Monday's Connections Abound

Welcome to today's edition of Connections Abound. The Face-to-Face Lost and Found page is permanently located beneath this current post. Old Connections Abound can be accessed via the date or subject archives listed on the sidebar. Check the submissions page, FAQ, and ways to get involved for additional information. Email me at thetowncriers@gmail.com with any questions/concerns.

Lost and Found is open to anyone in the infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption, pregnancy-and-parenting after infertility, assisted conception, living child-free after infertility or loss community (as well as anyone I inadvertently missed on that list). Please support the list as well as anyone posting announcements below.

Connections Abound

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
New

• Time sensitive request I received: "I entered a video I made for my wife after we lost our son (stillborn at 8 months) in a short film contest - Rumschpringe: A Very Short Film Competition. Unfortunately it was not selected for inclusion in the festival. However, it can still get in if it wins the popular vote on the film contest's youtube site which you can goto here: http://www.youtube.com/RumschpringeFilmComp. My film is called "Stars," the score is a combination of rating and getting favourited. You may have to create an account to rate and favorite, but it is very easy. Please rate and favorite after you view it. Feel free to forward it to others. Thanks for your help. Any prizes won will be donated to Ephrata's Neonatal Infant Care Unit." My notes: I just watched it. Bring tissues.
• On the topic of movies, it is time for the 4th International Infertility Film Festival. The theme this time is "Finding Out, Letting Go, Realizing." The screening will be on the 29th of March. Let me level with you, I never made a film until Bea kicked my ass for the first festival and told me that there are simple programs out there for making movies. Ours are still frames of Microsoft Paint pictures pulled together in quick succession to create the illusion of movement, but you can also set a series of photos to music or grab the video camera and start interviewing people in the waiting room at your clinic. The choices are endless and Bea (as well as the IIFF site) is a wealth of information on movie making. So if you've been seeking a creative outlet, here is your chance to pull together an entry and enter it in the next IIFF. And go on to fame and fortune.
• Julia at Life After Infertility and Loss has a question about Lupron after being diagnosed with adenomyosis: "I am going to be starting up Lupron here shortly as a form of hormonally-induced menopause - I know some women use it as part of ARTs and would like to get some kind of idea what I am potentially looking at side effect wise from someone who has used it. I would be going the Depot injection route - one every 3 months." If you've used Lupron for endo or adenomyosis, please write her through her blog.

Old

• If you notice another loading slow down or receive error messages for Stirrup Queens or Lost and Found, please let me know. Now I'm nervous every time I add anything to the side bar!

NEW BLOGS (started in January or February 2008)

• My Face Tube (secondary IF, IVF)
• Spicy Sister (unexplained IF, IVF)
• Barren Blog (general IF)
• My Life (in the beginning)
  

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES: Celebrate your birthday or blogoversary with the community. Send me dates for February/March right now and I'll post them on the correct day.

• Julie's birthday was last Thursday. But my lateness in posting simply means the party continues. Still go over and wish her happy birthday.
• Miss E also was celebrating her birthday last week and I missed it. But that doesn't mean you can't head over there and still sing her a song.
• Barrenblog's birthday is tomorrow (Tuesday). Go over and celebrate with her.
  

LOSS ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Maddy's death. Tash at Awful But Functioning has been recounting the days from her birth to death beginning on February 12th. It is an honour to read about her life. Please go over and give her your support.
• Carrie from Precious Little is having a chemical pregnancy. Please go over and give her support.
  

MISCELLANEOUS SUPPORT AND CELEBRATIONS: Scary scans, anxious waits, OHSS, and a host of other reasons why these bloggers could use some additional support right now. Also, celebrations!

• Littleangelkisses is going in for transfer on Thursday, but her eggs will be thawed today! Remember, she is participating in a study for egg freezing, so please go over and wish her good luck not just because LAK needs some good cheer but because this study could affect the futures of women across the world. Heady stuff!
• Lisa from Infertile Ground received terrible news. On their current IVF cycle, there were four follicles and no eggs. Please go over and give her support as she grieves.
  

BEDREST BABES: on bedrest following infertility or loss and needing support. Drop in on them and keep them company.

• I Think We Made a Nugget.

PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS

• More than doubling betas for Susan!
• Positive peesticks for Schatzi! Beta is today so go over and sit with her while she waits for results.
  

BIRTH AND ADOPTION ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The Olson twins (no, not those Olson twins) were born on February 5th. Go wish Geoff and Beth congratulations.
• It's twin girls for Akeeyu at herveryown. They came on February 17. Mother and babies are doing fine.