For the soon-to-be and new moms...

It is no secret that I am a car seat fanatic. I also love my cloth diapers. I love my husband more than words can say. I love my kids more than anything else on this earth. I love my Lord because He first loved me. I love chocolate. I love babies. Oh, and I LOVE massages!

You don't have to love cloth diapers - it will not hurt my feelings. I love them, but that is my choice. I love my husband. You don't have to love him. You can just accept him for who he is and treat him with respect. That will make me happy. My kids - well, if you met them, you WOULD love them. Who doesn't love a good massage?

Car seats on the other hand are on a whole different level. They are a safety item. Meaning life and death. It doesn't get more serious than that. This is my explanation as to why I love them:

We all love our kids. Who doesn't love their kid? We spend tons of money preparing the nursery, buying diapers, buying the perfect stroller, perfecting breast or bottle feeding, acquiring the PERFECT outfit for coming home from the hospital/picture day/baby dedication/birthday party, etc...

But, how much research and attention do we really spend in researching the safest and easiest to use car seat? If you are like most people, you probably go to Babies R Us and pick out the one with the cutest color scheme or the one that looks comfy, or the one that matches the highchair and the pack n play. I am not saying that is ALL bad, but behind a cute pink flowered cover, how is it going to protect your precious little one if you are in a head on collision or if someone rear ends you at 50 MPH. Do you REALLY think of those things?

We all spend an obscene amount of time in our vehicles. I know I do. I love my van so much. In fact, before I bought it, I researched it and checked to make sure it had side air bags and anti lock breaks and that it was user friendly and had enough cup holders. I test drove it and compared it with others online before I finally decided to buy it.

We should do the same thing with the car seats we buy to place in the car to keep our children safe. Do some research. Ask other moms what they have. Realize that a good car seat doesn't HAVE to cost you $300, but that it MAY cost you $150....its just one more of those ultra important baby gear items to add in your head when you're looking into cribs and changing tables.

Lastly, Do your research into how to properly use your seat. Rear Facing vs Forward Facing. Where the chest clip should sit. How tight should the straps be. Where in the car should it sit. Remember, if you're in a collision at 60 MPH, this ONE thing is what will hold your child securely into their seat or on the flip side, allow momentum to take over and allow them to fly out of the seat and perhaps be thrown from the vehicle. This ONE seat. I think that is REALLY REALLY important. And to me, its worth spending some money to protect my child if that unthinkable accident ever happens. I have spent more money than I care to admit on car seats for my kids. I have NEVER regretted a single purchase.

I know I have posted this before. I don't know how many of you watched it the first time. I know I have picked up some new readers since then though, so I am going to post it again. For you new moms of little babies or for you moms-to-be, or for you moms shopping for the "next" step up in car seats, please take 3 minutes and watch this video. It was all completely new information to me before I watched it. This is why I spent countless hours researching car seats and safety for my own kiddos. I feel like this message needs to be shouted from the roof tops! Protect your toddlers! Keep them Rear Facing LONGER than the one year minimum. Their heads and necks cannot handle the force of an impact. Their legs WILL NOT break if they are touching the seat back. Please watch this:

Oh, and if you are indeed in the market for a new car seat, I would be happy to give you a good recommendation in any price point. From $40 up to $300 - you can choose one that is highly rated and that is user friendly and kid approved. I am not a Car Seat Technician YET, but I do a ton of research on the seats on the market these days. I can at least point you in a good direction if you need some assistance :-)

This picture of my little one warms my heart. It's about a month or two after he became "extended rear facing." He was probably 13-14 months old. Most babies his age have been "flipped" forward. Does he look uncomfortable to you? He never complained. Just as my almost 5 year old doesn't complain that she is still in a 5pt harness and not a booster seat like all but one of her friends. In fact, she actually prefers the 5pt harness. We tried to make the switch but we went back to the 5pt harness...