IComLeavWe: April

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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 list is closed for April. The May list will open on 4/30/09.
• 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 (infertility, twins, books)
2. Unicorn Mommy (uu, mthfr, children)
3. The Long Journey (secondary infertility, weight loss and life)
4. I’m a Smart One (surrogacy, infertility, parenting after infertility)
5. Baby Smiling In Back Seat (infertility, twin pregnancy, pottery)
6. Barefoot and (Not) Pregnant (ivf, food/wine, infertility)
7. Can You Imagine (infertility, life, ttc)
8. Sell Crazy Someplace Else (infertility, craziness, weight loss)
9. Baby Making Journey (azoospermia, waiting, random)
10. Production, Not Reproduction (open transracial adoption)
11. A Little Hope (infertility, iui, life)
12. Exploring Chaos (infertility, life, travel)
13. Elana’s Musings (twins, parenting newborns, randomness)
14. Maybe It’s Just Me… (PCOS, random, marriage)
15. Dragondreamer’s Lair (parenting, secondary infertility, crafts)
16. Infertility Rocks! (infertility, humor, treatments)
17. The Happy Hours (infertility, life, crafts)
18. Tales of a Brown Eyed Girl (pregnancy, family, preparing for baby)
19. Letting It Out (parenting after infertility, family drama, life)
20. Hobbit-ish Thoughts and Ramblings (HSG, books, recipes)
21. The Baby Makin Chronicles (pregnancy, life, economy)
22. Hello Jello (college, family, animals)
23. Eggs Benedict Arnold (adoption, family, infertility)
24. Hope Endures (infertility, ivf, faith)
25. Sticky Feet (twins, parenting, giveaways)
26. Making Me Mom ( mfi, spotting, faith)
27. Bodhi Ekah (longterm infertility, loss)
28. The Unfair Struggle (male-factor, friendship, day to day life)
29. Blue Gingham Jumpers (parenting newborn after infertility, life, work)
30. Learning To Accept My Infertility (ivf, male factor, hope)
31. Ninapintasantamaria’s Blog (conception, opinion, snark)
32. Alana-isms (secondary infertility, teaching, family)
33. Cyster A.C.T. (pcos, mental health, life)
34. What IF? (IVF, male factor, endometriosis)
35. My Little Drummer Boys (IVF twins, parenting, daily life)
36. Chronicles of an “IF” Fashionista (ivf, adoption, fashion)
37. Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey! (twins, ttc #3, life)
38. Woman Anyone? (unexplained infertility, frustration, primary infertility)
39. Skrambled (donor IVF, infertility, life)
40. The Not So Secret Life Of Us (RPL; IVF; infertility)
41. This Could be Anyone’s Story (life, love, mothers)
42. Communique (life, infertility, family)
43. All Grown Up (adoption, random, general IF)
44. Portraits In Sepia (infertility, life, dogs)
45. Mad Season (ttc, infertility, life)
46. Staying Above the Water (parenting, life, random)
47. My journey with Endometriosis (endo, laparoscopy, ivf)
48. Family of Two (azoospermia, treatments, life)
49. Life Induces Thoughts, Mostly Random (grief, acceptance, family)
50. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Pampers (2nd trimester loss, marriage, infertility)
51. Mama Bear (adoption, infertility, openness)
52. 1tsp_grace (infertility, foster care)
53. Grace Guinevere (health, grief-after-father, life changes)
54. Child Bearing Hips (parenting after ivf)
55. Die Frau Ohne Schatten (ivf, feelings, denial)
56. Tiny Blessings (pcos, if, ttc)
57. Creating a Family (adoptive parenting, infertility)
58. Eggcetera (infertility, iui, clomid)
59. Bottoms Off and on the Table (ivf, sarcasm, cysts)
60. Infertile Myrtle (infertility, ttc, endometriosis)
61. Not The Path I Chose (secondary IF, RPL, weight loss)
62. MoJo Working (ivf, marriage, faith)
63. Onesmarmymama (parenting, opinions, music)
64. With God, All Things are Possible! (ivf, infertility, ectopic)
65. Sparkly Things Distract Me (ivf, infertility, 40+)
66. A Blog of One’s Own (parenting, family, rambles)
67. A View On My Life (infertility, weight, hobbies)
68. To China And Back… and Beyond (adoption, china, international)
69. Mustard Seed Baby (endo, faith, ivf)
70. Parenthood for Me (infertility, adoption, coping)
71. TheOtherLifeOfNancy (parenting, life, opinions)
72. TheNewLifeOfNancy (general, opinions, life after infertility)
73. Baby Manatee (infertility, IUI, general life)
74. Building Heavenly Bridges (grief, writing, baby loss)
75. The Bear and The Comedian (humor, parenting after loss, heavenly connections)
76. Bella And Her Fella (POF, DE/IVF, thyroid cancer)
77. Snarky Kisses (health, life in general, personal)
78. The Johnson’s Have Angel Wings (balanced translocation, known egg donor, miscarriage)
79. Body Diaries by Lucy (pcos, if, ttc)
80. Our life in Chuck Town (military, moving, motherhood)
81. Momtography (photography, parenting, life)
82. The Pieces of My Life (iui’s, mfi, secondary infertility)
83. This could be anyone’s story (life, love, mourning)
84. Inconceivable (NOA, failed mTESE, next steps?)
85. In Pursuit of Parenthood (infertility, faith, waiting)
86. Through the Eyes of a Stranger (infertility, adoptions, thoughts)
87. Dreams Come True (IF, IUI, life)
88. The Pitter-Patter (ttc, infertility, hope)
89. That’s My Answer (fun, questions, life)
90. My So-Called Life (MTHFR, PCOS, TTC after miscarriages)
91. Wheresmy2lines (ivf, donor, decisions)
92. Hannah Wept, Sarah Laughed (infertility, pof, coping)
93. Mom Someday (PCOS, weightloss, life)
94. I never thought it made sense anyway (infertility, ivf, life)
95. Getting There (life, future, infertility)
96. Faith, Hope & Poop? (parenting, school, family)
97. Still No Explanation (infertility, pregnancy, baby)
98. Trying To Make 3 (marriage, work, life)
99. ISO the Golden Egg (SMC, PG over 40!, donor embryo)
100. My Infertility Journey (IVF/ICSI, PCOS, infertility)
101. Lifeslurper (IVF after 40)
102. Once Upon a Time (infertility, ivf, work)
103. Loving Thee… and More (co-parenting, children, inspiration)
104. Jason & Amber Patterson (life, infertility)
105. Life is Good (fet #1, infertility, life)
106. Were you looking for me? (infertility, IVF, family)
107. Seriously…You Can’t Make This Stuff Up (parenting, international adoption, life)
108. I Just Want To Be A Mom (IUI, friends, waiting)
109. The Divine Miss Mommy (parenting, kids, opinion)
110. Here Is To Another Day (unexplained, IVF, attempt 1)
111. Country Girl/City Girl (humor, observations, southern culture)
112. Life in the White House (pregnancy, donor sperm, life)
113. Misconceptions About Conception (unexplained infertility, emotions)
114. Seeking Serendipity (life, teaching, if)
115. Thoughts By Kim (infertility weight spirituality)
116. Trying for a Baby (TTC, endometriosis, laparoscopy)
117. All Things Griffin (donor insemination, infertility)
118. Conceive This! (MFI, IVF/ICSI, fi
     nally!)
119. Mrs Zeee (life’s funny musings)
120. Isn’t TTC Supposed To Be Fun? (TTC, IF, loss)
121. Junebugs Musings (infertility, travel, life)
122. Bugaboo Envy (ivf, infertility, relationships)
123. Tales of the Phoenix (TTC over 40 with IVF, trauma, food)
124. Keeping Our Fingers Crossed (infertility, ivf, life)
125. Musings of a Fat Chick (SMC, infertility, life)
126. Breeder Beware (infertility, budgeting, pets)
127. Gas Passer aka UUer (surrogacy, parenting after IVF, anesthesia)
128. In Due Time (infertility, pcos, life)
129. Happy-go-Lucky (adoption, ttc, infertility)
130. Thinking Positively (adoption, endometriosis, IF)
131. In Vitro Veritas Blog (ivf, pregnancy, stupid life)
132. Twists of Fate (miscarriage, health, life)
133. High Heel Happy (infertility, ivf, ttc)
134. Developmental Delays (loss of child, ivf)
135. Double Delight (twins, parenting, egg donation)
136. Two Peas Waiting for Our Pod (infertility, pregnancy, ivf)
137. Anything’s Possible… (infertility, life, food)
138. Learning through the IF Journey (infertility, G-d, PCOS)
139. The Infertile Sushi-loving Princess (infertility, adoption, over 35)
140. Life with Endometriosis and PCOS (infertility, endo, pcos)
141. Best When Used By (embryo donation/adoption; fet, life)
142. Geek By Marriage (family, friends, life)
143. The list is closed for April. The May list will open on 4/30/09
     
     

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 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).

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.