IComLeavWe: March 2013

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 March list is closed.  The April list will open on 3/27.
  
• 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. Team Harries Beats Infertility (faith, acupuncture, all-natural)
3. Non Sequitur Chica (IVF #1, infertility, misc.)
4. Lil Family Blog (parenting, lesbian, babies)
5. Beloved Burnt Toast (IVF, hope, humor)
6. Dancing My Way Through Life, Loss, and Books (life and pregnancy after loss, books, ballroom)
7. The 2 Week Wait (infertility motherhood humor)
8. Elana’s Musings (pregnancy, parenting, randomness)
9. Waiting for Baby (IUI, pcos, weight loss)
10. Breathe Gently (IVF, PCOS, 1st-pregnancy)
11. The Write Mama (motherhood after infertility, IVF, advocate for IVF medical coverage))
12. A Bliss Filled Life (open adoption after UI, acceptance, parenting)
13. Who Shot Down My Stork? (iui, unexplained IF, humor)
14. Comatised (love, family, caring)
15. How I Spend My Dash (twins, parenting, life)
16. An Expat’s Journal (decision-making, uk, babyloss)
17. Feeling Beachie (life, family, humor)
18. Wycliffe Pitneys (Wycliffe, faith, pregnant after loss)
19. Where the Bleep is Our Stork? (TTC, PCOS, life)
20. Ready For My Bundle (pregnant after ivf, family, smc)
21. My journey through infertility, pregnancy & loss (pregnancy, infertility, loss)
22. Life of an Army Wife (donor eggs, army)
23. Just Another Inferrtility Blog (Infertility, loss, life)
24. TTC Baby E3 (ttc, secondary infertility)
25. Creating a Family (infertility, adoption, adoptive parenting)
26. TTCwithUU (infertility, unicornuate uterus, emotions)
27. Putter Pie (marriage, pregnancy, baby)
28. Unexplained Rantings (infertility, foster-adoption, early pregnancy)
29. A Crack In Everything (loss, acceptance, TTC while single)
30. Old Lady and No Baby (egg donation, miscarriage, softball)
31. Wishing on a Snowflake (infertility, embryo adoption, pregnancy)
32. The Buggy List (pregnant after loss, humor, animal parent)
33. Our Journey Through This Lovely Life (ttc, loss, upcoming iui)
34. Punch Today In The Face (pcos, motherhood, #3 on the way)
35. Baby On Mind (infertility, adoption, embryo adoption)
36. Sweet Dreams are Made of This (adoption, life, recipes)
37. Thought Provoking Moments (IVF, pregnancy & loss, life lessons)
38. Three Quarters Full (infertility, parenting after IF, life)
39. A Place Where I Can Be Me (parenting, infertility, writing)
40. From Gutter to Stars (therapist, infertility, adoption)
41. Baby-Making Merry-go-Round (pregnant,  micro-preemie, IVF)
42. On Day at a Time (IUI, adoption, life)
43. A Greater Yes (embryo adoption donation, parenting)
44. The Barreness (art, infertility, reflection)
45. Gypsy Mama’s Misconceptions (ivf #2, infertility, cancun)
46. Two Steps Forward, and One Step Back (infertility, pregnancy, random)
47. Patience is Not My Virtue (ttc, iui, letrozole)
48. Reese’s Rants and Raves (pregnancy after loss)
49. Donating Hope (donor gametes, IUI, faith)
50. Frozen OJ (infertility, childlessness, endo)
51. Closet Infertile (IVF, infertility, waiting)
52. Life As I Know It (twins, toddler, life)
53. Baby Makin’ (pcos, 1st baby, infertility )
54. Midwest Pillowtalk (pregnancy, ttc, sahw)
55. Gypsy Mama’s Misconceptions (ivf #2, cancun, infertility)
56. How Babies Are Really Made (parenting, fet, infertility)
57. No Good Eggs (donor egg, IVF, POF)
58. The March list is closed.  The April list will open on 3/27.

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 green, the next month it will be blue, 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.