677th Issue of the LFCA

Welcome to today's edition of Connections Abound. The point of 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

• Creme de la Creme: The Creme de la Creme is now up! The list will continue to grow until January 31st when it will close for the year. Make sure to check back often as new posts will go up daily.
• IComLeavWe: The January IComLeavWe list is open.
  
• Project: The author write, "It's a project I'd like to let people know about. My son, Joel, was stillborn at 40 weeks in May 2009. I've started this picture project, 365 Days with Joel. I'm asking people to take pictures related to his name & submit them. My goal is to have at least one picture for every day in 2011 to share daily, & at the end of the year have the photo collection turned into a photobook keepsake. You can go to the blog of details & submission info."
• Project: Erica at Parenthood for Me is writing a second post on her series Misunderstanding Miscarriage. She is looking for those with personal experience to explain their feelings on how miscarriage is perceived in our society. Have you experienced insensitivity or lack of acknowledgement of your loss? Any advice or thoughts you can share will make the article more informative.
• Question: Gwinne is wondering if anyone has done a donor egg cycle concurrently with IUI or IVF with her own eggs. She's meeting with a donor coordinator to set a DE plan in motion but isn't quite ready to give up on her own body yet.
• Article: NYT Article on Surrogacy.
  
• Daily Creme Update: There are currently 295 participants on the Creme de la Creme 2010 list. The soft deadline to submit your entry is December 15th to be on when the list goes up on January 1st. The final deadline for the 2010 Creme de la Creme is January 31st.

Old

• First Time Reading the LFCA: If this is your first time reading the LFCA or you need a refresher about how the LFCA works, please read this post. It has everything you need to know about getting your news in the LFCA.
• Quicklink Resources: Regular ALI Blogroll: If you would like your blog added to the ALI blogroll, please email me directly with your blog url and category pick. More information about being added is contained in that link. Password-Protected Blogroll: If you would like your password-protected blog added to the blogroll, please fill out the form.

NEW BLOGS (started in November or December 2010)

• Almost There (secondary IF)
• Warrior Woman (unexplained IF)
• No Kidding in NZ (living child-free after IF)
• Getting to Baby Gladis (general IF)
• Two Pieces of My Heart (neonatal death)
• A Miracle 4 Us (IVF)
• Damara's Garden (IVF)
• Our New Plan A (IVF)
• The Infertile Gynecologist (general IF)
• Mrs. Brightside (pg loss)
• Advo.cat (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)

• WiseGuy celebrated her 25th (plus eightish) birthday on December 29th. Its time to blow out 25 (plus eight) candles in celebration!
• It was Ms. C's birthday on the 26th. Go sing her a little song.
• Hope Springs Eternal is celebrating her anniversary on Thursday. Go wish them congratulations.
  

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

• Jo is remembering both of her babies as she approaches two very difficult days: the anniversary of the loss of her first (January 7th) and the unfulfilled due date of her second (January 14th).
• Sue is remembering her sons this week. Jacob's birth and death date is on the 3rd. Joshua's birth and death date is on the 4th.
• AMS will be remembering Lennox and Zoe who were born on the 3rd. Lennox died on the 5th and Zoe died later in the month.
  

LOSS ANNOUNCEMENTS

• JJ just experienced an ectopic pregnancy. Please give her hugs.
  
• On December 4th, Jessica's twin sons, William and Ethan, were born too soon at 26w3d. William stayed with her for just a few minutes and Ethan fought for a bit longer but left her on December 5th. Jessica and her husband are desperately missing their sweet boys.
• Rebel with a Cause has lost her 2nd pregnancy this year. Please go and give her lots of love and support during this difficult time.
• After having twins this summer, and a surprise pregnancy test, Eileen is going through another miscarriage.
• Parker lost his fight to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome at 11 days old on 12/30/10.
  
• Jen gave birth to her twin girls Ainsley and Evelyn last night at 32 weeks. Evelyn passed away unexpectedly and Ainsley is holding on at Children's Hospital. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

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)

• Please go offer Jenn much needed love and support. Their much anticipated adoption turned out to be a failed match; birth parents decided to parent the day he was born. What incredible heartache she must be feeling right now.
• Tara's father-in-law has been diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Eve. His doctors found 3 tumors in his brain and the diagnosis is terminal. Please shower her and her husband with thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
• La Loca is feeling discouraged and could use a hug.
• AndSoItGoes is excited, hopeful, and a bit nervous as they are starting their first IVF cycle.
• Ashley and Pat have been trying to adopt now for 6 months and still have not been selected. She is still trying to be upbeat, but could use some words of encouragement this holiday season.

BEDREST BABES: on bedrest following infertility or loss and needing support. Drop in on them and keep them company. Blurbs running underneath the "new" line are from this week, and the ones above that line will disappear on Sunday. Please do not re-list bedrest blurbs.

• Catrisha over at Baby Dreams just found out that she is expecting #2. She's on bedrest already as a precaution from her OB-GYN, and is very nervous yet optimistic. Go on over and congratulate her, as well as keep her company.
• NEW
• None
  

PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS

• Please congratulate Rebecca who is proceeding with cautious optimism after 2 strong betas following her 1st donor embryo IVF cycle!
• Diary of an Infertile Mad Woman received a BFP as an early Christmas present. Waiting on beta results.
• Uneggsplained has a positive beta at 392!
• Laura at Awake On the Night Shift found out on her 35th birthday that she is pregnant with #2!
• Rosie at Joyous Birdie just got a great first beta on her second DE cycle!
• Paranoid is back after a year-long break, to announce the shock of her life: two years after three separate doctors told her that she would never conceive naturally again (as she lacks any functioning fallopian tubes), she is pregnant! She is still trying to understand how that's even possible.
• Sharah just learned that she is expecting their second child on August 10, 2011!

BIRTH AND ADOPTION ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Jo welcomed Littlest, now known as Lily, on Dec. 24th.
  

Read and Support