Montreal & babies

I’ve been sloooow in blogging about our 24 hours in Montreal and would probably skip it, but I need advice!! We went to Montreal and ended up going… nowhere but the hotel. So next time, I want to have a list of shops and sites and a PLAN so I don’t get stuck again. Please post any can’t-miss places in the comments! The one place I realllly wanted to go was Nota Bene, but we missed the open hours.

We did get a lovely visit in with Annie, Pierre, and baby Olive – it was so, so nice to sit around and talk with friends. It was too cold for the baby to be out and about, so we ended up going back to our hotel room. The room had a little sitting area, and we ordered drinks and dinner from room service – no worries about the baby getting fussy, but with the feeling of “going out.” It was perfect.

It also really drove home how I haven’t made any friends yet here in Vermont outside of coworkers and family – I know that sounds RIDICULOUS since we’ve been here over a year, but working an hour from home and commuting means we don’t really want to hang out in the town we work in or go out after work. Plus, being married & older without kids (me, not Sean) is basically like being a unicorn in Vermont.

22 Comments

  1. Umm, I can’t help you with Montreal (was there only once, and I was 14)… but if you ever come to Holland let me know and I’ll give you tips.
    I really feel you, and I hope this fertility struggles will be over soon. My cycle is clockwise regular (always every 26 days), and this month I was late 5 days. We were *almost* certain and too afraid to actually believe it… and then, again, nothing.
    I often think of you (actually I kind of got excited with the title of your post), but I really do hope magic will happen to you soon.
    Also… happy holidays. And all the best for 2013

    1. I’m 26 days too! Maybe this month was just weird, I’m sorry your hopes were for naught as well.

      And I didn’t mean to make you think the wrong thing with the post title! There is a baby, just not mine. 😉

  2. Sorry to hear about your frustrations and struggles. Wishing you the best 2013. And, hey! You are going to one of my favourite cities! So many amazing things to see and do.

    Ideas: Plateau/Mile End wanderings, Aux Vivres for vegan diner deliciousness, Au Pied de Couchon for Quebecois comfort food (heavy on the meat, though but rightfully famous) and wonderfully transportive ambiance, and my favourite brewery Dieu du Ciel for microbrew, including Aphrodisiaque and Pepper Rye. The other things I know are more Summer-related.

    1. Thank you! I think we won’t go back until spring at least – we tried to walk Mile End and the cold was SO biting we just hightailed it back to the car. So summer stuff is most welcome!

      1. The outdoor “beer gardens” are fun, surrounded by old ivy-clad buildings. Mont Royal. Nighttime street festivals. Everything I think of involves beer and meat, as I was hanging out with men and Montreal does it up in this department!
        Aw, I want to go back now!

    2. I lived in Montreal for a while and I would like to second all of these recommendations!

      And add:

      Marche Jean-Talon
      Parc Lafontaine
      The street fares on St. Laurent get tiresome but are always fun for a night – nothing beats drinking on a patio in Montreal in the summer.

      Montreal is a lot of fun in the summer. Everyone is so happy to get outside after the winter and there is just a great buzz.

  3. I read your blog often, but comment infrequently….We tried for 2 years, only to end up with a miscarriage at 19 weeks, then fibroid surgery and a lot of time spent waiting until we had the go ahead to start trying again. (And, Dr recommended no birth control during this time, so it was a funny feeling to have to use condoms as a mid 30’s married woman) 😉

    Another 2 years have now elapsed (4+ years total), and we were recently blessed with another pregnancy. And I’ll tell you what helped me…I had an HSG just before my last, and also most recent pregnancy. Have you had one? Perhaps its worth a try. Also, here I am at 36, also getting the age talk from my OB :)

    I understand the struggles, and the hurts, and everything that goes along with it….embrace your hope, even when you feel at your worst. Many blessings for magic and light in the newest year.

    1. I just had the HSG Friday – I had to DEMAND it – they’d done the saline bubble test but not the HSG. Everything looks perfect, but I am hoping it helps!

      I had fibroid surgery in Dec 2009, but have had the all clear and no reoccurrence, so we just wait…

      Are you pregnant now?! Congrats!!

      1. I also had to demand mine – silly isn’t it?! My Dr had said it was very unlikely I would get pregnant naturally, and recommended I get in touch with a fertility doctor. I instead requested an HSG, and less than 4 weeks later we were pregnant naturally! Best of luck.

        I also got a little pack of ovulation/preg test strips which were really helpful. :)

        1. Oh that is so lucky @goldenpoppy.
          We are in a more or less similar boat… 2 years trying, all the tests perfect, no risk factors and still here.

          Tamera, I hope the HSG will work.

          I had it done, I had read it could help , but for me it didn’t at all, and all the fluid went in an out quite nice and fast, no obstructions.

          It’s all a big mystery… I wish magic will come to all of us soon.

  4. Hi — I’ve never commented before, but I’ve enjoyed your blog lately. I know fertility struggles can be particularly hard this time of year, since it is so geared toward children. It can be so frustrating not to have answers. I hope your journey takes a new turn soon!

  5. oh, how I hate that false hope…
    It’s frustrating that the doctors push the age thing. At 39, I saw a doctor who made a big deal of it, only to tell me later that I had the hormonal profile of a 20-year-old. I finally had this baby when I was 41. Unexplained infertility is so incredibly frustrating because, well, there’s no reason; no one thing to fix or accept.

    I went to Montreal 10 years ago and kept running in to Andie Macdowell at Mont Royal Park. She’s pretty in person, too!

  6. Happy belated birthday! Sorry about not having answers, yet<3

    I have only been to Montreal once (albeit for a month). It was so long ago, I have forgotten where I went. I do remember buying an incredible Finnish printed dress at the Value Village for pennies, which I still own:)

  7. So sorry about your huge letdown. Hope can be vicious, but sometimes all that we have. Hope you get good news soon. What gorgeous photos – I’d love to spend this time of year in winter one day!

  8. I don’t know if I ever told you about my mom? She also had unexplained infertility (I am not sure how much was explained at that time, but was 30 and tried for 6 years on and off) then HSG and was pregnant with me in a matter of weeks.

    I hope for this so hard for you and Sean.

  9. Sorry about your rough birthday, I have been there and know how hard it is to stay positive. We tried for two years for our second (due in March), I don’t know if it was the ovulation testing every day or the special lube, but it will happen for your family.
    Keep sharing the beauty and life around you, we all appreciate it.

  10. 2012 was a big big year of adjustment and transition for you with the move, et al. i feel like there are special things ahead for 2013.

    also, aw. pierre and i still talk about that evening. i wish the trip hadn’t been such a bust, shops + wander wise, but for cozy friend times it was definitely a big success! <3

  11. Unexplained infertility SUCKS. Having just had a very hopeful holiday season (just following an HSG, wahey!), my period came on New Year’s Day. Never mind. Here’s to 2013 anyway. It will bring what it will bring, and may there be plenty joy inbetween times regardless of the state of occupancy of uteri.

  12. Sadie and Abby’s suggestions are excellent! I live right by Jean Talon market so I always recommend it – it’s one of the most magical places to wander around from spring to fall. But then half of my favourite experiences of this city revolve around food! Here are a few other suggestions:

    – A walk up Mont Royal is a must. It’s beautiful at any time of year – even in winter! The viewpoint from the top is wonderful and you can see tobogganing and skating in winter, or bring a picnic in summer. For extra entertainment go on a Sunday to see the TamTams (a big group of hippies drumming and dancing) and the LARPers (there’s a group there every Sunday).
    – The Old Port is touristy, but worth a stroll. Poke your head into the Notre Dame Basilica for a taste of the old, religious Quebec!
    – Food! Sooooo many good restaurants, too many to name. Lawrence (contemporary french/british cuisine), L’express (classic french bistro, open very late), Joe Beef (contemporary quebecois – reserve in advance!), and Le Chien Fumant are a few of my faves, but there are tons. I also like Byblos Cafe for brunch (the feta omlette is to die for).
    – Take a stroll along St-Viateur. Eat some freshly baked bagels. Buy a very very strong espresso from Cafe Olympico. Do some shopping.
    – Come for a festival! The Jazz Fest is the most popular one, but there are many others. Pop Montreal is in the fall and there are so many good bands playing! Plus the ambiance at the festivals is really great on a hot summer day.
    – The Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée d’Art Contemporain always have great shows.

    Hope that helps for your next visit! :)

Leave a Reply