IComLeavWe: February 2011

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 February list is now closed.  The March one will open on 3/1.
• 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. Mama T’s Madcap Misadventures in Life and Babymaking (a.r.t., foster parenting, sass)
3. Riding the IVF Roller Coaster (pregnancy after loss)
4. Life in the Waiting Womb (embryos, choice, creating joy and meaning in life)
5. Yolk: a blog about eggs and sperm (TTC, infertility, humour)
6. Bio Girl (parenting, infertility, FET for baby #2)
7. Aisha Iqbal (parenting, motherhood, life)
8. Hobbit-ish Thoughts & Ramblings (parenting after losses, books, cooking)
9. One Wheeler’s World (life, love, parenting after if)
10. Searching for the Missing Piece (adoption, life, infertility)
11. Ambivalent Womb (MFI, multiple loss)
12. Hope Springs Eternal (MFI, photos, infertility)
13. Production, Not Reproduction (transracial open adoption)
14. The 2 Week Wait (ttc ivf humor)
15. Diary of a Mad Infertile Woman (infertility, gonadotropin injections, new to infertility)
16. The Bushey Life (pregnancy after IF)
17. Lifeslurper (donor eggs, IVF, over 40)
18. Mac and PC (anovulatory, IVF #1, acupuncture)
19. Dragondreamer’s Lair (parenting, secondary infertility, crafts)
20. Musings of a Hormonal Egg Basket (pregnancy after IVF)
21. Life with Endo and PCOS (endo, pcos, trying again)
22. My Dusty Uterus (miscarriage pregnancy hope)
23. Baby On Mind (TTC#1, IVF, unexplained)
24. Becoming Me (pregnancy, nerves, randomness)
25. A Field of Dreams (parenting, life, weightloss)
26. In Due Time (life, infertility, pcos)
27. My Cheap Violin (single, ttc, happiness)
28. Flogging the Muse (art, painting, creativity)
29. This non-American Life (travel, expat life, Europe)
30. Waiting for our miracle (adoption, healing, coaching)
31. As Good As It Gets (parenting after infertility)
32. Where’s Our Stork? (infertility, pcos, MFI)
33. Wistfulgirl’s World (life, weight loss, ttc)
34. CD1 Again (infertility, taking a break)
35. Uncommon Nonsense (infertility, pcos, hypothyroidism)
36. Empty Hole (MFI, microTESE, IVF)
37. Mommy Odyssey (miscarriage, healing, humor)
38. I Can’t Control Everything (ivf, ttc #1, rpl)
39. Maternal Hope (IVF, ttc#1, faith)
40. Someday (IVF, azoos, love)
41. A PGD Blog (IVF, PGD, disability)
42. Enchilada Sunrise (fibrecrafts, bipolar, life)
43. Cooked Heads (such sweet silliness)
44. Try, Try Again (infant loss, infertility, IVF)
45. Bodega Bliss (miscarriage, loss, grief)
46. Garden Variety Mama (cooking, healthy food, parenting)
47. As Fast As My Baby Can (infertility, ivf, unexplained)
48. Cloudy With A Chance of Hope (pregnancy after multiple losses, grief, infertility)
49. Surviving the Secondary Infertility Madness (pcos, infertility, PAL)
50. The Deep Silence of a Long-Suffering Heart (secondary infertility, male factor, IVF)
51. Just Us…For Now (infertility, IVF, miscarriage)
52. Baby Dreams (pregnant with #2 after IF/recurrent miscarriage, my son, life)
53. Chasing Mommyhood (foster-adoption, single, ttc)
54. Holy Crap! You can’t talk about miscarriage (TTC, secondary infertility, random)
55. The Road Less Traveled (pregnancy after loss)
56. for all the things we hope for (infertility, miscarriage, nursing school)
57. Adventures in Name Changing (marriage, infertility, evolving)
58. Run Amok Amok (marriage life infertility)
59. My Cheap Version of Therapy (iui, weight loss, unemployment)
60. One Day at a Time (life, infertility, hypothyroidism)
61. Inspired Ima (triplets, jewish, knitting)
62. Colours Of Cattiz (male infertility, ttc, ivf)
63. A Fine Mess (TTC, miscarriage, infertility)
64. Our Search for Hope (adoption, everyday life, infertility)
65. Mission: Fertile Soul (fertility, living presently, humor)
66. Life in the Last Frontier (open adoption, parenthood, alaska)
67. Stumbling Gracefully (motherhood (after loss), photography, thoughts on mindfulness and loving kindness)
68. On Tap for Today (life, humor, boston)
69. NOT so Fertile Mertile (domestic adoption, endometreosis)
70. The Pursuit of Pregnancy (IVF, recurrent losses, DOR)
71. Snarky Momma (family, moving, Durham)
72. A little blog about the big infertility (embryo adoption, loss, IF acceptance)
73. Blawnde’s Blawg (new beginnings, infertility, support)
74. The Miss Ruby (living childfree notbychoice)
75. trying to conceive (IVF, support, ICSI)
76. The Conceivable Future (RPL, infertility, life)
77. I’m Very Far Away (infertility, IVF, expat)
78. Our Miracle In The Making..A Great Joy Is Coming (recurrent loss due to immune issue, IF treatments, pregnancy)
79. One Day…One Pound…and One Cycle at A Time (cycling, infertility, weight)
80. Motherhood Meets Me (adoption motherhood after infertility)
81. Time Well Wasted (infertility, possible IVF, life)
82. We Have Angel Wings (infertility, balanced translocation, pregnancy)
83. An Unexpected Life (adoption, parenting, infertility)
84. Country Mouse & City Mouse (food, cooking, kids)
85. The Rocky Road to Motherhood (pregnancy, infertility, life)
86. Life Without Baby (CNBC, infertility, living)
87. Whole Heartedly (pregnancy ivf PhD)
88. It’s Definitely Possible (IUI, SMC, 2ww)
89. Diary of taking small steps toward baby steps (pcos, ttc, ivf)
90. I’m Just Ducky, Thanks (unexplained, IVF, depression)
91. Exploring Chaos (ttc #2, parenting, life)
92. Keeping my eyes on Jesus (IVF, faith, miscarriage)
93. Having Kids Sounds Simple Enough (ivf w/pgd, loss, parenting after loss)
94. The Inadequate Conception (infertility, humor, new book)
95. Babies, Balanced Translocations, and Being in My 30’s (infertility, miscarriage, IUI)
96. Infertile Follies (IVF, ectopic pregnancy, infertility)
97. Storm in My Teacup (FET, greyhound, VWbus)
98. The Infertility Therapist (psychological aspects of infertility)
99. Baby Bump Wanted (BFP baby #1)
100. The Journey to Baby G (IUI, miscarriage, humor)
101. A Woman My Age (adoption, infertility, parenting after 40)
102. The Chronicles of Violetta Margarita (unexplained infertility, life, humor)
103. 2’s Company. 3’s a Family (infertility, combined factors, TTC)
104. The Eternal Guestroom (infertility, polyps, IVF)
105. The Advo.cat (ttc after miscarriage)
106. Eggcetera (adoption, family, infertility)
107. Failed Genetics (adoption, family, marriage)
108. I Want to be a Daddy (male infertility experience)
109. A Peek into our Journey (PCOS, waiting, loss)
110. Holly’s Narrative Dream (fertility, family, life)
111. His & Her Infertility (PCOS, azoo, international adoption)
112. It Is Tuesday, Right?? (motherhood, pregnancy, IVF)
113. Sarah’s Life (infertility, adoption, PCOS)
114. The Graphic Haibuneer (haibun, haiga, haiku)
115. Booferd (loss of child, adoption, grief)
116. Weathering the Storm (life, infertility, trying)
117. Our Fertility Journey (infertility, family, miscarriages)
118. Full Circle (foster, adoption, adoptee)
119. Inconceivable! (infertility, family, step-parenting)
120. The Journey to Baby Belgard (IVF, unexplained infertility, life)
121. Feeling Beachie (life, humor, family)
122. Project Baby (male factor infertility, iui, my story)
123. Adopt to Change (adoption, waiting, family)
124. Happily Ever After (twins family infertility)
125. infertile myrtle (endometriosis, ttc #2, ppd)
126. Our Little Family’s Journey (ivf #3, ttc #2, life)
127. Whitney & Erick – Our Home on the Web (RPL, IVF, confused)
128. Almost All The Truth (green, parenting, change)
129. Pontifications of a Twin Mom (twins, stories, celebrating life)
130. Because Of Match – Trying to make a baby via IVF FET (PCOS, FET, pregnancy)
131. Creating a Family (infertility, adoption, adoptive parenting)
132. A Greater Yes (embryo adoption, parenting, infertility)
133. Your Great Life (fertility awareness, infertility support, fertility coaching)
134. Songs For My Unborn Children (infertility, poems, life)
135. Joyous Birdie (IVF, twins, older mother, pregnant)
136. Infertility in China (ttc, ivf, iui)
137. A Little Bit of Life (preemie baby, infertility, marriage)
138. Twinside Out (twins after ivf)
139. Plans Change (adoption, pregnancy, parenting)
140. Knocked up by Another Man (DE-IVF, parenting, alaska)
141. Never Giving Up Hope (loss of triplets, pcos, ttc again)
142. Our New Plan A (ivf #5, dor, 2ww or what now?)
143. MissConception (pcos, infertility, IUI)
144. Sheepishly Ambitious (knitting, doulaing, crafting)
145. Mommy In Waiting (ivf#3, mfi, ttc)
146. The Barreness’s Blog (parenting after infertility)
147. Infertility Unexplained (unexplained infertility, iui, infertility news)
148. Meant to Be (formerly Our New Normal) (adoption, cancer survivor, learning to heal)
149. AYear On… Our New Beginning (Hopefully) (infertility stillbirth mother)
150. Grafting a Branch onto the Family Tree (traditional surrogacy, ip)
151. Our Life Journey (infertility, pregnancy loss, faith)
152. Stolen Fertility (infertility, IUI, thoughts)
153. Sunshine on Jupiter (iui, miscarriage, pcos)
154. Walking An Unknown Path (infertility, ivf, therapy)
155. The Barreness (infertility, dreams, irony)
156. Not a Fertile Myrtle (male factor, donor IUI, life)
157. Four of a Kind (parenting, secondary infertility, loss)
158. OnTheLanai (infertility, life, love)
159. Getting There (adoption, waiting, life)
160. The C’s Baby Dance (IF break, insurance changes, adoption?)
161. Chasing Our Stork: Our Journey with Infertility (infertility, iui, ivf )
162. The R House (adoption infertility hope)
163. Infertility Overachievers (IVF, 2WW, son)
164. A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Shop (food, news, prayer)
165. It Is What It Is (Or Is It?) (adoption, infertility, life)
166. Find Joy Now (joy, parenting, life)
167. That’s My Answer (question of the day, fun, life)
168. Wishing For The Gift of Life (ivf, ccrm, family)
169. Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey! (twins, life, pregnancy)
170. Circus Children (miracle, pregnancy, birth?)
171. Compromised Fertility (infertility, treatments, feelings)
172. Bakery Closed Until Further Notice (miscarriage, relationships, non-ttc)
173. ReeWrite (pregnancy, motherhood, animals)
174. The Ladies in Waiting Book Club (books, infertility, support)
175. Just Us Two (infertility, marriage, de-stressing)
176. The Diary of My Fertility Roller Coaster (fertility, babies, life)
177. Metholic (infertility, foster care, humor)
178. My Dusty Uterus (humor, stubborn eggs)
179. the February list is now closed.  The March one will open on 3/1

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 violet, 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.