We’re going to have to upsize the carseat soon. Which sucks, because I’m still not over the trauma of installing the first one.
We put the car seat bases in the vehicles at about Week 34. Not because we thought we would need them in the next few days, just because we were out of decent storage space in the house for 2 bases, a carseat and a stroller. Might as well put them in the vehicles, we figured.
Mother scratching LATCH system ’bout damn near killed me. I wrestled with the sumbitch for a LONG time. Finally, breaking a sweat, bruising my fingers and yelling the Lords name in vain loud enough I’m sure the entire neighborhood heard me (but Scout missed b/c he was vacuuming inside the house) I got the thing in there and secure as secure can be.
I came back inside, made Scout kiss my thumbs and index fingers that were red and annoyed at me from the abuse I put them through, and informed him that if he ever took that base out of my car for any reason other than needing to replace the carseat or the car itself, that I would divorce him and take all his beer.
We now live around the corner from a fire house, when we upsize to the new seat … I think I’m heading over there with big boobs and a helpless demeanor ….
34 Comments
Veronica
Oh yeah, I would so do the helpless female routine too.
We don’t have to have car seat bases here, instead the seat gets strapped with the seatbelt to keep the bottom stable and then straps get bolted to the back of the car to keep the top stable.
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Red
Sounds like a perfectly reasonable plan to me — you know the firemen would love to help 🙂
witchypoo
I’m curious. Why two bases?
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Missy
I COULD NOT get the base back out of my car with the latch system when we switched. Like you installing them, I was sweating, swearing, and my fingers were killing me, but I could not get it unlatched.
My husband came out and did it in about 10 seconds.
I recommend the firemen 🙂
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Jes
We always tightened the latch as tight as we could, then put all our weight in it and then latched it. it worked great every time and was pretty easy.
However, I would totally take advantage of the nice helpful firemen around the corner! Then you know it’s in there right too!
krissy
ugh…those car seat things are torture!
Put on a marilyn monroe dress and lay your hand over your forehead and really play it up!
And drink before putting it in! Drink a lot! And maybe smoke a cigarette or two! 🙂
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Ree
I’m with everyone else. Sashay your way over to the firehouse and bat those eyelashes. Normally, you know, I wouldn’t dare act the helpless woman, but right now, I’ve got paper cuts on two fingers and the thought of unlatching anything makes me hurt.
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jenni
I’ve done my best to put all my carseats in the right way, but I swear everytime I have a fireman check them, they are not in tightly enough, or the buckles are not tight enough around baby’s chest, or the seats are not level, etc.
It’s not a bad idea to have them check out the seat anyway.
One word of advice on getting the next size up- get one with a removable, washable cover. Some of the covers aren’t meant to be removed and the inevitable juice, milk, pee spills are a nightmare to clean.
LSM
Oh, yes, definitely go to the firehouse. What could be better than having the safety and well-being of your child as an excuse to check out all the hot guys there? Because hotness does seem to be a requirement for successfully completing the fire fighters academy. Would you believe that my children are so old now that we didn’t have the latching system with their carseats? We were just stuck with the “kneeling in the seat while simultaneously pulling the seatbelt as tight as possible” installation system. I also second the removable cover advice!
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janet
oh, you totally know that firemen are suckers for damsels in distress!!!!!
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Toni
Car seats and installing them suck. In every way.
Yes, I know they’re safe and required (& I do use them, of course).
Because of the trouble we had installing ours, my son has never ridden in anyone else’s car besides mine and my husbands. It is just not worth the hassle.
I think the firehouse is a swell idea!
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susiej
OH, I feel your pain. I want to the police station and they did it for me.
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VDog
Those Graco bases are a beyotch. We used the seatbelt for ours, since our middle seat(s) didn’t have LATCH.
2 cars = 2 bases (although I learned the beauty of just buckling in the seat too late — you can actually get it really snug w/o the base).
We ended up barely using our second base.
I would HIGHLY recommend a Britax seat — the LATCH system is WAY better on them (they’re like little seat belts), they are MUCH easier to install, and they are MADE IN AMERICA, woot!
Yeah, ya pay a little more for them, but we ended up just buying one, and I haven’t had any trouble re-installing the seat in another car (in fact JC and I carpool all the time). And once he’s forward facing, it is SOOOO easy to get them in and tight.
Ya just gotta put your knee into it. 😉 Or when rear-facing, I have actually taken to facing rear myself and sitting on it, then pulling on the latches.
Good luck, girl. You can usually get a good deal on last season’s colors online. 😀
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Memarie Lane
Ugh, car seats are such a pain. Our car only has lap belts, which makes it especially difficult. Luckily my dad is a certified car seat expert (he works in the automotive industry). He’s pretty handy to have around.
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MP
Good idea going over to the firehouse..that way you know it’s done correctly!
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Jenty
I think the firemen idea is a brilliant one!!
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skiplovey
Oh my gosh totally get someone to do it next time. I made my husband do it the first time and then we argued about whether he’d installed it correctly. I ended up taking it to an inspector just to verify (and it was correct). Oh the halcyon newborn days. When we upgraded it was way easier without that stupid base.
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Ewokmama
You guys need a Britax. It’s like BUTTER, I tell you. The latch belts are connected to bars on the side of the seat and they have buttons to open/close the hook. Each side is independent (instead of one long belt through the center) so you can sit in the seat and pull each side to tighten. The seat is a dream. I will never go back to the Graco baby seat or the Evenflo Triumph!
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Natalie
It’s even more fun when you don’t have a latch system in your car and at 38 weeks pregnant you are installing it yourself because your husband can’t seem to understand the friggin fraggin’ directions.
Uh yeah, I don’t like installing car seats either.
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zoe
just wait till your kid seriously pukes in the seat and you have to take it all apart to wash it and then try and but it back togethor. oh how fun.
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VE
You mean wrapping them in bubble-wrap and duct taping them to the seat isn’t safe anymore?
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Jen
I second (third?) VDog and Ewokmama – get a Britax. I was dreading replacing our Graco when we came home with the Britax, but it was seriously harder getting the Graco base OUT than it was getting the Britax IN.
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Lifesong
I loved your closing line! 🙂
Sorry it took me so long to come and visit you, but thanks for dropping by my site!!
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Mary Alice
My sister’s husband is a firefighter – I’m not sure helpless demeanor is effective with him. He just laughed and laughed when she had locked herself out of the house and got her butt stuck in the window trying to get back in. Not helpful AT ALL.
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Kara
Yeah I hate carseats. I have to remove mine too often to bother with the latch system. We use the old fashioned way. I am so happy that J has graduated from a carseat. We are still debating a booster.
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Arkie Mama
You will love the booster stage when you get there. So much easier than the carseats!
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Noreen
I can not find your email, please email so I can send you the calendar code
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Sarcastic Mom
lmao @ last line
BEWBS.
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Elissa
lol It is a big deal when they can no longer fit into the small car seat!!! Its all those little moments that add up to a growing kid!!! UGH Hope the new car seat won’t be so hard to put in!!!
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you da mom
i gave up and went down to the local kids store and had them install it for me. they knew exactly how to do it and put it in way more securely than i could ever. i freakin’ hate those latches.
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HRH
Yes, my first one took 45 minutes too and reference to 3 different manuals (obviously the manufacturer didn’t know how to install it either). I will have to say that the Britax that we now own is much easier which is good because at that price we didn’t buy more then one so we are switching it between cars a lot.
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Julie
Too bad you don’t live closer. I would totally install the new ones for you. If you have problems, just let me know!
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Kyla
I hate car seat installation, that’s totally Josh’s job.
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Margaret
My brother is a firefighter and I think he is one of those official car seat checker/installter/whatever people. And if he isn’t – he HAS to know some of those people. Whenever Mark and I have a kid – we will be having my brother take care of that.
When we have my nephew for a visit, I am afraid I don’t even have his booster seat in right – and that just sits in the seat.
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