This last week (or so) my waking thoughts have been consumed by Baby MPB’s car seat.
When we were in the USA we bought a Graco as we needed one that USA certified. Of course, it didn’t meet Canadian standards, so we left it with someone down there to donate to a charity (if they could). Without knowing it at the time, I really liked it. It seemed to fit Baby MPB and we never had any issues with it when we were driving thousands of miles.
When we got home we happily accepted a good friend’s free bucket seat. Her baby just grew out of it so we know that is well within its expiration limit and it was accident free. It’s totally safe, according to all government regulations and requirements. But, now that we’ve used it for a little while and even though it saved Baby MPB in the recent trip and fall, I’ve decided I absolutely HATE it. It’s really heavy. It’s bulky and hard to carry. But, mostly I hate it because I don’t like how Baby MPB sits in it. His head falls forward constantly. I’m petrified that he cannot breath while we were driving. We’ve tried every possible head cradle thing. We’ve also tried every possible way to adjust how it sits without our vehicles to prevent a forward tilt. I’ve asked my friend. And, other then me driving with one hand holding his head up properly (which clearly isn’t an acceptable solution) we cannot seem to make this car seat fit in our vehicles correctly. I’m sick of worrying about this constantly and I know I’ll never forgive myself if something should happen. So, I just want to solve this problem once and for all. And I want to solve it now.
So, we are looking at buying yet another car seat – our third one already! I see our options as:
- Buy another bucket seat and 2 car bases. This offers us the ease of movement as we can just pick up Baby MPB as we go from house to car to stroller for stores. But, it feels like a complete waste of money to buy one that he’ll grow out of soon. I will admit I haven’t done my research on which one to get if we are going to get one because I don’t see this as a good long term option right now.
- Buy 2 convertible car seat now, one for each vehicle. We know we eventually want a Britax ClichTight Marathon/Boulevard/Advocate. And, when installed rear facing starts they all start at 5lbs. So, Baby MPB will fit this now as he’s over 5lbs. But, how do you decide which one of the three styles to buy? The Advocate is the “best” so I’m guessing we will just get that one at a whopping price of $550 CAD. But, then we lose the ease of movement because we will no longer have a bucket. We have a used BOB stroller for running once Baby MPB’s neck control gets better, but it’s way too big for my car. So we will need a decent stroller that works well without a bucket, which will be at least a few hundred more dollars. So I’m thinking about the UPPAbaby G-Luxe as I’ve tried a friends, her’s is a few years old now and has survived a week at Disney Land so I’m confident it’s built well. And it’s light weight, and compact for my car.
So, my first question is why doesn’t money just grow on trees? Then we could just buy the very best and not even think about it, and if it doesn’t work then we could just try another one of the very best without worry. But alas, that’s not reality. And it frustrated me beyond belief how many things we’ve tried (i.e. bottles, bottle warmer, bassinet) that haven’t worked for us which means we’ve just wasted money. The frugal (and broke) side of me is sick of constantly burning through money quicker then we can seem to earn it.
So, then my next question is why the heck are these decisions so difficult?? Why are there 5000 types of car seats and 5001 types of strollers? And why are there 500,000 reviews of each one available online? How can a parent possibly make the right decision with so many options and so many reviews on each and every single thing?
Now, in all seriousness, does anyone have any advice? Has anyone else used the convertible seat with a young child, how did you find not having a bucket? And, which convertible Britax have people purchased and why? There seems to be very little difference between the three except for advanced side impact collision technology and seat width.
If you like this post, please feel free to share and please click the follow button on the side or return to myperfectbreakdown.com to follow my journey.
Today is a day I reserve solely for remembering my mom and sister. It has now been 19 years since they were killed. An anniversary no-one should have to acknowledge, but yet is deeply ingrained in my heart and my very being.
Yet, this year is different then any of the past years. I find myself struggling with my emotions and my words just are not coming to me. I miss them with every ounce of my being.
This year I acknowledge just how deeply impacted my entire life has been since I lost my mom and sister when I was 14 years old. I’ve survived the grief, but it has taken an immeasurable toll on my entire life. And so, I am going to say a silent prayer hoping that my son never has to experience the loss of a parent or a sibling while he is still just a child. No child should ever have to experience such a loss, and I desperately hope for my son’s sake that he never does.
Yet, I also realize, the timing or life and death is something I cannot not control. No matter how much I wish and hope and try to protect my son from this kind of hurt and trauma, it is not something I can control. I know that life can end in an instant. I know that there are no guarantees. Should someone miss a stop sign, life can end in an instant just as it did for my mom and sister. Hell, a meteor could fall from the sky tomorrow and the entire planet could be obliterated. There just are no guarantees.
So, while I miss my mom and sister every single day, I also know just how important savoring each moment is.
And now as a mother to a living child, I have a new perspective that I have not had on previous anniversaries. This year my focus seems to be on the fact that not only was my innocent childhood destroyed, but so were the lives my mom and sister were leading. At 15, my sister died too young – she never had the opportunity to have a first part-time job, graduate high school, go to university, become a mom or become an Auntie. And my mom never got to watch her children grow to be adults. She never got to cheer us on at our high school graduations, or help plan our weddings with us or meet her grandchildren. As a family, we missed out on so many things that we should have been able to take for granted. I refuse to lose sight of this.
And so I am determined to rejoice in the moments I have with my family. I am so incredibly fortunate to have an amazing husband and the most adorable son. I realize today just how fortunate I am to be able to watch him grow and learn. I have the opportunity to cheer him on and support him as he experience his life milestones. I hope with everything in me that I am able to experience a lifetime of them.
If you like this post, please feel free to share and please click the follow button on the side or return to myperfectbreakdown.com to follow my journey.
My Perfect Breakdown 