One baby delivered, one to go!
01-23-2001, 08:58 AM
#3
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Re: One baby delivered, one to go!
cool.
my wife is gonna pop our first out in about 2 wks. i am starting to check out baby seats also, so let me know if anybody follows up....
our a4 will be the truckster also, i don't think i want to be putting the little IT (don't know sex yet) in the back of my 88 scirocco. my back hurts just thinking about it!
good luck
ted
my wife is gonna pop our first out in about 2 wks. i am starting to check out baby seats also, so let me know if anybody follows up....
our a4 will be the truckster also, i don't think i want to be putting the little IT (don't know sex yet) in the back of my 88 scirocco. my back hurts just thinking about it!
good luck
ted
01-23-2001, 09:12 AM
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Carseat Experience (long)
First off, congratulations. My first child (a beautiful baby girl) came into the world December 5th, 2000.
I'm driving (as you can see by my sig) a 2000 A4 Sedan. My folks bought us the Evenflow On-my-way carseat (actually it came with the stroller - a very nice package) which is basically a baby carryer that clips into a base that you mount in the back seat of your car. We bough a second base, so we can clip into either car at a moment's notice.
It works very well, but there are a couple of sticking points I should warn you about.
First of all, it was a royal pain in the posterior to mount the base due to the tensioner system lap belt in the rear center seat (you know that the center is the safest place for baby - in the A4, it's also the place with the most room). Anyway, I had to get into the back seat and sit on the base while letting the belt slip back into its holder waiting for retensioner to click into the next shorter position. It's doable, but it's tough. Give yourself plenty of time and take deep breath, because those body panels dent if you whack them hard enough out of anger.
You'll probably want to protect the seat fabric (I have leatherette) from the direct contact with the base. I used a thick non-slip rubber mat (the kind you put under an area rug on a hardwood floor). You'll also need to prop up the back end of the base so that the carseat ends up at the desired 45 angle when it clips in (the back seats angle down just a bit). There, I used part of a rolled up foam sleeping bag mat. The police that I had inspect the setup recommended a foram swim noodle, but you can't get those in New Hampshire in October.
Space in the rear seat is the most limiting factor. I'm 5'9" with a 32" inseam, so I have relatively long legs for my height. When the carseat is installed, the manufacturer recommends that you put the handle in the down position (toward the front of the car) to provide more shock protection (I guess). I find that I need to bump my seat forward 1 notch from its ideal position to accommodate this requirement. Not terrible, but not optimal either. Similarly, the passenger seat has to move forward too, but my wife is only 5'6" - so it's a non-issue.
This seat is only good to 20 pounds and my 7 week old daughter is half-way there already. I'll have to buy a new seat then, but for now this works very well, and it's convenient being able to carry her around in the "bucket".
I'm looking forward to when she's a year old and the carseat no longer needs to face rear. I think we'll get back some more room by turning the carseat around.
Best of luck to you in the birthing process and in parenting. If you love it half as much as I do, you'll be very happy.
One final thought. Your local police will probably inspect your carseat installation for free - I recommend letting them do it. They helped me out with a couple sublte points that I hadn't anticipated.
Good Luck,
Jamie
I'm driving (as you can see by my sig) a 2000 A4 Sedan. My folks bought us the Evenflow On-my-way carseat (actually it came with the stroller - a very nice package) which is basically a baby carryer that clips into a base that you mount in the back seat of your car. We bough a second base, so we can clip into either car at a moment's notice.
It works very well, but there are a couple of sticking points I should warn you about.
First of all, it was a royal pain in the posterior to mount the base due to the tensioner system lap belt in the rear center seat (you know that the center is the safest place for baby - in the A4, it's also the place with the most room). Anyway, I had to get into the back seat and sit on the base while letting the belt slip back into its holder waiting for retensioner to click into the next shorter position. It's doable, but it's tough. Give yourself plenty of time and take deep breath, because those body panels dent if you whack them hard enough out of anger.
You'll probably want to protect the seat fabric (I have leatherette) from the direct contact with the base. I used a thick non-slip rubber mat (the kind you put under an area rug on a hardwood floor). You'll also need to prop up the back end of the base so that the carseat ends up at the desired 45 angle when it clips in (the back seats angle down just a bit). There, I used part of a rolled up foam sleeping bag mat. The police that I had inspect the setup recommended a foram swim noodle, but you can't get those in New Hampshire in October.
Space in the rear seat is the most limiting factor. I'm 5'9" with a 32" inseam, so I have relatively long legs for my height. When the carseat is installed, the manufacturer recommends that you put the handle in the down position (toward the front of the car) to provide more shock protection (I guess). I find that I need to bump my seat forward 1 notch from its ideal position to accommodate this requirement. Not terrible, but not optimal either. Similarly, the passenger seat has to move forward too, but my wife is only 5'6" - so it's a non-issue.
This seat is only good to 20 pounds and my 7 week old daughter is half-way there already. I'll have to buy a new seat then, but for now this works very well, and it's convenient being able to carry her around in the "bucket".
I'm looking forward to when she's a year old and the carseat no longer needs to face rear. I think we'll get back some more room by turning the carseat around.
Best of luck to you in the birthing process and in parenting. If you love it half as much as I do, you'll be very happy.
One final thought. Your local police will probably inspect your carseat installation for free - I recommend letting them do it. They helped me out with a couple sublte points that I hadn't anticipated.
Good Luck,
Jamie
01-23-2001, 09:15 AM
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Congrats and enjoy.
Both. Other than the daily pleasure of your oown children, the "other" experience that will forever change you is the actual moment of birth. Any father will tell you that it's impossible to describe the feeling that floods you.
tip though. If they make them still, get the Hoover SteamVac Jr. It's a portable cleaner that will come in very handy in the car.
Trust me.
tip though. If they make them still, get the Hoover SteamVac Jr. It's a portable cleaner that will come in very handy in the car.
Trust me.
01-23-2001, 09:19 AM
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One thing I did to save the seats is....
Go to a camp or sports store, and get the foam sleeping pad. It's very grippy, and while it'll help the car seat "anchor" better, it also will prevent the constant minor movements from eventually wearing and discoloring the seat (I assume leatherette.) I glued it to the appropriate places, but you can just cut it and use it loosely. It worked so well I did it to the booster seats my kids now use.
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01-23-2001, 09:53 AM
#8
AudiWorld Expert
heehee, I can picture you going through all that work and then glueing it to your seat (leatherette)
"well I'll just protect my seats by glueing this foam piece to my seats so they don't get damaged"
anyway...
anyway...