tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post5903978594432480487..comments2023-08-15T05:02:58.115-04:00Comments on Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters: Friday Blog Roundup ExtravaganzaLollipop Goldsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01020874415819057995noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-68620588901521832742007-08-13T12:47:00.000-04:002007-08-13T12:47:00.000-04:00Thank you to my reviewer, and to everybody for sel...Thank you to my reviewer, and to everybody for selecting all these great postsDrowned Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07930956007436787200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-45789118569031042902007-07-24T11:58:00.000-04:002007-07-24T11:58:00.000-04:00Thank you, reader! The song "It Sucks to Be Me" (a...Thank you, reader! The song "It Sucks to Be Me" (and, in fact, the entire musical "Avenue Q") has come to be a theme song for my husband and me. Not because we live in a hole of self-pity, but because we like finding humor in the fact that "everyone's a little bit unsatisfied." As the great Homer Simpson would say, "It's funny because it's true." We have to learn to laugh, and to realize we're not alone. Think about the most perfect person you know. Now imagine how hard he or she has to work to mask the pain inside--either past or present. The hard part is understanding that we all have different pains, and some of us may not understand each other's pain.Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08514262423005456861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-40385641518919178162007-07-24T10:13:00.000-04:002007-07-24T10:13:00.000-04:00"Looking Fear in the Face" June 28, 2007. Where wa..."Looking Fear in the Face" June 28, 2007. Where was I? I feel like I'm constantly straddling the fence of adoption and infertility. Mike and I are in the waiting space of domestic adoption and when we were in the paperwork process I felt so clear on the decision. I thought I had put IF behind me and read articles and books about how relieved others were to finally take the plunge into adoption. I felt that way too, for a couple of months. But now that we are waiting, I find myself with a lot of time to reflect on the past, present, and future. I am anxious to be an adoptive mother, but for someone who has spent the last 4+ years in constant treatment, the idea of doing 'nothing' feels painfully void of productivity. In these spaces of time I think about the 'what ifs' that I didn't have time to delve into while I was distracting myself with shots and ultrasounds. <BR/>When I wrote this entry I was 12 hours away from a lunch date with 'D', the woman who embodied my greatest fears of being childless. In this moment the child we are meant to adopt seemed so far away from a reality. Like IF, the possible success of adoption does not come without its bumps and bruises along the way.<BR/><BR/>Oh geesh, I think this is becoming <BR/>its own entry... best get it written down before I lose it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-14231529687895255522007-07-23T18:09:00.000-04:002007-07-23T18:09:00.000-04:00Thanks to my reviewer! [ ;-) ]I was at a T in the ...Thanks to my reviewer! [ ;-) ]<BR/><BR/>I was at a T in the road when I wrote this post. Just prior to this, it had felt more like a dead end. But, there is always another direction if you look for it. <BR/><BR/>We have since gone on with the adoption phase (domestic) and will be "in the books" by the end of this week.<BR/>So life is looking better for Cats in the Cradle. (As in: those cats had better find somewhere new to snooze! Make room for baby!)<BR/><BR/>Thanks Mel for all your hard work compiling this wonderful collection of posts!beaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17627886826215379414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-71993332083010171162007-07-23T15:50:00.000-04:002007-07-23T15:50:00.000-04:00Thanks Mel for putting this together- yet another ...Thanks Mel for putting this together- yet another brilliant idea! <BR/><BR/>And thanks to my reviewer- It really brought me back to how angry, helpless and frustrated I felt before starting my first cycle. I was so anxious to get started, and so afraid that things wouldn't work. Even though this post was just 2 months ago, a lot has changed. I had my first IVF cycle, and it ended up with a BFP. Today was the ultrasound, and I'm carrying twins! Still too early to see heartbeats, but all looked really good. I'm still in shock!Shelbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11618450893147930174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-85933165229425093922007-07-23T15:49:00.000-04:002007-07-23T15:49:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Emma Scamanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01371578530209175256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-24994093910573742222007-07-23T15:28:00.000-04:002007-07-23T15:28:00.000-04:00First of all, thanks Mel for organizing yet anothe...First of all, thanks Mel for organizing yet another wonderful Internet event -- I haven't had a chance to read all the entries reviewed yet, but I'm enjoying working my way through. Now for my thoughts on the entry chosen from my blog. I think it was a great choice. I had actually forgotten about that post, but it stills seems so appropriate. I'm in a slightly better place now than I was when I wrote it, but the sentiments are still very true.Mindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16137863271039042064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-72224046208931183812007-07-23T13:59:00.000-04:002007-07-23T13:59:00.000-04:00Thank you reviewer! One of the strong motivations ...Thank you reviewer! One of the strong motivations I have for writing my blog is to show people what nurses truly do- use their brains and their bravery to make a difference! I hope my readers come away from my blog thinking "you really have to be smart to be a nurse", not, "geez, all nurses do is wipe bums and take temperatures all day..."MrsSpockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10792687516201324640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-67525338511620000242007-07-23T12:42:00.000-04:002007-07-23T12:42:00.000-04:00I've got my head buried in reading blogs, but I re...I've got my head buried in reading blogs, but I read the update. Mel, I'm truly sorry that TC showed up. <BR/><BR/>When I wrote "The Dark Side" I was early on in my pregnancy. I was still grieving the previous loss and it seemed like I was always flirting with the edge of disaster. Everything turned out better than I could have every dreamed and I now have a two month old, but I still find myself tiring my brain trying to remember everything that my baby does...just in case I don't ever have another chance. So things are (more than) good, but "just in case" lives on.mandolynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15570528484019572953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-72863671520144654932007-07-23T11:12:00.000-04:002007-07-23T11:12:00.000-04:00Thank you to my reviewer. Your words touched my h...Thank you to my reviewer. Your words touched my heart!<BR/><BR/>It is obvious where I was, one of the saddest days of my life. Our angel was no longer with us. I feel honored that it was this post that was chosen. My angel deserves to be remembered! A year later and my heart still hurts. I have moved on in my journey but I will never ever ever forget how it felt to have my little angel with me in my womb for that short time. <BR/><BR/>My Journey Towards My Little Miracle.<BR/><BR/>THANK YOU MEL!!!!Sunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14570018200281339937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-20534840710090498622007-07-22T15:41:00.000-04:002007-07-22T15:41:00.000-04:00I forgot to thank my reviewer! It is clear from t...I forgot to thank my reviewer! It is clear from the review that s/he understood what I was trying to say, on many levels.Lori Lavender Luzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15394441222262940632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-18538726055253819712007-07-22T10:07:00.000-04:002007-07-22T10:07:00.000-04:00This is so exciting! I'm so looking forward to re...This is so exciting! I'm so looking forward to reading all these posts. I really enjoyed participating and was fascinated to see which post my reviewer chose. Thank you so much!E. Phantzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05812948199658356521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-26599940933137503302007-07-22T06:10:00.000-04:002007-07-22T06:10:00.000-04:00Thanks to my reviewer! :) I still feel the same as...Thanks to my reviewer! :) I still feel the same as when I wrote the post, but perhaps the only change is that I'm farther down the road of accepting where my life has taken me. You take one day at a time and don't think too much about tomorrow and try to forget the worst of yesterday.KarenOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08430826693486690223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-31240671210894719512007-07-21T22:46:00.000-04:002007-07-21T22:46:00.000-04:00Thank you to Mel for organizing this and thank you...Thank you to Mel for organizing this and thank you to our reviewer as well. My, "Am I a Parent?" series from the blog To Infertility And Beyond, was written because my wife absolutely considered herself a parent and I did not. The whole infertility experience has forced me to consider many things I would never have thought about otherwise and caused me to see more gray and less black and white. I think all along I wanted to consider myself a parent, but needed time to figure out how I could do so within the framework of ideas and beliefs I already had, or which beliefs needed updating and was I OK with that. So far it feels good to consider myself a parent and to realize that I can make that choice emotionally and not need to justify it to anyone.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05234347616106426025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-88731710938507741432007-07-21T22:41:00.000-04:002007-07-21T22:41:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05234347616106426025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-56989783430917753402007-07-21T22:28:00.000-04:002007-07-21T22:28:00.000-04:00Mel thanks so much for putting this together! I f...Mel thanks so much for putting this together! I found a great blog that I hadn't dicovered yet.<BR/><BR/>I also want to thank our reviewer for picking the Am I a parent? series from our blog. I am so proud of my husband for writing the series & am so glad that he is getting his feelings out there as well. It sucks for the men too.Jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17535765046524315376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-85585670709569330572007-07-21T21:12:00.000-04:002007-07-21T21:12:00.000-04:00HOW POSTS WERE CHOSEN:A few weeks ago, I asked who...HOW POSTS WERE CHOSEN:<BR/><BR/>A few weeks ago, I asked who wanted to participate and collected about 70 names. Then I assigned everyone a blog to read from the list and they read the blog and chose their favourite entry and wrote the small blurb. I just collected the blurbs and made the list. Sort of the same idea as the Creme de la Creme except instead of you choosing your best post, someone else chose what they thought was your best post. I thought it would be interesting to see what someone else chose for you.Lollipop Goldsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01020874415819057995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-84808351545044466902007-07-21T18:29:00.000-04:002007-07-21T18:29:00.000-04:00Where was I when I wrote "Life is ironic"? I was ...Where was I when I wrote "Life is ironic"? I was in the throes of another round of "why me" or "why not me", stuck between a rock and a hard place. We'd pretty much decided to give up officially trying, but I was having a hard time figuring out my emotions on the subject.<BR/><BR/>Not much has changed. I have more "good" days than bad ones, but I still don't know how to react to a lot of things pregnancy related. It seems that my mind is in two camps and not eager to move on.<BR/><BR/>Thank you to my reviewer - I'm glad I was able to help someone! And to those who have left comments...thank you too. It's nice to know people still read!Tiggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01469966108028329809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-11438942889723962892007-07-21T16:10:00.000-04:002007-07-21T16:10:00.000-04:00I've so enjoyed this extravaganza.My entry from We...I've so enjoyed this extravaganza.<BR/><BR/>My entry from Weebles Wobblog was posted just a week or so ago, so not much has changed.<BR/><BR/>The post came on the heels of a knockdown, dragout fight in Adoption World. Every so often we have a big melee, where people in different corners of the triad play the parts of victim, hero, and villain. We generate a lot of drama, but not much in the way of solutions to whatever problem triggered the fight.<BR/><BR/>Unlike in Adoption world, it seems in IF World, there is one common villain and that is IF itself. So I was a bit surprised that this entry resonated for my reviewer.<BR/><BR/>I hope s/he saw the applicability of seeing any situation from the perspectives of others, in order to tame the drama and release the need for it.<BR/><BR/>It's the July 10 entry at http://weebleswobblog.blogspot.com.Lori Lavender Luzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15394441222262940632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-36224489999944001852007-07-21T14:50:00.000-04:002007-07-21T14:50:00.000-04:00Thanks to my reviewer, for picking that post (Wait...Thanks to my reviewer, for picking that post (Waiting on Two Pink Lines), for the same reason that you liked it - a reminder that we're not alone in our dread of pregnant bellies! Sometimes I think I'm crazy, because no one else seems to notice them as much as I do!hammygirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03658315495415005466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-84031529280294409612007-07-21T13:29:00.000-04:002007-07-21T13:29:00.000-04:00Thanks so much to the person who wrote about my en...Thanks so much to the person who wrote about my entry... Your summary of the post has brought some new comments to the entry, and I appreciate you taking your time to read it.<BR/><BR/>...And your entry prompted me to a new post of my own about how things have changed since the post mentioned here (Mel, I beat you to it on my blog!) and overall, I think I am still as accepting of where I am not...but, now being of Lexapro, I am getting used to how I REALLY deal with it all while not on meds. I am much better than I was before starting this blog and coming to the Ah-ha realizations in this post, but probably not as great as I was at the exact time of this post. I am learning how to be me as me, not me on meds to quell the anxiety - some days I am winning, some days I am not.<BR/><BR/>Now, if I can finish up a work project here (yes, I am WORKING on a Saturday and the only thing stopping me from walking out is the time and a half pay I am getting for it), I will be off to read all of the posts listed here!Tina / Anxious Changerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05455878557333244801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-38683194762190387382007-07-21T11:22:00.000-04:002007-07-21T11:22:00.000-04:00Wow Mel, this was even better than I expected! Th...Wow Mel, this was even better than I expected! Thanks!<BR/><BR/>And a big thanks to my reviewer for the kind words and helping to open my eyes.<BR/><BR/>At first I was surprised that this particular post was chosen. I haven't read the post since I wrote it, and I don't even think I read it then, rather the words just came out. However, I reread it for the first time today and at first I cried, then I, too, was amazed at the strength and hope I showed at that point.<BR/><BR/>It has only been 2 1/2 months since my miscarriage. I'm still waiting for good news. My hope falters at times . . . OK, a lot. But it is still there.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06347894813987993138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-69767872423908437432007-07-21T04:36:00.000-04:002007-07-21T04:36:00.000-04:00As if I needed MORE stuff to read in the blogosphe...As if I needed MORE stuff to read in the blogosphere, this is going to be hard to appreciate fully.<BR/><BR/>I don't quite understand the process, how did the selected blogs get chosen? Were they ones that had showed up in the blog round up this year, or just each reviewer's choice? Must have been hard to select them.Thaliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12125639207843989848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-90271093145186654802007-07-21T04:04:00.000-04:002007-07-21T04:04:00.000-04:00Love you reader, whoever you are :) Funny how, not...Love you reader, whoever you are :) <BR/><BR/>Funny how, not only do I still feel the same as when I wrote that post, that particular post helped me get back on track and stop feeling sorry for myself, so I loved that you chose it and especially since it mentions the best day of my life to date and my most loved one :)<BR/><BR/>You have a good eye and quite clearly good taste, if only you'd tell me who you are so I can pop by yours, if I don't already, hint, hint :) XXX<BR/><BR/>Artblog - Healing ArtsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30259745.post-25074076116895638452007-07-21T01:45:00.000-04:002007-07-21T01:45:00.000-04:00WOW, we could make a book out of those.. Like a co...WOW, we could make a book out of those.. Like a collection of short assays. <BR/>Thanks for doing thatCibelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02361386515177047271noreply@blogger.com