The new "New Moms" thread!

[Tiggerlover91]

What do you mean it's not LATCH compatible? Did a web site say that? Because I have two, and they definitely are LATCH compatible- they come with special LATCH connectors. My car has LATCH and we use it, DH's car does not have LATCH, so we install it with the seatbelt- both are VERY secure.

I think the Diplomat has nice features, but you couldn't go wrong with a Roundabout either!

Ah thank you! No website I've gone to says it's latch compatible. So that works well to hear that from you. That's unusual they wouldn't mention it. Thank you. I'm going to stick with the Diplomat as it has side impact protection.

 

[beckmrk04]

Feeding issues.


I can't get my kid to eat veggies. Period.

When we first started solids, she did great. Anything you gave her, whe would eat. But now that she's feeding herself finger foods, she won't eat veggies. Not corn, green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes- those are the main ones I have tried. I even try to feed her baby food veggies, thinking it might be a texture issue, but nope- she clamps her mouth shut tight.

She eats fruit- bananas, kiwis, and strawberries are her favorites. She loves chicken, aka "chi chi chi," and most meats. She loves scrambled eggs with cheese. But I can't get her to eat veggies, unless I sneak them in.

SO- mommies, any tips or tricks? Or a special way to prepare veggies that your kids love? Because I need some help here. Or ideas. Or assurance that she'll turn out ok even if she doesn't eat her veggies right now.

 

[beckmrk04]

Ah thank you! No website I've gone to says it's latch compatible. So that works well to hear that from you. That's unusual they wouldn't mention it. Thank you. I'm going to stick with the Diplomat as it has side impact protection.

You'll be very happy with it!! They are easy to install either way.

And V used to HATE her graco infant seat- she cried in the car all the time. But now she always seems happy and comfy!

 

[ashjohnson80]

my marathon came in today. i'm trying to figure out how to install it. anyone know if you can use the latch with rear facing? I'm so confused.

 

[RadioNate]

my marathon came in today. i'm trying to figure out how to install it. anyone know if you can use the latch with rear facing? I'm so confused.

yes you can use the lower anchors, just like you would for an infant seat.

 

[beckmrk04]

Yes, Ash, you can use either LATCH or seatbelt with either REAR or FORWARD facing installation, but they use different methods to install- I reccommend reading the instruction manual, cover to cover, twice (ok- it took me that long to figure it out, maybe you'll do better!! lol)

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

We ended up going in to the local police dept to have them check our carseat installation because I was convinced it wasn't secure enough the way DH had it in. (yes, I was right, but we don't mention that... )

The officer who checked our car attended some sort of training to get certified in car seat installation checks, and we called to make an appointment to come in and meet with her. She confirmed that our seat was installed incorrectly, and said it was a common mistake and they estimate that as many as 85% of car seats are installed wrong.

So I strongly enourage you to give your local police dept. a call and see if they have a similar program if you're not 100% confident that the seat is in correctly. I've heard that car dealerships also have people trained to check carseats. Once Owen's ready for our Britax, we'll be going back in to have the police officer help us install it! It's free, by the way, and well worth our time!

 

[beckmrk04]

Bethany- we did the same thing! The fire dept. in a nearby town has two guys certified in car seat installation, so they taught us how to install our seat properly. It was a free service and definitely helped!

You can go to this website http://www.seatcheck.org/ and type in your zipcode to find every certified car seat installation place in your area.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Bethany- we did the same thing! The fire dept. in a nearby town has two guys certified in car seat installation, so they taught us how to install our seat properly. It was a free service and definitely helped!

You can go to this website http://www.seatcheck.org/ and type in your zipcode to find every certified car seat installation place in your area.

Isn't it awesome that they do this? I felt sooooo much better after we had someone check our car seat, and it was great getting to see someone install it the right way!

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Vaccines- I also HIGHLY reccommend Dr. Sears' vaccine book. Finally, a book with rational, unbiased information. I was very worried about our vax schedule, and my ped is pro-vax but very accommodating to my questions and ideas. So, I ordered the book as soon as it was released and read it cover to cover. And you know what? It made me feel so much better and less worried/anxious about the whole thing. So, I decided to go ahead with my ped's schedule (regular vax schedule), and it has been fine. Developmentally, Vaylie is way ahead, so I wasn't worried about those issues, and she hasn't had a bad reaction to her shots yet (just the regular fever, irritability, fussiness sort of stuff). But, no matter what you decide to do, this book will help you make a decision that feels right for your child!

And I bought my BOB Revolution Stroller (REI has them on sale for $289 this week- they are normally $359). SO, I took my yard sale funds (we made $300!) and bought my stroller. And Oh. My. Gosh. I wish I had bought this in the beginning. I LOVE it. I could go on and on for days about it. It folds so easily it's unbelievable, it takes literally zero effort to push, it rides over cracks in sidewalks and over my crappy roads with no problems, it is no heavier than my horrible travel system stroller (which I sold at the yard sale), it fits in my tiny car's tiny trunk.... Love, love, love it. I'm done with all other strollers.

Vaylie is 14 months now. She's still tiny, tiny (barely past 20 lbs). But she's walking/running all over, and has so many words already! Of course, some of them only we know, such as "gog" = "dog", and "guck" translates into "cup" and "wa-wa" means "phone" somehow. It's too cute. As for the paci thing, my kid is addicted to her pacis. She'll literally have one in her mouth, and one in each hand, and she juggles them around, takes the purple out, puts the pink in for a taste, takes the pink out, puts the yellow in for a second, and over and over it goes. She's like a little wine conniseur, only with pacifiers instead of wine. "Hmmmm, good aroma, nutty aftertones, fruity top notes, excellent vintage of silicone, wonderful mouth-feel..."

How cute!!! Grayson loves his paci, too, and my other 2 barely ever had them, and outgrew them at 2 months.

I'm a big fan of Dr. Sears, and I've seen the delayed vax schedule- but I think I definitely need to get the vax book.

You'll be very happy with it!! They are easy to install either way.

And V used to HATE her graco infant seat- she cried in the car all the time. But now she always seems happy and comfy!

When did you make the switch? I had planned on keeping Grayson in his infant bucket as long as possible, just because it's so convenient, especially if he falls asleep. But sometimes, I can already see him getting frustrated when he's wide awake and happy and doesn't want to be in that lounging position. We already have the convertible, so we could switch at any time, if we had to, but I'm hoping thats MONTHS away!

 

[beckmrk04]

We switched right after she turned 6 months old, I think. We waited until she could sit really well on her own so we'd be able to sit her in a high chair when we went out. PLus that thing got heavy to lug around!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

We switched right after she turned 6 months old, I think. We waited until she could sit really well on her own so we'd be able to sit her in a high chair when we went out. PLus that thing got heavy to lug around!

I'm getting ready to order Mo's car seat and was wondering the same thing. He sits up, but leans over rather quickly and just stays there! When I shop at Walmart I don't want to have to worry about him leaning on that nasty shopping cart and trying to put his mouth on it. Although, I will be buying one of those buggy covers. He's about to outgrow his infant carrier in 5 more pounds and about 2 more inches. I just want him to be safe. If his feet are touching the seat of the car, should I switch him soon?

 

[kellyf2626]

I think we put Brady in his Britax seat at 5 months....he was just too long for the infant seat, and too heavy to carry!!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

I think we put Brady in his Britax seat at 5 months....he was just too long for the infant seat, and too heavy to carry!!

Yep, Mo is getting there Kelly. The FIRST thing I do upon arriving at Walmart is get the buggy to the car. At Publix sometimes I have to walk in to the store and get a buggy because they clear their parking lot more, and I often have to carry Mo in with both hands. What did you consider too long? I mean his whole foot doesn't touch the seat and Charles did adjust the base. Since then, his feet have come off the seat a little. How well was Brady sitting up by 5 months?

 

[Tiggerlover91]

WOW!!! That car seat on Amazon just went up $14 in one day!!! I better order it now before it goes up again!!

 

[RadioNate]

I used to be one of those car seat techs you guys mentioned before and feet legnth isn't an issue.

When I was still certified there had not been any cases of feet/leg damage from rear facing.

My DS refaced in a Marathon until he was nearly 3 years old and he was always in the 97% for height.

Maggie is still in her infant carrier but I'll likely move her to a rear facing convertible seat when she can sit up independently. She'll stay rear facing until she reaches 30lbs or so regardless of age. I think I'm going with The Boulevard for her. I just need to decide on which cover I want. I'm shallow like that, lol.

 

[kellyf2626]

Yep, Mo is getting there Kelly. The FIRST thing I do upon arriving at Walmart is get the buggy to the car. At Publix sometimes I have to walk in to the store and get a buggy because they clear their parking lot more, and I often have to carry Mo in with both hands. What did you consider too long? I mean his whole foot doesn't touch the seat and Charles did adjust the base. Since then, his feet have come off the seat a little. How well was Brady sitting up by 5 months?

Brady's feet were kinda hanging touching the bottom of the seat...not completely hanging off, but getting close. He wasn't really sitting up well when we first put him in the Britax seat. So it was kinda a pain for a month or so not having the infant seat to go shopping with. If I needed to use a cart, I would put him in the Baby Bjorn. Or...if I was shopping in a store like Kohl's or something, I would just stick him in the stroller, and balance stuff on-top! Now he is a pro at sitting up... We got a KozyPal shopping cart cover and it is AWESOME. So big and soft - you can pick your own fabric and everything! Everyone always comments on it when we are out. And it fits on a high-chair really well in restaurants. It comes with a pillow, and you can even add a drink-holder to it! Love it!! The site is kozypalcartcovers.com

 

[ashjohnson80]

Bethany- we did the same thing! The fire dept. in a nearby town has two guys certified in car seat installation, so they taught us how to install our seat properly. It was a free service and definitely helped!

You can go to this website http://www.seatcheck.org/ and type in your zipcode to find every certified car seat installation place in your area.

aww man, there are no safety checks in my town. That stinks. I think I got it figured out finally.

 

[ashjohnson80]

WOW!!! That car seat on Amazon just went up $14 in one day!!! I better order it now before it goes up again!!

Yeah I had a babycenter coupon and I didn't get right on it and it expired the day before I bought the carseat. so I just got mine from albeebaby.com. Really fast shipping, free shipping, and most of them are on sale right now.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Yep, Mo is getting there Kelly. The FIRST thing I do upon arriving at Walmart is get the buggy to the car. At Publix sometimes I have to walk in to the store and get a buggy because they clear their parking lot more, and I often have to carry Mo in with both hands. What did you consider too long? I mean his whole foot doesn't touch the seat and Charles did adjust the base. Since then, his feet have come off the seat a little. How well was Brady sitting up by 5 months?

Denise- I believe they outgrow their seats in length, not by the legs, but by when there is less than 1" left of HARD shell above their head at the top.