this post. Use the form in the directions to add yourself to the list.