Sitting Pretty

It was time. Barely.

According to the law, a child must be at least 1 year old AND 20 pounds before he or she may ride in a front-facing car seat.

We've had the new car seat for at least 4 months. I've been waiting and waiting to use it. It sat in her closet, taunting me. At the one year check-up, she had not made the weight. She was 18.5 pounds. Now, she gains about a pound a month. So here we are, 7 weeks after that appointment. I decided it was time. (Besides, I was tired of lugging her around in the "bucket".)

Our friend Rick helped Paul install the new seat. Top of the line Britax, which we bought used from Rick and Martha. Was clean, never been in an accident, and half the price of a new one.

Like any good and overly photo-obsessed parent, I captured the moment of the great switch.

Daddy sets her into the new car seat. She seems wary but interested.

He starts buckling her in. This is usually where she starts fussing but for some reason she was too distracted (by the camera) to bother fussing.


All set and ready to roll. "Have toy, will travel!"

And now, I present another comparison study. The top photo is the first time she went into her car seat when we brought her home from the hospital. The bottom photo was taken the day we put her in the new seat.

Quite a difference, isn't it?