IComLeavWe: December 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 December list is now closed.  The January list will open on 12/30.
• 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. Scrambled Eggs — A Journey from IVF to Baby-Maybe ( ivf, ttc, pregnancy )
3. Getting Inside My Head ( kids, tech, weight loss )
4. Me Plus One ( SMC, pregnancy after loss )
5. Ambivalent Womb ( mfi, ivf #3 )
6. My Infertility Journey ( parenting/ infertility /ttc#2 )
7. A Half Baked Life ( food/baking, pregnancy after loss )
8. Bio Girl ( parenting, infertility, TTC#2 )
9. Write Mind Open Heart ( open adoption, mindfulness, perfect moments )
10. It’s Always Raining ( infertility, fostering, life )
11. Banking On It ( 1st ivf, mfi, immunology )
12. Blawnde’s Blawg ( infertility, acupuncture, new to TCM )
13. Diary of taking small steps towards baby steps ( ivf, pcos, ttc )
14. The Miss Ruby ( living childless, longtermttc )
15. Fervently Wishing ( smc, health, ttc )
16. My Ordinary Miracles ( success after infertility, toddler, twins )
17. Yolk ( infertility, ttc, humour )
18. Too Many Fish to Fry ( twins, if, miscarriage )
19. Baby Magnesi ( infertility, mfi, depression )
20. Searching for the Missing Piece ( miscarriage, adoption, decisions )
21. Here We Go Again ( parenting, life after, humor )
22. Aisha Iqbal ( motherhood, writing, life )
23. One Cycle at a Time ( infertility thyroid pups )
24. Infertility Unexplained ( unexplained infertility, iui, acupuncture )
25. No Suzy Homemaker ( IVF, RPL, stillbirth )
26. The Unfair Struggle ( mfi, speedskating, life )
27. amoment2think ( parenting, society, food )
28. Dragondreamer’s Lair ( parenting, secondary infertility, crafts )
29. My Cheap Violin ( single, ttc, iui )
30. Woman Anyone? ( third trimester, baby #1, unexplained infertility )
31. A Second Line ( IVF, stillbirth, incompetent cervix )
32. Stumbling Gracefully ( working mom, photos, letting go )
33. The Road Less Traveled ( infant loss, embryo adoption, IVF )
34. Paradykes ( emma, life, surrogacy )
35. Kate the Poet ( writing, parenting, college )
36. A Page In My Book ( everyday chaos, special needs, if grad )
37. ThatGirlWithEndo ( infertility, endometriosis, pain )
38. Not Just an Army Wife ( military, infertility, loss )
39. Not Again! ( rpl, autoimmune, iui )
40. Workin’ on a full house! ( PCOS, life, TTC )
41. This non-American Life ( travel, expat life, Europe )
42. Flogging the Muse ( art, painting, creativity )
43. Alex’s Adventures ( IVF, NK cells, MTHFR )
44. Life In A Glass House ( transracial adoption, multicultural family, G-d)
45. For We Are Bound by Symmetry ( ttc#1, unexplained infertility )
46. The Infertility Overachievers ( success after IVF, toddler, IVF #2 )
47. On Tap for Today ( life, humor, Boston )
48. Magnolia Queen ( wedding, miscarriage, family )
49. Rocky Road to Motherhood ( pregnant, IVF, life )
50. The 2 Week Wait ( infertility, humor, TTC )
51. The Port of Indecision ( recurrent pregnancy loss )
52. The Inadequate Conception ( infertility, humor, book )
53. Walking An Unknown Path ( failed ivf, god )
54. Find Joy Now ( joy, life, parenting )
55. Sparkles and Fairy Tales: Waiting on my Fertile Godmother ( PCOS, infertility, marriage )
56. Creating Our Miracle ( ivf, ttc, infertility )
57. A Woman My Age ( adoption, infertility, parenting after 40 )
58. Digital-Damita.net ( frugal, green, ttc )
59. Enchilada Sunrise ( fibrecrafts, bipolar, life )
60. My Hopeful Journey ( support, support, support )
61. Removing Roadblocks ( unexplained infertility, faith, food )
62. A PGD BLOG ( pgd, ivf, myotonic dystophy )
63. The Journey to Baby G ( iui, miscarriage, pcos )
64. The Pursuit of Pregnancy ( ivf, recurrent losses, DOR )
65. The Misadventures of Missohkay ( adoption, pregnancy loss )
66. My Infertile Confessions ( IVF #1, PCOS, septate uterus )
67. Cradles and Graves ( recurrent cord-related loss, maybe a baby? )
68. From TTC to Mommy, thanks to IVF ( ivf, parenting after IF, embryo adoption )
69. A Miracle In the Making…A Great Joy Is Coming ( pregnant afer IF/recurrent miscarriage, nk cells, mthfr )
70. Whitney & Erick – Our Home on the Web ( IVF, miscarriage, RPL )
71. The Infertility Therapist ( psychological aspects of infertility )
72. Carney Exploits ( life, infertility, home )
73. Your Great Life ( fertility coaching, emotional support, family-building )
74. Eggs in a Basketcase ( infertility, relationships, failure )
75. Project Baby ( infertility, iui, my story )
76. Infertility And Me ( azoospermia, father, MFI )
77. The C’s Baby Dance ( PCOS TTC #2, IVF-ED, IUI )
78. Lifeslurper ( donor eggs, infertility, depression )
79. To Those Who Wait ( IUI , TTC 3+ years, life )
80. Raising Cain (someday) ( IVF, infertility, waiting for #1 )
81. Mission: Fertile Soul ( fertility, creativity, humor )
82. Teddy Lifeslurper ( infertility, humour, teddy )
83. Exploring Chaos ( ttc #2, tww, parenting after IF )
84. Little Bird ( donor egg ivf )
85. Surviving the Secondary Infertility Madness ( pregnant, pcos, parenting )
86. College & Endo ( endo & IF, TTC in college )
87. Our Stork isn’t Great with Directions ( new baby, PCOS, MFI )
88. Infertility Musings ( miscarriage after IVF #1, sadness, hope )
89. Lily in the Valley ( IVF, marriage, stepparenting )
90. Reach In, Reach Out, Reach Up ( adoption, christ, infertility )
91. Wistfulgirl’s World ( infertility, pcos, life )
92. Stork Stalking ( SMC, recurrent pregnancy loss )
93. Inconceivable! ( infertility, family, struggles )
94. Plans Change ( adoption, infertility, teaching )
95. Lauren Vs. The World ( injectables, unexplained, anovulation )
96. Making Baby Giraffes ( infertility ivf icsi )
97. The Barren Chemist ( childfree after loss, chemistry, life )
98. Riding the IVF Roller Coaster ( fear, early pregnancy )
99. As Fast As My Baby Can ( ivf, ttc#1, donor eggs )
100. Tales from the Rat Race ( pregnant after ivf, 3rd trimester )
101. Born From My Heart ( toddlerhood, infertility, adoption )
102. Ready For My Bundle ( adoption/infertility, job loss, home improvement )
103. All Grown Up ( adoption, parenting, life )
104. Hearts Joined, Hands Fast ( mfi, iui, ttc #1 )
105. My Dusty Uterus ( exercise, humor, eggs )
106. Loving, Living, Loving ( stillbirth, family, childbirth )
107. It’s Definitely Possible ( smc, ttc, life )
108. Try, Try Again ( baby loss, ttc, ivf )
109. for all the things we hope for ( infertility, miscarriage, nursing school )
110. Buzz Off Infertility ( infertility, pregnancy loss, pregnancy )
111. In a Nutshell ( donor IVF, fertile-venting, surviving )
112. Waiting For Our Miracle ( FET, IVF, early pregnancy )
113. Junebugs Musings ( if, moving, soul-searching )
114. Trying to Conceive ( ivf, infertility, emotions )
115. Motherhood Meets Me ( adoption infertility motherhood )
116. Getting There ( adoption, waiting, life )
117. Baby Dreams ( pregnant with #2 after IF/recurrent miscarriage, my son, life )
118. Infertile Follies ( infertility, IVF, ectopic pregnancy )
119. Grief, Interrupted ( grief, acceptance, special needs )
120. Watering Faith’s Seed ( infertility, faith, ivf )
121. On The Lanai ( infertility, emotions, marriage )
122. All Aboard the Pity Boat ( infertility, running, life )
123. Trying not to scream ( infertility, loss, trying again )
124. Hope Is A Four Letter Word ( annovulation, iui, ivf )
125. Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey! ( twins, life, pregnancy )
126. Calmly Chaotic ( pregnancy, 1st trimester, design )
127. The Infertility Doula ( support, information, general IF )
128. The Road Less Traveled ( unexplained if, life )
129. InDueTime ( life, infertility, pcos )
130. wanna bee ( adoption, loss, craftiness )
131. The Ros’ Bowl ( parenting after infertility )
132. High Heels to Hunting Boots ( dog, photography, cooking )
133. Uncommon Nonsene ( infertilty, pcos, hypothyroidism )
134. Journey to Baby Belgard ( unexplained, infertility, ivf )
135. MissConception ( infertility, pcos, ttc #1 )
136. the December list is now closed.  The January list will open on 12/30.

Q: What if I miss a day?

A: Catch up the next day by doubling your comments–12 comments instead of 6.

Q: What if I have two blogs? Can I sign up twice, listing both blogs?

A: Yes, but you also need to double your comments. If you have two blogs listed, you should be leaving 12 comments per day.

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 navy blue, 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). The list closes around 11 p.m. EST on the 21st.

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.