Car Seats and Carrots

Teething Carrot
Originally uploaded by bendblock.

In search of Eleanor’s next car seat, I went to Toys R Us yesterday. For all of you who are not familiar with the intricacies of car seats, consider yourselves lucky. The car seat that Eleanor is currently using is what is called an infant car seat (it’s what you see new parents lugging around with a baby in it). It is made to face the rear of the car and hold a baby who weighs 20 pounds or less. Her next car seat will be what is called a convertible car seat, one that can face the front or the back.

So, I’ve been reading reviews, consumer reports, and basically anything that I can find about convertible car seats, trying to find what will work best for Eleanor and fit in our car. Obsessive? Yeah, a little. So, I had just about decided on one when I went to Toys R Us yesterday to look at it. Yesterday just so happened to be the one day of the month that the car seat safety guy from Children’s Hospital was at the store giving out free advice and information. After a fairly one sided, too long conversation, I wanted to wrap Eleanor in bubble wrap and never take her in a car…it’s just too dangerous. Child passenger safety is this man’s life. He was spitting out statistics about how many children died in car accidents daily, how many of those deaths could have been prevented by proper car seat usage, explaining how a babies head is like a basketball on a pencil, and generally inciting terror deep in the recesses of my newly maternal nature.

He did share some useful information, mainly that children should face the rear of the car as long as possible. Most convertible car seats can face the rear until the kid is 30 pounds. Mr. Car Seat Man advocated a seat that could face the rear until 35 pounds just because it could keep them facing the back longer. The reason for this is simple if you think about it. An infant/toddler has a head disproportionately large for their body. In event of a crash, the weight of the head continuing in motion puts a large strain on the neck if the kid is facing the front.

I left more confused than when I had entered. Did I want a car seat that would work as a booster seat as well? How many recline positions should I get? Should I take the advice of Mr. Car Seat Man and buy the Eddie Bauer 3-in-1 car seat that Eleanor will use for the rest of her life? Will that car seat even fit in our car? Sigh.

In other news, Eleanor has two (sharp) teeth on her bottom gum. She bit my finger yesterday and it hurt! We have yet to give her “real” food, except for this carrot. Oh, and I was eating a banana the other day and she acted like she wanted some, so I let her lick/suck on it. She has also learned how to roll quite well. I put her to bed last night and a few minutes later she was screaming. When I went in to check on her, she was on her tummy (she goes to bed on her back) and NOT happy with the arrangement.