MOVIN' ON UP

While both kids still had room to grow in their current carseats, we decided to move them up. Why? Because our sweet tax return allowed us to buy the bigger convertible carseat we've been eyeing for James for some time now: the Britax Boulevard 70! Cora currently weighs somewhere around 20 lbs and is who-knows how many inches long, but her head is quickly nearing the top of her infant bucket-style carseat. The Chicco Keyfit 30 may go to 30 lbs and 30 inches, but it can't be used once the baby's head is within an inch of the top. And since we never carry her around in it anyway, not even in and out of daycare anymore, we figured now was as good a time as any to move her up into James' Britax Diplomat, which he's been in since he turned 9-months-old. The Diplomat is rated for rear-facing up to 35 lbs and 39 inches (it's a smaller version convertible carseat that is no longer on the market), so it should fit Cora for a long time. And since the Boulevard goes rear-facing to 40 lbs and 49 inches, and James is currently 31.5 lbs and somewhere over 36 inches, he should last rear-facing in it for a LONG time. I can't even imagine how old and grown-up he will be when he gets that big, but I don't care. We're aiming for at LEAST 3-years-old. Since the new AAP recommendation (2011) is to keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible ("until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat"), we're in no hurry to turn him around. Not that this recommendation is "new", really. We've been following it for the past 26.5 months with James. The AAP's previous statement (2002) cited the same recommendation (to keep kids rear-facing to the limits of their carseat), but it also cited 12-months and 20 lbs as the MINIMUM to turn kids forward-facing, which confused a lot of parents and caregivers, so they clarified, while also increasing the minimum age for forward-facing to 2-years instead of 1-year.

The bonus of this switcheroo was that the Diplomat got a good scrubbin' before we readjusted it for Cora! And we made the effort to move the carseats back into the Jetta, what with the rising gas prices, so we can save some money at the pump.

Before I sign off, I'm going to go ahead and take this opportunity to share a few more carseat safety links with you. Especially for all the first-timers we know becoming parents this year. Click here to learn why carseats expire (it's TRUE). Click here to see some of the most commonly made carseat mistakes (the biggest ones I see on a VERY regular basis are harness straps that are too loose and seats that aren't installed tightly enough). And finally, click here to watch a demonstration of how to correctly buckle your infant into their carseat. If you have any questions, please ask somebody. The most dangerous thing you will ever do with your child is drive them around in a car - please be sure you are doing everything you can to keep them as safe as possible.