The Travel System is for Dads, not Moms

First, what is a travel system?  A travel system is the combo package of infant car seat/carrier, infant car seat base, and compatible foldable stroller. 

So you're thinking that will be great for my wife to transport the baby.  Well, big guy, surprise, it's really meant for you.  When her OB/GYN releases the mother from the hospital, she's advised not to lift anything heavier than the baby for at least 6 weeks.  Clark was a big baby at 8 lb -  4 oz.  The average weight of an American newborn baby is 7.5 lbs.   I just weighed my infant carrier/car seat, it weighs about 8 lbs, the same as a gallon of water, a half pound more than the average baby or a quarter pound (4 oz.) less than Clark.  So, your baby + the baby carrier together are twice the weight new moms are supposed to carry.  So, guess who's going to be carrying the baby around in the carrier.  That's right, you, fellas.

The stroller isn't much better.  I haven't weighed the stroller, but I'm guessing it weighs around 10lbs+.  So, who is going to lift the stroller in and out of the car?  Not the new momma.  The strollers are foldable, but can still take up quite a bit of trunk space.  Even the best of the bunch can be a little tricky to open and fold-up.  So not a lot of new moms are up to the challenge.  So dads, you're it.  Consider it part of your fatherly duties.

Therefore, pick a travel system that you like, because you'll be the one using it, especially for the first month or two.  It's a dad accessory, feel from to as John Witherspoon would say, "CORWD-NATE" the travel system to dad's stuff.

         - Clark's Dad

Putting an Infant Car Seat in Shouldn't Require a PhD

With all due respect to my writing partner, Alejandra's dad, who has an engineering degree,  it doesn't take an engineering degree to install a baby car seat.

People make it out to be more complicated than it needs to be.  If you place the infant car seat in the center of the back seat of your car, installation is not much different than fastening your seat belt on an airplane.  Thread the "center" lap belt through the base of the car seat.  Then tighten as much as possible. Ta Da!   Otherwise place the seat on the left or right side of the back seat.  Thread the shoulder-lap belt through the base of the car seat.  Pull the belt to its furthest extent and then tighten.  You are done!  Place baby seat on base and you can go about your parental business.

The guy from the "Baby Store" who helped us wheel the box with our travel system that included our car-seat, said he had purchased the same model and his wife had the same car model as my wife.  He mentioned that in order for this brand-new car seat to function properly he had to weld a hook onto the back seat.  Um ... Why?

The instructor of our baby-care class told the class a story in which a father who went to pick up his wife and new baby from the hospital was told that his car seat was improperly installed and incompatible with his car.  He purchased two more car seats that day until he found one that worked and was able to get his baby released from the hospital holding cell.  That story can't be true, because I'm pretty sure 98% or more * of all cars are compatible with nearly every car seat installation by following the super easy instruction mentioned above without any deviations or welding classes required.