I'm getting out there!

So things with Becca are going much better since I've layed off the control factor; she and I are much happier. She even slept for 5 hours last night! BUT...the big news is that Becca and I are getting out to socialize with friends and to make new ones!!! Yesterday we met up with two friends and their kiddos at a local park and hung out for 1 1/2 hours. Today was our big plunge: It was a bit like my first day of school but it went very well! Becca and I went to our first official playgroup with Big City Babies, a local playgroup for stay at home moms, and lasted 1 1/2 hours. I went online to look for playgroups so that I could start to meet some local stay at home moms with kiddos around Becca's age. I found a great website http://moms.meetup.com/cities/us/il/chicago/ and saw several playgroups that looked appealing. I have officially joined two of them, Big City Babies and New Mom Network Chicago Meetup Group, and am waiting to be let into a couple others. The playgroup was great! It was just what I'm looking for. The group was going to met at a local bakery (http://www.thebleedingheartbakery.com/) at 11am. Becca and I walked there, went into the bakery 5 minutes early, got a delicious scone (the "Take a Hike" scone is fabulous!) and then walked around the neighborhood for a bit--Becca was napping in the stroller, and I thought it was probably smart to honor her nap before we met up with everyone. We headed to the park when she woke up and I talked with several moms while Becca sat in my lap and played on a blanket. One mom in particular, I hit it off with. We have several things in common: she is a licensed social worker and used to work with kids in a local school district, she's a runner, and her daughter was born 2 weeks before Becca--it was great to talk to someone going through very similar things as us Joneses. (We even exchanged information!)

I have to say that I'm proud of myself for being proactive with getting Becca and I out there to meet new people...and super happy it went so well! Can't wait for my next playgroup meetup!