IComLeavWe: June

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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 form is now closed for June. The next list will open on 6/30 for July.
• 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. Through The Eyes Of A Stranger (infertility, adoption, family)
3. My Little Drummer Boys (IVF twins, parenting, pregnancy loss)
4. Sticky Feet (twins, parenting, food)
5. Thoughts By Kim (infertility, weight loss, christianity)
6. Unquestionablelove (new RE, saving for IVF, summertime fun)
7. I’m a Smart One (surrogacy, infertility, parenting after infertility)
8. Infertile Myrtle (endometriosis, iui, infertility)
9. MeAndBaby’s Blog (smc, iui, infertility)
10. No News Isn’t Always Good News (infertility, infertility, infertility)
11. Woman Anyone? (primary subfertility, unexplained infertility, rants)
12. Meepit On Parade (infertility, life, loss)
13. Baby Making Journey (azoospermia,waiting,life)
14. Infertility Instability (PCOS, farming, emotions)
15. Two Peas Waiting for Our Pod (ivf, mfi, pregnancy)
16. Baby Smiling In Back Seat (infertility, twin pregnancy, pottery)
17. Infertility Rocks! (humor, infertility, IVF)
18. Exploring Chaos (pregnancy, life, moving)
19. Run Amok Amok (infertility, life, marriage)
20. Faith, Hope & Poop? (family, parenting, books)
21. Dragondreamer’s Lair (parenting, crafts, secondary infertility)
22. All Things Griffin (infertility, donor insemination)
23. Trying for a Baby (TTC, endometriosis, laparoscopy)
24. Life Induces Thoughts, Mostly Random (grief, acceptance, family)
25. A View On My Life (infertility, therapy, hobbies)
26. Sell Crazy Someplace Else (marriage, donor sperm, food)
27. Parenthood for Me (infertility, adoption, coping)
28. A Fifth Season (grief, life study, family)
29. Making Me Mom (mfi, fibroid, faith)
30. Oh Sanity, Wherefore Art Though? (life, infertility, ttc)
31. Are We There Yet (IVF, nutrition, Europe)
32. Portraits In Sepia (adoption, life, longing)
33. Life with Endometriosis and PCOS (life, endometriosis, pcos)
34. No Stone Unturned (life history, full exposure, overcoming tragedy)
35. Jason & Amber Patterson (ivf, infertility, life)
36. Letting it out (parenting, summer vacation, life)
37. The Pitter-Patter (ttc, infertility, marrakesh)
38. Our Journey To Parenthood (And Beyond) (ruptured ectopic, ttc)
39. Bella And Her Fella (DE/IVF, thyroid cancer, infertility)
40. Unproductively So (infertility, loss, hope)
41. Once Upon a Time (IVF, work, life)
42. My So-Called Life (MTHFR, PCOS, living child-free not by choice)
43. A Family with Ann Ovulation (secondary IF, TTC, life)
44. Yes, We’re Parents! (infertility, parenthood after infertility, humor)
45. Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey! (twins, ttc #3, life)
46. Adventures in Glass (ivf, pgd, waiting)
47. In Due Time (infertility, pcos, life)
48. Invivo (life, ivf, infertility )
49. Our Surrogacy Adventure (surrogacy, intended mother, life)
50. My Infertility Journey (IVF/ICSI, male factor, PCOS)
51. Not The Path I Chose (secondary if, rpl, weight loss)
52. Body Diaries by Lucy (pcos, if, ivf)
53. Babymaking 101 (pregnancy loss, recovery)
54. My Journey with Endometriosis (endo, ivf, infertility)
55. Alana-isms (secondary infertility, family, teaching)
56. Baby, Borneo, or Bust (miscarriage, pregnancy, career)
57. Ova-EZ (babies, love, life)
58. Hobbit-ish Thoughts & Ramblings (books, recipes, ttc after losses)
59. Baby Manatee (IUI, injectables, everyday life)
60. IF Optimist, then… (infertility, 40+, humor)
61. Creating a Family (adoptive parenting, adoption, infertility)
62. Chasing That Dream (endometriosis, infertility, hysterectomy)
63. On The Road to Baby (infertility, IVF, metaphors)
64. Hello Jello (family, internship, animals)
65. Snarky Kisses (life, relationships, mental health)
66. Dieting Take Two (diet, life, health)
67. The Conceivable Future (RPL, infertility, books)
68. Tammy’s Journey (Christian, donor eggs/embryos, life)
69. The In’s & Out’s of Endo (endometriosis, pain, infertility)
70. Seeking Serendipity (IVF, life, teaching)
71. Lifeslurper (ivf after 40)
72. The Not So Secret Life Of Us (recurrent miscarriages, life)
73. My Egg, Your Nest (infertility, gestational carrier, surrogacy)
74. Getting There (infertility, future, adoption)
75. Wishing4One (ivf, infertility, life)
76. Ninapintasantamaria’s Blog (pregnancy, life, snark)
77. Just Multiply by 2 (twins, parenting, life)
78. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Pampers (infertility, 2nd trimester loss, military)
79. Journey to a Wondraful Baby (infertility, adoption, G-d)
80. Everyone Else But Me (infertility, ICSI, adoption)
81. Weber’s In Action (ivf, mfi, family)
82. Thinking Positively (endometriosis, adoption, secondary infertility)
83. Wombded (infertility, pregnancy, fear)
84. Chronic Pelvic Pain (pain, lupron, life)
85. The Life of Liv (infertility silliness, IUI, IVF)
86. The Big IF (infertility, pregnancy, emotions)
87. This Could Be Anyone’s Story (life, love, depression)
88. Baby? Yes, please! (infertility, ivf)
89. Wandering Wonderment (life, mama-dom, philosophizing)
90. Non-elusive BFP (loss, FET, acupuncture)
91. Hope Endures (infertility, acupuncture, faith)
92. Communique (life, infertility)
93. With G-d All Things Are Possible (ivf, fet, ectopic)
94. Fertile Journeys (infertility, miscarriage, ttc)
95. Skrambled (life, infertility, loss)
96. Life, Love, and TTC Mysteries (infertility, ivf, faith)
97. Barefoot and (Not) Pregnant (pregnancy, ivf, food/wine/tv)
98. Inconceivable (noa, life, next-steps)
99. Baby To Be (ivf, pcos, loss)
100. The Yerkes Life ~ Learning to Embrace God’s Plans (infertility, life, family)
101. Salvageable (marriage, life, work)
102. Wheresmy2lines (donor eggs, pcos, life)
103. Mama Bear (domestic infant adoption)
104. My Preconceived Notion (SMC, donor embryo, pregnancy over 40)
105. Conceive This! (mfi, ivf/icsi, fet)
106. Learning through the IF Journey (infertility, PCOS, faith)
107. All Grown Up (domestic infant adoption, waiting, random)
108. Gotchababy (adoption, parenting, random)
109. Elana’s Musings (twins, parenting newborns, randomness)
110. Becoming Whole (emotional abuse recovery, uncertain family-building future, ponderings)
111. La Protaganista (infertility, mental health, relationships)
112. Loving Thee… And More (parenting, family, politics)
113. I Just Want To Be a Mom (ivf, summer, remodeling)
114. JunebugsMusings (life, infertility, travel)
115. Two Shorten the Road (preemie, infertility/loss,
     unicornuate uterus)
116. Eye Heart Internet (ivf, expat, france)
117. Ruminations (parenting, life, random)
118. I Never Thought it Made Sense Anyway (ivf, infertility, side effects)
119. Mommy Someday (infertility, daughter, pregnancy)
120. Sippy Cups Are Not For Starbucks (sarcasm, parenting, life)
121. All in G-d’s Time (mfi, life, dealing)
122. Thus Is The Life (pcos, faith, life)
123. …Might Just Be Enough (pregnancy after ttc 1 year, life, family)
124. Musings of a Fat Chick (SMC, IVF, PCOS)
125. Semi-fertile: when the egg is willing but the womb is weak (miscarriage, love, hubby)
126. Our Story: A Blog about Adoption, Infertility, and IVF (adoption, infertility, and ivf)
127. Eggcetera (infertility, IUI, laparoscopy)
128. Bump Fairy (gestational surrogacy, family, advocacy)
129. Slice of Pie (IVF, second opinions, food)
130. The form is now closed for June. The next list will open on 6/30 for July.

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 dark blue, the next month it will be red, 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.