Dear Followers

I've had this post lingering in the back of mind for awhile. And a belated welcome, new followers, including Fertility Chick, whom I've "seen" around here and there. I'd also like to welcome a new (and anonymous) follower, although I am sorry she is joining the ranks of us. She is a dear childhood friend, who I have just learned will be starting IVF in January. As such, I thought I'd take the opportunity to show her around. You know, introduce all of you to her, and probably corrupt her innocent visions of IVF with our foul-mouthed, jaded ones.

Grab a beverage. This is going to be a long post. But, if we're bloggy friends, you might be entertained by what I have to say about you...so read on! Oh, and these are in no particular order!

EB @ IVF 40+ I am certain EB and I were friends in a former life in old world Europe. We share views on spiritual matters, a love of chocolate cake & kitties, and disdain for political crap in corporate America (mine being former). She is real and so supportive, and some days I read her posts with an English accent in my head to get the full flavor. EB is preparing for her second donor egg cycle, and is more than overdue for her turn at parenthood. (Also, Mr. W's favorite tea shares the name of EB's hometown!)

Sprogblogger: Sprog is a gifted writer - one whose posts should never be missed. Sprog's rap sheet reads like the Who's Who of IF. (Sorry Sprog, not an award you want.) She is an analyst, a thinker, a researcher and yet she is emotional too. I love they way she *snorts* in her blog and comments. IMO, Sprog would be better suited on the West Coast near me or IF Opt, as I think NY is not kind enough to her. Sprog is starting her first DE cycle and is so deserving of success.

MeKate @ I Can't Whistle: I think Kate has an incredibly bright second career ahead of her as a poetry or prose writer. She is emotional and raw and so humble. She says the sweetest and most thoughtful comments on everyone's blogs. I don't know how she does it. She once told me she barfs up her posts. I wish I could barf like she does. Kate also has the most amazing variations for use of the F word. Even more than me! Kate's got a miserable IF rap sheet too, on top of dealing with incredible pain & loss in her life. She just had an embryo transfer yesterday and we all hope this is the one for her.

Lisa @ MeInsideOut: Lisa pulled me up out of the deep dark hole I was in on more than one occasion, all the while she was in the same hole herself. After lots of IF misery & RPL, Lisa is 21 weeks with twins! She is probably the only person who has been as sick as I have. And I think she has that same little guilty feeling I do about posting in the new persona of a whiny pregnant lady.

Dawn @ Can You Imagine: Dawn is the poster child for pretty-n-pregnant. She looks like a model at 26 weeks. (I, on the other hand, am starting to resemble an orca.) She also has none of the crazy side effects. I am so jealous! Dawn always has the sweetest comments and reminds me that taking this blog from IF to PG is a challenge.

Barefoot And (Finally) Pregnant: I think this was the first blog I started reading. Barefoot sucked me in with her uncanny sense of humor and ability to comically post about this whole nightmare. Barefoot continues to crack me up every time I read, though at 35 weeks now, her posts are thinning. I once told her I could write a whole post about the things she says! She reminds me a lot of myself...she shares Top Doc's city, she was stupid enough to remodel her bathroom a few weeks ago & survived (sounds like something I would do) and I would most enjoy sitting down to a glass of wine with her after this all over and listen to her take on babydom.

Best When Used By: BWUB has been an amazing source of support, despite having her own incredible hurdles. BWUB found IF success in embryo donation and is now 23 weeks. She is very creative, has some of the best stories to tell about family members, and I have cantaloupe garden envy. She also has thoughtful & calming comments and seems to bring us all back down to earth. I always enjoy her posts & look forward to the non-IF ones just as much.

IF Optimist: Besides sharing a love of the Pacific NW, San Francisco, Canada, and the F word, I think that IFO and I have had some IRL friends pull some similar, not so nice stuff. IFO and I should be friends IRL and maybe we will one day since we live in the same geographical area. IFO is smart, creative, & has a sense of humor I adore. She is also just a week or so behind me with twins!

My Mind's Ink: I found Dirk's blog through IFO, as well as Michelle's, his wife. They live in Victoria, and well, it's no secret I love Canada. Dirk's blog is always good for some political banter, which I enjoy, when the banterers are reasonably intelligent. Words can't express how badly I feel for their last IVF cycle. Even Mr. W felt terrible when I told him about it. But I wish them the very best, now in the midst of a FET.

Mad Hatter @ Late For A Very Important Pregnancy: Maddy, another Canadian has an amazing ability to see the good in every angle. She is the queen of TCM and has had remarkable success in lowering her FSH with the treatments. She bares all, for us all to see, and has such creative approaches to her writing. Not to mention a great sense of humor. Wishing her the best in her post IUI 2 ww.

Pundelina Kafoops Lives Here: Pundelina is from down under and was recently given the sub-diagnosis badge I was given last spring by my former RE. Emphasis on former. I know she is struggling with what to do next (except that she got a free cycle out of the deal). Pundelina recently bestowed a blog award on me too, which I have been a slacker about. So I still owe her thanks!

(There are a lot of other great blogs out there that I have either just discovered, or am still connecting with. Adventures in Baby Getting, Maredsous ( I really miss your posts) and Lucky Jones @ Happy High Heels....I still don't have access to yours!)

And then there's me. I am a classically trained musician who got a degree in communications/journalism and a semi-obscure foreign language. I have also picked up Mr. W's native tongue and hope to get my MBA one of these days. I spent 10 years in corporate management and marketing in the cosmetic industry, followed by the last 10 years working for myself, and I hope the next 10 years will bring our dreams of a winery project to fruition. After paying off Mr. W's medical school, travelling in 14 countries, building Mr. W's medical practice and a vacation home, we finally got our shit together enough to try to have a kid or two. That was 7 years ago. And now, after 17 years of marriage and after the hell that is IF, it looks like we're having three!