Which seat next for my daughter & when?

[sandberns]

I have two DDs in carseats. Currently my almost 4YO (in March, yet she acts 16 much of the time ;)) is 33lbs and in a Roundabout. My 1YO (just had her b-day) is 16 1/2lbs and in a SnugRide. It has always been slightly tilted toward the center of the car, which I'm not happy about (both girls are in the second row captain's chairs). My pediatrician said that developmentaly my 1YO is ready to go front facing. When my older DD turned 1 and I consulted the CHP "expert" about turning her around in the Roundabout, (she was just 19lbs) he also said that it was ok to do so. I think that she would enjoying the better view front facing.

When I turn her around she would be in my older DD's Roundabout. This means that I will need a new seat for my 4YO. They are both pettite and I'm not sure which way to go.

I drive a 2000 Toyota Sienna (the safest car I could buy at the time). My DH drives a 1998 Toyota Camry. The seats are mostly in the van, but do get transfered to the Camry sometimes. So we need seats that are easy to re-install, which has not been the case with the SnugRide :-(.

So...my questions...
1. When is it safe to turn the baby around?
2. What seat should I get next for my 4YO (she loves the princess Turbo Booster)?
3. If my baby stays in the SnugRide until she reaches 20lbs (in another year or two) how can I get it to be level (the problem seems to be with the shoulder strap pulling up on the base of the carseat)?

I look forward to any help I can get with this. My consciense is eating away at me :o. I want the safest for my girls and have a budget where we need items that will last to be worthwhile or not too expensive.

[Joolsplus2]

Your infant seat is tipping because the shoulderbelt is pulling tighter tighter and tighter and tipping it up. Not dangerous, but using a locking clip, instead of the locking retractor, can prevent it.
Hey, I have that 3-going-on-16 yo, too! Oh, girls are such a challenge... ;)

1. At one year is when the risk of *severe* neck injury drops of to *moderate* neck injury, and rearfacing to the limits of a convertible seat is MUCH safer than turning forward at the *bare minimum* of a year old (see the link in my sig, even your dr isn't reading the AAP statement that rearfacing longer is safest, which is too bad...maybe you can print it up for him/her? It's on that page in the "front facing too soon?" heading. This is particularly important in your car, as that middle seat doesn't have a top tether anchor...top tether anchors are the next best thing to rearfacing when it comes to preventing head and neck injury. She doesn't know any different, so she'll be just as happy and comfortable staying safest as long as she can (especially with a sister to look at, rather than the back of your head!). Also, there's no excuse for anyone to tell you a 19 pound baby is ok to be forward facing. It's not ok at ALL. NO seats have a 19 pound ff limit, and current Britaxes have a 22 pound weight limit, because rearfacing is so very safe, they want babies as safe as possible. (I'm sure he was a cps tech, but just didn't take that part of his job very seriously, which makes things harder for those of us who DO care about following the rules and doing things right and keeping kids as safe as they can possibly be :( )

2. Oh yeah, they all love the Princess turbo booster!... If you are ready to give up the extra safety of the harnessed seat, and think she can sit still in a booster, then that's ok, but harnessing longer is safest, and there are tons of seats to choose from (Britax Marathon (Ashley Floral is just as fun as pink princesses...at least my 5 yo dd thinks so, lol), or Wizard or Husky, or any of the Graco harnessed boosters (Cargos, all except for the "treasured" which has no front adjuster), or any of the Evenflo harnessed boosters are good choices as long as you can use them properly every time. It's going to be a long time before she's 40 pounds and too big for the harnesses and you HAVE to put her in a booster seat, so I'd seriously consider one of these.

3. Your baby is already too tall for the Snugride...if her head is within an inch of the top of the seatback...you aren't going to be able to wait till she's 20 pounds...most kids outgrow the snugride between 4 and 6 months! (26 inches or 20 pounds, whichever comes first, is the maximum on that seat).

Scroll down for more info on all the seats people have chosen in your same situation...I pretty much post the same ones all the time, and you can see why people chose what they chose and get ideas from that :)


Julie CPS Tech and mom to 2 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[sandberns]

Hi Julie,

Thank you for all the info. A friend of mine has a Marathon and I had my DD sit in it today and she said that she liked it so I'm seriosly considering it.

Wow! I just ran to my car after re-reading your post to check the records from the baby's 12Mo check up and she's 27 1/2 inches tall. Ooops. I'm so glad you mentioned the height limit on the SnugRide. I guess I have to make my decision NOW! :o

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I'm off to shope online right now. I just hope we don't have an accident before I can get a new seat!