So here's the story.
My little guy is not so little. He is about 7 1/2 months old and tops the scale at about 22 pounds! Now, being the mama that I am, when I was researching infant carriers/car seats, I opted for the mega one, the one that carried a baby up to 30 pounds. Little did I know, that with a larger carrier that weighs a bit more than the average carrier, then add in a pretty hefty baby boy, you get a REALLY sore arm, back, knees...you name it, just from toting it all around from here to there, and everywhere in between. Also, with Jonah's size, we were having a hard time getting the harness to fit around him and his larger than normal build. This has obviously resulted in the purchase of a convertible car seat for him to graduate in to.
I looked around, and finally found one that seemed to have all of the features I was wanting, as well as look pretty cool. The Safety 1st All-in-1. I know, I know...there are many car seats out there that are far more stylish than the one I chose, but with price being a factor (and my mother being the purchaser ~ thanks mom!), I had to go with a more practical one. Of course, a more expensive and much cooler looking seat would have been nice, but I am find with what I am given, as long as Jonah's safety is not compromised in the midst of it all.
I figured, how hard could it be to install this seat? I can read directions and I am certainly not a complete idiot, so it'll be a piece of cake right? I DID read the directions, and I DID try all the
tricks to get it to be safe and snug. But it just wasn't working, and this Mama was going crazy trying to figure it all out. I tried to be responsible and informed, so I called the police station to ask about "who to talk to about assistance in installing my son's car seat", and the answer I got was "Oh, we don't do that." You've got to be kidding me. All us Mommy's have been told that if we have questions or concerns about the installation or safety of our child's car seat, that the local authorities were the ones with the answers. I called 3 different police stations in 3 different towns/cities. Not one of them offered nor helped me in finding someone to help me. I was totally shocked at how this type of situation was handled. I couldn't believe it! This situation makes me want to become a Certified Car Seat Inspector (I don't know if that is even possible, but still!), so I could offer my services to other mother's like me, and help them in something that is so vitally important.I am extremely lucky though. I emailed Arianne (who lives down the street from me) and asked her if either her and/or her husband could help me in getting the car seat put in properly. Being the amazingly sweet people that they are, the obliged and after dinner, I drove down the 4 houses away that they live, and got the help I needed. I got more information and knowledge from them than I was given by the police stations I called. Again, I am very lucky to have such people in my life.
Therefore, the seat is finally installed correctly. My Jonah with be safe and secure in his new "Big Boy" seat. We can all breathe a little easier.
*Sigh*
3 comments:
What a pain! Glad to help. :)
I would like to suggest that if you don't like this seat, you should go to K-mart and get the new Evenflo Triumph Advance for $116. It harnesses rear facing up to 35 pounds and forwar facing up to 50 pounds. Jonah being as big as he is will more than likely outgrow the safety first seat before he is old enough to use this carseat as a belt position booster (4 years and 40 pounds being the minimum requirement). Like I said, just a suggestion. And in the future, contact John Ryan of the Portage police department for car seat installs. Also, you can find information about car seat fitting clinics on the Porter hospital website. Just google it.
I also was going to suggest Porter Hospital, they have a program there for carseat safety with someone who comes out and makes sure your carseats are installed properly.
I am glad you were able to call a friend to help you out!
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