It's Time to Update the Car Seat

My Big-Girl Livvy is moving on up. In the car seat world that is! My girlfriend and I don't usually put both the babies in the car together, but yesterday we decided to carpool to the farmer's market. When I went to pull my base out of her car the big WARNING sticker was staring me square in the face...as in "Hello?!? Get your act together, lady."


Almost made me feel like a careless mom for not realizing that Olivia needs to be in a bigger car seat - like NOW! I've been so wrapped up in when to turn her forward facing (more on that in a minute) that the thought of getting her into a convertible car seat never even crossed my mind. The labels says "for children under 22 pounds and 29 inches." As of Wednesday's doctor's appointment Olivia was 21.5 pounds and 29 inches. Thankfully I have half a pound to spare. Although with the way she eats, not for long. I guess I know what we'll be doing this weekend. I quickly called my friend and told her about the weight and height limits. She had no idea either.

I've been doing a little research on the car seat laws and child passenger safety laws and I thought I'd share with you what I found. I was under the impression that at one year or 20 pounds children could start facing front. But apparently, there's a new push to keep car seats rear facing for as long as possible. Some advocates are even encouraging parents to leave seats rear facing until the child is 4 years old. (I know, I know!) In my state there is no law on rear facing seats, but double check the laws in your state. At the very minimum children should be facing backwards until they are one year old and/or 20 pounds. Convertible car seats can, and should, be installed rear-facing. Child passengers should be in car seats until at least four years old or 40 pounds, but consult your state's laws. After that children move to a booster until 6-8 years old, again depending on the laws in your state.

Finally, did you realize you can get a free check to make sure your child's car seat is properly installed? It's a good idea since 75% of car seats are improperly installed. Find car seat inspection sites.


Car Seat Safety Resources

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
Advice from The Car Seat Lady

No Baby Blankets in the Crib...I Learned the Hard Way

I had the scare of my motherhood a few nights ago and I wanted to pass along the horror story to prevent all your hearts from stopping.


I usually put my daughter to bed and don't hear from her for about 11.5 hours...at 6:30 am. Well this particular night, I put her down, then went out. When I got back my husband said she had cried out. She only did it for a few seconds and then went back to sleep. She did this two more times before I went to bed around 10pm. I never check on her before I go to bed for fear opening the door might wake her. This night though something told me to look in on her. I think it was the weird outcries. I went into her room and when I found her in her crib I got hysterical. The blanket that I always lay over her when I put her to bed, was literally wrapped around her head and face like a turban. I yelled her name and tore the blanket off her head. Her hair was soaking wet from sweat. I grabbed her out of the crib and held her for a good 10 minutes as I rocked my sweet baby girl and tried to stop shaking. My husband ran into the room when I screamed not knowing I had even gone in there. When I finally settled down I put her back in the crib and she continued peacefully sleeping as if nothing was ever wrong. I, on the other hand, lay in bed for more than an hour thinking...what if? What if I hadn't been called to go in there? What if had overheated? What if she had suffocated? What if...

The blanket I promptly put in the top of the closet and decided she'd NEVER use a blanket again. (Why didn't I listen to the advice of the experts who say NO BLANKETS???...I thought she was cold.) Then I started thinking what I was going to do when the weather really does get cold. (I don't know why I didn't think of long, footed pjs right away, but whatever.) Anyway, last winter we were still swaddling her. But that wouldn't work now, for one her legs are way too long for the sleep sack and two there's no way she's sleep like a mummy again. That's when I discovered that they actually do make toddler size sleep sacks. You can also buy sleep sacks in light weight fabrics for summer time or if you think your baby gets too hot in a fleece sack. Whatever you do, avoid the blankets...I will be!