IComLeavWe: July 2012

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: July’s IComLeavWe list is closed (the August one will open on 7/28)
  
• 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. Why Not Us? (infertility, life, ttc)
3. It Is What It Is (Or Is It?) (pg w donated embryos, pg @ 46)
4. Our Pathway to Parenthood (infertility, FET, faith)
5. The Elusive Second Line (early pregnancy, miscarriage, PCOS)
6. Lessons from an Infertile Social Worker (open adoption, parenting)
7. Jewelling The Elephant (music life random)
8. Adrift on a Dandelion Breeze (stillbirth, secondary IF, IVF)
9. My Bum Ovaries (premature ovarian failure)
10. The 2 Week Wait (infertility, motherhood, humor)
11. Life As I Know It (twins, toddler, life)
12. InDueTime (life, infertility, college)
13. Feeling Beachie (life, humor, family)
14. Just Cycling Along (infertility, ttc, endo)
15. Writing for Life (ivf#3, expat life, uk)
16. Tales from the Waiting Room (IVF, TTC #1, unexplained IF)
17. Mommy Summers (mom after pcos)
18. Waiting For Baby (TTC #1, femara, vasectomy reversal)
19. Bring on the Babies… (preterm labor, miscarriage, IVF)
20. Breathe Gently (ivf#2, pcos, tww)
21. Looking For That One (IVF, ttc again, life)
22. She’s Gone Crunchy (parenting after infertility, going green, crafts)
23. Bereaved and Blessed (parenting, secondary infertility, loss)
24. Learning to Pivot (ttc, divorce, reflection)
25. The Infertility Voice (donor egg/IVF, infertility, empowerment)
26. From Gutter to Stars (therapist, infertility, adoption)
27. I’m Just Ducky, Thanks (surrogacy, adoption, rpl)
28. BFP Envy (ivf, infertility)
29. Syringe Sisters (IVF, pregnancy, twins)
30. Getting There (adoption, life, parenting)
31. Tales of a Cautious Optimist (ivf, male factor)
32. Follow Every Rainbow (male factor infertility)
33. The Brooding Woman (ttc, weight loss, anejaculation)
34. Our Growing Gardunn (secondary rpl, iui, septum)
35. Hapa Hopes (IVF, life, endometriosis)
36. If You Don’t Stand For Something (MFI, geekiness, general life ramblings)
37. Not All Dreams Are Free (IVF#1, male factor infertility)
38. Mommy-At-Last (twins after infertility)
39. My Life is About the Journey (recurrent loss, ttc #1, femara)
40. Just Stop Trying and It Will Happen (unexplained infertility, snark)
41. Lori Does Maryland (IVF, loss, parenting)
42. Our New Normal (adoption, ttcal, hopeful rainbow )
43. Infertility Unexplained (miscarriage, IVF, infertility)
44. Waiting to Expand (ttc #2, infertility, miscarriage)
45. Stupid Stork (infertility, silliness, ivf)
46. Ready To Be A Mom (hope, support, parenting after infertility)
47. Detour to Motherhood (adoption, surgery, optimism)
48. Ready For My Bundle…. (infertility, adoption, family)
49. MissConception (loss, pregnancy, pcos)
50. Sprout (ama, pcos, infertility)
51. Infertile FirstMom (early pregnancy, infertility/low ovarian reserve, birthmotherhood)
52. Musings of a Hormonal Egg Basket (parenting after infertility)
53. MRKH Musings (surrogacy, congenital infertility)
54. One Day At a Time (adoption, life, school)
55. Wishing and Hoping and Thinking and Praying (triplet loss, grief)
56. Searching for the Missing Piece (domestic adoption, RPL, life)
57. A Journey of Emotions (alternative treatment, depression, over 35)
58. what a day for a daydream (female factor infertility)
59. Glitter & Rainbows (infertility, letting go, moving on)
60. Breaking the Clock (infertility, jealousy, living childfree)
61. Fit to Parent (adoptive parenting, health)
62. The Unfair Struggle (mfi, speedskating, 1st 2ww)
63. Sweet Dreams are Made of This (adoption, recipes, life)
64. Fireworks and Rainbows (babyloss pregnancy grief)
65. for all the things we hope for (endometriosis, long-term infertility, birth doula business)
66. Inconceivable! (PG via DE, step-parenting, life)
67. The Days of Our Lives (pregnancy after recurrent miscarriage)
68. Turn Around (motherhood after loss)
69. Fit to Parent (adoption, health, loss)
70. Journey to the Finish Line (humor, infertility, running)
71. (In)Fertility Unexplained (pregnancy, life, IVF)
72. Tales From Our Yellow Brick Road (ivf, iui, balanced translocation)
73. The Infertility Doula (infertility, support, guidance)
74. Who Is This Fertile Myrtle (IVF #, secondary infertility)
75. Between the Paper Sheets (pregnancy, infertility, marriage)
76. Return To Go (PCOS, RPL, unemployment)
77. A Half Baked Life (food, life, parenting after infertility/loss)
78. A Blanket 2 Keep (IUI, life, crochet)
79. July’s IComLeavWe list is closed (the August one will open on 7/28)

Q: What if I miss a day?

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

Q: What 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 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.