(So this actually happened a couple of months ago, I just forgot about it. )
When we went to P's 9 Month check-up we discovered that he was 1 lb and 1/2 inch away from out growing here car seat. I was Shocked! I mean, I knew he was big, but this was supposed to last the first year and that meant 3 more months!
It was time to go home from Christmas break so I frantically started searching for a safe, convertible car seat (one that can go forward & rear facing). It made me stress and car seats are one item I like to research thoroughly in regards to safety. We LOVED his first car seat. Super safe! Super easy to use! It was the best! I hated feeling rushed buying this new one before break, so we decided he could last one more trip in it.
When we got back I did my research and found this Gem:
Happy things about it, it is one of the safest, can hold heavier kids, can hold taller kids, and it was the second cheapest!! :) The reviews were great (I probably read about 50)! Such as "we were in a major car accident and everyone was injured except the baby in this seat". That sounds good enough for me!
It has taken a little while to get the hang of it. And I do miss the convenience of just pulling the whole seat out if P is still asleep, but it is working great! I am especially excited to switch it forward facing in just 3 weeks! YAY!
Here are a couple of Pictures of how much he has grown and why we needed a new seat!
The day we came home from the Hospital
Wow! That doesn't even seem real!
Was he really that small!!
And here he is now, far too big for this car seat!
(Note: you might notice the pattern is different, I forgot to take a picture of him in ours and our friends have the same car seat just different pattern, so we borrowed it for a picture :) Thanks Janneke!)
I Love my little Tank!!
And on a positive note, now I don't have to look for a new one for his birthday!
Comments
And your prego pics are way cute! Isn't it interesting how different you can carry your babies? Kamryn was MUCH higher in me than this little guy! He is SOOO much lower! They say that you can't really tell differences with gender in pregnancies...but I don't know if I totally agree! :0) haha lol
Sorry so long, but I found this very helpful. I found out I didn't have any idea about car seat safety.
Please watch these videos and protect your children, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Please...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRP7ynNI8mI
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3674114
Ten Basic Rules:
* Kids 12 and under should ALWAYS ride in the back seat. This cuts their risk of death by 36%.
* Kids should be in a carseat or booster until they can be seated properly in a seatbelt. For most kids, this is around 8 years old or 4' 9" tall, but proper seatbelt fit is the most important factor.
* Never place a rear-facing carseat in the front seat when there is an active frontal airbag.
* Keep your baby rear-facing as long as possible. That can mean up to 30, 33 or 35 pounds in most current convertible seats unless they outgrow it by height first.
* All current car seats pass government safety standards. Select the one that best fits your child, your vehicle and your budget. Some models do have different features; select one that has the features that will allow you to use it correctly EVERY trip.
* Always read the owners manuals for your vehicle and carseat thoroughly. They often contain specific information about carseat installation that may not be obvious. Some models may vary from what you would expect.
* Make sure that the harness fits snugly on your child, the carseat fits snugly in your vehicle, and that your vehicle seatbelts are locked properly.
* When you buy a carseat, make sure you have a good return policy in case it doesn't fit or in case you find you don't like it. Have your seat inspected by a certified technician for free at a checkup event or fitting station.
* Please be wary of used carseats, especially those over 6 years old, those with an unknown history that may have been in a crash, those that show any form of cracks or damage, and those with missing labels, model number, manufacturing date, instructions or parts.
* Please give driving your complete, unimpaired attention and wear your own seatbelt all the time. These two simple steps are among these easiest ways you can protect yourself and your passengers from injury or death.
More information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo&NR=1
http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/
http://www.joelsjourney.org/ViewJoelsvideo.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2LFo8vVi04
P.S. The comment that got deleted was me. I wrote a comment and published it before I realized it was under my husband's account, so I deleted it and re-did it under mine. ;-)