IComLeavWe: July

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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 currently closed and will reopen on August 1st.
• 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. Woman Anyone? (primary sub-fertility, unexplained infertility, IF limboland)
3. Heeeeere Storkey, Storkey! (twins, ttc #3, life)
4. The Pitter-Patter (TTC, infertility, MFI)
5. Baby Making Journey (azoospermia, waiting, life)
6. My Pathway to Motherhood (SMC, IVF, life)
7. Conceive This! (MFI, IVF/ICSI, FET)
8. Wishing4One (ivf, ttc, egypt)
9. Sticky Feet (twins, parenting, moving)
10. Building Heavenly Bridges (stillbirth, grieving, writing)
11. The Bear and The Comedian (parenting after loss, sibling grief, sweet humor)
12. Tammy’s Journey (christian, donor eggs/embryos, life)
13. BagMomma (secondary infertility, donor egg, parenting)
14. I’m a Smart One (surrogacy, infertility, parenting after infertility)
15. More Than One Dimension (work/life balance, family health, infertility)
16. Life and Times of Kimbosue (motherhood, baby, randomness)
17. The Yerkes Life ~ Learning to Embrace God’s Plans (infertility, life, family)
18. Slice of Pie (IVF, second opinions, food and cooking)
19. Sell Crazy Someplace Else (marriage, dIUI, weight loss)
20. Dragondreamer’s Lair (parenting, crafts, secondary infertility)
21. Hobbit-ish Thoughts & Ramblings (ttc break, books, life)
22. Weber’s in Action (ivf, family, working out)
23. Invivo (infertility, life, GIFT)
24. Maybe It’s Just Me… (first trimester, PCOS, random)
25. Waiting on Baby Paramore (infertility, PCOS, miscarriage/premature birth)
26. Not The Path I Chose (secondary IF, RPL, IVF)
27. Baby Smiling In Back Seat (infertility, twin pregnancy, pottery)
28. The Great Big If (infertility, loss, pregnancy after infertility)
29. Semi-fertile (miscarriage, grief, hubby)
30. Becoming Whole (emotional abuse recovery, uncertain family-building future, ponderings)
31. All Things Griffin (donor IUI, 2WW, infertility)
32. IF Optimist, then… (40+, humor, IVF/ICSI)
33. Misconceptions About Conception (unexplained infertility, emotions)
34. Ova-EZ (babies, love, life)
35. Creating a Family (adoptive parenting, infertility, adoption)
36. The Baby Makin Chronicles (pregnancy after miscarriage, life, random things)
37. Musings of a Fat Chick (SMC, IVF, life)
38. Hope Endures (infertility, acupuncture, faith)
39. Exploring Chaos (pregnancy, life, moving)
40. Long Distance Infertility (infertility, single parenting, travel)
41. Hope in Virginia (ivf)
42. Babymaking 101 (pregnancy loss, wa
    iting to try again on dr’s orders)
43. Faith, Hope & Poop? (parenting, adoption, books)
44. Making Me Mom (male factor, spotting, faith)
45. Our Jouney To Parenthood (And Hopefully Beyond) (ectopic, ttc, struggles)
46. Life Induces Thoughts, Mostly Random (grief, acceptance, family)
47. Non-elusive BFP (FET, loss, life)
48. Late for a Very Important Pregnancy (DHEA, IF, early menopause)
49. One Little Pink Line Short of Sheer Bliss (infertility, mfi, ttc)
50. My Little Drummer Boys (IVF twins, pregnancy loss, parenting)
51. The Conceivable Future (RPL, infertility, books)
52. Are We There Yet (IVF, acupuncture, travel)
53. Mindful Meandering (RPL, IVF, infertility)
54. Baby To Be (ivf, pcos, life)
55. Our Journey (pregnancy, infertility, IUI)
56. Gotchababy (adoption, parenting, random)
57. The Life of a Firefighter’s Wife (firefighters, food, children)
58. Dreams of a Baby (infertility, honesty, life)
59. Xiolo’s Place (life, expectant-dad, gardening)
60. Finding Her Way: The Story of a Princess (TTC, fundamentalist christanity, life)
61. Grown in My Heart (adoption, special needs, culture)
62. Everyone Else But Me (ICSI, 2ww, future)
63. No Oven For The Bun (gestational surrogacy, MRKH, infertility)
64. FET Accompli (surrogacy, twins, hope)
65. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Pampers (infertility, loss, military)
66. Unproductively So (infertility, loss, hope)
67. Destined to be an Old Woman with No Regrets (pregnancy, pregnancy loss, life)
68. My World, My Ramblings (male factor, IUI, culture)
69. I never thought it made sense anyway (infertility, life, IVF)
70. Life with Endometriosis and PCOS (endo, pcos, life)
71. Thoughts from an Overwrought Mind (infertility, life, thoughts)
72. Oh Sanity, Wherefore Art Thou? (marriage, TTC, life)
73. Ninapintasantamaria’s Blog (pregnancy, life, snark)
74. Without A Roadmap (donor egg, active military, older parent)
75. Trying for a Baby (TTC, endometriosis, ovary suppression)
76. Life & Adoption! (adoption, life, random)
77. Just Multiply by 2 (parenting, life, twins)
78. Unquestionable Love (pcos, low amylose diet, summertime fun)
79. Will Not Work for Baby (ivf, infertility, life)
80. Gracie in Brooklyn (ttc, brooklyn)
81. 29 and Counting… (attempted humor, parenting, life)
82. Barefoot and (Finally) Pregnant (pregnancy, infertility, food)
83. Wandering Wonderment (life, deep-thoughts, mamahood)
84. My Infertility Journey (IVF/ICSI, male factor, PCOS)
85. Diary of a Stork Stalker (ivf, unexplained infertility)
86. Infertile Myrtle (infertility, iui, pregnancy)
87. Inconceivable (noa, life, next-steps)
88. Learning through the IF Journey (infertility, PCOS, faith)
89. The Big IF (infertility, ivf, endo)
90. To Baby and Beyond (infertility, miscarriage, life)
91. Lifeslurper (40+ ivf donor)
92. BecauseISaidSo (cancer, humor, family)
93. Mama Bear (adoptive parent, domestic adoption)
94. Yes, We’re Parents! (infertility, child-rearing after infertility, humor)
95. The Unfair Struggle (male-factor infertility, good friends, neighborhood rumblings)
96. Chasing That Dream (endometriosis, infertility, hysterectomy)
97. You Call Me a Bitch Like It’s a Bad Thing (dogs, infertility, life)
98. Life, Love, and TTC Mysteries (infertility, ivf, faith)
99. Little Birdhouse (cooking, infertility, cats)
100. So Full of Schmidt (expatriot, mom, kids)
101. Loving Thee… And More (kids, family, life)
102. That’s My Answer (fun, questions, life)
103. It’s Stork Season….And I Bagged My Limit (motherhood, miscarriage, wildlife)
104. Fertility Foibles (infertility, humor, adoption)
105. Once A Mother (grieving, daughter, babyloss)
106. Elana’s Musings (twins, parenting newborns, randomness)
107. Cheryllookingforwars (loss, hope, life)
108. All in God’s Time (severe mfi, donor sperm, adoption)
109. Cyster A.C.T. (life, mental health, pcos )
110. Isn’t TTC Supposed To Be Fun? (pregnancy, loss, infertility)
111. Not a Fertile Myrtle (infertility, life)
112. My Happy Place
     (infertility, teaching, life)
113. My Hope My Faith My Love (secondary Infertility, motherhood, babies)
114. Chronic Pelvic Pain (undiagnosed, doctors, life)
115. Your Great Life (fertility support women)
116. This could be anyones story (life, family depression)
117. Life in the White House (pregnancy, donor sperm, life)
118. Parenthood for Me (infertility, adoption, coping)
119. Dancing with Gaia (infertility, IVF, coping)
120. I Just Want To Be A Mom (IVF, house renovations, pug)
121. Twists of Fate (life after miscarriage)
122. Mustard Seed Baby (endo, faith, ivf)
123. In Due Time (infertility, pcos, life)
124. Teddy Lifeslurper, ttc (teddy, humour, ttc)
125. Body Diaries by Lucy (pcos, if, ivf)
126. Once Upon a Time (infertility, IVF, life)
127. Unproductively So (longterm infertility loss)
128. Eggcetera (infertility, iui, laparoscopy)
129. What If No One’s Watching? (reviews, life, dogs)
130. eye heart internet (ivf, loss, france)
131. Trying…Again (infertility, pregnancies, relationships)
132. Baby, Borneo or Bust… (pregnancy, life, career)
133. Conception Deception (male-factor, stress, treatments)
134. Last American Girl Standing (endometriosis waiting (im)patience)
135. B is for Brown (ttc/ivf, our life in nyc, fashion/diy)
136. Rolling Around In My Head (disability, disphobia, disablism)
137. One Good Egg (adoption, foster care, infertility)
     
138. The list is currently closed and will reopen on August 1st
     

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 cranberry, 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.