Help? New carseat for my 5 month old, 95% height and weight.

[rohans mommy]

Hello everyone,
My little 5 month DS grew out of his graco snugride faster than I expected. At 4 1/2 months he was 19 lbs. and 27" tall, 95% on height and weight, not fat, but big! And growing very fast! He loves his milky... Surprising since I'm only 5'2" but there you go.

My grandma gave me $200 as a gift for the baby and I don't mind spending a (little) bit more. I was thinking of buying the Britax Marathon or Decathalon for my 1996 Camry. Not sure which would be a better fit for my 5 month old. Any suggestions?

I understand a Regent isn't for rear facing, correct?

I was hoping for a seat that doesn't take up much space, but safety first! Would you suggest something else?

If I was to buy one of those, would the next step be a booster and I'm done? Searching for the holy grail of car seats... hehehe

thank you so much! I learn so much over here!

[Joolsplus2]

He'll slow down ;). As my dr told me when MY 99th %ile baby stopped growing so fast, "you just aren't 99th %ile people!" lol.

If your snugride fits ok in your Camry, then a Marathon or Boulevard will fit, too, and it'll last 5 years or longer, then you can get a good booster seat for the 5 years or so after that (even a $12 backless... unless you WANT a $349 Recaro...there's a huge range in boosters, to say the least!).

Right, not time for the Regent yet, it's forward facing only.(we want that kiddo to rearface till the maximum limits of the Marathon, which is 33 pounds.. age 2 or 3) (see the link in my signature for why, if you haven't read it yet).

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[rohans mommy]

:) lol That's a relief to hear, I'm definitely not a 95%ile women! hehehe

Great! I don't mind buying a booster in 5 years or so.
I'm just bummed the infant car seat only lasted 5 months... I was hoping for 8 mths. A friend warned me not to register for a travel system and I didn't listen. Got one and ended up having to buy another stroller too, since i hated the travel system stroller. Oh well, live and learn...

Your sig is a real eye opener, I definitely want the rearfacing! :)

I'm leaning towards the DC, would you suggest the MA or Boulevard instead? My only fear about the Boulevard is the space issue.

As it is, with the centerspace used by the car seat, some relatives can't sit in the back seats, its a pretty tight fit and the camry is our only 4 seater car.

[rohans mommy]

Sorry, one more question...
When did your child slow down, growthwise? Do you think a Radian might be too narrow or that he might grow out of it too quickly?
thank you! :)

[vickimaggie]

We have a Boulevard (2 actually) and LOVE it! The Marathon, Decathalon, and Boulevard are all the exact same size so it won't take up any more room than the other 2 will. My DD loves the head wings because she leans on them when she sleeps. I love the side impact protection and the harness adjuster knob which is so much easier than having to rethread the straps as the kiddo grows!

Vicki

[Joolsplus2]

The Radian fit my kid *longer* than the Marathon...like, she outgrew the MA at barely 6, and now at almost 7 she's just creeping out of the Radian.
One thing about the Radian, though is that it can be tricky or impossible to install in some cars without LATCH... the Britaxes will give you some issues (the built in lockoffs and rearfacing tethering are guaranteed to generate a bit of confusion and we'll be here to walk you through it :) )

Yep, all the same sized seat...the Decathlon is iffy for me, since SO many people have a booger of a time with the harness adjuster... just buy from a place with a good return policy if you want to upgrade to a Boulevard if the DC gives you a headache.

Ah yes, everyone has to learn the hard way about travel systems, you aren't alone, lol.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[rohans mommy]

Oh! Thanks so much Vicki!
I didn't realise the Boulevard was the same size as the other 2.
We are going to the store tomorrow, I've only been reseraching online and its hard to judge that way. The adjustable knobs sound like a nice touch too, I'll check it out.

[rohans mommy]

Very Interesting... I was afraid it might be too small... hmmm..
I WOULD be interested in the Radian then, BUT my car is a 1996, no LATCH system.
Poo, might be too much of a hassle...

Lol yeah, the travel system... the baby bargains book DID say 'don't do it'... hehehe

[sdjeppa]

I have a 97 Camry, not sure if its the same body style as yours, and my son's Marathon fits great in the middle...RF and FF...and we can easily fit either an adult or a carseat on either side of him. The way the MA sits up off the seat makes it pretty easy to fit next to it. :) Good luck!

[Kat_Mom2D_J_andRuthie]

the boulevard wings offer true side impact protection and the knob is definitely easier for adjusting.

remember, the rubber HUGS are required for forward facing, but you can remove them for a better rearfacing fit.

just make sure you don't lose them (glove box is a great place to keep them)

[rohans mommy]

Hi ladies,
Just a follow up, we got the boulevard for my DS and couldn't be happier with it!!
We call it his armchair, its so comfy for him. I didn't have a problem installing it in my 1996 Camry (prelatch) and i love the adjustment knob, its so easy!
Thank you so much for the advise, you ladies rock! :)