New Car Seat

Well, Starlet has finally out grown the carrier. The other night when I had her bundled up, I couldn’t loosen the straps anymore. They were as far as they could go. I had to take off a layer and cover her in blankets instead. It’s bittersweet, really.

On one hand, I hate lugging that big heavy old carrier around. And don’t even get me started about hoisting it up into the car. I swear. The carrier itself weighs 20 – lbs…actually, i looked it up and its only 9 lbs. Starlet weighs 16 lbs so the whole getup is around 25 lbs. YUCK!

On the other hand, I have the cutest car seat cover ever from my sweetest SIL, so Starlet truly looks like a star.

(Day 4 – How prissy is that??)

Also, there is something to be said about ease of transporting babies in carriers. I love my K’Tan, but just running in to grab Stunt Boy at school doesn’t really warrant putting the whole thing on.

Anyway, EP and I were talking the other night how we (ahem – I ) needed to start pricing and looking out for car seats. No sooner than we had the discussion a deal came up on my Google Reader from Baby Cheapskate for a Britax Marathon from Target $149.99. I almost always miss out on these deals because I either see them too late and they sell out or they end up being a pricing error and my order cancels. Also, with car seat deals in particular, sometimes the patterns are ugly or questionable. While Hannah isn’t my top pattern (I’m VERY minimal – i like simple solids), it wasn’t ugly.

Any mom researching car seats knows the Britax name. They are really great seats, period. Britax also carries a HEAFTY price tag. The car seat in question is usually $265! I would never spend that much on a seat. I think I top out at $200.

So, I ordered right away…I was even shaking — don’t tell me you don’t know that i-have-to-get-this-right-this-second feeling. I kept waiting to be cancelled but instead I got a shipped notice. YAY! Delivery date December 15th, but guess what showed up today?!?!?!

Stunt Boy really liked the box…

ohhhhh….what’s this???

Testing out the seat (its HUGE!)

Then of course we had to put it in the car…only bad thing is now I can’t see the mirror :-/ I even tried switching sides, but its too big!

We’ll have the seat for a LONG time as it seats children up to 65 lbs. I was hoping to eventually get both kids Nautilus car seats. SB LOVES his. But, Starlet has to be 20 lbs (which I guess is only 4 more lbs), so I’m planning on getting it for her first birthday. I’m thinking this beauty will eventually be in EPs car with the Fisher Price Safe Voyage (aka. Britax Marathon at a discount).

Now that I’m thinking about it. In 4 years I have purchased Evenflo Travel System, Evenflo Triumph (hate it!), Costco Scenra (for SBs sitter’s use), Safe Voyage, Nautilus, Marathon, –That about $800 in car seats….with one to go. I am NOT complaining. If ever there was something to spend your money on it would be a car seat, right???