Tuesday's Connections Abound

Welcome to today's edition of Connections Abound. The point to Lost and Found is to level the support playing field. When LFCA works correctly, the newest blogger with the smallest readership can receive the same level of support as the oldest blogger with the largest readership. Anyone can submit news to LFCA by clicking here.

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

• Kirtsy'd Pick O' the Day: Please vote for this one from Skrambled. A post that transcends the subject matter--how life goes on and how people can fall behind unnoticed. How do you vote? Simply by clicking on the words "this one" above and then clicking on the post's title. Why the Kirtsy'd Pick O' the Day? Click on that link in the header navigation bar above for the story. And send me stuff!
• Happy Inauguration Day for those in America! Please remember that you can give your government ideas on what you'd like to see America become or support ideas already listed (hint: search infertility) at Change.gov.
  
• Very Cool U.T.E.R.U.S. Update Story: So you know the lucky socks that Everyday Stranger sold in the last U.T.E.R.U.S. fundraiser? The socks she wore when she conceived the twins? The buyer had money for one IVF cycle and wore the socks to increase her chances. Three heartbeats later... Leave the blogless new sock owner congratulations below.
• Giveaway: In honor of her 300th post, Jendeis is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous, non-specified prize. To enter, just comment on the post with your favorite way(s) to alleviate nausea/motion sickness/morning sickness.
• Exhale Magazine: Exhale is pleased to announce the new Artistic Exhalation (ArtEx) Award for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, artwork, and photography. We will be culling the best artistic exhalations on a specified topic every four to eight weeks. Submissions can be long or short, with a 2,000 word limit. Winners will be chosen by Exhale staff, and will be published in the next month's issue. The first ArtEx Award Deadline is Friday, February 13th. This Month's Topic: FAMOUS FIRSTS.
  
• Conference: The Midwest Region of Resolve has scheduled its annual Family Building Conference for Saturday, February 21st in Minneapolis, MN. They will be giving away $20,000 worth of infertility goodies, including: TWO FREE IVF cycles, 50% off a home study, $4,000 off a donor egg program, and much more! Email Mandy at noswimmers@gmail.com if you have any questions.
• Question: Eggs Benedict Arnold is looking for advice on how (and whether to) reach out to a child's birth family on a birthday.
  
• Question: Infertile Fantasies/Prata Baby has a request for wasabi-flavoured crispy seaweed recipes. Seriously. Please leave them in the comment section below.
• Question: Louise at Evil Stepmonster is keen to hear from anyone who had PGD testing then went on to have a very high risk Down Syndrome result.
• Question: Paranoid is closing in on her due date with her FET baby, but is finding herself in a position where she may need to change providers. If you have any support or advice (especially about VBAC-friendly doctors in the NC area), please head on over there and give her advice.
  

Old

• Creme de la Creme: The Creme de la Creme list was posted. I continue to add to it daily and update the date/time link on the right sidebar whenever there has been a change.
• Bridges continues to post and it continues to be an amazing resource for insight into a multitude of worlds. And I'm not just saying that because I work on it.
• 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 December 2008 or January 2009)

• Don't Scare Easy (hysterectomy, endo)
• Wrong Turn to Babyland (RPL, IVF)
  
• Bodhi Ekah (RPL)
  
• Overeducated Mommy (stillbirth)
  
• Dear Monkey (clotting, diabetes, pg loss)
  
• Little Bluebirds Fly (pg loss)

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES (celebrate your birthday or blogoversary with the community. Send me date at any point and I'll post them on the correct day)

• Maybe If You Just Relax is celebrating her birthday on Wednesday. Go over and sing her a little song.
• Clumsy Kisses is celebrating her birthday today. Go have a little cake with her.
  
• Evil Clomid's birthday is this Friday. Go over and sing her a little song.
• My Many Blessings is also celebrating her birthday this Friday. Go over and have a little cake with her.
• Mary celebrated her 5th wedding anniversary last Saturday. You can still go over and wish her congratulations.
• Becoming a Different Person is celebrating her birthday on Thursday. Go over and sing her a little song.
• It's A Very Open Book's blogoversary. Go wish her congratulations.
• Awake On the Night Shift is celebrating her 3rd wedding anniversary tomorrow. Go wish her congratulations.
  

LOSS REMEMBRANCES (send in the dates of loss anniversaries and I will post them on the correct day)

• Saturday is the anniversary of Zoe's death. Please go over and give Allison a lot of support this week.
• Last Saturday was Henry's birthday. Please go over and support Antigone.
• On Saturday, Three of a Kind was remembering Molly on the nine month anniversary of her birth and death.
  

LOSS ANNOUNCEMENTS

• None Today.
  

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, celebratory retrievals, transfers, and other good news)

• On to Plan B is enduring an adoption disruption. Please go over and give her a lot of support.
• Life in the White House received a negative this cycle. They are devastated. Please go over and give them support.
• Jamie had her retrieval yesterday.
• Kelly's FET has been canceled. Please give her support.
• Diary of an Infertile Mad Woman's retrieval is today.
• Krysta had a smooth embryo transfer on Sunday and now begins the Wait.
• Laura at Fertility Alphabet Soup got a negative on her second IUI and is thinking about throwing in the towel. Please go over and give her a hug and support!
• In 2 Me See had a negative. She could use a hug.
  

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

• Dee remains on bedrest after Pprom at 13 weeks. She is now 24 weeks and has been moved to the hospital for bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy.
  
• Elana had the cerclage and is now at home on modified bed rest.
• Heather is on bedrest for the foreseeable future after having a cerclage put in. Sweetpea is still doing great!
• Ange is back home after being in the hospital after some bleeding. She is on bedrest for the time being.
• JJ is on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy.
• Meghan is on hospital bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy due to her unicornuate uterus and preterm labor.

PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS

• It's a girl for Eccentric Young Infertile.
  
• Life In A Holding Pattern discovered this weekend that they're having a boy after some scary spotting brought them an emergency trip to labor and delivery. Their ultrasound revealed that baby is doing just fine.
  

BIRTH AND ADOPTION ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Following ten months of silence after getting a BFP, TipsyMarie has returned to her blog to announce the safe arrival of her little boy. Go over and wish her congratulations.
• Jess from Could You Maybe Baby gave birth to a daughter, Alexandria (Allie), on January 13. Go over and wish her congratulations.
• Arwen/Elizabeth gave birth to a boy, Blaise, on January 19. Go over and wish her congratulations.
• Melody at Indyness gave birth to Simone at 36 weeks on January 18th. Her water broke one week ahead of her scheduled 37 weeks induction because of IUGR. Both are doing great! Go over and wish them congratulations.
  

Read and Support