My newest post for Fertility Authority (about some reflections I had on Mother’s Day):
The Perfect Timing
Go check it out! 
Blog Love
The Perfect Timing
Don’t Ignore the Love!
Wow! I’m sending out my usual blog love tonight to all the wonderful bloggers who took the “Don’t Ignore” Bloggers Unite challenge during NIAW which was a huge success. There were 217 submissions in all (as of today). Go to the list and you will find lots of love and information to pass on to others. Loving all the love! Thank you to all for tirelessly doing what you do to educate, sympathize, empathize, and keep it real.
Don’t Ignore Infertility Blog Posts
NIAW is around the corner!
From resolve.org
Ok, so I’m doing a little spin on my usual blog love post to say how much I’m loving this year’s NIAW theme: “Don’t Ignore Infertility!” and to give a shout out to those being true activists (although it should come as no surprise).
First up, Resolve is hard at work creating a buzz and organizing this year’s National Infertility Awareness Week which runs from April 22nd to April 28th. There are plenty of things you can do like write a blog post (about how not to ignore infertility), share your story, sign up for an event, and go to Washington D.C. for Advocacy Day to talk with congressmen about needed change in our government. I for one, am writing a blog post (or two, or three), promoting my new memoir, and traveling to D.C. for Advocacy Day which I’m pretty excited about! Find out what you can do at this informational page.
Next up, I want to share something that Mel at Stirrup Queens is working on called The Analogy Project. It will be a monthly project with different themes and this month, of course, is in honor of NIAW! Mel wants us to focus on “infertility and loss” and write a post that would show a great analogy that helps shed light onto what infertility and loss is really like to an outsider who’s never experienced it. I think this is a fantastic project and I’ve already read quite a few profound posts on the list. I am crafting both my husband’s and my analogies to share with you all later this week, so do come back! (Click on the above link to get involved!)
And last but not least, I want to share what Keiko has done to help spread awareness for infertility. She used to blog at Hannah Wept Sarah Laughed but now blogs at The Infertility Voice. She created beautiful banners and encourages you to share them among your family and friends particularly on Facebook during NIAW. She even has one for each day of the week if you’d like to partake and share all of them. Kudos to you Keiko! Keep up the great work! Below is an example of one:
from TheInfertilityVoice.com
What are you planning to do for NIAW this year?
I hope you find a way to get involved to make a difference!
Lovin’ Trisha, Emily, and Unaffected!
It’s Blog Love time!
First up is Trisha from The Elusive Second Line. Her newest post is about a very sweet dream she had last night about a precious baby boy she’s waiting to meet and hold in her arms. In Too Tired, she is writing about the stress of her job and counting down to O day. And I LOVE this post about love and support! Go give her some love!
Next up, Emily from A Blanket 2 Keep. In her newest post, she is sharing some recent happenings about her job, her husband, and what she’s up to. She has a getting to know you-welcome ICLW post to check out. And, she feels she is getting stronger as a couple, to do more treatments, and to continue to work out. Go girl! Go send her some love!
And last but not least is Unaffected from For we are bound by symmetry. In her newest post, she is giving us a little look back 300 posts ago from when/where she started her blog. In stage fight, she writes about waiting for her next cycle, a new dress and shoes and links to a great song! And she has a Welcome ICLW post where she shares some random facts and her TTC history revealing a recent miscarriage. She could use some virtual hugs right now!
*Psssttt…All of these ladies are on the ICLW list!*
Lovin’ Selbe, Lisa, and Mo!
It’s time for Blog Love, ICLW style! These ladies are on the list (except one), so check them out but before you do, if this is your first time here, look around a bit! Thanks for popping in!
First up is Selbe from Broken Birds & Bees, #66 on the ICLW list. In her newest post, she describes her cycle day and lists a lot of great details that I think could be really helpful to others who are reading and also for herself to compare notes from cycle to cycle. She has a welcome ICLW post where she shares about her recent miscarraige. In Truths #1-7, she shares some cool photos she has been taking lately. Go send her some love!
Next up is Lisa from Hapa Hopes (#24). In Maybe If I Run A Marathon, she mentions how she is good to go for IUI #3. And in her 100th post, she confesses to deactivating her FB account! And have you been tagged in the MEME surfing around the web? I’ve noticed it on quite a few ICLW blogs I read tonight. Check out Lisa’s answers here and send her some love!
And last but not least is Mo from Mommy Odyssey. Her water broke at 22 weeks and she was being induced last night. It is truly an unimaginable loss and my heart is breaking for her right now. She is not on the ICLW list this month, but I had to add her on to this post because she could use a lot of love right now. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. You can contact her on this page. Thank you!
Lots of Love to Go Around!
Here’s my Blog Love post to all of you! You are strong, bold and beautiful. Keep smiling, keep reading…Thank you for stopping by! I love you!
Tomorrow is the big day for love and affection…and well, you may not be feeling in the loving mood this year. Perhaps your infertility has robbed you of that ultra sexy feeling because there’s been way too much pressure in the bedroom. Maybe money has been tight because of treatments or adoption preparations and with money stress comes every day stress and nit-picky fights. Infertility has the power to take over our lives and change relationships we have with others. But, it should never take away all you have left in the love department. Here are some simple ways to spread some love tomorrow and anytime, (even if there’s not a lot of money to go around). Remember, love is always FREE!
- First, love thyself. Need a good pampering? Go ahead and splurge a little on something you’ve been wanting for a while now. Money tight? There’s plenty to do on a shoe-string budget from home spa treatments to taking a leisurely stroll during a ‘mental health day/hour off.’
- Love thy neighbor. Your neighbors and friends may not be able to relate to your infertility, but they mean well. Keep them at arm’s length but pull them in to be your shoulder to cry on when you need it most. Showing this vulnerability will not only show them you are in need, it flexes their friendship muscle and helps you see who’s truly on your side. Include them in some Valentine’s Day or anytime love by giving a card, a heart box of chocolaty goodness or a simple thank you to show how appreciative you are.
- Love thy spouse/partner. Remind him/her that you really do love and appreciate all that he/she does for you. Sometimes, it may be hard to rekindle some romance but some soft music, candle-light and a nice home cooked meal can go a long way. If you’re feeling creative; a poem, a scrapbook/slide-show, a special song or even a dedicated blog post can erupt a sea of emotions. Before I was married and totally broke, I once made my husband a painting with swirls of red paint and used Chinese characters that meant love, loyalty and devotion, among others. He loved it and it still sits by his night table!
Happy Valentine’s Day! 
I Won’t Give Up
I was recently on Aly’s blog, The Infertility Overachievers, where she now writes about raising two IVF miracles. I loved her newest post The New Sound of Infertility because I have lots of similar thoughts. She also included a link to a beautiful song “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz that I wanted to repost here for my Blog Love post a day early. It really resonates with me and the struggles I’ve had with infertility. I especially love the part, “I don’t want to be someone who walks away so easily. I’m here to stay and make the differences that I can make…” because it stikes a chord with everything I am still trying to do for the IF community. And I love the part, “At least we did intend for us to work, we didn’t break, we didn’t burn. We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in. I had to learn what I’ve got and what I’m not and who I am.” It made me cry and smile so big at the same time! This just very well may be your new empowerment song! I love it!!
So, in the words of the song, “I won’t give up on us, even if the skies are rough. I’m giving you ALL my love. I’m still looking up!” Have an amazing week!
Chime in on other songs that really resonate with you. I’d love to hear them!
A Sprinkle of Baby Dust
OK, either I need to update my links more regularly or something is in the air again! Remember the post from last March (–> This one right here: What the hey?) where I was attempting to do my blog love post and choosing random blog links and they all ended up preggers and I was convinced everyone was drinking the water, ya know the water the fertiles warn you not to drink or you’ll wind up instantly pregnant? The same magical water we wish we could bottle and give away for free to all our friends? Well, tonight, it has happened again!! That’s right, I just switched over so many more links to my successful list…so, using the same words from that other post, “I’m sure I could keep searching for a TTC blogger who needs a little love tonight, (and if you’re out there, here’s my LOVE to all of you collectively), but there’s a wondrous cosmic baby dust cloud hanging over my computer and I don’t want to test fate at the moment. Maybe it’ll reach your corner of cyberspace!”
*It’s important to note that while I’m always ecstatic for any previous IFers but now pregnant/mommy bloggers I stumble on, and it would be nice to spread some congratulatory love their way in a blog love post, I usually tend to reserve those for my success stories on Sundays. If you’ve been successful, I’d love to share your story! I’m always looking for more inspiration to spread around. Go to this post: Calling All Success Stories! Thanks so much in advance!
Lovin’ Her Royal Fabulousness, The Stork Diaries, and The Childless Mom
Happy New Year! 
Today is Chinese New Year or a new Lunar year and it’s the year of the dragon which my husband tells me is the luckiest sign of the zodiac. So, with that being said, I really hope this is an extremely lucky year for all of you and 2012 is YOUR year!
If you’re here from ICLW, please go to my welcome post below. Now, it’s time for Blog Love, ICLW style!
First up, I’m lovin’ #4: Her Royal Fabulousness who blogs at Waiting For Little Feet. In her newest post, sooooo slooooow, she’s writing about the slow and steady process of her first IVF cycle so far with a link to a great DOORS song. She also has a welcome ICLW post to learn more about her. And in Everything’s Coming Up Millhouse, she is getting and showing some love and adding a link to a really cool song by OK Go. So, go give her some more right now and wish her some luck with this cycle!
Next we have, #32, The Stork Diaries. In her newest post, The Labyrinth, she is discussing the timing, the questions, and the fears we may all think about from time to time but never really say out loud. She has a rather funny post called 5 Facebook Statuses You’ll Probably Never Post but Should that you must read for a laugh or two! The Stork Diaries also recently had a birthday and she writes about who she was as a teenager with a sister-in-law experiencing infertility and what she wish she could have understood then but does now. It’s quite a poignant post. Go send her some birthday love with a virtual hug!
And last but certainly not least, we have #51, The Childless Mom. In her newest post, Sometimes, I just shake my head, she explains some of the craziness in just one portion of her day. She has another crazy post in My Cell Phone’s Out where she writes about the stresses of getting meds on time for her IVF cycle, and I can totally relate to that! There’s more to this story in Let’s Hypothetically say I make guns. Go send her some good wishes for this cycle!
Go check out these ladies and all on the ICLW list and send them some love!
Creme de Le Creme and The New Year
Before we begin here, have you heard about my InJewels giveaway? It ends December 31st! 
Have you heard about Stirrup Queens’ Creme de le Creme list that goes up every January for the past 6 years? Basically, she wants you to pick your very best post of 2011 and submit it here and that’s it, you’ll be on this amazing list. It’s for anyone in the ALI community who writes a blog (even if it’s a pretty new one)! How awesome is that? I am a bit out of the loop so the deadline to be on the list by January 1st was December 15th….but you can still submit until January 5th to be on the list, it just may be a little while. Also, there’s a whole bunch of cool prizes you can win! I just chose the post I thought was my best in 2011 and submitted it. Now, it’s your turn! Take a look through your archives, don’t be shy, and put yourself out there! Oh, and read the Creme de le Creme post to learn more about it!
And after reflection on the past year, we’re about to start a brand new one! So…
Happy New Year!
*Whether you get all glammed up, go out and party like a rock star until midnight, or get jammied up, stay in and cozy up to the one you love while you count down the night–>make it magical.
There’s something to be said about New Year’s Eve around the world. It’s the one day when you can reflect on the past year and look forward to a new beginning. It’s like starting all over with endless possibilities! So, dream the night away and toast to peace, love and happiness in 2012. Cheers!
*recycled from a past post
