Life in the Ketchup Bottle: Maggie comes home

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Maggie comes home

Here are some coming-home pictures!

I am pleased to say that we did NOT have to get the infant carrier out. The 9 inch bottom slots are even a bit BELOW her shoulders, not just at! (You can't see that 'cause of the infant cushions, but it's true.) The nurse who checked the carseat (who is a certified tech, and also the sweet one who showed me how to make Maggie more comfy by putting blanket rolls on top of the Bilibed cover) had never seen a Radian before and thought it was an awesome seat (and awesome that I'm a carseat geek who knew just what to do with it.) And she was pleased to hear that our other two are harnessed in Radians as well and will be for quite a long time. I love our Radians! So do the kids, they're really comfy in them! Bridey liked the seat rear-facing and still likes it now that she's hit the RF weight limit and has to forward-face. I love the fact that they exceed federal requirements even without the top tether, and do even better with the top tether (which we use) and can even be tethered rear-facing. And they let us get three across in a Corolla, can't ask for more than that!

Anyway, here she is fitting perfectly in the car seat (though the cushions did end up needing a bit of adjusting down):

Here you can see how they fit three across:

And here are the proud big sisters (who also needed their harnesses and such adjusted before we went.)

Finally, here's her first picture at home! I was so glad to see her lay in her own playpen!

2 comments:

Jennifer Swanepoel said...: SO SO SO SO happy for you guys!!

She's just precious...absolutely precious.

Making my uterus ache...; 6:39 PM
Ashley said...: Your girls are adorable, and I love Maggie's bonnet.; 5:51 AM

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

More Ketchupy advice on how to keep your child safe in the car

Make sure the seat you are using is the safest possible for your child's weight, height, and age, and used in the safest configuration possible.
Make sure the seat you are using is not expired. (Yes, they expire! They can weaken over time. Don't use an expired seat-- or for that matter, an outdated one, such as a car seat with an overhead shield, which are not generally considered safe.)
Never use a seat that has been in a crash (don't use it if you're not sure if it has been in a crash, either.)
ALWAYS read your car seat manual AND your car's manual to find out the best way to properly install your child's car seat!
Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. One year and 22 lbs. is the MINIMUM, not the actual limit, or even the current recommendation. I am proud to say that all 3 of my girls are currently rear-facing, the oldest 2 in higher-weight rear-facing seats! Having bent legs or legs hitting the back of the seat does NOT mean that the child is too big to rear-face, and is not dangerous. There are now seats that rear-face to 40 lbs. and beyond.
Once your child turns forward-facing, keep her in a harnessed seat as long as possible, including buying a higher weight limit seat if you need to (and if possible.) 4 years and 40 lbs. is the MINIMUM, there are seats that go up to 65 and even 80 lbs. as a harnessed seat.
Make sure your seat fits your child and that you're buckling him in correctly. Check weight limits carefully. When rear-facing, straps should be just at or below your child's shoulders, and there should be no less than 1 inch between her head and the top of the seat. When forward facing, straps should be at or above the shoulders, and the top of the ears should not be above the top of the car seat. In a harnessed seat, the chest buckle should be over the nipples, with the top approximately at the level of the armpits. The harness should always be tight enough that you can not pinch any slack in it if you try. In a high-back booster, the belt should be correctly positioned across the child's chest and shoulder, and the tips of the child's ears should not be above the top of the booster.
Don't put your child in the car in a heavy winter coat or snow suit, especially in a harnessed seat! Remove thick coats before getting in the car; use blankets and/or thin fleece coats that you don't have to re-adjust the harness for, or buckle your child in and then put the coat back on backwards, or use it for a blanket, so it doesn't interfere with correct tightening of the straps.
Always make sure your child's seat is securely installed before buckling him in. Use whatever devices are necessary to get a tight fit, including LATCH according to guidelines up to 40 lbs., and locking clips for older seatbelts. Always make sure seatbelts used to install a seat are locked, whether by a locking clip or device or by pulling the belt all the way out before letting it retract (in newer vehicles.)
Never use LATCH belts and a seatbelt at the same time to install a car seat. This can put too much strain on the seat. Use one or the other. This doesn't apply to the top tether-- you may use the top tether after you have switched to seatbelt installation (see above links.)
When you must move your child to a booster, choose a high-back booster for as long as possible. Most experts agree that 6 years old is the youngest most childrens' hips are developed enough to distribute a seatbelt correctly, even with a booster, and a high-back booster provides more protection for your child's head and neck as long as s/he fits in it.
Never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. If there is a lap belt only seat in your car, the ONLY child who should be seated there is one in a five-point harness car seat installed with the lap belt (or LATCH if your car is equipped with it.)
ALWAYS read your car seat manual AND your car's manual to find out the best way to properly install your child's car seat!
Make sure the seat you are using is not expired. (Yes, they expire! They can weaken over time. Don't use an expired seat-- or for that matter, an outdated one, such as a car seat with an overhead shield, which are not generally considered safe.)
Never use a seat that has been in a crash (don't use it if you're not sure if it has been in a crash, either.)