That's right, I mean you, Pickering, Canada, and Birmingham, AL, and YOU! Culpeper and Rucksville, VA. Not to mention Lima, Peru; Florissant, MI; Den Haag, South Holland; and Stoughton, WI. I see you, even if you're keeping quiet.
That's ok. I don't take it personally. Actually, it's pretty humbling. More than 100,000 of you have visited this blog in the past 13 months. And whoa, who would ever have thought that would happen when I started writing these little posts? Who thought anyone would be reading this blog, really? I'm thrilled that you've found something of value here.
That said, it has come to my attention that this is a special week - International Blog Delurking Week.It's also a very special week for another reason: it's my BIRTHDAY this week. At the end of this week, I will turn 38. Birthdays are always a noteworthy occasion, but for me they are extra special. As a cancer survivor, every year I get to be here is a majorly celebratory milestone. As an infertile woman, every year that I creep closer to 40 is also bittersweet because it feels like the window of hope for having my own genetic child is closing.
But whether you slice it as happy and/or sad, it's my birthday this week, and for my birthday I'd like one little thing from you Internetz.
I want you to come out of the shadows and say hi. Give a wave. How did you find this blog? How long have you been reading? Anything else you'd like to say? I'd love to hear it. You can even comment anonymously if that makes you feel better. It'll only take a second, I promise.
Just try it - you might even find that you like it.
And since you've taken the time to log on and read this, I'd like the chance to tell you that I'm so glad you're out there. No joke. I'm really grateful you've been along for the ride. And who knows where the journey will go next?
So, London and Pittsburgh and Rochester and Sunnyvale, not to mention Chapel Hill and Putalia, Punjab; Cambridge and Sydney, New South Wales; Laurel, MD, and Oslo, Norway, thank you so much for reading.
Now, please - pretty please? - leave a comment. Do it for International Blog Delurking Week. Or do it for my birthday. I don't bite, you know.
Mo
Posts
Hi Mo! I've been following your journey for about 6 months from Niagara, Canada. Our infertility situations are very similar and I totally relate and sympathize with each of your posts. I love the Hallmark rejects and how you identify the humour in infertility! I'm also on a fitness kick, doesn't it feel great! My birthday is next week too (on the 12th) and I will be 40. Like you said, happy and sad. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and good luck in 2010. I'll keep reading!
ReplyDeleteHey Mo. I've been reading since you began this blog. I'm in Phoenix, Arizona and have 4 failed IVF's under my belt which is rare since I am 27. Hoping and praying Schoolcraft's methods are going to be the magical trick for you and Will. I am cheering you on girl!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Mo. I write from Pensacola, Florida. I found your blog because I'm trying to figure out why my health has been so poor the past few years. All of my symptoms point to endo, so I started searching for websites or blogs discussing endo. Like Erika pointed out, I continue to read your blog because of your humor. Best of luck in 2010 being a healthful and successful year for you and your IVF journey.
ReplyDeleteYou caught me. =) I've been reading for a while, can't remember how long. I found you on the Stirrup Queens site I think. We went through infertility for over 2 years. We have 3 children, twins through IVF, and one baby on our own. I love how even though you have been struggling, you find humor through it all. I hope that 2010 is your year.
ReplyDeleteHappy to de-lurk, although I think I may have comment before. I'm not sure how I found your blog. I think it was through another blog who posted to wish you well on one of your previous attempts. I've been reading for about a year- about the time my husband and I started TTC.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to see what this new year brings to you and Will- and hoping it's a child!
I'm probably the one showing up as Stoughton, WI, although I live in Madison.
ReplyDeleteI had a Clomid baby about 3 years ago and another boy 4 months ago, and I'm so hoping things work out for you!
Hi! I have been reading for about 6 months. I found your blog when I was hunting for more information about fertility and have stuck around to (silently) cheer you on and laugh a little, as well. I'm a 30-year-old married lady from Cleveland, Ohio. Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteHi there. Coming out of the lurking closet. I found you because your blog was recommended on my google reader, so now I subscribe.
ReplyDeleteI think I've been here about a month? From just before you went to Colorado.
What else to say...? gosh, there's so much to say, yet what can I really say that would make any difference? I feel for you immensely. I am amazed at your equanimity in the face of everything. I wish you all the best of luck, blessing and whatever else might get you to where you want to be.
De-lurking! Love reading each of your posts and cheering you on from beautiful North Georgia! I am sure I found your site through one of many other infertility blogs I keep up with! We are in our 3rd year of trying to conceive baby #2, we have a 4 year daughter and a boxer named Ellie (who looks a lot like Moxie)! Happy Birthday and best wishes wherever your "infertility journey" takes you!
ReplyDeleteHi Mo! I am de-lurking from Birmingham, AL. I'm sure I found your blog through one of the other fertility blogs I read....don't recall for sure. I've been following you for quite some time. After two miscarriages, a quad pregnancy that ended badly, a chemical, two failed IVFs and a failed FET, we're expecting a miracle baby boy in February. I can appreciate the struggle you're going through and greatly admire your strength and attitude through it all. Happy birthday and hoping that 2010 will be your year!
ReplyDeleteLaurie
Hey there Mo. I am Rain. Nice to meet you! I am from beautiful California.
ReplyDeleteHappy Almost Birthday. My birthday is on the 19th! Yippee for January birthdays!
Hi, Mo! I'm from Austin, Texas, and while I know I've commented before, I thought I'd say hi again. Even though I don't leave a comment on every post you write, do know that I read every one of them.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember how I found you, although I probably just clicked on a link from someone else's blog.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog this week while reading Mel's creme de la creme. Loved your post. It stood out, so I added you to my blogger reader.
My IF resume is secondary subfertility (over age 38 -40). You would never guess looking from the outside in now that I've had some first hand experience with IF ... which gave me a lot of enthusiasm for following and supporting other people's IF journeys. That said, I do not, for one second think that my experiences compares with everyone else's ... I know that not all IF is created equal. I have just been through enough 'outsider' experiences to know something about the lack of understanding and support that people struggling with IF have to face. And I am passionate about cheering on smart chicks in tough circumstances. Oh. And I love a good story. I have found some amazing friends/writers by way of blogs. Thanks to Mel, I seem to find a lot in the ALI community.
All the best to you in the new year.
Cheers,
D.
happy birthday
ReplyDeleteHello Mo! I've been following your journey for about 3 months now? Just guessing. Found you through some other blogs. My husband and I have been TTC for a little over a year now, so I've been reading infertility blogs out of curiosity because we may be headed down a similar path in the not too distant future. I'm 28 and in Flower Mound, TX. :o)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Mo!!
ReplyDeleteNot a lurker (anymore) but wanted to wish you a great 38th year!!
I already coment, and I know someone who reads in one of those places!
ReplyDeleteI am toronto, canada and I have been reading you Mo, me thinks since your begining, I think maybe it was lost and found announced you as a new blog and i liked the title, then loved your writing style so I stayed.
Every year we are on this earth is a good year, Happy Birthday friend.
Hi! Im in Canada. Just saying hi.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I've been following your blog for maybe a year now??? Can't remember how I came across it. I have fertility issues as well, so I'm sure we're connected through some path of blogs. Hoping this year is the best yet for you and your hubby.
ReplyDeleteBeen following you for awhile. Like your writing, sarcasm and humor. Wishing you the best this year, happy birthday. I am in Northern California.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! I have been following for 6ish months... I think I started after reading about you on the LFCA. I am here in Seattle (parenting and pregnant after infertility) and rooting for you and Will!
ReplyDeletei shouted at comment to you once in all caps during your last miscarriage, that everything was going to be okay and to just hang in there. but i am, essentially, a lurker. i live in nyc, and work in a hospital, and sometimes wonder if you are at my hospital, or who you are, and if i've passed you or your husband in the halls. i will be seeing a specialist in two weeks, and i wonder if he is your specialist! i have had 2 miscarriages and am constantly amazed at your strength, wit,humor, and courage in the face of a nightmare that i, too, have tasted. i wish you guys only the best.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading for a year, so I honestly can't remember where I found you from! Probably courtesy of Stirrup queens I would guess. I am not always the best commenter, but I want you to know I read every word you write (sometimes more than once for shits and giggles ;-)). I will be a better commenter this year I promise.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday from Birmingham, Alabama! I don't remember how long I've been following you, but I have enjoyed reading your story for a while now. I really hope you are able to have children soon.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember how I found you either, but I read because I've had two miscarriages in less than a year and am seeing an RE. I'm currently expecting, but cautiously, as it is only 7w5d right now.
Thank you for writing the blog and staying positive and funny in a situation that is less than ideal. I think we all benefit from your positive outlook.
Saying hello and Happy Birthday from FL and NH. I've been reading for a few months and I'm sure I found you from a link on another blog, but can't remember which one. You are inspiring me with your fitness challenge.
ReplyDeleteHello from Baltimore, Maryland. Delurking to say Happy Birthday!! I found you through one of the other blogs I read, sorry, I don't remember which one. Like a lot of the other, I enjoy your humor. My husband and I suffered through 30 week preclampsia,severe IUGR, NICU and then secondary infertility for almost three years. I'm pulling for you, and hoping your journey ends with a beautiful child! Laura
ReplyDeleteHi Mo, Delurking to say thanks for letting us share your journey. I've been reading your blog off and on, and always cheering you on and wishing the best for you. Christina in Seattle
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi! I think I've commented before, but admittedly I don't do so frequently (though you're in my reader!). I love that you keep such a level head through it all, and your perseverance is enviable.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! You say it's at the end of the week? As in Sunday or as in Friday? Because the 10th is my birthday. Have a great birthday weekend. :)
I've been reading since the beginning, I think. Probably recommended through Google reader? I kept reading because I liked your humor, and I saw some similarities in our backgrounds (you defended your dissertation about 8 months after I did; you work in health care). Some differences as well - I have never been able to conceive, for unknown reasons, and we are moving forward with living a child free life. Keep writing...I enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I write from flyover country. Where it's currently cold enough to freeze your nose hairs.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Amber and I am a lurker... Why? I think it's because there aren't too many people that read my own blog. I catch up with you every once in a while. I am in St. Louis, MO. If you ever care to stop by my blog I would love to have you. :)
ReplyDeleteHi! I've been reading since last summer, when we embarked on our IVF journey. When it didn't work, I felt so angry and empty, and was searching for the words of someone who might understand. Reading your blog helped me see that yes, sometimes IVF fails, and sometimes it works. Sometimes pregnancies end. But I also saw that it's possible for smart, educated, funny, women to survive it all. Thanks for writing.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mo. Sending greetings from the Cape and Islands (MA). I have been reading your blog for about a year. I found it through Stirrup Queens. I admire your strength and grace in the face of difficult circumstances.
ReplyDeleteRoRo
Hi Mo! Happy birthday! I've been reading for awhile, but don't remember how I found you. Maybe Sprogblogger.... My husband and I are also struggling with infertility for going on 4 years. I keep coming back because I can relate to what you're dealing with and appreciate your perspective and humor about infertility. (My husband particularly likes the pics of Moxie, so please keep those coming. She's a sweetheart!) I wish you luck with your coming cycle at CCRM!
ReplyDeleteDelurking to say happy birthday. I found your blog when looking for support while dealing with my own infertility issues. That was a year ago, and while my path has diverged significantly from yours, I've continued to read. I of course love your sense of humor, but I keep reading because your ability to distill your emotions in such candid, direct, and intelligent ways gives me an example to strive for. I hope 38 is the best year yet for you and your family.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, honey!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, Mo!
ReplyDeleteNot sure how long I've been here following your journey and not even that sure how I found you, but I am so, so glad I did. Or did you find me? All I remember is the thrill I felt when I finally found a fellow hodkgin's survivor online - one TTC like me! One with a sick sense of humor, like me! One, alas, with some losses under her belt, like me.
Happy bday, lady, happy one more year of remission. Happy day to be alive.
xoxo
Happy birthday to you! I comment every once in a while but not as much as I should. I came upon your blog a couple of times actually...I think from my Reader suggestions and I'm sure I clicked over from Sprogblogger's page, too. Anyway, I'm following along and I do so hope your next cycle is your golden ticket!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! I also have one coming up, on the 12th. I've been reading you almost from the beginning, I think -- and I think I found you through Stirrup Queens/LFCA.
ReplyDeleteHi Mo, I can't remember if I've commented before but know that I read every single post of yours. I think it was when our second IVF failed and I was looking for information and some sort of 'anonymous' support' that I found your blog and of course the whole online 'IF community'. Fortunately we fell pregnant without any intervention right after the second IVF failed and we now have a gorgeous six-month old. But I still read those blogs that have given me so much support in my darkest hours even if they don't know it. I admire you for your courage and honesty. So here's hoping that all your dreams will come true this year and a happy birthday in advance. Oh and I'm a Singaporean currently based in Dubai :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Bierthday to you-and me, too! Yay early January birthdays!Thanks for writing so honestly. Hoping your blog turns into a pregnancy one very very soon.
ReplyDeleteOkay, you got me. I have been following your journey for the last year from Canada and now from California. Through my fertility treatments I became addicted to reading blogs of people who 'got it' that is, who knew what it was like to get back up after your world falls apart. After many failed treatments we are finally expecting a baby in June and I log in every week or so with the hope that you receive the same good fortune in 2010. Thinking of you and sending you strength for the next cycle
ReplyDeleteHi Mo - I am following you from Chicago. I found your blog through Kate @ "I Can't Whistle".
ReplyDeleteI am a former IUI, IVF and miscarriage patient (not all in that order).
I am one of the lucky ones (please don't hate me), after 2 IUI's, 2 IVF's (one ended in miscarriage), I finally got pregnant on my 3rd IVF and gave birth to my son at age 42.
This is the part that should give you hope.
I know you have been through so much and your issues are different than mine, but time is still on your side (that goes for the rest of you out there trying to conceive).
Although I have been through infertility, the feeling never leave and my heart aches for all the people who so want to have a baby.
So, I am routing for you and I really believe it is going to happen for you.
Hi Mo! Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI have been following your journey for 6 months or so - I really love all of your heartfelt posts. Your courage in the face of the miscarriages and IF struggles gave me hope through my TTC journey and after my miscarriage. I really hope 2010 is your year!!
Hi, I'm Sarah, I can't remember how I found your blog but I wish you the best! :)
ReplyDelete- Sarah
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteI follow publicly, so you know who Denver, CO is (or one of us, I'm sure there's more than just little ole me). I don't know how I got here, I really don't, but I do know it's a refreshing and honest read, so I kept coming.
Delurking from Raleigh, NC... I found you through a Google Reader recommendation as well- and stay due to the unfortunate circumstances that we have in common. Happy Birthday and thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Redmond, WA. I found your site via Sprogblogger and am hooked. I love you informative posts and your snarky funny posts. Wishing you all the best and a very Happy Birthday Mo.
ReplyDeleteI'm delurking (I think I'm a semi-lurker, as I do comment every once in awhile, just not as often as I should). Happy early birthday!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through Stirrup Queens, giver of all good gifts. :)
Well, I've commented in the past here and there but it has been a while. Sorry!! So I'm a sort of lurker here in Texas :) Happy Birthday!! I hope you have a wonderful day. And your little Moxie is precious! I hope that she is bringing a lot of joy to your lives. Our pups bring many smiles to our faces every day.
ReplyDeleteTake care and know that I'm here reading (and hopefully commenting a little more this year!)
...another Chicago girl here who found you from a link on another blog. I too am out here cheering for you both and hope that 2010 is THE YEAR. I just came off a 16 month run of 8 IUI's and 4 IVF's. Last IVF was cancelled due to poor response and switched to IUI, by some miracle, I got pregnant AND I just turned 43. My motto - perstistance will pay off.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday week Mo! I have been following your blog for a year, maybe more now and it's one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI can't get over how many comments you have!
Hi! I think I've commented before, but I can't rememeber, so I commenting now. Happy Birthday.
ReplyDeleteHi Mo,
ReplyDeleteI'm from Alberta, Canada. I think I found your blog through Twitter (or via a link on someone else's blog that I found on Twitter). Something like that.
Happy Birthday!
I'm in Baltimore, MD. I don't know how long I've been following you, but I'm pretty sure it started from LFCA or something. I'm a sucker for Hallmark Rejects :) Happy almost birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI don´t really relate to your blog, as I haven´t gone through the same struggles as you, despite the only one IVF/ICSI which worked in the first try. Somehow I relate to your writing, , I relate to the struggle to concieve and the feelings that everyone has.
I like your take on things, your humour. Good luck with the weight loss.
I'm in Cape Cod and I read regularly. I found you through a Soul Cyster's blog that I lurk at. I like your honesty and I hate what you've been through. I have a child, but also RPL, so while I don't comment, I come here regularly to hope for you that your dreams for your family come to fruition soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Mo (and Will)! Happy Birthday, and cheers to a fabulous 2010 and 38th year. I don't think of myself as a lurker, and I'm pretty sure I've commented on several occasions, but not frequently enough to really let you know how much I appreciate your humor. I'll try to do better in 2010.
ReplyDeleteDe-lurking...have been reading your blog off and on for over a year...found it via M's blog. I truly enjoy your wittiness and humor.
ReplyDeleteWishing the both of you nothing but an awesome 2010!
And Happy Birthday from Austin, TX!
Hello, I think I'm the one from London. I'm an appalling and chronic lurker (combination of shyness and Bloggers Yips), but I've been reading your blog for months now, and I know I ought to be commenting regularly, because you so very kindly and flatteringly have me on your blog-roll, and people actually click over to me from your site.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and all best wishes for 2010. I wish so very many good things for you and Will.
Yup, another reader here! I came accross your blog when I created my own..(I am currently almost 6 months pregnant with a surrogate baby) I love your posts! Happy Birthday!! :)
ReplyDeleteI de-lurked awhile back but wanted to stop by and say Happy Birthday!! I hope this year is great for you!
ReplyDeleteOoooh, London is ME! Although my ISP seems to flit around and sometimes it might tell you I'm reading from Southampton, or even the Isle of Wight... so any random UK location is probably me.
ReplyDeleteI've commented before, but I guess I'm still a semi-lurker. Happy birthday and hello again!
I'm not a lurker and do comment sometimes. (I'd be one of your south Florida readers.)
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday! Hope you have a nice birthday week!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember how I found your blog but I've been lurking for a couple months now.... and I'll likely fall back into the shadows again. LOL.
Hi Mo!
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog today! But decided to start off by not lurking!!
Happy birthday week!! Hope it's a great one!
Happy birthday, Mo! I love your blog and really relate to your struggles. I had 3 miscarriages in 2009 (6 weeks, chemical, 15 weeks). Reading your blog makes me feel like I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I saw when you considering seeing Dr. Mary Stephenson at the University of Chicago, and since I live in Chicago, I decided to see her. I've only had my first consult but I LOVE her. So I'm glad I read about her here.
Hoping for an awesome 38 for you! Thanks for sharing with us.
Happy Birthday Mo! I have been 'lurking' your blog so long I do not even know for sure when I started! Probably close to a year, and I may have left one comment before. I am from the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota! I think I found you on Kate's blog...one of the other ladies going through similar struggles. We have two adopted children because I have PCOS and PCOS has taken 4 of my babies to heaven through miscarriage. We would LOVE to grow our family more...we shall see.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey! I've been reading for about 5 or 6 months, maybe?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm 31 and have been trying to get pregnant with my first baby for a couple of years now. I had an ectopic in Nov. 2008 that was discovered via ultrasound at 6 1/2 weeks because I was spotting. I had surgery to remove the pregnancy but the doctor left my tube intact. It took 11 months to conceive again... due to extremely slow-rising hCG levels, the doctor suspected it was ectopic again and I had methotrexate.
I hope that 2010 is the year for us, and anyone else who desires to have a child.
Hi Mo. Happy Birthday to you! I have been keeping up-to-date and rooting for you for the past several months. I've just endured my 5th IVF and am close to turning 40, so I am always looking for inspiration and something to believe in. You have been a source of strength. So thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mo! I found your blog through Bella's blog and have been following your journey ever since. I'm from central PA and am a newlywed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that 2010 is your year! Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteHi Mo! I have been following your journey for about 3 months. I think I found it through another blog. I'm also turning 38 in 3 weeks and live in NYC and work at a hospital (maybe the same one)? I am suffering from secondary infertility (have a 5 year old son). I love your humor and am amazed at your resilence to carry on. Hope all your dreams come true in 2010!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a post - and I'm going to have to learn how you found out where your IP addys were signing on from! Happy upcoming 38. It was a good year, as I recall, and I hope it's the best year of all for you. See you soon.
ReplyDeleteHello from Vancouver- BC, not Washington. I've been reading and commenting off and on since I discovered your blog. I think it was through LFCA and your post about the Japanese recognition of miscarriage.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday this week!
Hey Mo! It's Rach from Ohio here. I have been following you since I started blogging last spring. Happy BDay!
ReplyDeleteHey Mo! ;) I'm not delurking, but, wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! And, also, I'm loving your plan to get fit! I may have to do something similar!!!
ReplyDeleteHello Mo - I have been following for a few months from Los Osos, CA. I am not currently ttc (have tried a few times), as I need to land a new job first. I just turned 41 so can definitely relate to the feeling of closing windows. I like reading other people's stories and learn a lot from them that I hope to put to use in the future. I get involved emotionally too, I have to admit, with what's happening and even if I don't comment, I am hoping and sending energy for good things to happen for you!! Thanks for generously sharing your lives and experiences with us!-Kristina
ReplyDeleteWell, since I've been commenting for ages, I don't need to delurk. But Happy Birthday later this week!
ReplyDeleteI know I found you via your intriguing blog title on someone else's reader list. And stuck around because I love your writing style and sense of humour!
Happy Birthday! I'm the reader from South Carolina...love your blog!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful birthday week! I may not comment much, but I do read. I think I clicked on your blog from another blog! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was totally gonna pull the whole...'I know where you're from, your IP address, and in some cases even where you work...so speak up already'. But the way I had it written made me sound kind of creepy. Did you know you can actually map a readers location to a 1 mile radius through one of the analytics programs? See, when I say it like that it sounds creepy. You made it sound much more acceptable.
ReplyDelete:-)
Hi Mo, I am Loreli from Mexico. I lost a baby to an ectopic and found your blog through Sprogblogger. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteI mostly lurk, but I have commented occasionally.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading for so long I don't remember how I found your blog. Probably through a comment, since I like to click on names of people who leave interesting comments.
Happy birthday from Pierre, South Dakota! I hope this is your lucky fertility year. :)
Hi there! Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteI've been following your story for a long time now. I'm not exactly sure when I started reading regularly, but I've popped back from time to time for what seems like forever before that. I think that I found your blog the first time through the L&F. I was hooked by your humor and your take charge attitude.:-)
Mo,
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how I found your blog and while I AM infertile, I've not had pregnancy losses. Anywayz, I really enjoy reading your blog. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Amber
I'm here from Minneapolis. I assume that I found you through Stirrup Queens, though I don't actually remember. I do know I started reading because Will has MFI and so does my husband. I think he also reads your blog on occasion.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
I saw your blog when Elle (from Baby Bunts) posted about your most recent pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage. I've been following it since, crossing my fingers for you and Will.
ReplyDeleteOther motives for reading this is so that I can be grateful for what I have been given instead of bitter over how I had to get it. You're also an inspiration to me... I remember how scared I was of facing failure after failure, unable to comprehend how it could be endured. I can't quite put it in words, and I don't suppose you appreciate the vicarious aspect, but it's important to me that I don't just bury my head in the sand now that I've got my son. I still need to know how to bear being childless. You've borne and accepted more than I ever feared, and there's an odd kind of comfort in seeing that you're still standing.
Sorry if that was more than you wanted to hear, but I wanted to be honest about how your story is affecting me. I'm hoping you get your happy ending. My love to you, Will and Moxie.
I'm not sure how I stumbled across your blog, but I've been lurking for a few months now.
ReplyDeleteHave a very happy birthday!
~Em~
Hi. I've been following you for about 6 months now from Southwest Michigan. Found your blog through another one I read. Happy birthday and hope 2010 is a great one for you!
ReplyDeleteCan you really tell when people are lurking? I better read a comment then. I've left you a comment or two before. I found your blog through What to Expect When You're Not Expecting. And, I'm not really sure how I found her. I run in the baby loss circle and some of us deal with infertility, also. So, I'm sure I found Emily and then you that way. I enjoy reading your blog, especially your miscarriage humor/hallmark rejects. I sure hope you're 38th year brings you much happiness and many blessings.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday week Mo! I came across your blog from a link on another infertility blog... can't remember which one. I find your story to be incredible and I gain strength from reading your blog. I've been struggling with infertility for 5 years, and you inspiring me to not give up! You also make me laugh with your hallmark reject cards. I relate every time. I hope this is a fertile year for both of us! :D
ReplyDeleteHi Mo! I read you all the time, and have commented, and you've commented to me, but I'm still saying hi, so there. :-P Happy Birthday to you (I just turned 38, too), my neighbor across the river. I hope 38 and 2010 are good to you.
ReplyDeleteLOL, well, I'm one of your places. I can't actually remember how I found you ... LFCA, maybe? If you posted anything the least bit thyroidy there, I'd have come over ...
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Mo, from Silver Spring MD. I have been following your blog since the beginning. I have one daughter from IVF and we are now on the journey for our second. Best wishes as you embark on IVF at CCRM. Fingers crossed that 2010 is the year for you guys!!
ReplyDeleteHello Mo,
ReplyDeleteI think I have commented before, but not many times. I have been following your blog for some time (probably very close to the beginning!). I have gone through IVF txs and I have two little ones. I wish you the best in your journey... Hopefully, 2010 will give your the child(ren) you guys deserve...
Happy B'day as well...
Happy Birthday!
ReplyDelete**waving** Hello, one of the lurkers here from Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Found your blog through another blog, and just couldn't stop following. Love the Hallmark Rejects! I have sent one to my mom! LOL! I hope you have a wonderful birthday, make sure you have a piece of B'day cake! Diet be damned it's your BIRTHDAY!
Hi Mo,
ReplyDeleteI'm a fellow babyseeker from Illinois. I love your blog. It actually inspired me to start my own. I was actually curious how you got so many people to your blog? I'm not sure what I should do to get people to read mine.
Happy Birthday!
I think that my visit's come up as "Brookline Station, Missouri" which is a tiny town a few miles away, but really our address is in Springfield, Missouri. I don't even remember how I found you, but I love reading your posts! I've been reading for about 8 months or so, I love how you put a humorous spin on everything. Others (outside the IF) world sometimes take offence to what they consider 'sick' humor, but sometimes, after you've gone through what we go through, making fun of it is the only way to deal! Hope you have a great birthday!!
ReplyDeleteHello, delurking here!! I have been reading you blog about 9 months or so. I have no idea how i came across your blog but I have stayed to silently cheer you on!!
ReplyDeleteMary from GA
Hi (sheepish wave). Happy birthday from here in the tundra in MN! I love your blog, keep it coming and I'm wishing for your baby in 2010.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to Mo
Happy Birthday to you!
I'm from the other side of town (I think you once said you lived on the UES), and love reading the blog, and wish you all the best this year!
Happy Birthday, Mo!
ReplyDeleteI'm in Tulsa, Okla. I have twin girls after three IVFs.
I discovered your blog while my girls were in the NICU. They were born at 27 wks and were in the hospital for about 4 months. It was then that I found out about you...just after your most recent miscarriage I saw that several other IVF bloggers were sending their love and prayers to you.
I hadn't read your blog at that time, but my heart broke for you. Now I'm a regular reader... and wishing you the very best in your journey.
Sending lots of love to you and Will!
Mo:
ReplyDelete"They say it's your birthday
You're gonna have a good time"
I'm in Pasadena, CA and can't honestly recall how long I've been following your blog but a long time.
I've been pregnant 7 times and I have a 33 month old son through my 2nd IVF (w PGD) when I was 40. 5 subsequent IVFs, 1 DE cycle and 1 cancelled DE FET have produced a chemical and ectopic pregnancy. I'm 43 now. 'Nuff said.
I feel compelled to cheer you on, from afar, and keep your hopes alive as they somehow feed my own that we'll someday have another.
Happy Birthday, Mo. Hoping this is the year for you and Will. Sorry about the anon, but I suck on computers and I can't get my other identity back. Typical.
ReplyDeleteCheers, peace, hope
Brid
Happy birthday Mo!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday. I've been reading for over a year now. When I had my first miscarriage of two in 2009, I went back to your archives. So I've read most of your blog. The Hallmark moments have never failed to make me laugh whatever has been going on. And I keep reading for a lot of reasons: your humor, I'm in medicine too, your strength, and you excellent blog roll! Thanks for all of it!
ReplyDeleteHil
StL, Mo
I'm here...shhhh!!
ReplyDeleteholy crap, look at all these comments! I'm still reading, sometimes silently cheering you along.
ReplyDeletehappy early birthday!
Woohoo! Wave here from Yorkshire, UK. Only just found your blog but empathise with your plight. I'm facing 40 in May and still babyless. Hopefully things will go both our ways.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Mo! I'm in St Paul MN, and have been following your blog for about 6 months. We're taking a fertility treatment break after 3 failed IUIs while we try to save money for IVF. Your sense of humor about this whole nasty process has made me smile repeatedly, so thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Mo,
ReplyDeletesince it's my 38th birthday at the end of this week too, I figure that's some kind of sign! Delurking now from Queensland, Australia to say hi, so happy about your puppy, thanks for sharing the ups and downs, and best of luck with what comes next.
Oh and Happy Birthday to us :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I've fallen off the commenting wagon since it's hard to type and hold the baby at the same time ...but still following the journey. I'm so proud of you!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Your post made me laugh! Here I am in Ruckerville VA! I have been reading since the summer (don't remember when I started). I found it through another blogger who just had her baby a week before me. I read your jounery and was hooked on your blog. I am hoping and praying for you and your husband that there is a baby in your near future!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could be classified as a lurker! but I'm awfully glad you are here too!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Mo! Greetings from the Twin Cities (Mpls./St. Paul, MN). I've been following your blog for so long, it's hard to say when I found it. I've commented once or twice, but mostly lurk, since I don't blog myself. I so admire your strength, courage, and candor, and am amazed at your resilience in the face of all that you and Will have been through. Reading about your struggles has helped me cope w/ my own. And your wicked sense of humor (love those Hallmark rejects!) has helped me to laugh, even when I was too numb to cry. I'm an IVF/RPL veteran at 34 - w/ four years TTC, one naturally conceived pregnancy, 3 fresh cycles, 2 FETs, and four miscarriages under my belt - and no definitive diagnosis. We just had a one-day workup and consult w/ Dr. Schoolcraft on Monday and may be travelling to CO for one last cycle w/ CGH/microarray testing in the spring. Or pursuing DE. We're still searching and struggling w/ what to do next. I hope that CCRM's methods do the trick and 2010 brings you and Will all the happiness you deserve. I'll keep reading and will be cheering you on and hoping for all the best.
ReplyDelete- Kate
Hi Mo, Happy Birthday from Canada!
ReplyDeleteI've been following you for over 6 months now. I just had twins in November after 5 years of failed Ivf's. We finally did the immune thing through the Beer Clinic in California and it worked for us.
I love reading your blog as it gave me a lot of support through this scary and trying time. I wish you all the best for 2010!
Wow! You certainly got a lot of comments already. I just wanted to say hi, since I'm a regular reader but not a very good commenter. Thanks for sharing your life with all of us!
ReplyDeleteKait @ esperanzasays.worpdress.com
Wow what a lot of comments.Happy birthday from the other side of the world, where it is a glorious summer day.
ReplyDeleteI have been lurking for about a year no idea how I found you, though. I'm an IF grad, one ART baby one how did that happen baby.
I really do hope and pray that this year brings you your dreams.
Hi Mo....I am delurking from Cambridge, MA and have been following you for almost a year now. I had a miscarriage 2 years ago after an unpected pregnancy and now that we are actively trying...we are getting nowhere fast! We just started the infertility testing and hopefully will be pregnant very soon. Your spirit, humanity and the amazing relationship you seem to have with your husband have lured me in all this time. You are an inspiration and I wish you much luck and success in this coming year. My intuition tells me that Colorado will be the a turning point for you both!
ReplyDeleteHey Mo. I think I've commented here maybe once or twice. Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteSpringboro, OH checking in! Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeletehi Mo:
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I'm from Seattle and I've been reading your blog for a year! My husband and I were having fertility problems, but fortunately we just had our baby girl three months ago. I found your blog when I was googling for fertility treatment information.
I still follow your blog because I like your stories and writing style. I'm sorry that you and Will have to go through so much pain dealing with the losses and fertility issues.
I wish you and Will a Happy New Year! I hope that one day your dream of becoming a mother will come true!
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteI've been lurking and not posting since pretty close to the start of this blog....can't remember how I got here. I'm from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I'm a NICU nurse, so probably made it here some how through a NICU blog.
Happy Birthday!
Amy
Hello - I've been lurking for almost a year, and I have no memory of how I found your site, but I am pulling for you and your husband, and hope that the lengths that you have had to go through will be fruitful (literally and figuratively) when all is said and done! Sounds like you have lots of people from all over the world pulling for you, hoping for you, praying for you. Can't hurt, right? I'm the praying type, so that's what's happening from Conroe, TX on your behalf!
ReplyDelete-Carrie
Hi Mo! And Happy Birthday to you :)
ReplyDeleteI am delurking from VA. Your blog has been a mainstay in my Google Reader for quite sometime. I am not sure how I found you, but I began reading miscarriage/infertility blogs following a miscarriage in Spring 2008. I wish the best for you and Will.
Happy Birthday from Dayton, Ohio!
ReplyDeleteHoly-fudge-pucky 132 comments. That's amazing. You sure got people to come out of the woodwork. I should try that, but I only have like 10 readers on my blog. lol.
ReplyDeleteI am a recent follower. Not trying for children of my own at the moment, but I will be eventually! Hopefully.
:)
Happy birthday ..
ReplyDeletewaves, back to lurking now :)
Popped over from Sprogblogger one day and kept coming back, oh and can I just say .. the hallmark cards? Fantabulous - thank you.
Happy birthday ..
ReplyDeletewaves, back to lurking now :)
Popped over from Sprogblogger one day and kept coming back, oh and can I just say .. the hallmark cards? Fantabulous - thank you.
*waves* from Perth, Western Australia.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember how I found your blog - I've been reading it for about six months. The main thing I've lost due to infertility (apart from babies!) is my sense of humour. You still have that black humour about the situation, which I love to read.
Crossing fingers that at last, this is your year.
Hi There,
ReplyDeletei found your blog and have been in your shoes. It's amazing there are other people going through what I did. I thought I was the only one. I proud of you and cheering you on!!!
Tracy from Iowa
Hi! I'm delurking just to wish you a Happy belated Birthday!
ReplyDeleteCan't remember how I found you but I've really enjoyed following your blog. I'll be 38 in March, cycle #16 (IVF#4) finally worked for me, but I still find so much inspiration in the blogs of those still on the long road! Best of luck to you in 2010, hope all of your dreams come thrue!
Pittsburgh!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and best wishes to you and Will . . .you never know what the future may bring!
Hi from Miami! Found you through Sprogblogger, I might have left a message or two. Rooting for you and Will. Have a very Happy Birthday- I think 2010 will be your year:)
ReplyDeleteWow Mo, a lot of comments on this post! I've recently started reading.
ReplyDeletewow I had to go all the way to the bottom to post. I guess I dont consider myself a lurker of your blog since I read it regularly, but to add some props I appreciate your advice, humor and above all the bond of being another sister who struggles with fertility
ReplyDeleteHi Mo!Happy Birthday to you.I will be 38 next month.I am a lurker from CT.I have been following your blog for quite some time.I found it through another blog,yet I cannot remember which one as I read many. I hope this year brings you and Will many great things!!
ReplyDeleteKim in Groton,Connecticut
Kimmy272@aol.com
What birthday present you are getting to know all these people care about you and your story from around the world. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI am not delurking and can not recall when or how I came across your wise words. I have admired your strength, grace and perseverance for sometime and know I am a better person having crossed paths with you and Will.
This year may all your wishes come true.
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate reading your blog and hope 2010 is the best year yet.
Wishing you a happy birthday and a happier brithday next year.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where I got your blog link from, another blog, I'm sure.
Ack! I've been outed as a lurker from the SF Bay area. Found your blog recently and hope to join in more!
ReplyDeleteHi Mo! I found your blog this Summer when my husband and I experienced our first miscarriage after our 2nd round of IVF. I asked you some questions and you responded with a very nice email (thank you). I'm praying for you and hoping it's your turn for a baby! Your strength and determination is admirable!
ReplyDeleteNicole Hayden, Idaho
You already get enough comments, tyvm. Maybe you should come visit my lame ass blog that is like the comment sahara. ;o)
ReplyDeleteLong time lurker here Mo, sending you lots of good vibes, thoughts and prayers from the south side neighbor country :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mo, I'm a fellow psychologist, a fellow infertile, a fellow spontaneous aborter of pregnancies (x4 for us). I've been following your journey for ~1 year.
ReplyDeletecm
Hi Mo,
ReplyDeleteI have commented before, but it's been a while, I'll admit! I have been reading your blog for maybe 6 months now and have always admired your strength and honesty through all you've endured.
Just wanted to delurk and say Happy 38th birthday! =)
Sonja
Happy Birthday! I hear you on the bittersweet thing. I too have dealt with infertility and not as severe health issues as you but annoyingly chronic ones. I found you through Sprogblogger last summer. Wishing you all the best!
ReplyDelete*waving*
ReplyDeleteI know that my IPA says I'm in WI, but that's because I visit when I'm at work and my company is based in WI. I'm really living on the ND/MN border.
We've been dealing with infertility issues for a couple years, but cannot afford treatments beyond Clomid. I turn 37 in 25 days.
Hi, Mo.
ReplyDeleteDelurker: Mina
Where from: South Germany
I have been reading your blog for quite some time. I am very sorry for everything you have been through. I hope and pray you get your answers and, most importantly, your heart's desire, soon.
Happy Birthday! I love your sense of humor and hope things go well for you this year.
ReplyDelete(I could have hidden since for some reason I show up as visiting from Gresham, OR which is near, but very different from Portland.)
Hi from Marysville, Michigan!
ReplyDeleteI found you by clicking "Next Blog" from a friend's blog and happened on TTC blogs and there you are!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm a fellow infertile from Florida. I got pregnant naturally with my 5 year old and just had a baby 4 months ago with the help of IVF after a failed IUI. Add in there a miscarriage a year before that. My 4 month old had a vanishing twin at 10 weeks which still breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteI found your site through cyclesistas well over a year ago and have followed it ever since. They changed their format and I've lost most of the people that I followed but your name was one of the ones I remembered!
I also was intrigued by your journey because I too finished up my doctorate during my infertility journey so I was interested in hearing how you were balancing all the things going on in your life with the dissertation etc.
I'm pulling for you over here! Best of luck and I'll keep following!
Andrea
P.S. My diagnosis is Stage IV endometriosis with premature ovarian failure (likely from the endo damage).
ReplyDeleteAndrea
Hi from New Zealand (that country wasn't on your list, did I escape your radar?). Well I'm not really a lurker as I do comment every now and then. Happy new year!!!
ReplyDeleteholy crap Mo! loads of love and comments here, I want to lend a hello, and a very very happy birthday. So very glad you are here and wish to hell you were blogging about something else more frivolous and fun. I'd read you anywhere.
ReplyDeletexox
Kate
Hi Mo, firstly HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I'm from sunny South Africa and found your blog through my sister's blog,she's been battling infertility for 8 years now, and I've been reading here for almost a year now!
ReplyDeleteI just love your sense of humour! And I've been watching to see what happens next with your frtility journey!
Happy Birthday Mo!!! May all of your wishes come true this year and your special day be filled with love and laughter :)
ReplyDeleteI found your blog from cyclesista, about 6 or 8 months age, but they have changed the page now so I am unable to follow others--but luckily I remembered your page name! I continue to follow your journey because of the courage, and humor, you display in the face of IF. I like to read your posts (and Will too!) and your unique perspective on the issues you are facing. I always leave feeling encouraged, and hopeful, for all IFers!
I follow you from upstate NY ( and I think it says Fulton, but that's not where I am.) We live in a very small town called Mexico=and Oh how I wish it were as warm as Mexico!LOL!
Happy Birthday Mo!!
ReplyDeleteI have commented a few times and read your blog for almost a year. I found you via another blog when I was battling infertility post clomid and IUIs. I was embarking on my first IVF cycle in Feb 09 which very fortunately lead to my son being born in November last year.
I read your blog because it's witty, heartfelt and interesting. Most of all I read it because I am totally rooting for you and Will to get your dream of a baby one way or the other and I don't want to miss that day - I really hope it is just around the corner. Wishing you lots of good things for 2010!
Anne
I won't lie, I come here every so often (particularly for your hallmark rejects! I need some IF humor in my relatively craptacular IF journey / life).
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday - hope its a peaceful one.
- S aka Occasional Lurkette
Hey Mo, I've been following you for around a year from Virginia.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you sharing your story here. I'm a fellow IF veteran in the middle of my 6th fresh IVF cycle now. I hope that CCRM is the answer for you. If I could go back in time I would have started there 3 years ago.
I wish you the best of luck!
Cameron
Not sure how I found your blog. Been reading for a few months now. While I don't share your troubles with infertility, I pray for you daily!
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for a miracle baby for you & your husband!!
BTW--HAPPY 38th BIRTHDAYYYYYYYY!!!
~JC in Denver, Colorado
I comment when I get the chance but I guess I am still a lurker :) Im from Perth Australia and I love sitting down with a cuppa to read your blog - always something new and exciting :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a semi-lurker...I've left you a couple of comments during the May 2009 cycle when I thought for sure your miracle was on it's way. Since then, I've followed and prayed for you and Will, especially as you discern what steps are right for you. In the meantime, I've established my own blog, and while it's not nearly as eloquent as yours, it's mine, nonetheless. Feel free to check it out: complexmiracles.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best!
Sara
I'm from Seattle - been following since around IVF #5. To buck the trend, I don't have a shared experience with infertility, but for many reasons I have an interest in IVF which was what caused me to happen across your blog. I read because I'm rooting for you and I think that everyone can relate to the desire to grow a family and the frustration when there are obsticles (whatever they might be.)
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! :)
Hey Mo...I've got an odd coincidence for you. I found your blog shortly before my 3rd and final IVF cycle...My 3rd cycle was in May and after coming home from the retrieval I read your blog and realized that you were at the same transfer as me. We were actually waiting in the little room together chatting before the ET. I couldn't believe the chances but was afraid to write and tell you about this ridiculous coincidence. So instead I said my prayers for your success and followed your blog hoping we'd both be lucky. I was very fortunate in my cycle..I'm due with twins this week. I haven't gotten over any of the pain of IF and although I am so thrilled and happy it's been a very difficult process to learn to "relax" in pregnancy. IF ruins you for sure. I'm still rooting for you and wish a baby in your arms very soon.
ReplyDeleteHello! I've been reading for about a year. I think I found you through Sprogblogger. I've wished so hard for you. Hoping for a happy ending.
ReplyDelete~Amy
So glad you were born. So glad you are here traveling with us.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY MO!!!!!
ReplyDeletethis is birmingham, al. hope this is an amazing year for you!
Delurking to say hi from New Jersey. I've been reading your blog for about a year now, and am touched by the way you write and how you express yourself. I'm rooting for you and hoping 2010 is the magical year in which you bring home your newborn(s)!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if I de-lurked here or not. Just wanted to let you know that I'm reading!
ReplyDelete~Em~
Happy birthday! I found your blog from thebump.com infertility board. Just started reading today...Hope you have a wonderful birthday!
ReplyDeleteMarrisa
Happy Birthday and hello! Delurking...I found your blog from another IF blogger.
ReplyDeleteHi Mo and Will,
ReplyDeleteI've been lurking around your blog since I started IVF on April Fool's day 2009. Your blog is great because it's free of "baby dust" and other quirks of the IVF blog world. I love your hallmark greeting cards and sense of humour. With so many people "rooting" for you you're bound to have some luck soon.
Emily, Sydney, Australia
Hi, Will and Mo
ReplyDeleteDe-lurking for a late birthday wish for Mo. I've been following you all for about a year (since we began what became two failed IVFs). I love your blog and your candor. It kept me going through some rough times. I wish the best for you both (and Moxie!).
You know me!! And a Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Sunshine
Hi Mo, I have been a silent lurker for some time now and just recently decided to start my own blog to chronicle my journey. I read your story and am inspired by the grace with which you carry yourself through infertility. I can learn a lot from you. I hope that 2010 is the year all of your dreams come true. I have this same wish for myself :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
LT
I'm not lurking, actually. :-) Just saw your page as a referrer to my own blog the other day, then saw my page listed as an "adoption blog" on your sidebar, and started reading. Trying to figure out how/where you found me! Looks like you are/have been interested in adopting from Taiwan?
ReplyDeleteThis post was halarious. I am from Indiana. I have 2 failed IVF's under my belt. I don't remember how I found you, but your posts are very funny and I find myself coming back. lol
ReplyDeleteI don't keep my own blog. I tried but it is not my strength I guess. I find it very helpful to read the blogs of women who experiencing infertility as it gives me perspective that I can't otherwise get as I do not talk about "trying" to get pg with other people (a few close friends only). Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about it all. It is so helpful. I'm over 40, trying for 3 years now. 5 IUIs, one miscarriage. Believing it will happen one day.
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks for writing. We are also travellers on the infertility journey. Your words have reassured me so many time.
ReplyDeletefrom netherlands