Chez Miscarriage is the anonymous counterpart to Dooce in the world of parenting blogs. Hers was an infertility blog, and as such, she defined the category. Unlike many well-known bloggers, she kept all personal details out of the blog, "first and foremost, out of respect for my husband's discomfort with the very idea of blogging our story, but also so that I would feel free to write honestly about potentially incendiary topics." As she continued on her blog journey, things got heated - in her life and in the commentary on her blog. And she remained anonymous, and she writes that she could be anyone in your neighborhood or your office, but "Looking at me, you wouldn't know that I lost so many pregnancies.  You wouldn't know that after my first IVF cycle failed, I lay on the floor, pierced through with sadness and loss.  You wouldn't know that every time I underwent another surgery, I'd ask the doctor to anesthetize me completely, so that I wouldn't wake up with any more bad memories."

What you would know, of course, is that she has a baby boy. You might not know the baby was born through gestational surrogacy, or that this “tired woman in sweatpants” lit so many important fires in the blogging community, and brought new compassion to the plight of infertile couples everywhere. I know I’ll never say the “wrong” things, or look at conception, in the same way again.

What I will do is say thank you to Getupgrrl for putting yourself out there - even if it was anonymously - for us all to learn through your long, painful, and ultimately joyful experience. And as she says, “those of us who have struggled to become parents don’t resemble the absurd media stereotypes in any way…  We’re anyone.  We’re your next door neighbor, your college roommate, your sister, your best friend.  We’re ordinary people who have been unwillingly thrown into circumstances that demand extraordinary courage.  And ultimately, that’s the only thing we all share in common - our bravery.” Thanks for being brave. [via crazedparent]