Parallel and convergent paths

As well as crawling, in the past week or so Little Bro has worked out how to sit himself up and has started trying to pull himself up to a standing position. Both these achievements have meant that his cot's "side down" position, about a 30cm high barrier, is no longer safe, so after 10 months we've started to put the cot side up. It's a small change, but for me it's just one more reminder that he isn't the weeny baby we brought home from hospital!

Meanwhile, as fate would have it, this was the week that Big Bro decided he could climb out of his cot when the side is in the "up" position. So after two years of keeping the cot side up, Big Bro's cot side is now being kept down as a prelude to being removed. The funniest part is that when Big Bro made tested his new freedom after his nap today, rather than run out to me, my mum and the toys, he ran to B who was napping in bed, hopped in and slept for two more hours!

Also, thanks to Little Bro's mobility, the boys' brotherly relationship has developed to a point that are starting to be able to play together. Of course some of Little Bro's attempts aren't helpful- "Mama, he's breeeaaaking my train tracks" is now a common cry, but with less fragile playthings like a canvas tent or board books, the boys are now finding activities they both enjoy- with a lot of supervision and a few mishaps of course! I'm very pleased and excited with this development- perhaps even more so as I was (am?) an only child.

Today my excitement increased when for five minutes I watched them playing from the kitchen while finishing dinner and (gasp!) listening to the radio! Is this the first sign that one day I might have a little more time to myself? That's a nicer thought that the possibility that one day my boys won't need me so much... ;-)