The car seat is in!

This morning my husband and I drove to the LAPD station near the corner of La Brea and Venice to have our child safety seat installed. We had considered installing it ourselves, but after reading the infant seat instructions, our Honda's owner manual and fiddling with a multitude of buttons, latches and straps we determined we needed professional help. Guess those 4 years of engineering school didn't prepare us for the complicated mechanics of car seats. Perhaps if we'd splurged on those Master's degrees...

Thankfully, LAPD has a free installation/inspection program and after a quick phone call last week we had an appointment with 2 very nice officers this morning at 8AM. They showed us how to adjust our Baby Trend Flex-Loc seat and buckle it into the center of our Honda's back seat. We asked them about installing it on one side or the other, but our reason (needing a place for the dog to sit) was deemed unsatisfactory. The officer asked us, “what's more important, the baby or the dog?” so we sheepishly agreed that the center of the backseat was the way to go. Our dog is too big to sit in the back next to the car seat, maybe she'll have to start riding up front with my husband.

I'm starting to understand why people run out and buy a giant car as soon as they have a baby. Between the car seat, stroller, diaper bag, etc., then throw transporting a dog into the mix, well, it's easy to feel a bit cramped. And we're just dealing with the infant seat here. I've seen some of those convertible car seats, which the officers informed us we'll need to upgrade to once the baby is over 22 lbs, and they are like mini Barcaloungers! I wonder if they come with tiny little cigars and brandy glasses.

I remember watching as our friends (who are a few years ahead of us on the whole kid thing) slowly replaced their compact sedans with mini-vans and scornfully asking “Why does the addition of 8 pounds of baby suddenly require 2 tons of car?” Now I at least understand the inclination. I still can't justify a mini-van or one of those obnoxious Hummers, but I do admit to eying station wagons lately.