Big Girl Seat

Well, we did it. We FINALLY got Emily a new carseat. Can we all say, YAY!! (I think I hear some cheers!)

Yes, it took us awhile, but we wanted to do our research - and we did ALOT - to make sure we got a safe and secure seat for our little munchkin. Thankfully, our Chicco infant car seat holds up to 30 lbs (instead of 22 lbs), which gave us a little wiggle rom and time to decide (since our big girl had already passed the 22 lbs mark!).

We decided on the Britax Boulevard CS seat (highly recommend!) and installed it on the big girl's birthday. It was an exciting time for all of us, but mostly for me as I couldn't wait to have my toddler sitting up, facing forward, and looking out the windows (!!) after many months of laying back (which is not a happy position for her) and being rear facing.

Now you may be thinking that we are jumping the gun on turning our 1 year old around when the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recently recommended keeping toddlers rear facing for 2 years (up from their recent standard of 1 year...by the way, the law requires 1 year, so we're legal!). And I agree; safety is number one in our house. However, I firmly believe that the AAP did not perform their tests in Texas where it is impossible to keep a toddler cool in the summer when they are rear facing. With that in mind, and the additional facts that my driving radius is fairly small and I consider myself a good driver, we took the plunge and turned her around.

And let me tell you....this has changed our whole car ride experience! What a difference! In this last week since the 'big changes' Emily now gets very excited to 'go in the car.' It's great for me as I can turn around and see her....and she loves now being able to watch the world outside the windows. It's a win-win!

Life is grand being 1 and sitting in a big girl seat!

First time in her seat on her birthday