A couple movies

We rotated some of Alice's toys recently (keep half in the garage, half out for playing, and switch them up every so often) and rediscovered the Hippity Hop. The Barneys gave it to her when we were at their house last New Year's Eve. It didn't take long for Alice to get going again...and run into a few things:

Robert can sit up by himself! What a feat! What a change! What a happier boy! What a happier mom!

(I stopped the video 2 seconds too soon. He fell backwards at the end and cried inconsolably for 10 minutes. Note to self: uh, figure something out to help this kid calm down after painful situations. Alice liked a pacifier. Robert, well, gags on them.)

Anyway, now that he's sitting independently, life with two kids gets a little easier.

1) They bathe together without any extra equipment. Less mess. Big babies are great, but they come with their own set of difficulties. For example, a 23-pound baby doesn't get held as much as a smaller baby. Sad, but necessary. He's too big for the clothes and equipment that usually suit a baby of his age. I like 5-month-olds in rompers, but they don't make many rompers for 18-month-olds, which is the size Robert wears these days. He's way too big for the baby bath, but incapable of supporting himself in the sink or big tub...until now.

2) When sitting on the floor, his toys fall easily within sight and within reach. Less frustration.

3) He plays well for a few minutes in one room while I pop in and out doing other things. Less lugging. He's as big as a 1-year-old, which means he doesn't get held much unless we're stationary :( And I don't like to be stationary when there's a whole house full of work to do.

4) On my lap, on the bench nearby, or on the floor, he's stable enough for me to free up TWO hands to assist Alice (or to do something else entirely *gasp*). Two hands! I didn't realize how much I missed that small degree of independence until suddenly it was restored.