My poor husband is still scratching his head over why I continually bring up the “next seat” decision, because he still fits in his current seat. Right now he rides in a Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe (He is 2.5 years old and rear facing in these pictures - You can find out more information about extended rear facing and extended harnessing by watching a compilation of videos here). He still fits nicely, but it is somewhat difficult to get him in. He can climb in himself, but when you’re in a hurry, this can be…taxing on ones nerves. When you’re in a hurry, he moves like a slug, when you have plenty of time, he running ahead of you getting into things fast than you can process in your brain. The Safe Voyage Deluxe sits high up on a base, where are the next two seats I’m considering are for bigger kids and sit lower on the vehicle seat.

His current carseat was made by Britax and marketed under the Fisher Price name as a watered down Britax Marathon. Unfortunately (they were sold an an excellent price), they were discontinued and are no longer made. Child Passenger Safety has turned into a bit of a passion of mine. And by passion, I mean obsession. I peak in other people’s cars constantly. I read any and everything I can get my hands on. I look at seats in stores, and I always think about “what’s next.”

For several months now, I have narrowed my choices down to two seats. The Britax Regent or the Frontier. Both seats harness to 80lbs, and the Frontier has a 9 year lifespan (as opposed to the Regent’s 6 year), and it also turns into a belt positioning booster. So theoretically, the Frontier would be the better buy since it has a longer useful life and becomes a booster. But since I don’t care about that (meaning, I don’t mind buying a dedicated booster later), I’m back to square one. Although both seats harness to 80lbs, few children actually make it to 80lbs in the seat. Carseats are usually outgrown by height first. By height, I am referring specifically to torso height, not overall height. The harness slots must be at or above the shoulders when they are forward facing. With that in mind, the harness slots on the Regent are taller, thus it would last longer. And since I’m so obsessed with passionate about his safety, I would have a hard time buying the Frontier knowing that the Regent would keep him harnessed longer. The saying goes, “Each graduation is in carseats is actually a demotion in safety.” Rear face as long as possible, harness as long as possible (most kids are not mature enough to stay seat properly in a booster until at least 5 or 6 years old), use a high back belt positioning booster as long as possible when harnessed are outgrown and be sure that your child passes the 5-step-test before putting them in a seatbelt alone.

I do think I know a good way to resolve my dilemma. Go to a store that carries both seats and install both seats and measure the growing room he has left when they are installed. But this will likely require a 1.5 hour drive. One way. With gas this expensive, I can’t justify a trip. Maybe if I start compiling a list of things I “need” to do, I could justify it ;) We could always take in a children’s museum while we’re there.

Regent or Frontier

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I have a lot of incoming links from a message board that I cannot view, as I am not a member. So here’s the latest Frontier information. Once again, this is all subject to change, the updated release date as of right now is May 2008. Britax tends to be a bit conservative with their measurements of top harness slots, so we are hoping that people measuring it themselves will get a little bit higher than the projected 18.25. There have already been numerous complaints about the price (projected to be $279), especially with the Nautilus out (made by Graco, it will be the Frontier’s most similar competitor). I do love the colors, they have a more European/sporty look. I especially like the red on black. No surprise Britax includes a girly color, as they tend to overly cater to girl patterns. Notice how much it does resemble the foreign seat in my previous speculation post.

Details and Pricing on the Britax Frontier may change as more information is released. Please check again later for updates.

The Britax Frontier Combination Booster Seat offers True Side Impact Protection that grows with your child. The Britax Frontier is the highest forward-facing 5-point harness weight capacity seat in the industry featuring True Side Impact Protection (TSIP), a non-rethread harness and headrest adjustment. The Britax Frontier is also equipped with retractable cup-holders.

The Forward Facing 5-point harness can accommodate children from 25-80 pounds using the top tether and can be converted to a 40-100 pound belt positioning booster seat.

The Britax Frontier is LATCH and Versa Tether equipped.

Features:

  • Eight harness heights and three buckle positions
  • One-hand headrest and harness adjustment for easy and accurate adjustment
  • Rotating soft-touch armrests
  • Weight: 24 pounds

Dimensions:

  • 19.5 inches W x 22 inches H x 26.5 inches D
  • Harnessed (Headrest Extended) 19.5 inches H x 27.75 inches H x 27 inches D
  • Booster 19.5 x 22 x 20
  • Booster (Headrest Extended) 19.5 x 25.25 x 20

Interior Product Dimensions:

  • Seating Compartment Height 21.5 inches
  • Seat Area Depth 13.5 inches
  • Seat Area Width 12 inches
  • Shoulder Width 15.25 inches
  • Harness Slot Heights 12.25, 13.1, 14, 14.9, 15.75, 16.5, 17.4 and 18.25 inches
  • Buckle Strap Depth 5, 6.5 and 8.25 inches

Available in four styles: Canyon, Red Rock, Rushmore and Pink Sky

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EDIT: Since a link to this post on my blog has obviously been posted on a message board, please see this entry for more up-to-date info and pictures.

Disclaimer: I am not a carseat technician, I do not work for Britax, I do not know anyone that works for Britax, the following information has been gathered from threads that I have read at car-seat.org, and at this point, is all speculation.

The carseat board I frequent is ‘abuzz’ about a possible new Britax seat that may be released later this year. I am trying not to get my hopes up, as this is painfully familiar. I began a 10 month wait on the Recaro Signo at the end of last January, only to be sorely disappointed when it finally came out, 6 months behind schedule. Everything is speculation at this point, there are rumors floating around that stores have been informed of a possible new seat by their Britax reps. A few carseat technicians here and there saying that they’ve sat in on discussions about the seat and even seen a possible sketch or picture of a prototype. This is a foreign seat, I repeat, this is a seat from Finland, thus absolutely not a picture of the seat, only speculation about what it may look similar to. Note European seats are often distinctive from US seats in that they have no chest clip and super long shoulder pads. Another comparison floating around is that the seat looks like a harnessed Monarch (a US Britax booster, notice the similarity in general shape?).

Rumor has it that the new Britax Frontier may harness to 80lbs. and booster to 100lbs. The booster is supposed to be able to LATCH into the car (using lower anchors to keep the seat in place and the seatbelt to keep the child in the seat). Everyone is wondering if this may be replacing the Regent (I heard someone call this the Lazy Boy of carseats, it is huge), as it is rumored to have about the same or perhaps slightly lower top slots (according to fact sheets that have been given to stores by reps…again all of this is word of mouth through several people, take it with a grain of salt). In my opinion, the Kyle Miller Foundation has had a profound effect of Regent sales, thus Britax would not discontinue a now top selling seat and replace it with something “less than” the Regent specs. If this seat were to replace the Regent, I think it would have to be at least equivalent, if not better. The Regent’s top slots have appeared to decrease over the past year. I swear I’ve read that older seats measure more like 20.5in, while the newer seats are measuring around 19in. That is a significant difference in growing room. One of my drawbacks to the Regent, aside from its enormous size, is the lack of side impact wings. This seat might remedy this concern for me. I can’t wait to learn more! As for an ETA… once again, rumors say between April and July (sounds similar to the Recaro rumors of last year, the April release for the seat that finally hit the market in November).

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Oooo we do! That’s us, right here!

My less than happy test subject in the new Graco Nautilus. Now a candidate for the future carseat running.

Since it is a forward facing only carseat, the straps would need to be moved up a slot, but he appears to have a good bit of growing room. This seat becomes a belt positioning booster, and then a backless booster. I am a little concerned that he might unbuckle it himself though, as the buckle pushes down instead of in (of course he has his hands in front of it in both pictures).

Please note, the chest clip should be a little higher, at armpit level.

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I’m trying to decide whether to turn Poopy forward facing in his carseat. Of course I have to make a big deal over anything concerning carseat safety and analyze it from every possible angle. I asked on the carseat forum that I frequent. They didn’t help any, as I got a mix of answers. I’m getting inconsistent readings from our scale as to his weight. He has barely eaten the last two weeks or so, he starts off with a good breakfast, and usually refuses lunch and may or may not pick at dinner. So there is no way he has gained a pound! I was expecting him to have lost. My head knows that he will be perfectly safe forward facing. I’ve kept him rear facing until almost three years old, which is two years longer than most kids. But I just can’t stop comparing the crash test videos in my head and wishing we could move to Sweden where they rear face to 55lbs. Look at the difference here, you’ll see what I mean.

Huge difference, yes?  The rear facing weight limit on his seat is 33lbs.  I honestly think he’s still around 31, but I keep getting totally different readings on my scale from day to day ranging from 30.5 last week to 33 last night!  Tell me he’ll be fine.  I want him to have the best of everything, and it bugs me knowing that Sweden is so far ahead of us, they have better seats.  And even though it would cost a fortune to import it, and it isn’t legal to use here, it is still eating at me.  It also will slightly complicate riding with anyone else.  Neither of my parents’ cars have top tethers, and I won’t put the seat in there without it, because I’m obsessive like that.  I’m not sure what they say about me asking them to install one.  I don’t know if I even should ask, because he only rides with them a few times a year.  Some days I can’t decide whether it is a good thing or not that I’m so OCD about this!

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let me get my box of soap

Dec 06

Posted by: Rachel in: blog, carseats, ramblings, rants

Dear Lady parked next to me at the grocery store last night,

I recognize that I have issues with being a little over obsessive about car safety and children, but hey, when you look at obsessions on a scale, it isn’t really a bad one to have.  I continually research, read up on, and think about how I can keep my child as safe as possible in the car.  I peered in your car when I stepped out of mine.  It’s true.  I’m nosy.  I saw your overhead shield seat and I frowned.  I noted that it didn’t look to be fastened in very well, but at least it was in the center right?  Next to a booster, which didn’t look so outdated, ancient and nasty.  I made my way into the store thinking it shouldn’t be too hard to spot which mother had the look of misery on her face while shopping with two small children.  As I celebrated being able to get one of those new little compact carts for myself, since I didn’t have my toddler with me, I forgot about your lack of proper child restraints and went about my shopping with glee.  I should have noticed you walking 15 feet in front of your 3 and 5 year old girls and put two and two together.  But I was too busy clicking my heels and skipping around the store without have to pick up my grocery list 19 times, and push all the squishable foods to the front of the cart out of reach.  I watched you with dismay as your toddler played with the lottery machine right next to the door and you turned your back and attention to the shopping at hand.  Your older daughter was sitting on the mat at a empty register station a few aisles down.  But it’s okay, I understand.  You’ve got shopping to do.  Luckily you gathered up your offspring and the youngest one had not wandered out the door into traffic.  You were tossing groceries in with your kids running around  in circles behind the car when I arrived at mine.  You opened the door and both of them climbed in.  But wait, your forgot something didn’t you?  You were already backing out.  What about your daughter and her crappy overhead shield?  Oooooo, it is just for looks.  As you drove by, the buckle sparkled over her head.  Didn’t anyone tell you?  It only works if you USE IT!  But on two wheels with the rev of your motor, you were gone before I even knew your car type.  Now all I can do is pray that God will watch over your kids since you won’t.

Respectfully,
Me

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Procrastination. I was all state my senior year. Certainly there must be a hall of fame. President of the Procrastinators Association. We were going to have our bi-monthly meeting last week but we decided to put off. You know with the holiday and all. My vice president, Amber, was out of town for turkey festivites, as was I. ;)

Here’s my high hopes for my website that I’m supposed to be working on…
Get the photo gallery up to date so that I can post pictures monthly. If you only had any clue how much I have complicated that with my gallery layout…do you know how hard it is to go back and try to remember what your now almost three year old was doing at seven months old? Hell I can’t remember what I had for lunch today! So that is on my ‘things to procrastinate’ list.

Next we have the child passenger safety information section. The subject that I’m so quick to pass judgement on out in public tsking at how this seat is installed and gawking at three year olds in boosters, yet this subject has been “coming soon” for about six months. To make sure that process is extra complicated, I am making a brochure that is all inclusive. All the advice I have to give about installing, selecting, and using carseats, and adding the state laws to each brochure. This means I have to look up CPS laws for all 50 states. Then I’ll have this nifty little drop down menu where you can select your state and print out a brochure. This is just if you don’t want to read through the information that is going to be on the website.

So that sounds like plenty to keep me busy right? So I must be making progress, yes? Sure! I went and got another domain name so that I could blog in two places! Yeah notice that hasn’t happened yet? But I did put my Christmas tree up today…on my website. You can even leave me little presents. They are free! Just the thought that counts. Like my dear husband who left me a lump of coal. We don’t have the tree for the house yet…we doing that…uhhh…next week!

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A public service announcement if you will. I didn’t get the carseat because some asswipe got the last one around 8pm (the review and pictures weren’t posted until 11ish). I’m still pissing and moaning about, and probably will continue to do so most of the way to Georgia tomorrow. But I think I want the blue one anyhow. It looks awesome as expected. I was feeling slightly guilty about not buying from the gentleman I have been emailing with locally. He is an extremely nice, owns a tiny shop about an hour from here, and has been selling Recaro racing seats since the 70’s. I did feel slightly obligated to purchase it from him, just because of the sheer amount of bugging emails I have sent him, so I guess it all works out for the best. I looked back through my blog and verified that I have indeed been waiting since January for this seat, so it is official, I could have had another baby while I’ve been waiting, thus justifying at least some of my whining.

We are leaving for Georgia after Caleb’s speech therapy in the morning. I am, unfortunately, going to have to reschedule the meeting we were supposed to have Monday where I was going to tell them that #1 My child talks ALL DAY LONG, so I don’t think he needs speech therapy anymore, nor did he to start with, he was just a late talker (I’ll probably leave that last part off so I don’t make the poor woman feel like her job is worthless) and #2 No way no how will he be going to public school when he turns three to continue the speech therapy that he doesn’t need, when I haven’t even decided whether I will homeschool or not. So that’s that. I should really get to bed seeing as how it is 12:40 and I need to get up in 6ish hours to be able to complete everything I have left to do. You know since I pissed away my day waiting on a carseat review which just left me wanting it more. I’m not bitter. Really. I may have internet access at my aunt’s house, we shall see!

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I think Caleb and I are going to Georgia tomorrow. I really cannot fully express how much I am looking forward to a six hour car ride with my mother. There just aren’t words. But I’m not going so that I can complain about my mother. Honestly. Even though I probably will anyway. I’m going so that my son and I can see my grandmother. I’m taking a stroller so that I can escape with Caleb. I’ve thought about going to buy some toys to give him when he’s being a pain so that he’ll have something new. I’m guessing there will be some medical equipment at my grandmother’s house which he will no doubt be fascinated with, so I need distractions.

I took him clothes shopping this morning. Clothes shopping. That was interesting. Anyone in heeere? Anyone in this dressing room? As he leans down to look below the gaping hole under the dressing room door. Which came up to KNEE height, by the way. Hello privacy! What happened to that? It was almost as bad as those dressing rooms that have curtain doors! Not to mention how many times I lunged across the three foot cubicle with 8 way mirrors to keep him from throwing the door wide open to share my birthday suit with the entire store. I was already seeing all that I wanted to see in those mirrors. I came out with a brown outfit. Hopefully in my total and complete lack of fashion sense, it is totally against the rules to wear brown to a funeral. I must have tried on everything black in the store with no luck. My mother insists that we go to Georgia ‘prepared’ and states that brown is okay because that is what she’s wearing too. Great, we’ll match. I love mother daughter matching. Almost as much as I love an impending six hour car ride together. Nevermind the dripping sarcasm today, I’m just stressed. I’m stressing over things that are completely out of my control…

Like the fact that I can order Caleb’s carseat online right now. That’s right, the Signo is in stock somewhere. The Elite Sixteen. They were sent to <insert online store name here> as a promotional deal. The rest of the newly manufactured seats are floating in the Pacific somewhere, on a boat that departed everyone’s favorite country…China. So these 16 are quite literally the only ones on US soil for sell. I’m sure Recaro has a few prototypes and extras at company headquarters, but none for sale. Here’s the stressful part, I’m waiting on a few details of the seat to be confirmed before ordering. There is only three ONE left in stock. So if everything checks out, there is only three ONE opportunity left to get this seat. I could of course wait until the shipment comes in, but I could have had another baby while waiting on this carseat. Okay not quite, but almost! I’ve been waiting since March! I’m impatient dammit. I should be getting a review by the first owner in the United States this evening, at which point, I’ll make my decision.

On a side note, even though it was purchased for a sad occasion, how handsome does this little guy look in a suit? I’ve never dressed him up like this before, just nice khakis and sweaters and such.

I thought the crocs and pacifier were a nice touch too.

 

But I convinced him to remove them for a few pictures. He’s really happy about it.

 

Yep Mom’s being goofy.

 

Some days he looks so much like me it is scary, I feel like I’m looking at my own baby pictures sometimes.

 

One, two, three, aaaaawww

 

Welp, this is getting boring.

 

I think I’ll go back to sleep.

 

Or try the serious, yet playing with my toes look.

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Only 999 things left to go. We bought a carseat tonight. So I decided to sit here and write about it real quick. It being 8:30pm and all. The kiddo is not bathed, not dressed for bed, I haven’t packed a thing, still need to mop, didn’t get the tires rotated, haven’t divided up the animals’ food for the sitter. You’re probably wondering what I did do today. I cried a lot, talked with family a lot, cleaned some, bought a suit for Caleb, and picked Scott up in Greensboro, because his boss wanted access to the work van while we’re gone.

What does all this boil down to? A -slightly less than convinced that we needed a new carseat- daddy. A baby (yes he will always be my baby even though he’s 2.5, gasp) who has asked 1,319 times, “Momma whatcha reading? You reading carseat book Momma?” Yes I’m still reading the carseat book, the same thing I was reading the last 1,318 times you asked. And a Mommy who is more convinced her kiddo is as safe as he can be in the car right now, considering the crazy driving daddy will be doing all the…well…driving. A carseat made by Britax always helps though (it is a Fisher Price Safe Voyage Deluxe…a watered down Marathon basically).

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