My daughter slept for a short while every 2-3 hours at that age, gradually developing into two naps a day. But she woke many times in the night, has never been great at sleeping through (she is now 3).
Like natalie, she is my first child and I was also on maternity leave so I had time to devote to her. When she was awake I'd feed her (breast-fed, and she fed a LOT!) or play with her. When she was asleep, I'd scurry around like a maniac doing chores or catching up on sleep (didn't get much sleep at night!). I used to carry her around with me in a sling until she got way too big. She always liked that as we were never out of each other's sight and I could talk and sing to her and still get on with some jobs whilst giving her attention - sometimes she'd fall asleep in the sling. I never liked leaving her on her own even for a moment, and she didn't like it either! Children are all different, and it's only now at aged 3 that she plays alone (talks with her teddies!) occasionally, but she's very sociable and prefers interaction with other people. I know other children even from a young age can happily amuse themselves.