IComLeavWe: August

The new list for September will open on September 1st. Please check back then to add yourself to the month of September. This list is currently closed.

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 (I know I’m posting this a day early this month…long story). 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 leaving in the comment section your blog name, blog url, and three words that describe what you blog about most often.

• I move the information from the comment section into the post (usually within 24 hours).
• Click here to cut-and-paste this bit of code to add to your sidebar.
• Commenting kicks off every month on the 21st. Please mark it somewhere (calendar, post-it note taped to your computer…). 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.
• Read below if you want to find out about Iron Commentors.
• The commenting ends on the 28th. We catch out 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 (infertility, twins, books)
2. Baby Smiling In Back Seat (infertility, IVF, philosophy)
3. Cupcakes & Conundrums (infertility, adoption, cupcakes)
4. Here We Go Again (cooking, books, pregnancy)
5. Just Me (infertility, going mad, pregnancy)
6. Our Surrogacy Adventure (surrogacy, infertility, weight
7. Musings of a High School Teacher (TTC, faith, teaching)
8. Equal Opportunity Hater (infertility, grad school, personal annoyances)
9. I’m a Smart One (parenting, surrogacy, infertility)
10. The Fertile Infertile (kids, crafts, infertility)
11. Helping Make Sense (infertility, IVF, life)
12. This is my Truth, Tell me Yours (randomness, personal, current affairs)
13. Crazy Lady Ramblings (IVF, exercise, life)
14. Today’s the Day (adoption, motherhood, life)
15. Waiting on Life (infertility, IVF, life)
16. Maybe It’s Just Me…. (infertility, PCOS, life)
17. BagMomma (parenting, RPL, secondary infertility)
18. Dreaming Of Baby (TTC, randomness, life)
19. Sticky Feet (parenting, food, scrapbooking)
20. Life & Times of Kimbosue (infertility, IUI, randomness)
21. Who Shot My Stork? (infertility, life, whining)
22. Child Bearing Hips (unexplained infertility, pregnancy, IVF)
23. The Idle Mind Of Beth (infertility, caring for aging parent, random)
24. Life in the White House (infertility, life, donor sperm)
25. Communique (infertility, life)
26. Letting it Out (infertility, pregnancy, parenting)
27. Kicking You From The Inside (parenting, infertility, life)
28. Sippy Cups Are Not For Starbucks (family, life, sarcasm)
29. Unquestionable Love (infertility, life, lucky wife)
30. Sladerocks and a Few Pebbles (family, military, motherhood)
31. Loving Thee… and More (parenting, family, inspiration)
32. Reservado para Futura Mama (open domestic adoption)
33. Fertilized (parenting after infertility, PCOS, life)
34. One Pink Line (IVF, work, life)
35. Must Love Tots (tots, life, cancer)
36. MotherThoughts (motherhood, Judaism, feminism)
37. Emily the Hopeless (infertility, veganism, dogs)
38. Alicia (infertility, adoption, shoes)
39. The Angry Infertile (infertility, depression, humor)
40. A Virtual Hobby Store and Coffee Shop (entertainment, coffee, news)
41. Conceive This! (infertility, cynicism, ridicule)
42. Mom of 2 Dancers (family, parenting, reviews)
43. Different Is Always Good (politics, workouts, life)
44. A View On My Life (infertility, PCOS, life)
45. Seriously?!? (pregnancy, personal thoughts)
46. Not The Path I Chose (recurrent pregnancy loss, secondary infertility)
47. Butterfly On My Shoulder (miscarriage, pregnancy, clotting disorder)
48. The Unfair Struggle (male-factor IF, friendship, life)
49. Bella Vida (infertility, food, travel)
50. Bama Fans in Boise (birthmother, parenting, life)
51. The Happy Hours (ectopic, personal thoughts, ttc)
52. Infertile Ground (ttc, infertility, whatever-else-intersects-with-ttc-and-infertility)
53. Elana’s Musings (infertility, IVF, miscarriage)
54. The Saga of Becoming Fruitful (infertility, finances, cost)
55. They Call Me Bobby (kids, graduate from IF, the comedy of life)
56. Tales from Kiddyland, USA (family, triplets, special-needs)
57. Operation Offspring (unexplained infertility, IVF, life)
58. The Not So Secret Life Of Us (infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, emigration)
59. Where is that Special Water? (secondary infertility, life, non-baby blues)
60. Children’s Writing Blog (writing, freelancing, children’s publishing)
61. Life Induces Thoughts, Mostly Random (marriage, friends, life)
62. Different Is Always Good (life, workouts, politics)
63. Operation Life (surrogacy, weight loss, family)
64. Between The Lines (IVF, miscarriage, MFI)
65. BlogFight! (advice, debate, discussion)
66. Mustard Seed Baby (IVF, endo, faith)
67. One Good Egg (infertility, foster-adoption, relationships)
68. Future Imperfect (random stuff, son, personal)
69. No Regrets (failed IVFs, coping, loose ends)
70. Dreams Come True…Sometimes (TTC, life, randomness)
71. Ronda’s Rants (faith, rants, environment)
72. IVF Land on Surrogacy World (intended father, surrogacy, IVF)
73. Maybe I Will Have a Glass (infertility, stress, puppies)
74. A Soldier’s Girl (life in general)
75. What Wuz I Saying? (kids, infertility & loss, international adoption)
76. Get Pregnant (infertility)
77. EggedOn (egg donation, secondary infertility, skepticism)
78. My Family and Other Animals (toddlers, husbands and oddness)
79. Confessions of a Raving Lunatic (ICSI, childcare, ramblings)
80. Life with the Georgia Reiniches (kids, life, humor)
81. Offmymind (adoption–very open and very closed)
82. Ophelia’s Revival (TTC, infertility, marriage)
83. A Very Open Book (kids, philosophy, life)
84. E Squared (edie, ella, twins)
85. Isn’t TTC Supposed To Be Fun? (pregnancy loss, TTC, life)
86. Bellyaching and Benedictions (infertility, IVF, secondary infertility)
87. Our Journey to Baby (infertility, life, adoption)
88. Blissful Body Yoga Blog (yoga, meditation, consciousness)
89. Our Life in a Nut Chell (OHSS, IVF, recovering)
90. Book Haven (books, parenting, children’s books)
91. Skrambled (infertility, life, donor conception)
92. Just What I Always Wanted (life, infertility, IVF)
93. Quest for a Baby (infant, weightloss, ttc #2)
94. BB’s BabyQuest (pregnancy, fear, randomness)
95. Trying With PCOS (infertility, loss, life)
96. Mrs. Spit Spouts Off (perinatal loss, pre-eclampsia, faith)
97. Gas Passer aka UUer (bedrest, doggies, unicornuate uterus)
98. Indisputable Topcat (addiction, cancer, IVF)
99. Moxie Mama (motherhood, pop culture, random thoughts)
100. Vikki Press (baby making business, the coop, life)
101. Raggedy Ann (infertility, motherhood, memories-from-across-the-sea)
102. Jenn’s Journal (twins, infertility, complaining)
103. Expecting a Miracle (TTC, pregnancy loss, infertility)
104. Life and Times of Me (nothing very interesting!)
105. Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey! (infertility, twins, life)
106. Bookroom Reviews (book reviews, giveaways, entertainment)
107. Sounds Like Insanity (ttc, the kids, wahmhood)
108. Preconceived Notions (ttc newbie, charting, geek)
109. Getting There (infertility, IVF/ICSI, life)
110. None in the Oven (infertility, high FSH, life)
111. 1 More Week (infertility, FET, CCRM)
112. It is Tuesday, Right? (IVF, new parenthood, breastfeeding)
113. That’s My Answer! (question of the day, would you rather, silly questions)
114. The Making of a Family (infertility, IVF, life)
115. Be Still and Know (endometriosis, struggling with hope)
116. Gotchababy (open adoption, young children)
117. Thou
     ghts From an Evil Overlord (vintage collectibles, blogging, life)
118. I’d Blog That! (daily life, randomosity, personal)
119. Musings Musings Musings (mothering, post-partum depression, spirituality)
120. Girl-Tyler (ponderings, veterinary school, sarcasm)
121. Bella And Her Fella (high FSH, infertility, donor eggs)
122. In Due Time (infertility, life, PCOS)
123. My Little Drummer Boys (pregnancy loss, twins, adoption)
124. Isn’t it pretty to think so? (recurrent pg loss, life, infertility)
125. Tobacco Brunette (IVF, pregnancy, attempts at humor)
126. Mom to Twins Plus One… (infertility, twins, crafts)
127. This list is now closed. The next one will open on September 1st (actually, probably something more like August 28th due to Labour Day in the US, but close enough)

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 Commentor?
A: Not for the faint-of-heart. People who wish to be an Iron Commentor and be entered on the Iron Commentor 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 Commentor status is done on an honour system. Please email me if you earn iron commentor 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 yellow, the next month it will be orange, 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. 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.